What TWO guns would you have?

[KW]

One of the posts tonight prompted this question. It’s one we use to banter around where I used to work. . . The answers were surprising diverse. There’s no wrong or right.

The question; as the poster said below; the crap has hit the fan. You have to evacuate and abandon your home base of operations(for whatever reason.) What TWO guns are you taking?  I’m not talking about your 782 gear, just your firepower AND because of weight and/or space, you’re limited to just two. What are the type of weapon and the caliber or gauge . . . and why did you pick them?

(and your Valk would be waiting for you where you were heading. Which makes this Valk related  )

[Chrisj CMA]

I would take my .357 and as many rounds as I had on hand because its concealable, small and I am VERY used to it, I can shoot it all day and never miss and it has some power for its size.

The other weapon would have to be my 20ga police special 18"barrel shotgun.  easy to carry and very effective no matter what the threat

[Serk]

VERY difficult question... Assuming I'm also able to bring a healthy amount of ammo with me, it'd be my LR-308 (AR15 in .308, basically), and my XD .40 Sub Compact...

If I'm NOT able to bring a good amount of ammo, prolly a 5.56 AR15 and an XD in 40...


Also, the choice would be variable on WHAT kind of poop is hitting the fan... If the threat is from "regular" police, it'd be a .40, since that's what they're most likely to have. If it's military in nature, it'd be a 9mm most likely. Not my favorite caliber, but the caliber I'm most likely to find more of later on... Basically, I'd try to match my 2 calibers to the same calibers the threat is most likely to be carrying, regardless if that's one of my preferred calibers or not...

[Detn8er]

I don't own any guns, However if I did it would be my Springfield XD 45....It's a tack driver. My AK47 with after market furniture,quad rails with excellent red dot sight. I know not as accurate as an AR what ever but I'd bet a hunnert of your dollars you wouldn't stand one hundred meters away and dare me to hit you. 

At least 3 hundred rounds for each...all ready packed in the sack and ready to roll. 

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Just today I did some tradin' I traded a Raptor 270 I bought a few years ago for $150.00 for a riding mower. Money in my world is dryin' up and I needed a mower bad and I have a safe full of rifles and shotguns.Dude was asking $500.00 for the mower so I'm thinking I made a good trade.

Traded this



For this ....This was the picture used in the ad he had placed.



To answer your question if only ( 2 ) guns would go with me...My Ruger 10/22 with scope cause I've got better than 2,500 rounds for it and ( 4 ) 30 shot mags plus I can damn near strike matches with it at 100 yards. The other would be my Remington 870 pump 12 ga. it was my Grand-fathers and I just could'nt leave it behind. I might even hide a pistol or three on my person as I leave  

[highcountry]

Two is not enough.     You need at least three - rifle, shotgun, pistol.

[Daniel Meyer]

One of the modified Colt 1911's I expect. There's a bakers dozen of them around here somewhere (a hobby of mine). Simply because if you double-tapp it with the Colt...it's down. Whether it's a charging bear, a 700hp CAT engine, or a man in body armor. Also because I expect I could put a couple thousand rounds through it without ever even having to clean it without so much as an ejection failure.

Probably the 12ga shotgun after that...so handy in trail blazing, (especially in Zombie attacks) or the quick and dirty hunting of small game after all the trails have been blazed.

[T.P.]

ON my hip I would carry my Colt delta 10mm and for the big $hit hit the fan, my SA-M7 AK , I have 10 30 round mags and 1500 rounds of 7.62x39 hp ammo.  I guess you would be wanting to take control of any situation with lots of fire power.

[KW]

What makes it such a tough question is the lack of specifics, eh? Will there be a food source, or do you have to hunt? What does the terrain look like that you’ll be traveling through?  Do you have to pass close to densely population areas? So, is your weapon selection primarily defensive in nature, or game taking?   Certainly, someone leaving a large city would have different choices than a person heading into the woods or crossing a plain State. And, this ‘question’ doesn’t allow for other family members who would, undoubtedly, be carrying weapons as well. . .

