Need help selecting handgun.
 

I know this topic has been addressed before, but I tried to seach and didn't find quite what I was looking for. I am very familiar with rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, and bows, but I've caught the handgun bug and I'm ignorant in this field. I figured it was only a matter of time and my options for other weapons was growing small. I have a really great friend who is a gun freak and former gunsmith, but I wanted to make my own opinion before asking him because he is stubborn and I know he will try to persuade me to purchase what he thinks is best for me. He is older (about my dads age) and he is kinda like my second dad and I know he has my best interests, I simply want to educate myself and to form an unbiased opinion and then get his opinion to see if we agree.

My pistol will mostly be used in the back country during hunting and hiking and my main concerns are crossing paths, very closly, with the wrong person(s) or the wrong animal at the wrong time. Simply put, I want to be able to lay "it" down, whatever "it" may happen to be. I will probably try to get my CWP in the not to distant future, so if possible, I don't want a Dirty Harry.

I know different models among the same caliber are usually a preference among shooters. My main concern is selecting the right caliber and load, but feel free to suggest a particular model.

Also, I have carried a handgun on a couple occasions, and I favor the shoulder holster....if that even matters.

Thanks in advance.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=11101&a mp;langId=-1&productId=14709&tabselected=tech&isF irearm=Y&parent_category_rn=15712

check this out, 45 acp.....7 1/4" oal perfect conceal carry gun.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

What kind of critters would you be running into?

For non-bear related encounters you can't go wrong with the Springfield XD line of pistols. They have a very good aftermarket, so its a gun you can build on in the future, and they are very reasonably priced.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/prod-xdpstl.shtml

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

My buddy has 2 desert eagles and they are awesome shooting guns.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

I am partial to Ruger single action revolvers where the concerns are critters. Several calibers, safe,strong build, various barrel lengths. I find the single action the most fun to shoot, even in the44 mag, which is good critter medicine. For antipersonnel I would still want a 45 auto.More rounds, large wound, fast reload. One malfunction in 26 military years. Personally I like shoulder holsters unless they interfere with really needed things.... coats, flak jackets, back packs, it depends on what you see yourself carrying. They do keep your piece out of the junk!

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

My concerns are, in no particular order:
1) Running into someone in the back country, with bad intentions,who doesn't really care if I'm left for dead or not. Humans have more brain power to conjure up crazy ideas than any other animal. I know a extremely small percentage of violent crimes take place in the back country, but there are an extremely small percentage of people in the back country too.
2) Hiking across a bear or mtn. lion with cubs or with some other reason to view me as a threat.
I had a buddy who killed and quartered and elk. He packed out what he could, hung the rest in a tree, and made a return trip for it. When he returned, he had a bear standing up on its hind legs underneath his hang site. He took a couple pictures of the unaware bear. He sat with his rifle ready. He didn't know if the bear was somehow spooked by him or something else, but it ran off hurriedly without ever looking in his direction. I, however, will be doing a lot of my hunting during muzzleload season and although I'm a good shot with my current weapons, I don't like the security of a single shot black powder rifle. I wouldn't want to return to the same situation, only to have a bear/lion with young around, or starving for a good meal and not so eager to run. Most of my back country hunting trips will be in areas with mtn. lions and black bears, but nothing larger. Actually, all my hunting takes place in areas with these animals, but most of them in very limited populations. I did a little reseach, with price a factor of course, and this is the list that I'm planning on researching a little more.
.45 ACP
.40 S&W
.357 Mag/.38 Revolver
Models I've chosen to look at are the Springfield XD and some Glocks, namely the 23.
In response to the quoted comment, would these not be effective on black bears?

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

You also might consider some of the Ruger autos or a double action revolver, any of the above mentioned calibers would be a good choice.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

My choice would be the 357 revolver in single action or double action in a 6" barrel. You would have to decide on the single or the double. A 357 with fullhouse loads has pretty good stopping power. you can also use 38 specials for plinking and practice or reduced 357 loads. The revolver is simple to use also. I own one auto but prefer my revolvers for out in the field. Zeak

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

Im partial to a good 1911 45acp. I prefer springfields. Its a good hard hitter. You may also consider something chambered in 357 sig. its a good hard hitter its basiclly a 357mag. in auto form. My main carry gun is a Sig Sauer P226 in 357 sig.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

You are wanting a single gun to perform two different duties. It is hard to find a single handgun that will serve well as a concealed carry weapon and also serve as a good bear defense weapon. So rather than just tell you what gun my buddy shoots I am going to give you something to think about.

The concealed carry weapon is going to be relatively small and chambered in a round suitable for killing humans not bears. A 45acp, 40s&w are by no means good bear defense rounds. A .357 magnum would be a minimum choice to defend off bear attacks. Preferably a 44 mag, 480 Ruger, 454 Cassul, etc... These are very powerful rounds capable of delivering a large payload of lead that will be able to break down large and thick bones and still get into the chest cavity of a bear. Rounds that are made for auto handguns generally are not loaded with bullets suitable to fending off a bear attack.

On the flip side a gun that is a good bear defense gun is going to relatively heavy and somewhat large thus not being very concealable and uncomfortable to wear under your clothes. The chamberings will also be waaaay more power than needed or wanted to effectively stop a human attacker. In this type of situation you want a low recoiling gun firing relatively light weight bullets that expand rapidly and transmit maximum shock in only about 6 - 7 inches but not ever penetrate the body.

