8 Guns Every Collection Needs

What’s your stash look like?

How many guns do you have in your collection? Maybe a lot, maybe none at all.

But either way, there are certain guns that you are just going to need to have, because no gun collection is truly complete without a few certain makes and models.

Here are the top eight guns that every gun collection, including yours, needs to have:

#1 Colt LE6920 5.56x45mm NATO

We live in a day and age where the AR-15 is essentially the modern day musket, essentially serving all of the roles for us today that the musket served back in the 1700s. We can use the AR-15 today for anything from home defense to defending yourself against multiple attackers to tactical use to hunting (mid-sized game, at least) to casual target shooting and so on. Plain and simple, there’s very little that the AR-15 can’t do.

That’s also not to mention that the AR-15 is one of the most customizable guns ever made and is currently the best selling centerfire rifle in the United States as well. As a result, spare parts and accessories are incredibly easy to find.

In short, the AR-15 is simply one of the most practical rifles that you can own in this day and age, and it’s also very easy to learn how to shoot and has very limited recoil. The Colt LE6920 is widely regarded throughout the industry as being the gold standard AR-15 against which all others are compared to.

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#2 Colt Mark IV Series 70 .45 ACP

The 1911, in general, is a gun that no gun collection is truly complete without. Plain and simple: every gun collection needs to have a 1911. And what’s a better 1911 to get than a Colt 1911, the original manufacturer of the pistol? After all, wouldn’t it be a little bit cooler to say that you have a ‘genuine Colt 1911’ over say a ‘Kimber 1911’ or a ‘Ruger 1911’? That’s not to knock those brands or any other brands of the 1911, but it is just to say that Colt is indeed the original manufacturer of the pistol so, at the very least, it would be cool to say that you owned one.

In all seriousness, any quality 1911 pistol will suffice for your collection. But something that is very noteworthy about the Series 70 is the fact that, from the factory, it is made to look just like the M1911A1 pistol that served the United States military from the 1920s up until 1985. The pistol comes standard with a short trigger, arched mainspring housing, traditional hammer, and short grip safety and a short thumb safety. If you prefer the more modern components, such as the flat mainspring housing and beavertail grip safety, it would be very easy to have those components replaced.

In short, your gun collection just needs to have a 1911. IF you’re a traditionalist, the Mark IV Series 70 from Colt is probably the most traditional 1911 on the market today.

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#3 Ruger 10/22 .22 LR

Plain and simple, no gun collection is complete without a .22 rifle of at least some kind. And what’s a better .22 rifle to get than the most popular and successful one ever made, the Ruger 10/22?

Originally produced in the 1960s and in continuous production since then, the 10/22 has sold millions of units and has several different variants. One of the most unique is the Takedown model, which will separate into two different halves and can be carried in the backpack as a more compact choice.

The 10/22 is also one of the most customizable guns ever made, and spare parts and accessories are in great abundance. Standard magazine capacity is 10 rounds, but longer 25 and 35 round magazines are also available as well. The 10/22 is also well known for being very reliable and accurate, and an overall very high quality rifle.

#4 Winchester 1894 .30-30 Win

The Winchester 1894 is the best selling sporting rifle in history. It’s well balanced, compact, lightweight, and very narrow, making it an excellent choice for a brush gun or truck gun.

But honestly, every gun collection just needs to have a lever action rifle of some kind, for the same reasons that every gun collection needs to have a bolt action rifle included as well. Really: how can a gun collection truly be complete without a lever action rifle of some kind?

There are certainly many other kinds of lever action rifles out there as well, such as the Mossberg 464 or the Winchester 1873 or the Marlin 336 or 1895, and any one of those would be great to have. But the 1894 is arguably the most classic option out of all of them.

#5 Glock 19 9mm

In many ways, the Glock 19 is the most versatile pistol ever made. Compact and easy to conceal, and yet large enough to fight with while packing plenty of firepower, the Glock can be used for just about anything that a pistol needs to be used for.

That’s also not to mention that Glock is world renowned for their reliability and simplicity. In addition, the Glock is one of the most customizable guns ever made, and magazines and spare parts and accessories are available in great abundance.

#6 Mossberg 500 12 Gauge

Another gun that every gun collection simply needs to have is a shotgun. The reason why is purely because of practicality: shotguns are incredibly practical because of their ammunition. Birdshot can be used for bird hunting and small game hunting, buckshot can be used for home defense, and slugs can also be used for home defense as well as big game hunting within moderate distances.

One of the most successful and reputable shotguns ever made is the Mossberg 500, along with its variants the 590 and the 590A1. The 500 in particular can be equipped with both short and long barrels. The short barrels would be good for home defense, and the long barrels good for clay pigeon shooting and for hunting.

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#7 Winchester Model 70 .308 Win

If you only have one bolt action in your gun collection, it should be the Winchester Model 70. Why? Well, this rifle is well known throughout the world as being the ‘Rifleman’s Rifle,’ and that’s a title that the Model 70 had to earn rather than just have it handed to it on a silver platter. In continuous production since the mid 1930s, the Model 70 has gone through several iterations, with the pre-64 variants being the most famous.

The Model 70 has served as a sniper rifle in the United States military, where it was used by famed sniper Carlos Hathcock, and also as a long distance shooting and hunting rifle by civilians across the globe as well. It utilizes an action that is based very heavily off of the famed Mauser action, which is buttery smooth to operate and also very robust and durable.

Why the .308 Winchester round? It’s not that there’s anything particularly special about it over other calibers, but the reason we have it listed here is because it’s the most common centerfire rifle round both in the United States and across the world. It’s widely available, plentiful, and very affordable over other calibers. That’s also not to mention that the .308 is capable of bringing down everything from deer to bear to elk, and has a reputation for being a very accurate and flat shooting round.

#8 Ruger Mark IV .22 LR

It would also be a good idea to probably get a .22 pistol to complement your .22 rifle. What’s a better .22 pistol to go with than the Ruger Mark series, the most popular .22 pistols ever made? In all honesty, Ruger really is the undisputed industry leader when it comes to rimfire firearms in general.

The Ruger Mark series of pistols heavily resemble, in terms of shape, the Luger and Nambu pistols of World War II. As a result, they have a very appealing look and design, and not to mention a very natural point of aim as well.

A big advantage of the Mark IV over the previous three iterations of the Mark pistol is the fact that disassembly of the gun is significantly easier. Whereas previous versions of the Mark pistol were incredibly difficult and honestly frustrating to take apart, the Mark IV has a simple push button mechanism on the rear of the frame that you need to press in order to take the gun apart.

Written by Sgt. Gunner

Sarge is one olde salty Goat. He is the operator of the popular 1:3 scale miniature gun models. His aim is to miniaturize the 'Greatest of All Time' Guns for users to display on their desks. Get to know the Sarge on a more intimate level by purchasing a miniature gun model at GoatGuns.com