I've given a lot of thought to what would constitute the ideal trail gun - a gun that, as Thomas Jefferson put it, would be "the constant companion" of my walks. Here in Arizona, although my hunting days are pretty much over, I love to photograph the magnificent scenery of this state, following in the footsteps of master photographer Barry Goldwater, whose photographic records of Arizona in the 20th Century are outstanding. At any rate, I don't like to be unarmed when out and about and often alone.

The holster gun that I strap on should have some particular features, in my opinion.

1. It should be fairly powerful - enough to put down anything from rattlesnakes to bears, in a pinch.

2. As I advance in years, recoil is a factor. I want something that, even though powerful, will "push" my hand rather than "whack" it.

3. The sights should be adjustable to fit my loads, and easy to pick up against dirt and shrubbery.

4. It should be weather-resistant.

5. It should be capable of firing shot loads with a significant amount of shot.

6. The grip should be substantial, hand-fitting and smooth.

7. It should be easy to fire, with a slick double or single-action letoff.

8. It should be fairly lightweight - a weigh-off against its power.

9. No internal locks need apply. It will have only one action condition, and that will be ready to go.

10. And finally, it should be as reliable as sunup.

With these things in mind, I set out to craft my ideal trail gun, or as some would put it, the "perfect packin' pistol."

I started with a S&W Model 625-6 Mountain Gun. This was one of the last mountain guns sans internal lock and having the firing pin on the hammer. It's in stainless steel, of course, so it's weather resistant.

The choice of .45 Colt was easy. A 250-grain slug at about 1000 fps will take down just about anything, man or beast, if properly employed. The recoil is easy to manage. It can take great shot loads for the occasional rattlesnake.

I gave it some custom touches. First, a red-ramp front sight; it's easy to pick visually in a hurry. I dislike the tear-drop cylinder release that came with the gun; I think the older style gives better purchase, and the classic look suits my sense of esthetics. I like the more hand-filling square butt N-frames, so I "converted" this round-butt gun to the square style with a set of Ahrends retro targets. They fill my hand perfectly. The gun was placed in the capable hands of gunsmith Nelson Ford for a primo action job - it's now slick as snot.

Here's a shot of the resulting gun:



To my mind, this fills the bill for a perfect trail gun better than anything else I can envision. Your mileage may vary, but this one will be a keeper for me for a long time to come.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I don't think you could ask for better.

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Dick

GAME ON . . . .

I think you think purty good.

That should git'r did for many years.

Well, it sure does look nice. Good job.

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You need guns- buy more guns!

I recommend a Lobo flap holster for it.

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I'm with the banned ...

For your circumstances, this seems a sound choice. But the ammo is heavy to carry, so a backpacker might be better off with a .357 or 9mm. .38 loads could be used to take smaller animals for the pot. "Trail gun" is a subjective word, but I see it in Jeff Cooper's terms, for a hiker or backpacker.

Do you really get 1,000 FPS with that four-inch barrel? But even 850 FPS with a hard-cast Keith bullet should suffice at closer ranges. And you don't seem interested in shooting small game for camp meat, unlike Cooper's vision. (He once popped a big marmot with a .38 Super and said it was delicious. Many don't realize that his father was president of a wine and food society, and Jeff was something of an epicurean.)

I think of my M-60-4 as something of a trail gun, when compact size and adjustable sights are desired. And my M-66-3, with Pachmayr Presentation grips is a swell general use revolver. It's lighter on the trail than a heavier .357. It doesn't get fired enough with full Magnum loads for that to be a durability issue.

How's the muzzle blast from that .45 with hot loads? Can you get shot loads over the counter in .45 Colt?

I like your choice I really do. I had a 25-13 Mountain Gun and have thought about getting, another one, but right now my carry gun for each and every thing is my 27-2, but your gun is very sharp. (Would push like button but it is out of service right now).

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Vaya con Dios

My Ruger Blackhawks in .357 and .41 make good trail guns too.
The .357s have six and a half inch barrels and carry very well in an old
Hunter holster.

Sometimes carry one of the Rugers while trout fishing.
Occasionally in the fall as a backup to the shotgun while grouse hunting.

I like your choice as well. Very nice looking rig for the trail.
Who cares about the added weight of the ammo or frame? As i understand
it, you're looking for a defense gun, not a meat on the grill gun.
The .45 long would cover you there with some good handloads.
It would do fine unless i'm hiking in Brown Bear country alot then
i might opt for something a little bigger.


chuck

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They hold no Quarter

A 28-2 4 inch would be a good choice, not only for a trail gun, but an "every" gun. Add some grips and maybe a little smithing as wanted.

