I am going on a family vacation to Alaska this summer. For logistical reasons, I am arming myself with one concealable handgun for this trip. I need to be able to carry it relatively discreetly when we are in populated areas and when we are with my wife’s granola lefty relatives, but it also must be sufficient to deal with any issues that might arise while traveling in the wild. So...let’s not turn this into a “bear gun” thread. Using it for bear defense is obviously a potential scenario, though I plan to purchase a can of bear spray, about as soon as i deplane. Mainly it’s going to be my one and only “always” gun for two weeks. This gun is most likely something I already own, though I do have one acquisition possibility under consideration...
The three in my armory that I am contemplating are:

1. S&w 65 .357 mag. 3”, loaded with a good 180gr. hard cast flat nose bullet; like a Buffalo Bore or a Double Tap. Have had this gun for a while, and shoot it well, though I have yet to shoot any of the B.B. hard cast or similar stuff through it (I will before I go, though, if it’s the one I choose). I Strap it on for excursions into my native Michigan woods with complete confidence; but was on vacation out west (Montana, Dakotas, et. al.) some years ago, and saw critters there that made me feel I didn't have enough gun; Alaska is that more so, I believe.

2. Ruger GP-100 .44 Special, loaded with Buffalo Bore 255gr. HCFN, which should be at about 950-975 FPS, out of it’s 3” tube. 5 shots of bigger but slower vs. 6 shots in option #1. The Ruger is a more recent acquisition than the Smith, but I’ve shot it enough, including with the B.B. stuff, to be confident it’s reliable & shootable. Wish it was a magnum though ...

3. Sig P229 .40, assuming it feeds reliably with B.B. or Double Tap 200gr. HCFPs. I’ll have to go out and shoot some if I decide this option is worth pursuing. The P229 has been my daily carry gun, in 357 sig, for years. I usually think “revolver” when I travel, because of simpler logistics and relatively fool-proof functionality, but the existence of the B.B. “Outdoorsman” and similar loads from other manufacturers got me contemplating the utility of my daily carry, albeit in different caliber and load, in this situation. 13 rounds in the gun instead of 5 or 6; can carry a second mag with 180gr. gold dots that can be swapped in for use in populated areas where human predators are the primary concern...seems appealing, but potentially underpowered in the back country.

4. @&$! it...get a .44 magnum! The S&W 69 2.75” is about the same size and weight as the GP-100, even fits in the same holster. I manage a gun store, so “management” would be fine with me trading in the GP-100 and a Glock 19 that I hardly ever shoot for the 69. I like the idea of a .44 magnum for this particular application, but if I do that I have a little over a month to test out a brand new gun and familiarize myself with it. Also, I like the GP-100, and the .44 Special handles anything in my home environs adequately, so I have some misgivings about trading it in anyway..

So what do you guys think? I initially figured I’d take the .44 Special, just because it throws the biggest, heaviest bullets of anything I currently own...but I need input on the viability/desirability of the other options I outlined above. And yes, I am way overthinking this.

Are you planning to be hiking or out and about away from town? If you're just visiting relatives, it probably doesn't matter. If you're concerned about bear, a .44 magnum would be a good choice, though I wouldn't be taking a 2 or 3" revolver. If the issue were concealing from your relatives (assuming they live in Alaska and don't understand the reason for carrying a firearm), leave the weapon in the car while you're with them. Or in your bags.

A 10mm with hard cast buffalo bore, or a .44 Ruger, or better...or sling a .45/70.

.44 can be run hot and will equal or exceed .44 magnum in the right firearm, but the utility is lost with too short a barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by PaPaP226:
Glock 20/10mm would be my choice. Alround good gun. Plenty of rds and stopping power. Its also very managable. You'll have very good factory ammo selections.

Ditto. Except the G29 with G20 spare mags. If I’m not mistaken Alaskan state troopers carry the G20.

G20 or 29 without a doubt.

If you’re going out in the woods a .44 magnum. I don’t see that you gain enough with a 10mm over .357 magnum besides capacity as the ballistics are similar.

I'd carry the 229, with the .357 Sig barrel if I had it, and the .40 if I did not. A mag of hollow point for in town, and a mag of FMJ for the woods.

I had a thread like this about a year ago, asking about a do it all town and woods gun. 3/4 flap who has probably the most experience on the board of carrying in the back country suggested my SigPro in 9mm. Had the most rounds, was most concealable when needed and was powerful enough. He had carried one in the past in the woods, and his son, who was working for (I think) the Forest Service carried one, generally working in the Rocky Mountain West.

I know it sounds counter intuitive, and the most common advice is a big revolver, but for what you are doing, and considering you can only bring one, that's the one I would take.

I have a 329PD that is perfect for such conditions in the field, it is very light and easy to carry. Recoil is stout, though tamed fairly well with the addition of Pachmayr Decelerator rubber grips.

For hiking, simply need a .22 and fellow hiker.