If you must use a single gun for both concealed carry and bear defense then the only choice IMO is a double action revolver chambered in .357 magnum with a barrel length of 3-4 inches. Bullet choice for carry would be Federal 130 grain hydra shock, Remington 125 grain golden saber, Corbon power ball ammo, Winchester 145 grain silver tip HP, or others like these. For bear defense I would use Federals 180 grain cast core, Corbons 200 grain hard cast, Buffalo Bore 180 grain hard cast, or othres like these.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

i have a .357 mag Smith and Wesson and it performs wonderfully. One of the best shooting handguns that ive ever put it my hands. Have killed one deer with it. It just awsome thats all ive got to say.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

No less than a .44 if you planto takeon a bear, Ruger blackhawk will do just fine. Good auto would be a Desert Eagle in .44 or .50, with a shoulder the weight has never been any trouble . .45 apc, .40 and .357's are all good people getters, but I wouldn't try to use them on a bear. What type of bears do you plan on running into?

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

Thanks for all the help. I've found most of this info useful.

I think I will eventually end up getting 2 pistols per bigbulls, and others suggestions.There doesn't seem to be a good gun to do both, and since I don't plan on going through CCP training in the immediate future, I think I will go for thebig gun first, and get a CCP weapon later.


Here is a real crazy twist to my story. I don't tell my wife much about my interest in guns as she would rather spend the money on new clothes or something. More of the valley girl, not the outdoors type. I've never mentioned my interest in getting a handgun, or two, to her. A few days ago, she said something about wanting to get a pistol…..WTF? I blew it off. Last night I spoke to her about it and expected she had already lost interest. WRONG! I asked her why in the world she wanted a pistol, not that there was anything wrong with that, just that it caught me by surprise. She said she just wanted to do some target shooting and she would like one for defense. So I replied half sarcastically, "Are you going to get a concealed carry permit or something?" She said yes. Double, WTF! She was an eyewitness to a murder some years ago and we don't really talk about it that much anymore, but in a few years the convict will be up for parole. He claimed after the murder, but before he was arrested, that he would kill anyone who turned him in. She doesn't THINK he will try to come after her, but she doesn't want to be wrong or wait until the day his parole could be approved to get the process started. Basically, it was a dude she knew in high school, and they got along but were never really friends. At the time she happened to be living in an apartment complex that he also lived in. She was at his house with one of her friends, her brother, and one of her brothers friends. The now convict thought her brothers friend stole $40 bucks, so he stuck a .22 bullet through the dudes eye socket. The guy's head with the .22 bullet in it, then fell over on my wife's shoulder. The punk arse prosecuting attorney had THREE matching eyewitness statements, and copped a manslaughter plea. The convict also told my wife that he had recently kicked out another one of my wife's friends that was staying with him because he was afraid he would do something like this to her, and he didn't REALLY want to kill her.
I know this doesn't add a whole lot to the thread, but thought it might be an interesting read. I kinda married over my head in the looks department so try to imagine someone that looks and acts a lot like Jessica Simpson with a CCP.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

Well, if the wife is interested and you are as well, here is what I would reccomend. Go to a gunshop that has an indoor shooting range, where you can rent pistols and try out a few before you buy anything. You may find that you cannot shoot a Glock as good as an XD, or vice-versa. I already have 3 handguns all of which I can carry concealed, but that XD sub-compact is going to be in my collection soon.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

One good thing to get for a concealed carry type firearm is a set of night sites.

Here is a picture of the Trijicons on my XD 40 Tactical.




Here is a 25 yard group shot freehand with my XD 40 Tactical about a week after I got it. I need to go shoot another group now that I've had the gun almost a year and a few thousand rounds thru it.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

10-4!

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

i have to say look at springfield XD's. Great gun for the $$. However, i would have to say a .357 revolver. Perfect for what you seek. Not pretty, a little bulky depending on brand but all the firepower you may need.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

you've gotten some great advice here, but i'll add my 2 cents anyway.

budget is always an issue with me, and if i could only afford one to do the things you want, i think this is your best call: considera 44mag with a 4" barrel. a little big for concealed carry, but as a compromise it works. with the mag rounds, it'll deal with bear.also believe you can get a "snake" round chambered for it. when you're in the woods, alternate mag/snake rounds, and you can handle whatever you come across. back in civilization, load it up with 44 specials, and you can deal with 2-legged vermin, and yourwife should be able to handle the recoil.

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

yup two different guns for 2 different reasons. hunting big game or walking up on a bear id say s&w 500 or tarus 454 or 44 mag taurus makes a good gun with good guarenties and at even better prices

for ccw use id go with a glock 19 or even a snub taurus in a 357 this for a few reasons one being you can still use it on semi small game and for your carry weapon. second fold when you think of a hand gun for ccw and home use i personally think it is better to shoot a round that has a good chance if a fatal wound but stay in the target espeally in the home or where other inocnocent people may be . last thing i want to do is over penatrate and wound a bystander or even family member in the next room. but this is just my 2 cents. get a gun that your comfertable with and you can shoot well practice practice pratice. i would rather go up against a 45 in the hands of a person that cant handel the gun before id want to go against even a person with a 22 if they knew the gun and could shoot it well

RE: Need help selecting handgun.
 

If you want a high quality gun that stays in a budget, you can't go wrong with a Ruger. If you're wanting a revolver, I'd say a 357 mag is the best choice, since you can shoot 38 special and 357 mag, and Ruger has some excellent choices. If you're wanting a pistol, I recommend a 45 ACP, the P345 being an excellent choice. You can put a little more money into it, and buy say a Glock, H&K, Sig, Beretta, S&W, etc But about the difference I've seen in all these firearms is the price tag. Since all of them function nearly flawlessly. It's hard to go wrong with any of these companies, it's just the features you want and the amount you want to spend.