I had a discussion with my friend on a camping trip once; If you had only three firearms to own in your life, which three would it be?
I had originally answered AR-10, Ruger Alaskan, and Remington 870 in 12 ga. The AR-10 is a fine rifle, modular, chambered in a decent and popular caliber, easily dis-assembled and cleaned, and fairly reliable. The only downside might be the barrel length, the weight The Alaskan is short and versatile for a short-range pistol; it can fire .454 or 45 LC. The Remington 870 is a very popular model in a very popular caliber. Modular, easy to switch from smooth to rifled barrel, fairly reliable.
Hard Mode: Two guns. 870, Alaskan
Impossible Mode: One Gun 870
I like this little game, I've always been a little bothered by those who purchase 7 or 8 guns for "utility" when they only need 3 or 4 Nothing wrong with owning guns for fun, it's the pretense that bothers me. I'd personally prefer to own just one gun, but I understand that one gun alone really isn't viable as much as the scout rifles try, I'm not fully convinced they are the best. Nowadays, I know I'd only need 5 guns altogether. A semi-auto rifle, a semi-auto pistol, a shotgun, a revolver, and a bolt action. One gun for a few purposes can effectively cover the bases. Semi-auto pistol for home defense and CC. Revolver for Camping, Home Defense, and CC. Shotgun for Hunting and Home Defense. Bolt-Action for Hunting. Semi-auto Rifle for LARPing ("armed militia").
Nowadays, a part of me just really wants to justify owning a lever action over a semi-auto rifle. They're just so fun.