- CCW pistol (...)
- Range/Drawer/Belt-Carry/Combat pistol (....)
- Accurized "Piece of Functional Art" pistol (....)
- Target pistol (....)
- Defensive Shotgun (....)
- Target Rifle (....)
- Black Rifle (....)
My CCW/Range/Drawer/Belt-Carry/Combat pistol needs can all be filled with a single Glock in 9mm or .40. Either a subcompact or a compact will work, and I have a 26 and a 23. I'd choose the 26 if pressed to the wall on a choice.
I don't shoot in competition anymore, so I don't need an accurized pistol for anything. Ditto the target pistol; I'm selling my Buckmark when I get home because it just sits in the safe and never gets fired. I really bought it to teach new shooters, but all the friends I bring shooting want to shoot my Glocks. None of them are serious shooters, they just like to plink once a year or so. The Glocks are fine for them to shoot since there's no chance of them desiring to build any real skill, anyway.
I will add a pocket pistol to the list, since there are occasions when I dress so that concealing a Glock is difficult. For these occasions, I use a KelTec P3AT.
Defensive shotgun is covered by a Remington 870, which is also used for bird hunting. I need to obtain an 18" barrel for it when I get back to the States. Bone stock with no "tactical" add-ons or gizmos.
I don't shoot in rifle competition, either, so I don't need a true target rifle. My plinking rifles are a scoped Marlin .22 (which doubles for small game) and an M1 Garand that is my only "fun gun," with no practical purpose whatsoever. Plinking isn't really "target shooting" except in the most casual sense, though.
I sold my M4gery a few months ago. I bought it for pre-deployment practice, and had no need for it after I actually deployed. I have no personal interest in black rifles, as they serve zero practical purpose for me, I don't find them much fun to shoot and I don't really prepare for SHTF/TEOWAWKI/
Molon Labe scenarios.
I have a Steyr Scout that will serve as a hunting rifle for game that is too big for the aforementioned Marlin .22.
So I guess for me it boils down to a "need" for only five guns:
1. General purpose defense pistol.
2. Special purpose (small) defense pistol.
3. Shotgun for hunting and defense.
4. Scoped .22 rifle for small game hunting and occasional plinking.
5. Scoped centerfire rifle for larger game.
I expect that everyone's mileage will vary based on their interests, what kind of hunting they do (if any), if they shoot in formal competition, and their perceptions of threat levels as they relate to defense gun choices.