I had a sergeant who worked for me who was a retired Gunny. He had significant combat experience and was multiple Purple Heart recipient. His view on what to take and what would just be wasted weight was different than mine. 

It’s just a fun question, meant for gun folk. . . 

[Jess from VA]

I'm with Serk...it would depend on the particular scenario.  If a full blown insurrection where you carry your arms openly to keep people away, it would be two hi-cap auto rifles (.223 and .308) (at this point a handgun is only used to fight your way to your long guns).

But there's no such thing as only two..... I'd have those two plus a hi-cap 870, and several auto pistols.   And 300lbs of ammo and mags.  

[ArmyValker]

3 would make the question alot easier!

For me, the prime consideration would be low maintenance, high effectiveness. Any adjustable choke shotgun would be fine. Also, I've got a couple .30 carbines that I'm pretty comfy with. If I could have a third, I'd take my marlin that shoots .22lr and throw a couple 500 round boxes of ammo in my truck. In fact, I might just swap that for the shotgun if I'm forced to take 2.
Guess it depends if the prime consideration will be protection, or hunting food?

I'd take the 22 for squirrels and stuff, small animals. and because the ammo is CHEEEAP, easy to get and very light. I'd take the .30 carbine because it's what I've got, and what I'm most comfortable with.
Shotgun is just nice to have, and everybody knows that there's no better warning than the sound of a pump shotgun in the dark...

[Psychotic Bovine]

for zombies, this is all you need:


Both highly recommended by Mr Brooks.  .45 and an AK. 

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

My Para P14-45 would be my handgun of choice in spite of it’s weight. If a threat is close enough that I need a handgun they are too damn close and the .45acp is perfect for up close.

A long gun from my safe is harder. All my S.S. hunting guns are single shots. So I’d probably take my mini-30 because it S.S. and always works. And of course because of the high capacity mags. My second choice would be the same as Joe’s, my heavy barrel 10/22. You could hunt small game without being heard miles away. It’s accurate out to 100 yards and because of the small caliber I could carry a boat load of ammo for it. If I could carry three guns I’d have a .22 pistol with me too.

[PAVALKER]

Hmmmmm, 3 would be kinda light too.   

If I could only have 4 guns......   
-  Ruger 10/22 Rifle w/3-9 scope and 6 30rd magazines
-  Ruger P89 9mm Pistol w/ my 30rd, 20rd and 15rd magazines.
-  Remington 870 18in Home Defense 12 Gauge
-  Marlin 30/30 w/Scope (Hunting rifle).
 
I guess it would depend on the situation,  but I think at least 5k rounds of ammo on hand for each gun or caliber is an adequate stock level, well at least for the 2 most used..... (top 2).

[Kendall]

MMM Thought about it and my choices would be....   Ruger single six convertable because i can hit very well with it ammo is light and i could carry alot of it..  And a Rossi lever action in 357 Mag also because im very accurate with it and have a good mix of ammo including shot shells and fletches,,

[T-Bird]

I would get my kimber 45 and my mossburg 12 gauge...and my wife would grab 2 more!!!

[grizs50]

My .32 flintlock and a smoothbore flintlock.

The little 32 will yield 300 shots with 2 pound of lead and a pound of shot, I can make the powder and cast the balls and knap the flints.

The smoothbore only needs powder and a fist full of gravel to be effective.

My wife can carry my 45lc and 12 gauge pump.LOL!!!

Once I am out of lead and powder, Archery and slingshots are next.

[fudgie]

My Winchester 45 LC and Bersa Thunder Plus .380.

I'd have Kit grab my Ruger 10/22 (seems to be popular) and a shotgun.

It would take alot for me to leave my home tho. 

[Doc Moose]

Glock G19 - accurate as h@ll, high capacity mags, plenty of ammo, easy to carry.

Colt AR-15 - same reasons as above except carry.  Good for long distance.

Alternate long gun: Remington 870 12 ga. shotgun w/ buckshot for close action firepower.

