A disturbance in the force... I need a new gun, but which? Help me please.

[Crowman]

I know about force imbalance...especially after we get over 30 something something. I also live and prowl around the woods all year long. Have you considered a holster change to get the weight off your hip? I purchased a Diamond D Guides Choice chest rig with two reload ammo slides, one for 357 magnum and the other for 44 magnum. The chest holster will fit either my 357 magnum GP100 Match Champion or my 44 magnum S&W model 69. I just change the ammo reload slide depending on the gun. This rig distributes the weight evenly across my chest and off my hip. They are expensive, but for me, worth it. A benefit is that the gun is easier to draw from a sitting position, and does not interfere with wearing a pack or a musette bag.

 

[Blacksmoke]

Long gun is always more effective. The problem is it may be set down in order to work just when it is needed. Sidearm is always with you. Can you wear a gun belt with a holster which can be slid around to the left side periodically? Or wear a cross draw left holster in addition to the right side holster and rotate which side the piece is on? Seems cumbersome though.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Excellent thread. I can only add that as a geologist, when I am in the field on my own, i carry a 38/44 Heavy Duty 5" and can relate to the weight on the hip issue. This drove me to get a Glock (I know you are excited about Glocks, I was not either) 20 in 10mm. I put a spare mag on the other hip and my rock hammer and that evened the load out a lot. I can carry the G20 in my surveyor's vest front pocket but I don't like to without a holster to cover the trigger.

My motivation was running into a big Puma that had an attitude and convinced me that a 38/44 was not the right choice.

So as much as I hate plastic, I bought a G20 and even sold it when I was not in the field as much. I bought it back when I started doing field trips again. 16 rounds of hot 10mm are comforting, and having the extra mag or two as back up is really nice.

 

[Combat Engineer]

You may want to consider a tactical leg holster, where the gun is held on the leg, above the knee.

Love the wilderness, usual carry is either a S&W 29 4" 44 Mag or a 1911 10mm. Both are heavy and when my back is misbehaving, I must go to a lighter carry, i.e. a S&W SW99 (16+1) 9mm Fiocchi 123 gr fmj which is pretty hot, 1300+ great penetrator but no longer available, have nos - Buffalo Bore makes a similar 124 gr round.

9mm is not my preferred round for wild predator defense, but my back dictates what I can carry on any given day.

 

[bluejeans]

combatE:
i have a leg holster i made for my 686 so i can give this a try... have my doubts about how well it will work but its always worth trying.

peter:
thanks for sharing about the glock 20. its good the hear from someone who's carried it in the field. i need to gather more info on 10mm balistics.

kentuky:
no, a long gun is not an option... a 454 or 500 S&W is big but have you thought about how the recoil or those will slow down followup shots? that is why i do not sonsider those or the 329pd to be realistic options for defence unless i was sure that either: 1. i would only need 1 shot. or 2. would never need to use magnum loads (but in that case why even bother with that big of gun?)

 

[PistolPete45]

The vests with a pistol holster on your chest and A FNX 45 . would me my solution 15 rounds of 45 per Mag 3 mags

 

[bluejeans]

my progress in the quest:

after much time researching and reading reviews online i posted wanted ads on various forums and gun classified looking for a S&W 327pd or a 386pd and as a short term solution decided to upgrade my ccw gun (M&P40c) for wolf duty by giving it a new trigger (apex tactical flat-faced trigger and forward set sear... makes a WORLD of difference shooting the gun) and two 15 round mags with xgrip extensions.

carrying 30 rounds is conforting but not exactly lighter. i made a hybrid holster set; kydex on the outside to reduce wear and leather against the body for comfort. pistol on the right and a mag/leatherman combo on the left. ballances the weight pretty well. i have been carrying this setup for almost two months now and am confirmed in my thinking that a semi-auto is not good for a woods gun in my case. pine needles too easily enter between the slide and frame. i'll try to get some pics of this setup as well as some evidence of what it looks like at by the end of the week.

after months of not turning up a 386 nor 327pd i came across a 327 performance center at a semi-local gun shop that htey hadn't been able to move for over 3 years. they offered it to me at cost so after a week of hming and hawing and more research i bit the bullet and bought it.

i had my doubts about the n-frame but after shooting it for a couple of days now... it is pure AWESOMENESS. i was nervous about recoil from a 21 oz. gun but i'd say it is actually more confortable than my k-frame 66 with full magnums... my theory is that its due to the higher axis of the bore above the grip causing the recoil to "roll" rather than punching straight back into the hand. titanium cylinder and barrel with moon clips for quick ejects/reloads... and the fixed sights are right on and surprisingly accurate even with only a 2" barrel.

now i just need to cook up a good holster for it. mulling over a few ideas for that...

if i ever go back to the M&P40 i'll be changing the caliber for .357sig. but couldn't justify the cost for just a short trial. i'm also still on the hunt for a 629 44mag for when i'm around grizzlies.

i'll be back with pics.

