Handgun and holster for backpacking with family?

Some of the BB ammo I wouldn't shoot in anything but one of the beefier revolvers.
 
i feel well prepared with the old colt 38 detective. loaded with the new speer hot loads for 2 in. barrels it will pack as much punch as most 9mm loads. if you need more than 6 shots you are a bad marksman or fighting a gang. [ you lose in any case].easily concealable & quick to get out.mine will hit beer cans at 40 yds. off sandbags.the other little goodie to add is the beretta 22short using winchester super x. my tiny auto never jams & at 20 feet a head shot will kill a big man or a big dog.dennis
 
Another vote for the Safepacker holster and some buffalo bore rounds in either gun.

I hate to say this but each gun is desighned for a specific purpose and the two guns you listed have very diffrent roles they exel in. If your main worry its 4 legged a 357 steel frame with hot BB loads would produce 780ft lbs with a 180grn round. If your more concerend with drug camps then a glock 9mm would be a solid combat weapon and with plus p plus could do some damage to many 4 legged threats with 465ft ibs exept lack in penitration with its 124grn round.

One another note, someone mentioned the 10mm. There is a reason the FBI and most LE adopted this round you can get a Buffalo Bore 180grn HP producing 1,350fps/M.E. 728 ft. lbs. If you can deal with this round then a glock in 10mm does present a fantastic combination weapon, with a safepacker holster of course.
 
Hey recon,

That safepacker is pretty modular. You can attach it to your backpackstaps or indipendatly in the center of the chest, it also has a strap for purse style carry. You dont have to have it on the belt. It does look odd but its alought thinner than a fanny pack. If you dont want to advertise your armed status Its the most comfortable solution ive found while hiking but thats just me.
 
dan-g said:
It does look odd but its alought thinner than a fanny pack. If you dont want to advertise your armed status Its the most comfortable solution ive found while hiking but thats just me.
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Thing is, anyone who is into guns will spot a safekeeper immediately. Hopefully that's not your average criminal, but the first guy to get shot is going to be the one they know is armed! On the other hand, a fanny pack doesn't look at all out of place while hiking. Same goes for how I dress outdoors. I look just like any typical trail runner, and try not to look like "Daniel Booney" so I don't stand out like a sore thumb from all the Sierra Club dillweeds on the trail.

I really like the Maxpedition GearSlingers and Versipacks for dayhiking, but for those in the know they are just as obvious as the safekeeper.

But.....if things are really hinkey, a little M&P 340 in your pocket is the best insurance I can think of!
 
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I also like the safepacker. So be it mine is a little bit bigger. It is the GOVT size and will hold most 5" slide autos. I have it hold 1911s, XD45 tact and XDm40, Beretta 96 and PX4, but when out and it holds a miniture handcannon. Got this to replace the 45 I use to carry after the elk hunt last year when we ran into a large moose that wanted to tango. Glad nothing happened other than raising my heartrate. Nothing wrong with a 357 either, I carry one daily in the SP101 3" flavor.

454 Alasakan is now my backwoods carry gun in the safepacker or Kifaru Koala.

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You can see the safepacker attached to a few of my Kifaru packs in these photos. It really is a discrete way to carry a pistol.


Molle Express with 454 Alaskan
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ZXR carrying a XD45
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EMR emptied but you can still see it attached
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The trouble with attaching something to your pack, is when the pack comes off there goes your gun as well. I have never been fond of backpack waistbands anyway, and I will usually remove them. This leaves my waist free for a nice little fannypack!

I have a Contera fannypack that fits a Ruger Alaskan very nicely, and looking at it you would never believe something that big could be inside there!
 