I'll take it!

How much is shipping?

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Still Running Against the Wind

Nicely done! It's not exactly what I would have picked but I think it fits your parameters very well. You followed your own logic, and got a beauty!

Perfect Packin' Pistol it is!

I do not disagree one bit with YOUR choice.

For me, it is the same gun in 44 Mag, just because I have been shooting the 44 Mag since 1970.

Awesome! you figured what you wanted and got it. It will serve you well. You are not "undergunned".

Best, Rick

You made good reasons for your choice. There are many good choices. I have a 25-5 in 4", cant say I have packed it much. Always plan to, but when I grab something I hesitate because I dont want to dirty up a $600 dollar gun and usualy grab my old m&p as I did today for a 5 hour quad ride in sand dunes etc. 44 special is my favorite caliber, but really it is just about the same as 45 colt.
Except for non existant bear around here, I belive I could make a case for a .32 H&R mag in a ruger single six I have. I have some of most good calibers, yet that old m&p go`s the most.

I like the old nickle 29-2 4" with Roper stocks. It will shoot .44 Russian, .44 Special, .44 Shot Shells and the .44 Mag. I travel in Grizz, Wolf and Lion country. The old .44 has collected rattlers, rabbits and grouse one elk a number of deer and antelope.

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Wyoming on The Bear River

Mine is pretty well whatever I happen to be carrying that day--aside from the EDC 442. I habitually grab the old work gun, a well worn Ruger Security Six, but the M60-4 is a great little piece. We get the occasional mountain lion in the foothills and will probably get more with all the deer cluttering up the area, so a bigger piece might be in order. I have a Ruger .45 Convertible that would up the ante for that.

I wonder if the father of the boy attacked by the lion down in the Big Bend area is shopping for a trail gun these days? He did OK considering, but there are better approaches...

Our requirements are slightly different in the NW. We have a real, although very slight, chance of a grizzly or PO'd moose.

Been charged by a bear, so I realize that getting shot #2 isn't likely unless you connect with shot #1. I also don't kill snakes==in a lifetime of looking for them, I've only ever had one accidentally come too close=others were on purpose. However, we have only one species and it sticks to low elevation and along the rivers. Arizona has 13 subspecies and black bears. Also, I grew up on single actions, so here's mine:



A Ruger birdshead converted to Bisley. Use only one load (very hot 45 Colt).

A few of the reasons for my choice:

I have a little different revolver for a trail gun than the members that live in the bear & moose country.
I agree that a revolver that's caliber starts with a "4" is best, but the OP's requirements are best met for me by a 337-1.



Maybe a little light on the power rating as it's a 38spl. but the weight and the simplicity are hard to beat.
I carry this in a zip pouch on the front of a day pack, ( overnite trips are a thing of the past ) and with a coupla' speedstrips of varied ammo I feel like it's enough for Indiana wildlife - two and four legged.

Now... in the spirit of full disclosure, I AM tryin' out a 296 in 44spl. for the walks where there ARE bigger animals on the trail!



So... I'm not totally against a little bigger trail gun to get that "4" in the bore!

GF

Muzzle blast, to me, is irrelevant in a defense situation. By the same token, a .452 250-gr. SWC at 1000 fps is not nearly as bad as a .44 mag or really heavy-loaded .45 Colts (usable only in the old Rugers). I use a suitable charge of Unique to get the bullet moving quicker than 2400 or H110, which would probably be better for longer barrels.

As far as weight is concerned, the Mountain Guns in .45 Colt are lighter than .357 or .44 mags with their standard barrels. I don't pack a box full of cartridges, just enough for emergencies.

And yes, commercial .45 Colt shot cartridges are available. Here's what I use; these throw out 1/3 oz. of #9 shot. I used to handload pistol shotshells using copper gas checks as under- and over-wads, but since I use them so rarely, it just makes sense to buy some now and then.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

John-

Many thanks. I haven't owned a .45 Colt in years, and it was a New Service made in the mid to late 1930's, with 5.5-inch bbl. It looked new!

It actually shot to the sights at 25 yards and was very accurate, on par with a S&W M-29 with six-inch bbl, which is saying something.

