Handgun advice

[Flyborg]

I'm looking for recommendations for a small handgun to take with me on those occasions when I'm fishing late at night alone and for extended hikes. It needs to be something that can handle an occasional dunking, and is easy to clean/assemble. I'm hoping for something semi-compact that won't inhibit fishing, and hopefully won't break the bank. Any suggestions?

[Roper]

Any of Smith and Wessons J or K frame revolvers should do the trick. Lots of stainless models to choose from. Revolvers are rather "Murphy" proof, simply point and squeeze. If one doesn't go bang, squeeze it again. Look in Gunbroker.com for used ones, older and better. The new ones have internal locking mechanisms that I think would be one more thing to go wrong. 5 or 6 rounds of well placed 38 specials will stop most agressors, except for the occasional tweaker running on empty (grey matter is gone).

My favorite and only carry piece is a 80's vintage Ruger Speed Six in 38 spl, alas they don't make 'em like that any more. If you can find one in stainless for under $250, grab it and run...:thumb:

I rarely recommend autos to new gun owners, they require practice and dedication to carry and bring to bear safely.

[dominic7471]

i think a glock .40 would do the trick... they are compact enough and shoot really well.... what i like the most is there doesn't have to be alot of lubrification... it runs fairly dry compared to a colt .45 1911 or any other pistol... plus i think you can get ones for 600.00 bucks max. Great guns all in all and they come in olive drab!

[Kevin Rudzinski]

Take Roper's advice and go with a revolver. Less moving parts equals better reliability. .38 special is powerful enough to cover about 90% of the situations you might run into (if it ever happens), the other 10% it wont make any difference if you were carrying or not.

[FLGator]

I'm a big fan of the H&K USP Compact in the caliber of your choice.

[Itchy Dog]

Bear spray might be the ticket. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-gun (far from it), but a can of bear repellent might be better suited for your intended use. Now, if you're hankering to own a gun
and plan to get your concealed weapons permit for carry, then go for it. I second the recommendations for a stainless revolver in .38 special. A S&W J-frame with rubber grips like the model 637 would be a nice concealable piece.

[Josh Benjamin]

http://www.fortune3.com/Bigskyguns/Revolvers-S_W_386_Airlite_SC_Mountain_Lite_357mag-.html

[scottr]

I was looking at a Berretta Cougar in a SW .40. They don't make this anymore but they are readily available. If you want a semi-auto I think the Berretta is a pretty nice way to go

[05tacoma]

I like my CZ 75 and it is relatively inexpensive, but definitely on the heavy side. I just shot my friends Springfield Armory XD... and I really liked it.

One interesting non-lethal alternative I just saw in the latest issue of a handgun rag was a Kimber pepper spray type "gun." It is shaped just like a small hand gun with a bright orange frame and sprays to 23 feet. http://www.jetprotector.com/

Actually shooting someone is pretty scary territory to delve into. Even if you could prove you were justified in shooting, the amount of money you'd spend defending yourself could be a nightmare.

[Flyborg]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have a friend with a revolver, going to try it out and see how it feels. They look easy to maintain.

The pepper spray gun is an interesting alternative, I just wonder how it works against someone under the influence of meth. I hope to never have to use a gun against another person, but the fact of the matter is I fish in an area riddled with meth related crimes and I'm often alone late at night. There's a huge responsibility associated with carrying--one I plan on fully embracing.

[cuponoodle breakfast]

One more vote for a compact .38. Small, easy to use, easy to maintain.

[Porter]

Take Roper's advice and go with a revolver. Less moving parts equals better reliability. .38 special is powerful enough to cover about 90% of the situations you might run into (if it ever happens), the other 10% it wont make any difference if you were carrying or not.

I'm not a gun guy but it sounds like you just described the qualities that many seek in good fly reels....relaiblity and few moving parts...less to go wrong. Sounds like a wide application to use for many tools...right?

[Tim Garton]

I'm not a gun guy but it sounds like you just described the qualities that many seek in good fly reels....relaiblity and few moving parts...less to go wrong. Sounds like a wide application to use for many tools...right?

Right :thumb:

[Be Jofus G]

44 mag short barrel might give you a chance at dropping a pissed bear. Better than 0% with a .38. I'd go a bit bigger with a 50 cal desert eagle and blow his claws and teeth off but they are a bit spendy. Otherwise you're better off carrying pepper spray, knife and a solid walking stick. .38s are a waste of money in the woods.