An accessory pouch (camera case or something) attached to your pack's hipbelt keeps a handgun discreet but accessible.
 
reconranger said:
The trouble with attaching something to your pack, is when the pack comes off there goes your gun as well. I have never been fond of backpack waistbands anyway, and I will usually remove them. This leaves my waist free for a nice little fannypack!
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This is often the biggest issue. For backpacking, I have a great pancake holster for my Charter Bulldog .44SPL. It fits just fine under my pack's waist belt, but you can't quickly access it. I just like the fact that it's always with me and there is no issue/discomfort packing a 40-pound pack with the gun underneath. The Safepacker is a great option and if attached to your pack's waistbelt is quickly accessible, but as mentioned, it's tied to your pack...not a big deal if you don't think you'll get separated from your pack or you have a holster when you get to camp and do work around the camp site or you plan to do day hikes without your pack (of course, you could just sling the Safepacker in that instance to).

Once your pack weight gets to 30-40 pounds, you'll appreciate that waist belt! I'd done my share of patrolling with the 'ol Large Alice pack without the waistbelt because of the LBE/LBV...it makes it quick to dump but hell on your shoulders.

There are a lot of carry options out there, the trick is to find what works with how you pack, hike and are comfortable with.

ROCK6
 
Another issue to consider is what do you do with the gun when you get to camp??? If this is a "family" outing, you can't just leave it laying around where just anybody might happen to find it. We often take day hikes out from base camp as well, so you have to seperate it from your main pack. And, in case of an emergency, it is best if the gun is on your person at all times.

Here again, a nice little light compact gun that you can carry all day in a innocuous looking fanny pack, fits the bill best! Better yet, when you are in camp just slip it into your pocket.
 
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It depends on how concerned you are with concealment. I carry a Walther PPS .40 cal in an IWB holster. If concealment isn't your main concern though, you could go with something a bit bigger. A lot of people like glocks, though I don't personally. There is always the option of a 1911 if you want some good firepower. If you plan on carrying a gun, carry it on your person, not on your pack. Depending on the laws and what kind of permit you get will help decide what kind of weapon and how you carry as well.
 
Wow, I'm glad I live in a country where there are no four-legged dangers in the woods.

As far as shooting the cougar goes, can I respectfully suggest that your first goal is not to shoot the animal but scare it off. The noise of the firearm should be your first line of defence, so you don't have to kill (or worse, wound and fail to kill) some poor, hungry woodland creature.
Maybe noise should also be a criteria for picking a firearm?

Cheers
Craig
 
Rob H. of Survival Sheaths makes some chest rigs that will work even with a pack that has a waist belt. www.survivalsheath.com i had been trying to remember what his site was because i had been looking at one of these years ago. couldn't renumber his name (only his old handle on another forum) or the site and just found it in another thread here.

my EDC gun is a Glock 19 in a UCR which is a Kydex IWB holster from from Threat Solutions http://www.threatsolutions.com/IWBindex.html

i'd personally favor a Glock over the Ruger wheelgun.

the Safepacker from The Wilderness is also an option.
 
Havokk said:
Wow, I'm glad I live in a country where there are no four-legged dangers in the woods.

As far as shooting the cougar goes, can I respectfully suggest that your first goal is not to shoot the animal but scare it off. The noise of the firearm should be your first line of defence, so you don't have to kill (or worse, wound and fail to kill) some poor, hungry woodland creature.
Maybe noise should also be a criteria for picking a firearm?

Cheers
Craig
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I feel safer in the backcountry, than I do in any city on earth!!! It is just a mater of being totally prepared for any eventuality.....

Our rule is that the first round goes into the ground, unless someone's life is immanently threatened. But....with a mountain lion, it will be on your back before you ever realized it were even there! Black bears are not very stealthy, and one should have at least some warning in advance. Brown and grizzly bears, are a more serious matter.
 
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Here is my checklist for any firearm

#1 is it carryable? - a pointed stick in your hand is better than the "perfect" gun snug in it's safe at home.
#2 is it reliable? - Honestly, most major manufacturers produce reliable firearms, but it is hard to beat a S&W revolver or a Glock. If you need it you don't want to hear that dreaded "click" when you were expecting a bang.
#3 is it accurate? - In my opinion, accuracy is more affected by the user than the gun. Get something that feels right to you. It is better to hit something with multiple .22 rounds than to send a .44 magnum round 10 feet wide.
#4 do you like it? If you want a semi-auto get a semi-auto, if you like wheel guns, get a revolver. Hopefully, the only thing you will ever use your gun for is having fun at the range, so get something that you will enjoy having.