We’ll be in town a bit, but also have a number of day hikes and excursions planned. I am not visiting relatives in Alaska, but we’ll be spending some time with members of the wife’s family that are also making the trip. I prefer to carry concealed, never been comfortable with open carry. Hence my desire to stay with a mid-size gun.
The Glock 10mm was actually an option I had briefly considered, but I wasn’t sure about it’s suitability out the box to run the outdoorsman loads. Getting the gun is easy enough, but then if it requires an aftermarket barrel and RSA to shoot the heavy stuff, I’ve got run those down, and then get to the range for reliability testing and familiarization...seems like a lot to do in the five weeks I have before we go. That’s why I’m leaning toward taking something I’ve already got and I know works, or at most, going to the Smith 69/.44, which i can prove to my satisfaction with a couple of range trips.

quote:

Originally posted by kimber1911:
For hiking, simply need a .22 and fellow hiker.

Works great until you run across a pack of wolves. Might I suggest an AK-47, full auto?

Best sellers for us, for customers going up to Alaska to work or for recreation (hunt, fish):

Pump 12ga defensive shotguns, lots of slugs (typically lowest cost, so no surprise it's the most popular)
Ruger Alaskan 454 Casull, at times tough to keep 'em in stock
Ruger Alaskan 44 MAG
Mossberg 12ga Shockwave, Remington TAC-14
Scandium 44 MAG S&Ws
M629s, the shorter the barrel the more popular
4.2" Ruger Redhawk, though I just sold someone a 2.75" 44 MAG for the same use
Short barreled S&W X-frames, mostly 460s due to the choices of alt. calibers it allows
10mm pistols, primarily Glocks but the SIG P220 as well. A couple have gone with 1911s.
Lever action 45-70s, brush gun barrel lengths

A couple of guys I know have gone to using AR pistols, done with the shortest length builds they can do (ridiculously short barrels, folding buffer tubes) and chamberings for larger calibers than 5.56x45. How reliable these guns are I don't know, but a 50 Beowulf or 450 Bushmaster AR pistol does somehow sound kinda intriguing. But both guys who've gone down this route are using 300BLK uppers last I heard.

I realize that most if not all of this goes well beyond the scope that you're looking at, but the folks who buy (or build) these kinds of guns for their jaunt up to the 49th take their wilderness journeys quite seriously. None of them take much stock in bear spray, especially if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction.

Of the guns you have listed, I would go with the GP-100 44. Load it with Underwood ammo and get a good holster. When I carried a RedHawk, I used a Simply Rugged pancake holster and it actually concealed pretty well.
Loaded properly, the 44 should meet your needs.

Are you flying, or driving?

Ruger Alaskan: 454 Casull or 44 mag.

quote:

Scandium 44 MAG S&Ws

Jesus, is this so folks can show the bear or moose that they are tougher then the animal and run them off in fear?

Every time I have shot one of those I feel like I am giving my unborn grandchildren carpal tunnel syndrome.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:

quote:

Scandium 44 MAG S&Ws

Jesus, is this so folks can show the bear or moose that they are tougher then the animal and run them off in fear?

Every time I have shot one of those I feel like I am giving my unborn grandchildren carpal tunnel syndrome.

It's because they're a LOT easier to pack, especially when one is already dealing with a full pack.

If being charged by a bear, or if up a tree with a bear at the bottom, a little recoil will be the very last concern.

The amount of time spent packing it is going to be substantially more than the amount of time spent shooting it.

quote:

Originally posted by scoutrifleman:
I am going on a family vacation to Alaska this summer.....let’s not turn this into a “bear gun” thread. in my armory that I am contemplating:

1. S&w 65 .357 mag. 3”, loaded with a good 180gr. hard cast flat nose bullet; like a Buffalo Bore or a Double Tap. Have had this gun for a while, and shoot it well...

This counts for more than anything else I can think of.

quote:

4. @&$! it...get a .44 magnum! The S&W 69 2.75”... even fits in the same holster.

Sounds like this is the one you want to take with you. Heck, I'd use the Alaskan trip as an excuse to buy a Desert Eagle (if I didn't have one already) and fit it out with an extra barrel for the 44 Magnum & 50AE capability.

Chances are, the most menacing thing you will encounter on your trip is the in-laws.

I’d say if you want the .44 mag to own after this trip, get it. Great excuse for a new gun. Otherwise, any of the other choices will work with the .40 obviously being more for 2 legged predators and the .44spl for the bears. Just depends on which way you want to lean.

I live in a remote part of Alaska where not only are there lots of big bears but tons of people come out here to fish and hunt. The 10mm glocks seem to be very popular, they are very common out here as are 44magnuns with 4-5” barrels.

My brother is in Alaska and he carries a 10mm with Underwood or hardcast bullets for CCW and a Marlin 45/70 for a long gun.

Whatever you choose, be sure to test it with the exact ammo you decide to carry. I've had bullets that started to pull out of their casings from the recoil on my Ruger 454 Alaskan. Completely locked up the cylinder after the first 2 rounds.