[Highbinder]

If the crap hit the fan, as put in the question, probably means you are leaving home for good.....I'd want to be carrying weapons that I can find ammo for while on the run.....during the depression 22's and 12 gauge shotgun shots were the most valued.....in this case, it sounds like you may be in a combat situation....so I'd want to be using the same ammo my enemies were using....my choice here would be .223.....AR15 with a scope....I have plenty of pistols but remember your bugging out because your life is in danger...no pistol.....sawed off semi-auto 12 gauge.....shotguns won't shoot any further then a pistol and a lot more firepower, easy to get ammo.....easy to load...carry bandolears for easy carrying of shells....00 is nice but 1's and 2's are a good choice too...but there is no way I'm not leaving home without my Ruger .45 long colt.

[Hoser]

Two guns?  Shotgun and a handgun, caliber would depend on how much ammo I had for each.
How's that for answering the original question.  Hoser
As an addendum, if I was alone, at my age, I would be tempted to just stay and see how many I could get before they got me.

[doubletee]

If I owned any,  , it'd be my XD-40 and Mossburg 500 12-guage pump.....Oh, and a whole lot of ammo for each!     They're both reliable as he!!, no matter how many rounds/shells go through them between cleanings.

[KW]

All great thoughts my friends.  Like I said at the start, there’s no real right or wrong, it’s just fun to talk about (it’s a much better discussion around a campfire!)

When I ran it past the Gunny, he completely dismissed the pistol I had chosen as 'one' of my two.  I wanted a high capacity weapon I could conceal. His ‘dismissal’ of it made sense I suppose. His point was; you don’t want to be up close and personal – ever – with your families’ life at stake. He was all about avoiding and concealing, reconnoitering your AO, and then scrounging & foraging. . .  His weapons choices were high capacity, mid-range, and light weight assault type guns. He pointed out you wouldn’t need to make 400 yard shots. If a combatant was that far out, you could simply avoid them, so there would be no need to engage. And, you don’t want to ‘game shoot’ that far out because it gives away your position and the retrieval of the carcass would present a dangerous risk.  He started his USMC life as a Scout-Sniper in a Surveillance and Target Acquisition platoon. . . I don’t know all the training he had, but he made some sense (about the pistol anyway  )

So, the first choice is easy for me; I'm taking my old Russian made AK-47, collapsible stock, detachable scope, and four 30 round clips. If I owned a AR 15, that would be my choice because the ammo may be easier to find at some point. My second choice, which Gunny also disagreed with; my 870. It's a 3", 12 gauge and has a parkerrized finished and 8 round cap. My buddy was right about trying to advoid people, but they may not want to advoid you! I want a 'brush buster' to let the bad guys know; "No Amway salesman allowed!"

That's my take guys.

[Stude]

 First I would grab the Derringer Pistol made from a 410/22 over & under
The second one would be the 9mm GLOCK

[big turkey]

Mini 14 and a Ruger P95DC , I have many rounds for each and 223 ,, 9mm are light ammo to carry and you can get them everywhere.

Shotgun Moosberg 500 12 gauge would be the all around choice in double alt buck.

But a few hand grenades would be nice too and lot of fiends wiht the same frame of mind is a good way to go.

[czuch]

Listen to the Gunny.His training is extensive and IF you had the opportunity, I'd beg to join his merry band.
 The Gunny WILL keep you alive.
Colt .45 here and the .30/30 winchester. Its whats available. The wife would take tha P-38 and the mossberg .12.
Idiot kid would have the winchester 67 and the 65lb compound bow.  65 cause I have elbow issues and dont hunt.
And I'd make him carry all the crapola, Idiot kid.

[Pete]

Depends on why I am bugging out.

Strife related - 2 M16
Survival related - M16 and AR15-22(22 long rifle) with silencer  

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Listen to the Gunny.His training is extensive and IF you had the opportunity, I'd beg to join his merry band.
 The Gunny WILL keep you alive.
Colt .45 here and the .30/30 winchester. Its whats available. The wife would take tha P-38 and the mossberg .12.
Idiot kid would have the winchester 67 and the 65lb compound bow.  65 cause I have elbow issues and dont hunt.
And I'd make him carry all the crapola, Idiot kid.

