Here’s the deal; you don’t tell me how many guns I should own and I won’t tell you how many kids you should have.
For many years gun owners have defended their choice of owning more than one gun. Conversely, non-gun owners have also defended their choice of owning no guns at all. It is a problem that isn’t going to go away anytime soon. And that’s okay. We live in a free (so far) country and can make our own choices as it relates to our personal safety.
I would suggest to you that there is no “right” answer.
If you chose not to own a gun then I believe that you are at some time or another going to be faced with a life-or-death situation in which you’ll realize that you should have owned at least one gun. But for discussion’s sake let’s assume that you do own a gun. The question then becomes how many should you own and why?
If you own a gun, and I believe that everyone should own at least one, then you should have more than one. My logic behind this belief is this: If you’re in your home and someone kicks in the door and rushes toward you with what is clearly the intent of doing you great bodily harm and you are armed you will be able to defend yourself. However, if you are in your home and that person kicks in the back door while you are upstairs getting ready for bed and the only gun you have is locked in the gun safe downstairs there is a good chance that you will die. Would it not be better to have more than one gun available in your home? By having more than one gun and having them strategically placed throughout the home you have a far better chance of survival in a critical life-threatening situation.
The same holds true when you are out of your home at work, shopping or wherever you might be. If you’re attacked and the primary weapon fails to function properly what do you do? Well, how about going for the hidden back-up weapon that you have wisely decided to carry with you? After you’ve survived this encounter I don’t think you’d ever say to yourself “boy I’m glad I didn’t have a second weapon with me cause that would have been just too many guns and far too heavy to carry all the time.” No, you’ll say “I’m sure glad that I took with me the 38 snub-nose revolver as my back up today. That darn semi-auto jammed up after the first shot.” Police officers carry a back-up weapon. So should you.
Thus far we’ve discussed having one (or more) hand guns. What about other weapons of self-defense and survival? What should you own that will provide safety and survival for you and your family other than a hand gun?
I truly believe that a shotgun of not less than 20 gauge, a 22 rim fire rifle and a high caliber rifle such as a 223 is also required to ensure your survival and safety. And of course if you own one of each you should own two of each as a back-up system of survival. Malfunctions do occur at the most inopportune times.
Most pragmatic gun owners recognize the value of embracing the policy of “own no more weapons than you can handle.” And I agree with that. You shouldn’t own anymore weapons than you can take with you in a bug-out situation. Take them with you and survive. However, in your home those weapons must be available at all times. So what do you do? I’ve always believed that if you own one you should own two of each. That way, if you have to bug out for any reason, you’ll have everything available quickly all packed up and ready to go.
Ammunition is also a concern. Having all types of weapons that require different ammunition can be a challenge. Hand guns I believe should all be of the same caliber thereby eliminating the need to have different ammo for different guns. With your shotgun you also should own just one caliber. And the 22 rim fire is just that, a 22 caliber rifle. For me I have the personal policy of buying one box of ammo for each weapon out of every check I get each week from my work. That way I’m assured of having enough plus more should the need arise. It doesn’t do any good to have a weapon if you don’t have the ammunition to use in it.
So, how many guns are too many? To the utter consternation of the hard-liners on both sides of this issue, the answer probably really is “to each his own.” In the realm of guns, as in most anything in life, “one man’s just enough is another man’s too much. So like I said in the beginning…
You don’t tell me how many guns I should own and I won’t tell you how many kids you should have.
P.S. Consider this: If a woman chooses to own three thousand pairs of shoes does she wear all of them at the same time? No, she owns them so they are available when she needs them. In my opinion you should own several guns… not that you’ll use them all at the same time but they will be available when you need them.
Be safe, be prepared and always be armed.
Tim
