Lightweight trail pistol for bear country

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Cackmandu

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Aug 24, 2015
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Guys, doing this search for my son, he will be doing extended hikes in the back country. He is looking for the best make, caliber and of course lightest sidearm he can find in the $300-500 range. Thanks for the input.
 
Often thought of the same thing, but one I could use in an urban environment as well. What do you folks think of a glock in 10mm? Double duty?
 
A friend of mine bought some land up in Washington he wants to retire to. He picked up a large frame 10mm Glock. We've been shooting it at the range for awhile now, and we've tried a lot of the various high speed ammo. Have to say that stuff in the 1300-1500 fps advertised range IS pretty stout stuff. I wouldn't mind 15 rounds plus a fast reload vs five or six rounds out of a big wheel gun.

If it was me, I'd spend the extra money on the six inch barrel and slide. Expensive, but worth it if you're talking bears.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/671426-Precisely-what-everyone-needs-Glock-20L
 
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The only hiking auto I'd recommend would be a Glock 29. The larger framed 20 is uncfomfortable for backcountry hiking, and when something gets uncomfortable, it gets thrown in a pack. The problem is, the 3-500$ range is pretty much gonna take any 10mm out of the equation. You would be hard pressed to find a quality handgun in a "bear" caliber for that price. Ruger blackhawks can be had in strong enough calibers (41M, 45LC) in that price range, but he doesn't want a revolver and then the single action arguments arise!
 
Yeah, I thought price would be a problem too with larger calibers, I think he's going to have to luck up on something used in a gun shop!
 
Within that price range, having little experience, wanting a semi-auto and something reliable in bear country, I'd go with a Glock 21 in .45ACP

Glock reliability - No one calls them "pretty" but no one calls them "unreliable" either.
Ammo is cheaper so he can practice.
Slightly lighter than the 10mm version (20)
Recoil - 10mm might feel a bit more "snappy" to some shooters which can make new shooters a little flinchy.
Gen 3 models or used Gen 4 models can be found for under or at $500
Resale value on Glock is good. If he uses it for a couple years and wants to upgrade, he''ll get most of his money back because of the known reliability of the brand.

Finally, and I don't mean to sound condescending but, as they say about helmets : If you've got a $5 head, go ahead and get the $5 helmet.

If your son is genuinely concerned with life and limb, he might want to go into debt for a couple months and have peace of mind in the woods and a more expensive, better suited firearm at his disposal. Really, what is another $100 or $200 today? Two tanks of gas and two trips to Ruby Tuesday or Buffalo Wild Wings?
 
He must learn to shoot !! Get reloading stuff and load just enough to function the gun [Glock 10 mm ] practice a lot . Boost up the loads as you learn. You must make good hits !!
 
.44 mag

Ruger - More expensive, higher quality

rgr_5026r.jpg


http://www.impactguns.com/ruger-redhwk-44mg-ss-4in-5026-5026-736676050260.aspx


Taurus - Cheaper, lighter but not as good quality from what I've heard.


taurus-2444049ult-revolvers.jpg


http://www.impactguns.com/taurus-44...teel-4in-full-lug-adj-sight-725327600244.aspx

Charter Arms - Cheapest

cha_74421.jpg


http://www.impactguns.com/charter-arms-bulldog-44sp-25in-stainless-steel-74421-678958744217.aspx


Make sure he test fires anything he gets before he takes it out with the specific ammo he will be carrying. Never shot a Charter Arms revolver but I'm not so sure I would want to take one into a possibly life and death situation. Personally, there is no reason to skimp on money and quality when you know you will be in a serious situation. My opinion, go with either Ruger or S&W. I wouldn't want .357 for bear. A high capacity 10mm like a Glock with HOT ammo may be okay since you get the capacity bonus. Have to make sure you get REAL 10mm ammo though, not the weak commercial shit that is basically just 40 cal loads in a 10mm.

I also second the notion that he has to learn how to shoot first. Any gun he brings wont be worth a damn if he can't connect shots. And if you need to shoot at a charging bear, you're going to be shitting your pants at the same time with stress and adrenaline surges so bad you can barely think, all it comes down to is training and instinct at that point. I would say that you can expect to shoot only half as good under stress as you do practicing. So to be honest it is very foolish to take a pistol into a dangerous area without experience and expect to be able to use it. Just being honest. ESPECIALLY since we're talking about stout calibers here, shooting a 10mm, .357 magnum, or .44 magnum etc is no joke and incredibly hard to shoot well without practice!
 
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It doesn't have to be new, it just has to be reliable and hard hitting.

.357 magnum and up revolvers will probably do it.
10mm will probably do it.

Looking at gunbroker I see that there are guns available in suitable calibers at or very close to your price point. Don't forget though that you will also need to buy some sort of holster for it so if that price is a hard limit you will pretty much have to take what you can get. It won't be the lightest and it won't be the specific gun you had your heart set on.

The glock 20/29 would be my autoloader choice. I don't know if you can get holster and gun for the desired price.

Some sort of used ruger or s&w revolver would also get the job done. Taurus probably also works.

A ruger blackhawk is nothing to sneeze at either and might be a good choice for the desired price.
Here is one with included leather; an auction price starting below your limit and a buy now only slightly over the limit. It would do the job.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=513663687

To stay within the budget you'll need to do some hard searching I'm afraid. It'll require a bit of leg work checking out the pawn shops and dealers with trade ins.

I don't know if there is such a thing but maybe someone would rent or lend him a suitable gun for his trip. That way he can get exactly what he wants when funds become available.

Failing that there is always bear spray if he is willing to compromise on the gun bit.... or a shotgun with slugs if he is willing to compromise on the handgun bit. :)
 
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shunsui said:
A friend of mine bought some land up in Washington he wants to retire to. He picked up a large frame 10mm Glock. We've been shooting it at the range for awhile now, and we've tried a lot of the various high speed ammo. Have to say that stuff in the 1300-1500 fps advertised range IS pretty stout stuff. I wouldn't mind 15 rounds plus a fast reload vs five or six rounds out of a big wheel gun.

If it was me, I'd spend the extra money on the six inch barrel and slide. Expensive, but worth it if you're talking bears.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/671426-Precisely-what-everyone-needs-Glock-20L
Click to expand...

MY .357 has 7! :D
 
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