One caliber minimalist

[userformerlyknownasfitty]

7.62x54R

Dragunov SVD
PKM
Obrez

[NapalmCheese]

.30-30 or 12 gauge.

12 gauge doesn't fit in a handgun all that well, but .30-30 can fit in an overly large revolver and can be downloaded to .22LR levels of recoil, or uploaded for hunting (sub optimally) elk and moose.

[wpage]

.44 pistol and carbine.

[Rifle ronin]

If it was just 9mm, hypothetically, why not a:

Ruger pc carbine
Glock 19

Done.

[major burnout]

.308

[ARDude]

Glock 26 with a whole bunch of magazines... for reliability and concealability.


Ruger pc9 that now takes the Glock magazines and breaks down into two smaller pieces...for each compatibility, compactness and getting a longer reach out of the 9 mm.


The last gun would either be a stainless steel Smith & Wesson revolver in 9 mm with half-moon clips because ...

revolvers rock.


Or possibly a 1911 custom job in 9 mm because....



America,

that's why.

( I would just by one of the last two that I found first at a better price.

Unless I'm hypothetically loaded with more money than I know what to do with.

Hypothetical Universe ...

please let me be loaded.)

Full moon clips...I've never seen half moon 9mm clips

[usr1987]

Hypothetically, let's say you choose to limit yourself to three guns and to keep things very simple you choose one caliber. The three guns you choose are to provide an overall combination to cover all bases (or close to it).

I would choose 9mm.
1. Boberg/Bond Arms Bullpup (for concealment)
2. FN FNX-9 (primary)
3. Beretta M9A3

22lr

LCRx or any other 6 revolver
Ruger 1022 (when 5+zombies around)
Henry Lever action 24 inch Frontier (longer range shooting)

but yeah, 9mm is another great choice, since most are easier to carry and mobility is survival!

[usr1987]

If it was just 9mm, hypothetically, why not a:

Ruger pc carbine
Glock 19

Done.

This was my first choice with 17 vs 19, but realized the ammo is heavier and also is the PC carbine might have reliability issues being most complex!

[sealocan]

Full moon clips...I've never seen half moon 9mm clips

Behold the 9 mm Half Moon clips...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rugerspeedsix.JPG

According to Wikipedia it did occur in this
non hypothetical Universe of ours...

In the "rare" " Ruger Speed Six variant in 9mm Parabellum, which uses half-moon clips to chamber the rimless cartridges."




But to be honest, I made a voice to text error.

I had planned to pull my pants down three-quarters of the way for 3/4 Moon pics,
if I can ever find my way to this hypothetical universe.

[3ngineer]

Probably 9mm. As another stated, Ruger PCC 9mm and Glock 19.

[Rifle ronin]

This was my first choice with 17 vs 19, but realized the ammo is heavier and also is the PC carbine might have reliability issues being most complex!

I was thinking about the ruger pc that way. You would need some smithing skills. But, I was trying to stick with the 9mm like the op wanted. Otherwise, just use a stock on the G 19 with a lot of spare parts. 1 gun 1 ammo.

Personally, I think the perfect trifecta is....

2 AR's, one scoped, one dot
2 Glocks , 19, 20 or 21
2AK's, one sks, one AKM

Oh, and a 357 revolver to top it off.

[plumbum]

10 years ago I would have said .357 (snub, service and carbine):
Ruger SP101, Ruger GP100, Marlin 1894P
Now I’d probably just say 9mm (sub-compact, service and carbine):
Glock 26, Glock 34, Ruger PC 9mm

[mstlaurent]

If I had to choose one firearm to use, I think that the most versatile firearm in existence is the 12-ga pump action shotgun.

- With a variation in shot, barrels, and chokes you can take almost any game animal in North America, from quail to black bear.

- It is an excellent home defense firearm.

- It is one of the least likely firearms to experience legal sanction.

I suppose if you wanted to stick with one caliber and have something more concealable you could go the AOW route and pick up a Serbu Super-Shorty. But I don't suffer from that degree of self-loathing.

If I had to select a few multipurpose firearms with a single caliber, I would probably go with .357 Magnum. It's one of the few calibers that can be used in small, concealable handguns and still pack enough energy to be useful in a carbine-sized rifle.

But, speaking realistically, without arbitrary constraints, the three guns I would recommend that anyone have as their basic firearms, in order of priority, are:

1. 12-ga pump action shotgun
2. Concealable semi-automatic handgun
3. Semi-automatic magazine-fed rifle in an intermediate caliber.

I debate recommending:

4. Bolt-action rifle with scope suitable for taking medium game such as deer and elk

But most folks aren't in deer/elk country.

[billped]

Similar here, I'd also go 9mm though it admittedly is suboptimal far out or for shooting large animals. Fortunately (?), danger is typically worse close up.

I'd also use a single magazine type and size for all three.

[9mmContagion]

Behold the 9 mm Half Moon clips...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rugerspeedsix.JPG

According to Wikipedia it did occur in this
non hypothetical Universe of ours...

In the "rare" " Ruger Speed Six variant in 9mm Parabellum, which uses half-moon clips to chamber the rimless cartridges."

The Speed Six is the exact 9mm revolver that came to mind when I read your first post. I actually just stumbled in to one the other day that I could not pass up. Beautiful piece in near new condition with perfect Bluing.