When you are talking about choosing components for a bug-out/get-home bag, then picking light, handy and useful gear is essential.

Lee Williams (and in the video below Peter Burlingame) make the argument that the best “one gun” for such a kit is the Glock 23.

…what type of firearm should you have in your survival kit? Rifle, shotgun, or pistol? Rifles tend to be powerful, accurate, and capable of making hits at long ranges. Shotguns are powerful and versatile. There are many types of ammunition available for shotguns that let them perform many different functions.

I believe your most important firearm is a pistol. While it is not as powerful as the shotgun, nor as capable of long range hits as the rifle, the main thing, the most important thing, is that the pistol is easily portable. It is easy to ALWAYS have it on you. It will be there when you need it,not leaning against a tree, or propped in the corner. It is comfortable to carry and you can perform your everyday duties with it on your side. A pistol, in a good holster, is also quicker to be brought into action than a long gun even if the long gun is slung in front of you on a ‘tactical sling’.
Now we have to ask ourselves: “which pistol”?  There are many  good, reliable, accurate pistols on the market. We are truly blessed in our choices, which allow us to pick those that best fit our needs. In the role of ‘survival gun’, the best choice is the Glock 23.

With ability to to swap from .40 S&W to .357 Sig to 9mm with just barrel changes (and an advisable magazine change for 9mm), it gives you three calibers after spending extra $320 or so on two extra barrels.

While some other pistols have this caliber-conversion capability (Springfield Armory XDs, some Sig Sauers with additional parts replacement, etc), Glock is the most common and economical when it comes to finding replacement parts and magazines.

Even if you don’t consider yourself a prepper, the current ammunition shortage that has persisted over the past few years has shown that having various caliber options can keep you shooting when your primary caliber has dried up at local suppliers. It may not always be cheap, but I’ve noticed that it is relatively rare that I’ve seen 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 Sig completely sold out at the same retail locations at the same time.

Between the two of them, Williams and Burlingame have me about half convinced to trade to a .40 Glock or XD with extra barrels and magazines in 9mm and .357 Sig.

Does anyone see any flaws in their argument?