which pistol would you recommend for my situation??
R

Runnerguy

New member
Hi All, I am a newbie.
I just got my CC permit and am buying first handgun (I do have a .22 Iver Johnson I have been plinking with).

I am runner and when traveling I sometimes check into a hotel/motel in a strange city and then go out for my customary 7 mile run which takes me places in cities that I sometimes wish I had some protection with me at times, just in case. I carry a fanny pack with waterbottles and a pocket for things like a gun.

However, I also think I might like to hunt or at laest take the same pistol into bear country and rest assured I could stop a bear if need be.

So far I am thinking of the RUGER LCP or KEL TEC .380 semi, but for the bear country part of it maybe I lean toward the very lightweight revolver which would be a .38 special type, also shooting .357 if need be.

I don't have any experience carrying but I have a friend who carries a Ruger LCP in his t-shirt in a pocket specially designed under his armpit. I would like to do that with either gun, I guess although the Ruger could go in a pants pocket just as easy. The revolvers have pretty similar weights and dimensions for my purposes.

Thoughts??? I have to decide on something pretty soon as I am not carrying anything at all now.
Thanks for your opinion.
 

My choice would be a Smith and Wesson Airlite Titanium Revolver, like the Model 340PD in .357 Mag. It's a little 5 shot snubby and they weigh about 10 oz. unloaded. More punch that any micro 380. As for Bear Country, you are very under armed unless you have a BIG Bore revolver at least. If you had to carry a 357 snubby, it should be with the hottest and heaviest penetrating load you can find, like something from Buffalo Bore or Grizzy Ammo company. You would also need to test the ammo (ouch) to be sure that the bullets do not jump foward out of the crimp in the cartridge, moving foward in the cylinder and lock the gun up.
Just for the record, the only lightweight gun I know of, that gets carried in places like Alaska or other Bear Country, is the Smith and Wesson 329 Titanium 44 mag with a 4" barrel. I believe they also make it in a snubby now. Titanium is a great way to go if you're looking for very light weight, as it appears from your post. If you can carry a little more weight, the choices expand greatly.
 
I carry a 45

When I am hiking, I carry either my Glock 30 (Subcompact 45) or Taurus PT145 (Subcompact 45) with 230 grain federal hydra shock ammunition. These guns with this round are more than enoough to ward off would be attackers, but what kind of bears are you talking about. I feel safe with my 45 around black bears as I am confident that a few well placed shots could do the job, but I would go 44 mag or 50 cal for grizzly, or kodiaks. Even then I would probably empty the gun and reload and empty it again. There isn't really a handgun that will bring one of those down, but the 45 could scare it away.
 
Pick one

The 357 is minimum for hunting or critter protection. Any pistol is less than ideal if you are talking about grizzlies. You would want a 4in or longer barrel for hunting and to get velocity out of those heavy Grizzly ammo loads. For running a LCP(P3AT ripoff) or lightweight 38spl would fit the bill.

You really can't have it both ways. The 357 lighweight snub mentioned is about as close as you can get to a compromise, but you will be doing a disservice to the animal if you try to hunt with it and wound something.
 
Runnerguy,

Forget the bears. No handgun you'll be willing to carry the rest of the time will do any good with bears. Try a few guns and pick one that you like the feel of and can carry comfortably in your running togs and everyday clothing, 9mm or better preferably, but no smaller than .380. If you do not shoot regularly, a revolver is probably more useful than a pistol. If unfamiliar and out of practice, a misfire on a pistol may find you scratching your head and wondering why it didn't go off while the bad guy does you harm. Even in panic, a double-action revolver will keep shooting as long as you keep pulling the trigger, misfire or no.

Bears? Carry pepper spray.
 
If cash is a problem them a good use CZ82 in 380 or 9x18 is a great choice, a highly accurate weapon and good stopping power in the 9x18 and ammo is cheaper than regular 9mm ammo and plentiful. I have shot a few and love em. I will be buying another couple when I have some cash.

Link Removed ammo runs about 130 shipped for 500 rounds
 
Jes said:
The 357 is minimum for hunting or critter protection. Any pistol is less than ideal if you are talking about grizzlies. You would want a 4in or longer barrel for hunting and to get velocity out of those heavy Grizzly ammo loads. For running a LCP(P3AT ripoff) or lightweight 38spl would fit the bill.

You really can't have it both ways. The 357 lighweight snub mentioned is about as close as you can get to a compromise, but you will be doing a disservice to the animal if you try to hunt with it and wound something.
Click to expand...