You should keep in mind that " kid " will be a man someday and he may just stomp a mud hole in your ass and wade it dry for calling him a idiot.

[Molasses]

Time was, I was into this stuff.  As a gullible teenager reading the wrong people's writings back in the late '70s.  Still have some habits and mindset left over from it, I guess.

If it was literally, get up from my chair and go with what was ready right this instant, it'd be a  Browning takedown .22 autoloading rifle and a H&K VP70z 9mm, which are in a soft sided briefcase in the safe along with a number of loaded (18 rd) mags for the pistol and a 550 rd bulk pack of .22s.  I've got space made to fit this case into a shoulder bag packed with some other essentials for bugging out.

Then there's the Steyr Scout, which I won't go into other than to say I keep two filled 10-rd mags in the rifle (one in the well and there's a buttstock receptacle for storing another) and there's inside-the-stock storage that has a decent small folding knife, cable saw, fire striker, .32 ACP converter/dozen rounds and some other small gear in it.  If I had to take off on foot from here and try playing Batman in the boondocks (as Mel Tappan used to refer to it), that bunch could be argued for being a good start.

So that's what I'd have with if I had long enough to unlock the gun room, unlock the safe, open the shoulder bag and stuff the briefcase in there.  BTW, the case for the Scout looks a lot like one of those chain saw cases, so if I had another minute and things aren't yet so bad that someone openly carrying a rifle wouldn't escape unwelcome notice...   <yes, I know it's three, that's what's ready>
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If I had time to load up and transportation to handle carrying ONLY two guns and ALL THE JUNK I wanted with them, it'd likely be something like: the CETME, detachable scope along in its' own little case, all 75 or so mags (turned out this'n works with G3 mags so I bought a box of 50 surplus ones a number of years ago for like $1.50 ea) filled, along with packing up whatever .308 ammo is left over and the Saiga-12 shotgun (already have 00-buck on top of slugs in 3 12-rd mags and would fill the 5 rd one with #5 shot hunting loads in case I'd want to shoot something smaller than what the other ammo would cover) and every round of 12 ga in the place.  Plus a handheld press and dies for the .308, the Lee loader for 12 ga and all the components in the gun room for loading ammo for each.


By the time just THAT stuff is loaded up, we'd darned near have either of our cages (minivan and one of those butched-up station wagon "crossover" things) full to capacity and be dogged out from packing.   Along with contents of the medicine cabinet and first aid kits.  Clothes and camping stuff, too.  Gas cans.  Then there's whatever we've got of dehydrated & canned food and other related stuff.  That should more than fill the other one.

Anyways, I hope this emergency comes with like a week's advance notice to allow enough prep and packing time and to get out before the roads out of town are one big road raging snarled parking lot...    Hmmm, think I'll just stay put and wait for it to blow over if it's at all possible.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

You should keep in mind that " kid " will be a man someday and he may just stomp a mud hole in your ass and wade it dry for calling him a idiot.

Joe, if we didn't already know each other I'd have no problem pegging you for a Southern Boy after that mudhole statement.  You know what they say, takes one to know one.   

Marty

I had a Step Dad Marty beat on my Mom slapped us kids around called us names he spit on me several times she left him when I was around 14. He was the father to my little sister and came to see her at Mom's house on Christmas when I was 20 years old . Needless to say that was a Christmas no one at that house will ever forget.

[Psychotic Bovine]

Here is a pretty good solution....  short range, long range, hunting, illumination flare capable....

[Jess from VA]

I guess if it was really bad, I'd light out in my Huey with miniguns.

http://www.dillonaero.com/docs/highlight1.wmv

Or maybe the SUV.

http://www.dillonaero.com/docs/DillonTacticalVehicle-1.wmv

[Daniel Meyer]

Here is a pretty good solution....  short range, long range, hunting, illumination flare capable....

And we can count that as ONE!

