Just eight.
Here's my ideal eight (legal to own):
(what's yours?)


1) An M4gery


2) An M1A


3)an FAL

4) a semiauto shotgun


5)Pump


6)Ruger 1022


7) A good bolt gun


8) Last but not least, a .50


If you had to trim this collection, what two would you eliminate?

Show the order of elimination, untill there is just one.

3 and 4

What if you had to trim it down to just 4?
3?
2?

For me,

Ditch the fitty, and the FAL. Or the fitty and the semi auto gauge.

IMHO

Quoted: What if you had to trim it down to just 4? 3? 2?

3 - AK 47, pump gauge, M-14

My order of elimination (which goes first, second, etc.):

1) Semi Shot Gun
2) FAL or M1A
3) 50
4) M4
5) PSS
6) Pump
7) ?
8)?

which long guns would I have if I were limited?

1: M1 Garand
2: AR15 (with a couple uppers.. hehe)
3: 10/22
4: some .243 bolt rifle with a nice scope
5: AK or SKS (cheap plinking)
6: pump 12ga
7: G43
8: Sharps 1874 heavy target

Keepers:
1) M1a1
2) 10/22
3) M4gery
4) .50, why you may ask?  It's so pirty!

Eliminate in this order....
50 cal
semi auto shotgun
bolt gun
FAL
10-22
pump 12 ga
M1A
M4

My list of 8 would be
M1A
M4gery
Rem PSS 300 win mag
ruger 10-22
barret 50
rem 870 marine magnum
FAL
AK

  I could live with that list forever....

What kind of .50 is that?? Never seen it before.... I think the Barret m82a1 is purdy...
As for the Benelli m4, that's not available to civilians. I believe its only being produced for the military as of right now. Although i would like to try it out sometime; its gas operated unlike the recoil operations of the M3 and M1's.

8 Long Guns?
1. An AR-15 with standard length HBAR.
2. Ruger 10-22
3. Savage 99 in .300 Savage.
4. 12 gauge pump
5. .357 Marlin lever action
6. A .308 bolt action.
7. An FAL
8. A Garand.

Everything from 5 through 8 can be eliminated w/o undue stress.  Thankfully, that needn't be the case.

1.) Armalite AR-15a2

2.) IMI/Barrett Tavor

3.) Steyr AUG/USR

4.) Bushmaster M-17s

5.) Acuracy International AMP

6.) Barret M-82a1

7.) Calico M-100

8.) Calico Liberty I/ M-900

Trim it?  Gun collections were made to GROW!

The fifty goes first, followed by one of the shotguns, the M1A, and the FAL in that order.  Now it gets tricky, depends on what kind of situation I'm in.  Probably get rid of the M4 next, followed by the bolt gun.  Then its a toss up between the remaining shotgun and the 10/22. Probably, I say probably, keep the shotgun, but I could change my mind on that.

Justification?  Fifty is just an expensive toy, have no use for it at all.  Don't need two shotguns so one goes fairly early.  The 308's give you long range capability but so does the bolt gun and the bolt gun does it better.  So the M1A and FAL go.  Then the AR, followed by the bolt gun.  Why?  Well because I can't hunt deer with a rifle in Iowa.  That lives the remaining shotgun (probably the pump) and the 10/22.  Can get ammo for either anyplace that sells ammo.  I can actually hunt with the shotgun.  

1.) Rock River FAR15 A4 Mid Length W/ Weaver gas block, EO Tech 552, And CG&G Flip Up Weaver Mount Front Sight and A4 Flip Up Rear Sight.

2.) Rock River FAR15 A4 Mid Length W/ Trijicon 3x9x40 in Rock River High Mount, Harris BR Pod, DPMS Panther grip W/ Adjustable Palm Shelf.

3.) Mossberg 590 20" W/ Ghost Ring, Parkerized, Tac Star 6 Shot Side Saddle.

4.) Ruger 1022 Synthetic, Tasco World Class 3x9x40 30x30 TV.

5.) Savage 110 Duty 24" .308 w/ Harris BR Pod, Tasco Super Sniper Scope, Entreprize Rings and mount.

6.) 460 Weatherby W/ a Leopold, Just cause I always wanted one, Darn it.

7.) Arsenel SA-7 Bulgarian AK Clone.

8.) Steyr AUG