And The Number of the Counting Shall Be Three...

Since all the cool kids seem to be playing Jay's game, I figured I'd give it a shot as well (and, hence, making it uncool...). Over at the Firing Pin Journal, Jay asks:

One Handgun, One Rifle, One Shotgun. You are able to choose just one of each for self defense with NO modifications.

Now, I'm going to make a couple of assumptions here, the first being that the "with NO modifications" means that you can't say you'd take a custom 1911 with every upgrade known to man or a top-of-the-line AR-15 clone with everything including a chainsaw attached to it. I'm also assuming that this is a "forever" type question, as in there's been a law passed that we are only able to own one of the three types for defense (and a corollary, that .22LR plinking arms are out, too, else the Ruger 10/22 would be the rifle...) With that in mind, here's my list:

Handgun: Glock G30. I can and have carried the G30 on a daily basis for extended periods of time. It's compact, resists fouling (from being carried), and is very reliable. With G21 magazines you have up to 15 rounds of .45 ACP goodness at hand, and with aftermarket magazine covers it can be turned into a passable full-sized pistol if needed. I'd want a third generation model with accessory rail to serve as a house gun if needed, but other than that it'd be pretty much what I already have.

Rifle: Bushmaster AR-15. For a personal defense rifle, I'd opt for the 16" carbine, as I'm comfortable with it out to 100 yards, and I can't imagine any scenario where I'd need to take a shot further out than that. It's a reliable platform with pretty much every accessory under the sun available to it; infinitely customizable; with common ammunition and plentiful magazines. About the only thing it can't do is take down large game, but that's outside the parameters of this exercise anyways.

Shotgun: Saiga-12. For personal defense, the ability to reload quickly is a factor in this choice, as is the robust nature of the AK-47 action upon which this shotgun is based. 8, 10, and 12 round magazines are available for the Saiga-12, meaning that it's got as high or higher capacity than any tubular magazine-fed shotgun on the market. With the elusive 20 round drum, OTOH, you've got firepower unsurpassed by any other conventional shotgun. The 12 gauge chambering means there's a whole wide world of defensive ammo out there, from 1 ounce slugs to 0, 00 and 000 buckshot.

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So there are my three choices. I own something close to each of them, and will readily admit to having a less-than-complete picture of what might be available for handguns based on what's available in MA. I know that the XD line of polymer-framed guns comes highly recommended; CZ-USA has a number of fine handguns available as well. I'd keep a personal defense hangun limited to either 9mm or .45 ACP; the rifle to .223 Rem/5.56X45mm; and the shotgun to 12 gauge.

What's on your three-gun list?

That is all.