well anyways as far as a defense handgun, I would not back down from any black bear under any circumstances in the attack mode, hand to hand combat, whatever, with anything of 357 magnum or larger that you can shoot well and are disciplined enough to put the bullet where it needs to be under duress. have had them by the scruff of the neck when I shot them in tense situations. However I do not carry a defense handgun for a black bear, after hundreds of interactions with them have only had a couple moments that were the slightest bit concerning. have been beside a man once when he killed one with a spear as the bear backed down the tree. Black bears are not the vicious animals you read about in the papers.