CCW Revolver for Hiking

[Big Cholla]

I hunted and more importantly fished all over Alaska for several years. I tried every method of concealed carry while doing so possible. Why carry concealed? It was because of the constant rain and wet brush conditions playing havoc with my blued handguns. While hiking you are going to face the same conditions. And, wanting to stay concealed appeals to me also. BUT, there could be the requirement to make a quick presentation to either a four legged critter or a two legged bad guy. I fished among the grizzly population and found that I wanted my S&W M 29 protected from the wet conditions but still accessible. I settled on wearing an extra large light rain coat over everything else with the M 29 in a shoulder holster by Bianchi. It is spring reinforced around the cylinder and the grip was in a perfect position for drawing.

I suggest two options for the handgun of choice; the S&W M 640 Pro in .357 mag or the S&W M 66 in .357 mag with the 2.5" or the 3" barrel. Try them with the Bianchi X-15 Small holster under a extra large (for you) windbreaker. Keep the top of the windbreaker unzipped down to about heart level and the handgun will be available for quick presentation. Carry at least one H&K speed loader on your strong arm side in a pocket of the windbreaker. I would have at least one more speed loader in my backpack.

The handguns suggested are both of stainless steel. But most of the internal parts are not stainless. Under any sort of coat the handgun will be subject to moisture. So, when you are in camp, the grips should come off and a slight spritzer of lube oil should go into the handgun thru the gaps leading inside. Then wipe every thing off and put the grips back on and you are good to go. The Uncle Mike's Boot Grips are an excellent choice as they are easily removable and provide a great ergonomic grip (at least for me). When I fished Alaska, I carried the smallest can of WD-40 that I could find as every once in a while me and my M 29 would get soaked while doing some foolish thing or another. Spray the dunked gun inside and out with WD-40, wipe it off and take care of it as soon as possible back in camp or at home. My M 29 went swimming with me twice with no resulting rust or other complications.

There is one other possibility for a ccw gun while hiking; S&W made one with a titanium cylinder in 44 Special. It is the Model 296. I personally think it is a candidate for first prize in "The Most Awkward Looking Handgun" category. But, it is light, powerful, very moisture resistant, but it has a five shot capacity.

My first choice would be the M 640 Pro because of size, light weight, Tritium night sights, and is .357 Mag. Practice and you will be surprised at how fast it can be reloaded using speedloaders. IMHO, this is the ideal handgun for concealement and to be carried on high altitude mountain hiking.

My second choice would be the M 66 or the M 65 with a 3" barrel. A little heavier, but with six shots.

For a person that is a little bigger and heavier than usual, I would recommend the M 296. Why, because the recoil is going to be substantial when loaded with heavy grain weight self defense loads.

I recommend that you travel around the Denver area and go to every gun shop that has a range and rents handguns. Try everything out that you can find that comes close to your requirements. ........... Good luck. ............

 

[flagman1776]

I'd choose a 3" K frame... in my case, I'd bring out my 3" 66-2... my ex-GF declined to sell the 3" M13 back that I'd bought for her but it was a fine gun. But I know these are rare & there are other similar options. I wouldn't hesitate to carry a 4" or fixed sight if that's what you have.

 

[Pavia]

Short barreled 686 is a great choice. The Glock 29 10mm is also a fine choice. I have both and they are easy to carry with a good belt and holster. The recoil of the G29 is somewhat lighter than the snub 686 with full power 357 loads... more of a push like a 45.

For large bears, the best use of any pistol is to try to get the weapon in your hand and put it point blank in the mouth or between the eye and ear of the bear, then pull the trigger repeatedly. The bear taking you down and treating you like a rag doll is the probable situation you'll be in, if you are charged by a large bear and decide to use a pistol to end the attack. Hopefully you'll survive.