[SightCast6X]

In the woods I would carry nothing less than a 44 Mag. You can find some carry sizes available that are not that heavy. Otherwise, I would go non lethal.

I have a shoulder holstered 44 Mag SW and I carry it in remote areas. The extra weight is worth the extra piece of mind.

Its a cannon however and shooting it with accuracy takes some practice.:cool:

I'd look at a SW 629 Trail Boss and not look back.

[chadk]

Just to be clear - around here, we aren't dealing with grizzlies and bull moose (mooses? Moosi?). It's meth - heads, meth labs, pot growers, car prowlers, crazy hillbillies, and occassionally... big foot. ;)

[Be Jofus G]

Just to be clear - around here, we aren't dealing with grizzlies and bull moose (mooses? Moosi?). It's meth - heads, meth labs, pot growers, car prowlers, crazy hillbillies, and occassionally... big foot. ;)

You also left black bear and cougar off of the list. a 44 has the stopping power to put a halt on all of them. a.38 might stop a hibilly or pot grower in it's tracks but a bear, cougar, or tweaker will keep coming at you.

[chadk]

I'll take my chances with a black bear or cougar... that's just part of being outdoors in WA.

Getting jumped by some drug dealer or suprising a gang of car prowlers in the middle of rummaging through my stuff as I return to my rig - that's not a 'wilderness experience' I want to deal with ...

[Riffling Hitch]

I'm in the 44 and 454/45 camp but a great revolver for what you are looking for is a stainless 357. This would give you the option of shooting a high power round or shooting 38's for a cheaper load for fun or less recoil.

-Russell

[Charlie S]

Retired US Army here and retired law enforcement. Go with a revolver. There are some .40's and .45's in revolvers which are better cartridges than a .38. Additionally, if you can, get cast bullets. Believe it or not, better penetration than a hollowpoint and better effectiveness than a solid round nose. Then practice, practice, practice. I would strongly suggest getting some professional instruction, some stress shooting instruction and then practice from 0-7 yards (the distance of 99% of confrontations and anything further you could probably outrun any methhead alive so you wouldn't have excuse to shoot) until you are completely competent. That will take about a year of constant practice. Not joking, dead serious. It takes a very determined effort to shoot someone knowing the consequences but if you have to you have to be ready in all areas.

[sheetfly]

Was talking to a sheriff the other day after a theft at work. He told us two stories of tweekers refusing to go down at gun point but hitting the deck when confronted with a club. I don"t know how a meth maggot feels about dying quick but they do seem to shy from an ass beating. I say spray em then plug em.

There are a lot of people who have guns for protection but very few that will actually take a life. Most say they will but the truth is most can't. You need to know who you are. Hesitation to buy one may save you a lot of grief. Hesitation to use one could cost you everything. Spray works and is easy to forget about later. Dead people can tattoo themselves on your eyelids. It's not for everyone.

Scott

[E'burg fisher]

We are issued Glock 23's in 40. The Glocks in general are rugged reliable guns. Glock also makes sub compacts that handle very well. Anything between 9mm and 45 acp will serve you well. Choose the caliber that you can shoot well and don't get caught up in all the caliber hype. Handgun calibers, major service calibers, are pretty ineffective. On the other hand everybody would look at you funny walking around with an M4 strapped across your chest. So pick a brand and caliber that work well for you and practice practice practice.

[Itchy Dog]

Not to make light of a very serious discussion, but truck stops carry tire thumpers that might be just the ticket for a meth-head. They're about 18" long, made of wood, and filled with lead. I picked one up several years ago for around $10 at a truck stop in Moses Lake. Nicely lathe-turned with an attractive cherry tone stain and a leather strap to put around your wrist so it doesn't slip. It would tuck nicely into the back pocket on a fly fishing vest, you know, for when you need to check your tires before driving home after a day of fishing.

[Be Jofus G]

We are issued Glock 23's in 40. The Glocks in general are rugged reliable guns. Glock also makes sub compacts that handle very well. Anything between 9mm and 45 acp will serve you well. Choose the caliber that you can shoot well and don't get caught up in all the caliber hype. Handgun calibers, major service calibers, are pretty ineffective. On the other hand everybody would look at you funny walking around with an M4 strapped across your chest. So pick a brand and caliber that work well for you and practice practice practice.