I used mainly Winchester and Remington 250-255 lead RN standard loads, and I guess even they'd penetrate until next payday and kill big stuff, according to Elmer Keith. Liked the Federal 225 grain lead SWC-HP when I found it. It left nice holes in the target, although I never shot anything alive with it. But I loaded it for home defense for a time.

I've never handled a Mountain gun, but had a M-1950 .45 Target, so can imagine what the weight would be like if it'd had a four-inch barrel. And I've handled M-1917 .45's.

I think your gun is a wise choice for your specified needs. But I wouldn't expect otherwise from you.

My comment about ammo weight was made in line with Cooper's parameters of a backpacker or hiker who might be on the trail for several weeks and need 50 or more rounds, just in case. Such people are pretty weight conscious.

In such a scenario, a 9mm has considerable advantages, and some are accurate enough to take snakes or small game easily. Cooper also pointed out the Colt Police Positive Special with four or five inch barrel, or the Cobra, for even less weight. They provided .38 Special power with less weight than even a K-frame M&P.

But I certainly appreciate that this isn't your need for a "trail gun."

I used to carry a speer shot capsal that I handloaded in my model 60. I hate snakes. For a number of years I loaded one straight up and the other 4 were normal defense loads. I quit that. Back in the 70s I got in a stupid bad event that could have got me killed or hurt. Some drunks T boned me leaveing a bar. A GF was driveing and they ran. I told her to catch up with them as I wanted the plate number. She did too good of a job, ran them to ground in a parking building and they deliberatly hit us a couple more times trying to smash their way out where she had them boxed up. I got out and ordered them out of their car. They locked themselves in and wouldnt come out. Stupidly, I hit the window with my model 60 to make a point. They both came out and I had a further altercation with one. I held them there and had the GF go look for the cavery. At the end of it all, I found the gun locked up with that shot capsal that had bounced forward into the barrel and the rear half still in the clyinder. This was 1973 los angeles, I wasnt arrested and it might have helped that the driver had warrents out. Both were hispanics, I dont know if they were illegals.
Anyway, be aware of that possibility when you carry shotloads.

Your choice should serve you well. If I didn't have a Blackhawk in .45 Colt, it would be a S&W model 25 in the same chambering. While not in bear territory I go with a S&W in .38 Special.

I use gas checks to make my shot shells - old school and they don't bind.

Here's my trail gun, similar thought pattern, but different execution.



I went with a 44 mag, 3" and RB.

I have to say that your 625 Mtn Gun is sweet and if things were different and I was making one up today, I'd be sorely tempted to go with a 45 colt.

As it stands, I am very pleased with my selection - so much so that I bought a 3" and a 4" 624 for much the same duties.

Going further, and for urban trails, I bought a 3" 65-5, but as it stands now there is no possibility here in California that I'd use it for anything other than range duties. Maybe that will change some day, I can always hope - and vote.

Yup, what John said. In case you haven't noticed, he's kinds smart on these things. I, however, like mine with Miculeks'. I've also been mulling over the front sight. I have a set of night sites for the gun, but trying to decide. I do like that front red ramp. I got a carry rig from a forum friend (Thanks Nedroe), and this is the way it lives life now.

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Go big or stay home

I am interested in seeing that most people posters have put a lot of thought into their choices.

The wife and I have done a lot of backpacking. We do not find the weight of the 44 Mountain gun, plus extra ammo to be an issue.
We both like having the power necessary to protect ourselves from any danger.

We have been danger close to Grizz on several occasions and have had two serious encounters with moose, and one with a black bear.

Also we have used a LOT of 44 Shotshells to take all manner of game for the pot. It will suprise you how well they kill small game and birds.

When you are on a 5 to 9 day backpack trip fresh killed grouse is a welcome addition to the freeze dried stuff for sure.

I have also carried a 1911 Light Weight Commander in 45 ACP on several backpacking trips, and the 45 ACP shot shells kill game just as good as the 44 Mags do.

When hunting in Texas durring smake season we carry 2 shotshells and the other 4 regular shells. We have never had them tie up the gun even when shooting full power ammo with the shotshells in the gun.

In bear areas we carry only regular ammo in the revolver, when we see grouse we then load the shotshells.

Hit the LIKE button.

Down here in south Mississippi, I suppose the biggest threat would be two legged vermin, followed by wild hogs. We do have black bears, but they have such an extremely low population down here that they are very scarce.

This model 58 is my pick...

This is my pick

I carry a S&W M329PD for those occasions mentioned. It does it all.

yashua