[KW]

Great answers. I had no idea there were so many gun enthuses who ‘know their stuff’ here at the VRCC. I feel like I was in a classroom as I read the replies. There were a bunch of ideas and plans of action I never thought of; like taking my black powder rifle. If we can take the Yukon, I’m taking my 50 cal Investarm.   

The limitation of just two guns in the question isn’t realistic in most of the scenarios we can think of or plan for, but its fun to banter it around.  Like a lot of you mentioned, leaving our homes would be an extreme last resort. I guess that’s where the ‘2 gun’ limit came from; being forced to scamper. “What do you grab?” My little neighborhood where we’re at has a great mixture of former military and law enforcement types. .  and a few carzies. It would be tough for any roving band of nut-whacks to inflict any damage or take any supplies from 'our hood.'. Any trained & organized military unit, however, would be on us like a bum on a baloney sandwich. “It is what it is.”

Of course this is all for fun. . . . right? A complete societal breakdown could never happen. We have a president who is concerned for us and wants to take care of us.   

[bsnicely]

1)  Springfield Armory M-1A SOCOM 7.62x51 mm Nato  ( 308 Win. ).  All the extra Mags I could carry, probaly with a Aimpoint or EoTech forward mounted sight.  With this I could deal with social situations, long range problems, multiple targets or taking a deer for dinner.

2)  Para Ordinance  LDA ,45 acp Goverment Model. I could have this weapon on me constantly, no matter where I was or what I were doing,

3)  Breaking the rules here but I would also have a .22 handgun of some sort for taking small game or dealing with anything that didn't require a heavy calibre.   

[bsnicely]

1)  Springfield Armory M-1A SOCOM 7.62x51 mm Nato  ( 308 Win. ).  All the extra Mags I could carry, probaly with a Aimpoint or EoTech forward mounted sight.  With this I could deal with social situations, long range problems, multiple targets or taking a deer for dinner.

2)  Para Ordinance  LDA ,45 acp Goverment Model. I could have this weapon on me constantly, no matter where I was or what I were doing,

3)  Breaking the rules here but I would also have a .22 handgun of some sort for taking small game or dealing with anything that didn't require a heavy calibre.   

As the other professional firearms instructor here, I was wondering what your choices would be.  I chose my M4 because of the 22lr upper I've got.  It allows the M4 to do double duty.  Also, I've got more support gear for the M4 and it's the rifle I took through Tactical Shooting Instructor School.  If I had the gear for it, including the EOTech with the .308 recticle, I would use my DSA FAL.  It groups 1.5" @ 100 yards with ball ammo.  I'm not surprised in handguns we're fairly similar.

Marty

If I had to bug out tonight it would be all the above except for the SOCOM ( which is still in layaway at my part time job in the gun shop ), it would be my Bushy. Can't go wrong either way, you for sure can carry more 5.56 than 7.62.  In an ideal situation I would also have my Rem. 870 tac gun but I was already breaking the rules with three guns.  Was watching for your reply as well ........

[bsnicely]

Which Socom, 16 or II?  I'm partial to the II due to the rails up front plus the rail extending back to the rear sight.  Of course, if I could get hold of the fullsize with the same rails, I wouldn't complain.

Marty

It is the SOCOM 16.  I have checked into after market stocks and there are a plethora of them with lots of rail options. I will start with an EoTech I believe.  There is one rail in the scout position on the factory stock and we will see where we go from there.   

[bsnicely]

What do you think of the VLTOR (link below) ??   I kinda like this one.


http://www.vltor.com/socom_pics.htm#GreenSniper_g

[Jabba]

I'd take a .22 Mag.  Accurate as hell out to 100 yards with enough grunt to kill things that far, as well as being able to carry LOT's of ammo, and still being fairly quiet.  and I'd take a 12 gauge shotgun for close work.

I also want those two guns, because if the crap REALLY hits the fan... you're gonna need to be able to EAT too.

Jabba

[Psychotic Bovine]

I checked out one of these at Gander Mountain on Sunday.  This might end up in my collection by summertime....