Caliber hype? So you are saying a glock 40 has the same stopping power as a 44 mag? Doubt it. I've dead dropped two black bears at a gallop with a 44 mag (Legally Hunting) I wouldn't even consider trying that with a G23 40 or a 38 or anything smaller for that matter. Actually I was still pretty nervous with a 44

If tweakers are the only reason for someone carrying then it's best to not even bother. A can of pepper spray and a 20 inch section of lead pipe will more than suffice and can provide hours of entertainment.

[chadk]

If tweakers are the only reason for someone carrying then it's best to not even bother. A can of pepper spray and a 20 inch section of lead pipe will more than suffice and can provide hours of entertainment.

If I feel my life (or my kids with me or my wife or fishing buddy) is being threatened, I have a right to end the person's life who is threatening. However satitisfying a lead pipe beating may be, he'll be right back at it in a matter of days (or weeks depending on the beating) and he may find a scummy lawyer to sue you... Can't sue if he's dead. And if he truely is threatening my life, aside from my right to self defense (lethal even), I feel I have an obligation to his future victim(s). I may find a way to live, but the scum will be on to his next victim while I sleep all cozy in my bed the following week...

[Be Jofus G]

If I feel my life (or my kids with me or my wife or fishing buddy) is being threatened, I have a right to end the person's life who is threatening. However satitisfying a lead pipe beating may be, he'll be right back at it in a matter of days (or weeks depending on the beating) and he may find a scummy lawyer to sue you... Can't sue if he's dead. And if he truely is threatening my life, aside from my right to self defense (lethal even), I feel I have an obligation to his future victim(s). I may find a way to live, but the scum will be on to his next victim while I sleep all cozy in my bed the following week...

I'm a catch and release guy. :rofl:

Yes you have every right to blow the dudes head off and I wouldn't tell you not to. Why you busting my balls? :beer2:

[chadk]

Trust me - I want nothing to do with your balls... ;)

[Mike T]

Flyborg, there's a lot of good advice here, take it all in then go shoot as many guns as you can. You'll be balancing stopping power, rounds of ammo, weight, ease of carry, reliability. The people who recommend revolvers are IMO basically on the right track. However you do need to realize that revolvers do jam and break, it's a very rare occurence but when they're jammed you will have a bear of a time clearing it. Whatever you do don't buy a cheap revolver, stay w/ either Ruger or S&W. 44mag is a great round but if you're experienced you'll likely never get an aimed second shot off. I suggest you start with a 40S&W, 357 or if you insist in a 38 at least get one rated to fire +p ammo. +P is higher velocity ammo and that extra punch is very helpful.

Decide which you're more concerned about, 2 legged or 4 legged predators and choose your gun accordingly. In Montana I definitely feel under gunned with a 357 loaded w/ hot cast rounds, in WA I'm fine with 45acp. But more importantly, practice shooting, practing presenting with all your gear on, practice dry firing in a safe environment (basement) with absolutely no ammo around, practice failure drills with dummy ammo.

[Josh Benjamin]

Caliber hype? So you are saying a glock 40 has the same stopping power as a 44 mag? Doubt it. I've dead dropped two black bears at a gallop with a 44 mag (Legally Hunting) I wouldn't even consider trying that with a G23 40 or a 38 or anything smaller for that matter. Actually I was still pretty nervous with a 44


shot placement
i've dropped deer where they stood with a .243. i've also shot a deer twice with my .06. hit em in the right place, they die right now, hit them somewhere else, they die later. there's no such thing as more dead.

[Be Jofus G]

shot placement
i've dropped deer where they stood with a .243. i've also shot a deer twice with my .06. hit em in the right place, they die right now, hit them somewhere else, they die later. there's no such thing as more dead.

I Absolutly agree. The most important thing is to be able to hit what you want to hit exactly where you want to hit it. Practice practice practice and then when you have it down 100% practice some more. I'm guessing (never timed myself) with a .38 I could hit a bear directly inbetween the eyes with about a 3 second set up. I could hit anywhere on his head and chest with a .5 sub second set up best case. A bear can run 40 yards twice as fast as the fastest human. So say a 4 flat 40 yard dash is the fastest human average for the sake of easy math. With the shot I'd have to make with a .38 to drop him instantly, that leaves me 1 second dead before the bear is on top of me if he is 40 yards away when he decides to attack. With a large caliber round I can put 3 pieces of lead in him with enough power to [stop] or [slow] him down. That is why in my initial post I said 50 Cal desert eagle but they are spendy and could cost you of thousands of dollars in ammo just to get good enough to pull a few good shots off in that situation. I don't want to even think about doing the math factoring in the speed of a cougar who can sneak up and stand 10 feet from you before you even hear anything.

