30% of Americans own a firearm, and of those who don’t, a further 36% could see themselves owning on in the future. With that many guns in circulation and no shortage of variety, there’s a lot of debate over what are the best guns to own.
To produce our picks, we’ve chosen one each of the three firearms every household should own: a handgun, a shotgun, and a rifle. And as for criteria, we selected based on reliability, availability, and pedigree.
- Colt M1911
There is no shortage of handguns on the market, and narrowing our selection down to just one choice was never going to be easy. But when push came to shove, we decided that you can’t go wrong with an all-American classic.
Originally developed in the 1890s and adopted into use by the U.S. Army in 1911, the Colt classic was the standard-issue sidearm to G.I.s from WWI through the Vietnam War and remains in use by specialized military and police units to this day. That’s a service record that may well be unrivaled in the history of firearms. The heavy .45 ACP cartridge was designed specifically for the M1911 and gave it an edge in stopping power over its smaller-caliber contemporaries like the 9mm Luger.
Known for being well-balanced with a crisp trigger pull, the M1911 is also popular with target shooters and makes regular appearances on the tournament scene. So whether you’re talking about sport shooting or heavy combat, the M1911’s track record proves that it’s up to the task.
- Mossberg 500
This was another difficult choice. In close competition is the Remington 870, affectionately nicknamed “America’s shotgun”. Both 12 gauges are comparable in terms of specs and price, so you can’t really go wrong with either choice.
But ultimately we sided with the Mossberg 500 for a few reasons.
In terms of construction, both shotguns are supremely well-crafted, but the 500 boasts a 6-round tube magazine over the 870’s 4-round tube magazine. The 870’s shell lifter also remains up all of the time, whereas the 870’s need to be manually pushed up with every new shell loaded. The 500’s extractors can also be easily replaced, whereas the 870’s requires a gunsmith to replaces its extractor.
These are slight differences, many of which can be remedied by modifications. But in the end, we have to give advantage to the Mossberg 500.
- SKS
The two most obvious selections for rifles would have bee either the American AR-15 or the Russian AK variants. The debate has gone on for decades and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. So to keep things interesting, we chose neither.
Instead, we opted for the Russian SKS, the predecessor to the AK-47.
This high-powered, semi-automatic carbine does everything that the civilian AK-47 can, but with less kick. They also use the same 7.62×39 cartridge as its more popular cousin, so you never have to worry about ammo being scarce. And like the AK, they’re built to outlast the soldiers that carry them, so maintenance will never be much of a chore.
At one point SKS’s were plentiful, with a steady supply of them flooding the surplus market. Their price has ticked steadily upward over the last few years, but they’re still readily available and a bargain relative to the more popular AK or AR models.
Caring for Your Firearms
Any firearm that sees frequent use needs to be cleaned and oiled on a regular basis. And any gun going into storage should be thoroughly cleaned and oiled beforehand as well.
To help in this process, it’s a good idea to review the owner’s manual before every cleaning. They should give you instructions on how frequently to care for your weapons and how to do it properly.
For the more ambitious gun owner, you might invest in some basic gunsmith tools. Whether just familiarizing yourself with your weapon’s workings or making modifications, a good fat torque wrench will let you remove every screw on a rifle for full disassembly.
These Are Just a Few of the Best Guns to Own
These are just one selection a piece for some of the best guns to own. We didn’t even have time to talk about some extremely popular options like the Glock-19. Nor did we get the chance to discuss revolvers, bolt-action rifles, or .22s, all of which are borderline essential.
That’s why it’s important to always be learning more, and trying out new guns when you can. For more articles to help you keep up with your studies, be sure to check back for the latest from Rippl USA.