+1.
Those are truly two totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Since you jog everyday, that should be what your first purchase is based on. (I personally won't go below 9mm due to the high cost-to-knockdown power ratio of .380, but that's just me.) Whenever you're considering your first handgun, it would be a good idea to go to a range that rents out different guns. Decide what feels good in your hand, what fits in your fannypack, or whatever other method of concealment your would use.

Once you have your first and have saved up enough for a bear gun, go for something in .460 S&W, .500 S&W, or .454 Casull. You can find snubbies in these calibers, but they are still HUGE (for a snubbie), yet really only appropriate for defensive use due to the lack of accuracy. If you want a hunting revolver go with one of these calibers with at least a 10"barrel/ scope etc.
 
utimmer43 said:
Um, not that I would recomment it, but I think I would prefer a 9mm before pepper spray, no?


That's $.26 per rnd. At Wallyworld (if they have it in stock) 9mm WWB is $.21 per rnd. and Blazer Brass is $.19 per rnd. after tax.
Click to expand...

But standard 9mm lugar round has less stopping power than the 9m18 Makarov round
 
Bear country. Nothing less than a 44 magnum. Bigger if you can. If you ever run into a bear you will not be mad because you brought "to much gun".
 
Grizzly

Ericrush is right, but if you have to jog in Grizzly country You'll need a 2 1/2" Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull or a S&W 500EX in 460 or 500 S&W. Good luck.
 
Get 2 guns. With the inexpensive cost of a Kel-Tec, you can afford to find a used 44Mag revolver and come out under $700 for the both of 'em.
 
HK4U said:
Bear country. Nothing less than a 44 magnum. Bigger if you can. If you ever run into a bear you will not be mad because you brought "to much gun".
Click to expand...

Ha-Ha! Yeah, my response was based on that it appears he needed something extra light weight for running. Bears are generally a little bit pissed off when you shoot'em with 380's, 38's and snubby 357's. Bigger is ALWAYS better when facing a Bear. Any Bear. I can't think of any time, that if I had to shoot a bear in self defense, I'd complain about the performance, weight and recoil. POW!! Wow, he went down fast. I should used something smaller.:sarcastic:
 
my understanding is

rockwerks said:
But standard 9mm lugar round has less stopping power than the 9m18 Makarov round
Click to expand...

9mm makarov's stopping power is comparable to .38 spl. main thing is bullet placement but that is not the answer to the question being asked. maybe don't run in bear country, stick to the gym or a treadmill or something. do you really want to run with a heavy gun? i don't care who you are a .44 magnum/ super mag is too big too run with in my opinion.
 
boris said:
... maybe don't run in bear country, stick to the gym or a treadmill or something. do you really want to run with a heavy gun? i don't care who you are a .44 magnum/ super mag is too big too run with in my opinion.
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I don't think he wants to jog in bear country. Jogging, hunting, hiking in the woods, all seperate occasions. He's just looking for a one-size-fits-all gun, which doesn't really exist (unless maybe someone knows where to get one of those little pocket pistols that Will Smith had in M.I.B.:biggrin:, I wouldn't mind one of those myself:yes2:).
 
A Cricket!!! I knew there was a gun missing from my collection. Thanks, for pointing it out to me, UTimmer43.
 
Of Course, if you want something very light for running and heavy for Bears, may I suggest a Ruger LCP 380 and a couple of Fragmentation Grenades. :sarcastic:
 
Runnerguy said:
However, I also think I might like to hunt or at laest take the same pistol into bear country and rest assured I could stop a bear if need be.
Click to expand...

cadguru said:
...what kind of bears are you talking about. I feel safe with my 45 around black bears as I am confident that a few well placed shots could do the job, but I would go 44 mag or 50 cal for grizzly, or kodiaks. Even then I would probably empty the gun and reload and empty it again. There isn't really a handgun that will bring one of those down, but the 45 could scare it away.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. Personal protection is one issue, and hiking in bear country is a completely different scenario. I've heard of quite a few well placed high-powered rifle shots just really pissing off a bear. They say that large game like elk, moose, and bear must be shot at a minimum of 100-150 yards, or else you still might get severely hurt or killed. The adrenaline of the animal will drive him to push through the pain, and attempt to kill the person whom caused the pain, even if he does die later.

Having that said, my choice for a handgun for personal protection would be anything in at least .40 S&W. .357 magnum is alright for some instances, but is most of the time a little overpowered, as is the .357 SIG. 10mm is a no no, as of the over-penetration issue. really stick with .40-.45 as these will be a strong round, with more surface area than a .357, therefore having more stopping power. I carry a Sig Sauer in .40 S&W, and I couldn't be happier with it's performance. You'll find that 9mm sometimes just doesn't do the job.:no:
 
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