This is my opinion on the basic armory that any given homeowner should have and the reasoning behind it. So, let’s dig in while I give you my opinion on What Guns Should a Homeowner Have.
It is sort of a spin off from If You Could Only Own Two Firearms.
However, please keep in mind that I wrote those articles about 10 years ago, and some of the guns that we have available today didn’t even exist.
Additionally, although I will specify my picks for each class of firearm as well as the reasoning, keep in mind that there are many quality options within any given class of firearm, to fit a variety of budgets and personal preferences.
Concealable Handgun
Something you could/would carry daily, I like the Glock 42 and Glock 43X, but there are tons of good options. Preferably 9mm if you only have one, but any other common self defense handgun caliber would work as well (.380, .40, .45).
Also, I recommend night sights and if possible a weapon light as well. Most shootings occur in low lighting.
Get a good gun belt for CCW and a good holster (preferably Kydex)
Minimum 4 mags, 250 rounds of self defense handgun ammo, 500 rounds of FMJ.
Battle Carbine
My choice, a good quality AR-15.
A quality sling is a must.
A weapon light would be my first upgrade for same reasons mentioned above.
Everyone needs a rifle they could take to war. As a deterrent, if nothing else.
The AR15 is ubiquitous, the most commonly owned rifle in the US, so mags and parts are interchangeable.
It could be an AK, or M1A, FAL, SCAR, etc. but those in calibers of 7.62 or so are not as good for home defense. They are good for homeland defense though.
Minimum, 6-8 mags, 1000 rounds of 5.56.
.22 Rifle
I like the M&P-15, which is an AR15 style .22. Same manual of arms as the AR15, easy to mount optics.
Same type as your battle carbine gives you a cheap gun to train with and train others with. Can take small game with it, and even some large game (headshot).
Ruger 10/22 and other rifles are not bad options. They are proven and well made.
Minimum 3000 rounds of .22lr.
12ga Pump Action Shotgun
I like the Remington 870 and the Mossberg. Having two different barrels is handy (18″ for defense and a longer barrel for hunting).
Can take a wide variety of game, but I don’t love shotguns for self defense, personally. They pack a punch, but they are slow to reload, cumbersome/long indoors (someone could take it from you pretty easily around a corner, and in the US, even the shortest shotguns are almost always longer than the shortest rifles), heavy on recoil (women don’t do well with them in general).
I like a shotgun more as a hunting tool than self defense. A good handgun or AR15 carbine would probably be better for home/self defense, but training and experience on a particular platform counts for a lot here too.
Minimum 50 slugs, 100 00 buck, 500 birdshot.
Final Thoughts
Can we add more to the list? Of course, and we probably will, but this is a good place to start if you are looking for ideas of which firearms everyone should own.
Get some training, specifically with your handgun and defensive rifle.
You might also want to invest in concealable soft body armor.
First addition to the above might be a full size handgun with a light, such as a Glock 17 + TLR1 and night sights. Great home defense gun.
There’s your basic armory that any homeowner should have.