Here’s a thought experiment I never get tired of: if you had to cover your bases with just three guns, one rifle, one shotgun, one handgun, what would you pick? The video below is one shooter’s answer, and it’s a good excuse to talk through the reasoning. The picks are his; the commentary is mine. I’m Lance Rankin, owner and gunsmith at Western Sport in Roanoke, Texas.
The rifle: Daniel Defense DDM4V7 in 300 Blackout
Hard for me to argue with this one, and not just because we’re an authorized Daniel Defense dealer here at the shop. DD builds some of the best factory ARs money can buy, and the V7 is the sweet spot of their lineup. His is chambered in 300 Blackout and topped with a Vortex Razor HD, which makes it a natural suppressor host and a fine hog and deer gun inside 200 yards. Is it more rifle than most people need? Sure. But quality you buy once tends to be the cheapest quality in the long run. If you’re weighing the caliber choice, my 5.56 vs 300 Blackout post covers the trade-offs honestly.
The shotgun: Beretta 1301 Tactical
The 1301 keeps showing up on these lists because it keeps earning it. Fast gas system, soft shooting, and it feeds a wide range of ammunition without complaint. Some folks argue it out-reliables shotguns costing considerably more, and I won’t fight them on it. It made my own list of the best home defense shotguns, so no objection from this corner.
The handgun: FN 510 in 10mm
This is the spicy pick. The FN 510 is a full-size polymer 10mm, and 10mm is a do-everything cartridge if you can handle it: mild FBI-spec loads for the range, full-power loads that make it a legitimate woods gun. The honest trade-offs are cost and recoil; 10mm ammo isn’t cheap, and a defensive handgun you don’t practice with is a liability. For a three-gun battery where the pistol has to cover hiking in hog country as well as the nightstand, though, I get it. Most folks are still better served by a 9mm they’ll actually shoot; my 9mm vs .45 ACP piece explains why capacity and practice win arguments.
What I’d tell a customer
The pattern behind these picks matters more than the models: buy proven reliability in each category, pick calibers you can feed, and spend real money on the gun you’d bet your life on. Swap the 510 for a Glock or P320 and the trio gets cheaper to run without getting worse. And there’s no shame in building the battery over a few years instead of one big check.
So, same question to you: three guns, all your bases. What’s your trio? We stock or can order everything mentioned here, with online ordering and local pickup by appointment in Roanoke. Call 817-393-4000 or email [email protected] if you want help putting yours together.
Lance Rankin is the owner and Chief Gunsmith of Western Sport, a family-run Type 07 FFL and Class 3/SOT dealer in Roanoke, Texas, serving shooters since 2007. Born and raised in Texas with over 50 years of experience handling firearms, Lance purchased Western Sport in 2017 and turned his lifelong passion into his profession. He specializes in AR-15 and AR-10 platform rifles, manufactures Western Sport’s own AR-15 line under the Rankin Industries brand, and runs the shop’s in-house Cerakote coating operation. When he’s not behind the counter or the workbench, you’ll find him on his ranch deep into the night, hunting coyotes with an AR-15 and thermal optics. Lance holds an MBA and personally shoots and tests the products Western Sport sells.
