Posted on 11/10/2008 2:10:22 PM PST by wintertime
Stainless and rubber grips is practical because the weapon is extremely resistant to corrosion/rust and even with wet hands you grip well (say you're fishing).
44 cal with the right ammo has enough speed to reach up inside a moose or bear and hit something that matters. At the same time the ammo isn't freakishly rare nor super expensive.
S&W makes a very fine weapon. The gun enthusiasts always want something unique and rare that no one else has. But like the Remington model 700, the S&W large frame is simply a proven, high quality, and still somewhat reasonably priced weapon. Qualitatively I'd say S&W semi's stink, at least they use too, but their revolvers rock and are hard to match even with far more expensive brands.
I don't like safety's that require me to fumblefuck around in the dark, when tired, or scared. A revolver is easy to tell if loaded or unloaded. With a shorter barrel you'll easily be able to carry it on a belt and despite packing a big punch it won't be that heavy. Believe me, that's what I use to do.
Nothing meets your specs but here are my recommendations:
1. You first gun should be a revolver, probably a .38special/.357magnum (same gun shoots both in many cases).
Learn to shoot .38 special target loads. The .38 makes a pretty good home defense weapon and the S&W airlite models are very carryable.
2. A better home defense/bear weapon is a pump shotgun with a combo slug/shot barrel. Good ones are way cheaper than most decent handguns.
3. The most fun for the buck is a 1911 .45ACP. Colt and Springfield make great versions. Para-ordinance makes a great double action version. The .45 can be a good home defense weapon but is a semi-auto. If it jams, you cannot simply pull the trigger again like a revolver. It is also very large to make a good concealed carry piece.
That video is really funny.
I wouldn’t use anything smaller than a .41Magnum for bear. It also makes a great personal defense gun. If you are out hiking a .41 is a great backpacking gun, but nothing beats a .12GA slug on all but the biggest bears.
I CCW a full size 1911 all day without a problem.
Whomever was the shooter....needs some range time.
MOLON LABE
The only good advice I can give for someone who might encounter a Grizzly, or a Brown is to start taking excercizes to limber the spine and neck so that you can properly bend over and kiss your butt goodby.
Two men were hiking in a western naitional park when they encountered a rather aggressive Brown Bear. One of the men immediately removed his boots and started to put his running shoes on. His buddy said that it was stupid because he could not outrun a bear. The running shoe guy said, “Ha, all I have to do is outrun you.”
For the bear requirement, drop the handgun and get at least a 30-30...and I strongly recommend something more along the lines of a 12 gauge shotgun or 7mm Magnum on up rifle.
For all the rest: most any good 9mm or larger will do.
I like my little Glock 26, the Baby Glock.
Check out http://www.lifelibertyetc.com for some info and videos on taking apart and putting back together specific firearms.
This certainly wouldn’t help with the bear problem, but would address most of the other things on your wish list (partial to semi-automatic, reasonably light, stop humans).
Look in to a good quality .380. I know, a lot of people still think of this as a “girlie” gun, but with a magazine full of Mag-Safe or Cor-Bon +P rounds, you get a lot of stopping power.
As is often, and rightly, mentioned here, whatever you select, make certain you are comfortable with it in your hand, are knowledgeable about its operation, and can and will use it if the time comes.
Good luck!
I’m partial to Sig Sauer myself. You’ll be okay with anything bigger than a 9mm but I’d suggest a .45. The Sig P220 is a GREAT gun.
A 1911 is another great choice.
The Glocks are okay but I’m personally not fond of the way they hold and I hate the location and size of the controls.
Best of luck and remember to shoot what you’re planning on buying before you spend the cash!
I hope never to use a pistol in self defense, but if it comes to that I'm going "heavy". Roy Rogers shot guns out of the bad guys hands, Hopalong Cassidy shot the owlhoots dead.I'm a Hoppy man.
As for your other point, don't try to use a hand gun to stop a bear. You probably won't live to tell about it.
My father-in-law told me a story about the first time he and his dad hunted bear near their home in Idaho. This would have been in the mid-30’s. He carried a rifle in 25-20 and his dad carried one in 45-70. They spotted a black bear about 75 yards away across a small dell and the dad told the son to take aim and fire and keep on firing until the bear dropped. He fired and the bear didn’t move. He was sure he had hit it as he was a good shot and it was well within range. He fired again and the bear looked around. He fired a third time and the bear started walking toward them. After the fourth shot the bear gave a roar and started loping towards them. The fifth and sixth shots didn’t have any noticeable effect except to make the bear roar even louder and the boy become really frightened. By this time the bear was no more than 20 yard away and coming fast. At which point the dad raised his .45-.70 and fired one shot. The bear dropped about 10 yards from where they stood - dead as a door nail.
Father-in-law learned a couple of lessons here. One was a lesson in courage. The other was to use the right tool for the job.
The advice given so far has been pretty good. Get a large magnum for the bear and at least a 9mm or better for the man.
Identifying the type of bear helps. You can do this by examining the scat. Black bear scat is smaller and often contains berries. Grizzly bear scat is bigger, contains bells and smells like pepper spray.
When you decide, buy two.
Oh. come on. I've been practically face to face with 'em and they want nothing to do with me.
I agree Re: the bear. The CZ75B in 9mm. Excellent gun, very accurate - my favorite all-around handgun. The CZ is a service pistol used all over Eastern Europe, and copied widely.
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