 

[Buckeye63]

I live in TN .... Black bears ... Dogyotes , coyotes and two legged predators... My Charter 44spl .. is agood choice for me .. But yesterday while stomping /romping in the woods .. I carried my Taurus PT145 45acp
stoked with 200gr LSWC .. 10+1

 

[Brian in Oregon]

My old, trusty Model 19 is on my hip in this pic. Have carried it hiking and hunting since the early 1980s whenever I've belt carried a handgun, save for a few times when some of my collector S&W's have gone afield. For pocket carry, I usually go with a Model 12.

I think one would be well served by a fixed sight Model 13 (blue) or a Model 65 (stainless), or adjustable sight Model 19 (blue) or 66 (stainless) with either a 3" or 4" barrel. One of the best features of a 357 Magnum revolver is the ability to use 38 Specials for practice. A revolver is not picky about bullet design or power level. This is one reason why I prefer a revolver in some areas. In the pic above, I'm in an area fairly active with rattlesnakes, so the first two charge holes have snake shot in them.

The 10mm auto packs a lot of power, but has a range of power levels that might need tuning via springs on an auto (as I did on my Colt Gold Cup 10mm). This is because 10mm loads range from 40 S&W levels to loads somewhere between the 357 and 41 Magnums. Glock makes 10mm handguns in various sizes, and for being in the woods after dark, night sights are a nice feature. Recoil is brisk but manageable. As with all guns, the smaller the Glock, the more recoil.

 

[one eye joe]

I WOULD GO WITH THE 4" MODEL 629 MOUNTAIN GUN IN .44 MAGNUM, FOR PROTECTION AGAINST THE LARGE AND DANGEROUS CARNIVORES, THAT YOU MAY RUN AFOUL OF IN COLORADO. ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU MUST ADDRESS IS THE ABILITY (OR LACK THEREOF) TO PUT REPEAT SHOTS RAPIDLY ON TARGET, OUT OF A WILDLY RECOILING, LIGHT WEIGHT, BIG BORE HANDGUN---WHEN TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. TO STOP THE CHARGE OR ATTACK OF A BIG CAT, OR A BIG BEAR, ARE TWO INSTANCES THAT COME TO MIND.......

THE MOUNTAIN GUN CAN EASILY BE CARRIED IN A SHOULDER HOLSTER FOR CONCEALABILITY, COMFORT, AND A GOOD LEVEL OF PROTECTION. CARRY A HEAVY HARD CAST BULLET, THAT CAN PENETRATE, AND SMASH BIG BONES, AND YOU SHOULD BE FINE......

 

[colkid]

I agree with one eye joe-
I carry a 4" 629, in a modern military belt and holster for the that type of pistol.
They have a bale lock and are very secure.
You can also used the standard Berreta model 92 magazine holder. Take out the plastic and you can put two speed loaders for the 629 in it.
In Colorado I want the .44 mag for Bear and Moose/Elk.

 

[one eye joe]

I agree with one eye joe-
I carry a 4" 629, in a modern military belt and holster for the that type of pistol.
They have a bale lock and are very secure.
You can also used the standard Berreta model 92 magazine holder. Take out the plastic and you can put two speed loaders for the 629 in it.
In Colorado I want the .44 mag for Bear and Moose/Elk.

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, colkid. BEING FROM NEW ENGLAND, I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THOSE HUGE MOOSE AND ELK......

 

[David LaPell]

The last revolver I had that I carried and concealed was my Ruger SP-101, I was surprised at how much I liked the gun and just how pleasant the gun shot. I don't have it now, but eventually when I can count enough pennies I plan on another .357 Magnum, maybe an SP-101 with a 4 inch barrel this time.

My main carry gun this year on the trail was my Beretta Nano because it was so concealable, I ran into many hikers this year while I was out with my son and none were aware of it (we have a lot of downstate hikers who you'll meet miles back on a trail in flip flops and yoga pants with no gear at all, not even so much as a compass). I sold the Beretta recently as it was replaced with what will most likely be my warm weather gun, my Makarov PM. I got this one for $350 and that's the price you can get some of them at very easily.



If you want something even easier to conceal, the Polish P64 in 9mm Makarov isn't bad and you can get them for under $300 all the time, $265 usually for a really nice one.