[nathanj]

There was a recent case in Arizona where a man shot and killed another man who was supposedly coming after him on a trail. The shooter felt he was justified and that his life in danger. Weather or not he was justified I'm not sure, but one of the key pieces of evidence that convicted the shooter was the exact statement you just made, "Can't sue if he's dead". If you ever do find yourself in a situation like that be very careful what you say. I think the guy is now doing 15 years hard time at 50+ years old. I'll try and find the article and put up a link.

If I feel my life (or my kids with me or my wife or fishing buddy) is being threatened, I have a right to end the person's life who is threatening. However satitisfying a lead pipe beating may be, he'll be right back at it in a matter of days (or weeks depending on the beating) and he may find a scummy lawyer to sue you... Can't sue if he's dead. And if he truely is threatening my life, aside from my right to self defense (lethal even), I feel I have an obligation to his future victim(s). I may find a way to live, but the scum will be on to his next victim while I sleep all cozy in my bed the following week...

[nathanj]

Arizona Shooting Article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15199221/

[David Prutsman]

I'm a big fan of the H&K USP Compact in the caliber of your choice.

iagree

[jcalderon]

If you are over 60...... go with a revolver......... If not, and you dont mind a few moving parts, I carry a hk usp compact 9mm. Simply put, new generation semi autos are just as reliable as revolvers, however, oldtimers will stick to the addage that fewer complexities equals better performance. Not true! Ive had my usp in the icy rivers, desert sun, sand, mud (a am a jeep nut) just about anywhere you can imagine. It has over 4,000 rounds thorugh it and still shoots like the day I bought it. You wont find better than HK

[Cliff]

I agree with Roper, and I've settled on a S&W Centennial for just about all of my outdoor activities.
I have all manner of handguns from .22 to .44mag, semi-autos & revolvers, and this one just seems to work best for me. I use it for backpacking, hiking, fishing, etc. It fits into my fly vest very well and if I remove the oversized rubber stocks and install the tiny original S&W wood stocks it's a very small package. I run five 125gr +P Hyrdashocks, and I do sometimes load it with Glazers as the first two rounds in the cylinder. I sometimes bring a spare speedloader along, too.

Cliff
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Salish1/Centennial.jpg

[Davy]

well, it ain't light, but I shoulder a Springfield .40. Seems it would hopefully do the trick. But again, it ain't light

[obiwankanobi]

I love my Glock .45 caliber. After a sticky situation with a drunk on the river one time, I now carry a visible sidearm. With a 10 round loaded clip, it is heavy but it adds that extra protection when I am alone. Besides when the fishing is slow, I take out the frustration on rotted tree stumps and all small woodland creatures scatter...Ha ha!

[John Hicks]

I was just wondering, but when was the last report of a human being attacked by either bear or cougar in Washington? As for the meth heads I have first hand experience with that and a well placed shot of pepper spray in the face sure as hell will turn any meth head. I love guns and own quite a few but I preffer pepper spray in the woods.

[Cliff]

I was just wondering, but when was the last report of a human being attacked by either bear or cougar in Washington? As for the meth heads I have first hand experience with that and a well placed shot of pepper spray in the face sure as hell will turn any meth head. I love guns and own quite a few but I preffer pepper spray in the woods.

John, I know animal/human conflicts are really pretty rare in the boonies. I rarely pack a handgun for animals, with the exception of my annual week long trips to Montana every July (and I'm thinking about switchng to bear spray). Most of the times when I'm packing it's around lowland country, basically anywhere around humans. The Pinnacle Lake case is tragic and very disturbing, especially since I'm a hiker and high lakes fisherman, but it is extremely unusual. I'm not going to go into the story here, but a buddy and I were deliberately shot at while on a fishing trip back in 1993, on the road from Conunully to Fish Lake. These were multiple gunshots aimed directly at us, from what we later discovered was a .44 magnum. It was a very scary situation where we hid in the woods waiting for the shooter to walk up on us. I was unarmed at the time and I will never allow myself to be in that position again.

I could have used bear spray last summer while fishing some high lakes near Tonga Ridge. My buddy and I had a bear or bears coming into our camp all night. They would take off when we got up and screamed at them. It made me nervous, though.

Cliff

[cuponoodle breakfast]

As for the meth heads I have first hand experience with that and a well placed shot of pepper spray in the face sure as hell will turn any meth head.

Not always. Some people aren't all that bothered by it.