My opinion is another vote for the .357 mag with a 4" barrel, but chances are that whatever you decide will be right for you. Have fun shopping!
 
Think about a Glock 23. It's easily concealable and the .40 is a very capable round. Too expensive to shoot? Get a Lone Wolf conversion barrel and some G19 mags and it's now a 9millie. Want better balistics and you like to spend a lot of money on ammo? Get a Glock .357 Sig barrel and swap them out. Want to shoot small game? Get an Advantage Arms .22 conversion (although I don't know how accurate this is, as I don't own one yet). Now that's versatility!

As far as carrying goes you can use something like a VentraPack attached to the front of the pack and have a seperate holster for when you drop your pack, or you can just use a fanny pack and have it with you with or without the pack.
 
some one mention bieng able to hit something with your carry round and that is obviosly the most important aspect. Spoolup has a 454cat in a 2inch ruger, if anyone with out generous pistol experiance atempted to shoot that beast, they would miss. Making the gun usless. The OP certainly needs to practice with whatever gun he picks.

Speaking of the OP he hasnt chimed in since the opening post. Right now all us forumites are 3 miles into the hike and he could be still at camp lacing his boots.

HEY Original Poster, A little feedback helps steer the conversation into productive waters. Like whats your comfort level with high power rounds? Budget? What are you more worried about 2leged or 4legged etc...
 
I am much more of a gun guy than a woods bum I will admit. There are lots of factors here that all of us will agree or disagree on.

I carry a gun every day as a CCW holder. I train extensively, without a doubt more than the majority of law enforcement because it’s my favorite hobby and I enjoy it very much. My primary carry gun is a Glock 19 with 15+1 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 124 gr. +P. I have never felt like I carry too little gun because I am very confident and proficient with it. Against 2 legged creatures I have no qualms carry a 9mm and good defensive ammo.

Now we get in to defense against 4 legged animals. I generally look at animal defense as going one of two ways. 1) You will fire a shot (or preferably multiple shots) at the animal and it will run away whether hit or not or 2) it will be dedicated to dismantling you at which point whatever handgun caliber you are carrying won’t matter much because it’s a handgun caliber. We carry them because they are portable. If I knew I was going to a fight I’d take a rifle and a friend with a rifle.

I have a Glock 30 in .45 ACP, same gun as the 29 which as you know is 10mm. If you are going to shoot hot rounds like Buffalo Bore, etc. 10mm is a great round. If you are going to shoot average off the shelf ammo, you might as well go .40 S&W because most factory 10mm ammo is loaded light, well below the cartridge’s capabilities.

I’ve also got a 3” Ruger GP100 .357 which is a great gun. If you are interested in a revolver I might look for a 3” GP for the extra round of capacity over the SP101.

Then it comes down to how much you want to shoot, how well and fast you can shoot it and how comfortable you are with your choice. I love my GP100 but I know for a fact that I can shoot 10-12 rounds of that +P 9mm out of one of my 9mm Glocks faster and more accurately than I can empty the cylinder on my GP100.

I’m a die hard Glock fan based on personal use not internet hype BS. But I’m open to other stuff too. I’d look hard at Glocks, Smith & Wesson M&P, Springfield XD, Ruger GP100, S&W 686 for starters. Pick a gun and then we’ll talk holsters.

Handguns are a compromise of many factors. Shoot some rentals at a range if you can and decide what the most important factors are for you.
 
adaman04, great choice of handgun! I carried a Glock 19 stoked with 124gr. Speer Gold Dots for two years in Mosul. It will handle most anything you would normally run into in the woods (unless you live in Alaska, or the upper panhandle of Idaho or Montana, where large bears make their homes).

Ron
 
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