My other trail gun which no one ever seems to notice or bother with, is my Smith & Wesson Model 39. These are the best of the early Smith & Wessons semi autos, are easy to conceal and are in 9mm, not a bad gun for being out and about. After a while you never even know its there.

 

[Arik]

There is nothing around here that would be considered "woods" what we do have nothing more than a stick or a rubber band is needed. Just in case a squirrel or rabbit decide to make you it's lunch.
However, when I do go camping in the mountains there are black bears and mountain lions. I'll have a handgun as backup but my main self defense is a rifle

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[digiroc]

Woods Carry Gun ...

Black Bears are the most dangerous 4 legged critter possible to confront while hunting/hiking in the woods around here.

Biggest concern is for 2 legged critters. Which are likely to be armed and dangerous during hunting season.

This is my solution: the FastFire3 on it aids in long shoots (I hunt deer with it) and the Crimson Trace laser grips are a great aid for fast up close aiming ...

This Safariland cordura holster rides it high at between 3 & 4 o'clock and tucked in tightly. Light cover garment or even a loose sweatshirt hides it well.

If I carry the .44 on my 1.75" Tactical belt I'll usually carry my 340 Pro Series .357 on the weak side to balance the load, (or in case the critter is on me before I can unload the .44!)

digiroc

 

[Mister X]

I don't spend much time thinking about this subject, but if I was considering going someplace where I thought a bear(or any large four legged predator) attack was relatively likely, I would probably reconsider my plans.

I like Massad Ayoobs perspective... "To be brutally frank, I do not f*** with bears...bears do not f*** with me...this has worked out well for me AND the bears and I see no reason to change the paradigm. "

A quote from another forum that makes a lot of sense...

"Seems every time someone mentions backpacking or heading into any woods for whatever reason the advice handgun wise is always a single action 454 or 44 magnum, or double action 44 mag or 45 colt. The prime reason being bears, cougars, wolves rabid wombats etc... Now of course I'm not saying animals don't attack, they do, but it's very, very rare and not always but often preceded by a great amount of stupidity on the victims part before an attack occurs anyway.

Just some thoughts:

Meth labs are being pushed deeper and deeper into the wilderness by law enforcement. Methamphetamine makes users very paranoid and dangerous. Some big cooks use a number of armed addicts to circle the parameter of the cook for protection....

With the border crackdown since 9-11 marijuana growing patches in our area seem to be increasing. Since the property forfiture laws went into effect growing in national parks or state land seems to be in vouge. Booby trapping the area around grows is still common. When your laying wounded from their little "shotshell" landmines as they come to harvest, calling 911 will likely not be on thier minds.

Anybody think Ted Kazinski (sp?) was the only paranoid schizophrenic hiding out in the woods. Even in my small town there is a rather odd fellow who would head out into the woods with a rifle when "they" were after him. After a 2 month stay at a psychiatric hospital that surely "cured" him he's back out and off his meds again..

Remember Platt and Mattix from the famouse FBI shootout? They got one of their guns and car from a fellow out in the middle of nowhere target shooting. They shot him and left him the swamp for dead.

Could not find the numbers real quick but do a search on "murder and national park" and I bet it makes bear maulings look as common as Rosy O'Donnell for NRA president nominations.

Considering the possible increased range of an encounter, no 911 for a considerable time if trouble occurs, possible multiple attackers in a drug lab sitaution, and in a scenario that "retreat" could actually turn in into nothing more than an extended running gun battle I'll take my G-17 with three highcaps over a 5 shot single action anyday."

This article makes some good points as well.... How to Pick the Right Sidearm for Backup Bear Protection | Outdoor Life

Other than that, if you insist on a light revolver, I would look a 640 coupled with some bear spray as an option. Since an enjoyable hiking experience is the goal, carrying a long gun or heavy magnum revolver would largely spoil it. And I'm assuming this is a "just in case" situation. I've seen a lot of backwoods types say animal attacks are often muzzle contact affairs due to their quickness and stealth. An enclosed hammer revolver would retain operability in such cases. At farther distances with a possibly charging animal, I myself would want more capacity.

 

[digiroc]

All Good Points Mister X ...

In the case of a mauling by either a 4 legged or 2 legged critter the strong hand (right) would instinctively cover my face and head, leaving the weak hand (left) for the .357 640 Pro, using it for contact shots on the attacker.

Contact shooting with your G17 may not work out so well, other than to press check for a round in the chamber.

If I have my druthers it would be an aimed shot, whether laser or red dot with a full power .44 Mag and four follow-ups if that doesn't settle things down.

Of course a 12 ga. slug gun at the ready would be best of all, short of a .308 battle rifle. But we are talking about a walk in the woods here, not an assault on a meth lab.

digiroc

 

[missouri dave]

Smith 296 maybe?

 

[Pavia]

What would be a good firearm choice for Great Whites while surfing?

 

[drive_sideways]

Why would u wanna conceal carry when hiking?
Open carry when hiking isnt frowned upon as far as i know.


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[Groo01]

Groo here
For a 357 , start with a 3in.
The round starts to get going at that length.
5 shot frames are thin and hide easily but to shoot well require
the grip to fit. I use Packmayr thin Decelerators [ not the compac]
A 3in 6 shot would be next.
A thought , an S&W 325 is light , but large.
easy to hold, and with moon clips for 45acp, fast to reload.
The gun can shoot 185gr target loads up to 45 super or hot 45AR.

 

[Doc TH]

hiking revolver

Well. you've gotten many replies. To simplify, I would agree with 2 responders - A model 640 is sufficiently heavy to allow controlled 357 mag shooting. I can do it without discomfort and I'm sure I'm older than you. Otherwise I'd take my Model 13 3 inch. Now, these are hard to find today, but any 3 inch K frame would do as well.

 

[dwever]

I'm in the woods almost every morning at sunrise to give Moses some off-leash exercise. I've primarily used my .357 8 Shot w/2.625"barrel (37 oz.), and this year I've enjoyed adding a 5" Model 327 Eight Shot as an option (41 oz. w/optic and rail).

Either way, for woods I will not carry a J Frame airweight for which there is too dramatic a compromise in recoil, and the extra capacity of 8 in the 627 and 327 are nice. My outdoor ammo is moon clip loaded 600 ft. lbs Federal Premium Barnes in the 5", and 400 ft. lbs. Buffalo Bore Short Barrel for the snub.

While [open carry in Georgia] completely legal you become "that guy with a gun". A lot people assume you are either making an in your face political statement or are up to no good and treat you accordingly. These people are in the minority but I see no reason to make others uncomfortable, even if they have no reason to be. Since the biggest threat here would be criminals all the usual arguments in favor of CC still apply while hiking.

Exactly. Here in Alabama open carry is legal, but there are still calls to LE because people are uncomfortable with the guy in Starbucks with his Glock and two reloads (when carrying open, they also seem to gravitate towards a visible tactical fixed knife, black boots, green pants and black shirt, it's uncanny). And I understand the customers' nerves. Heck, I find myself compulsively tracking any open carry person the whole time I'm in a store unless it's the old timer with his J frame. In the woods less of an issue, and as Dave noted, during hunting season no one cares.

This morning's 'super moon' from the iPhone.

 

[Dave Lively]

Why would u wanna conceal carry when hiking?
Open carry when hiking isnt frowned upon as far as i know.

It is in Georgia. While completely legal you become "that guy with a gun". A lot people assume you are either making an in your face political statement or are up to no good and treat you accordingly. These people are in the minority but I see no reason to make others uncomfortable, even if they have no reason to be. Since the biggest threat here would be criminals all the usual arguments in favor of CC still apply while hiking.

This is less true during hunting season and I get the impression that in states where grizzlies are a real threat open carry is common enough that nobody pays much attention to it. But around here the cons of open carry outweigh the pluses, at least for me. I am less concerned about printing while hiking though.