 

[susieqz]

you know, blue, you need to see a good orthopedist.
i know you say you can't wear a shoulder holster or tanker, but if the doc says that the only way to get rid of problems is to transfer the weight to your shoulders, you will find a way to do it.

 

[bluejeans]

the temporary fix and experimenting with holsters: i used a contour gauge i had from my lathe to make a wooden block of the same contour as my hip... i placed this wood block at the bottom of my press when moulding the kydex to make as comfortable of a fit as possible.





and the new, lighter toy (ahem, i mean 'tool'): can't wait to start a good holster for it.




fyi, the 327 came with some really nice wood grips that i took off so they wouldn't get all dinged up. i was disappointed to find that hogue (my favs) doesn't make rubber bantam grips for n-frames. measurements though showed that k-frame bantams have the right exterior curvature, just the semi-circular indentation at the top inside is 1/8" further forward in the N-frame... a brief trim with an x-acto knife does the trick.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Nice looking rig you got going on! The Hogue Bantam grips are great and light. Another grip option (but heavier) are the Pacmayr K frame grips. They also seem to do fine on the bigger S&W N's.

 

[HexHead]

In your situation my first choice would be the 329PD. Practice with .44 Specials, carry 185-200gr Magnums. If you're willing to give up one round, the new Model 69, L-frame .44 Mag carries very easily. It carries as easily as my Charter Bulldog did and sidetracked my plans to get a 329PD.

 

[orionengnr]

Why are there so many suggestions for a 10mm, 454 Casull and 44 Magnum? The OP is more concerned with having enough ammo to repel a Wolf-pack attack, not a Dinosaur.

I will state up-front that I am not a Glock fan. I have owned several, but do not own one currently.

However, for the stated use, the Glock 20 sounds like a very viable solution. The 10mm is more than suitable for a wolf-sized animal, and 15 rounds is a giant step up from whatever is available revolver-wise.

The 10mm is also viewed (generally) as suitable for bear. So again, the G-20 is a pretty good choice.

 

[susieqz]

well, blue, i know you insist on a belt rig, but i'm just breaking in a tanker holster from pacific canvas n leather.
it's really nice leather at a great price but it was stiff n creaky.i just wiped it down lightly with olive oil. now it's nice n supple, very comfy.
the pistol is held very securely but slips right out when i draw.
i love this holster because it holds the gun out of the way so i don't notice it, even when i'm exerting.

 

[bluejeans]

First 2 weeks out with the 327 pc with my first attempt at a slim profile holster.



Still happy with it and it carries nicely. Have some different holster ideas I want to try making though.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Is that wasabi on the cylinder?

 

[bluejeans]

Is that wasabi on the cylinder?

Its MeFe. leaves... I was trying to show what the gun looks like at the end of an average day.

 

[Manny]

That 327 looks like a superb choice to meet your needs! I've been tempted by them more than once, but a KLCR Ruger suffices and is more suitable for my needs.

 

[JDR]

If you can find either of these 10mm's, try a Glock 40 MOS Longslide 6" bbl. or a S&W 610 revolver 4" bbl, either of these would be ideal for what you want to use it for

 

[TwinReverb]

Ok, well if I can't say Glock....

A 10mm long-barrel semi-automatic pistol with high capacity that is made mostly of polymer.

So if not Glock, one like it

 

[edmo01]

Light weight?

Less than a pound and rated for 38 Special +P. Adjustable sights and with a 3" barrel it is easy to hit with.

Edmo

 

[Zaydok Allen]

He already bought the gun he wanted. See post 59.

 

[gun_with_a_view]

Old thread, but a good one. The OP has the wrong 327. For his application and the best power-to-weight ratio, he needs a 327 MAG revolver, four-inch barrel, stoked with Buffalo Bore 130 grain wadcutters or the equivalent.

A viable option is a 9mm semi-auto, and Speer Lawman roundnose ammo for it's consistency in ballistic performance.

What you need in the street is often not what you need in the woods for maximizing penetration, although these two picks come close to bridging that gap.

 

[Lord Teapot]

you need a glock model 30. available 28 round magazines, 28 rounds of .45acp deals with any pack of wolves. what's wrong with glocks, are they just too durable, reliable, and easy to maintain for some people?

 

[bluejeans]

I am enjoying the ongoing suggestions.
Gun-with-view: I would have loved the 4" PD model but searched for months and was unable to obtain one used and they are no longer in production.
Lord teapot and others:
The problems with any semi auto for my line of work is the slide to frame gap... As I believe I stated somewhere earlier, this gap gets crammed with leaves, sticks and pine needles not to mention dirt even using a good holster. I tried my m&p for 2 months out there and would routinely find pine needles in the fire control area under the slide when cleaning.
A 10mm glock is pretty ideal firepower wise... You are right. But the platform I deem to be ill suited to my line of work for the reasons stated... And it doeshj't solve the weight issue which is a large factor to me.

 

[Archie]

Yeah, I'm late to the party, but...

Okay, you have the sidearm you want.

If you have back problems from the weight around the waist, have you considered suspenders? Not gentleman's trouser suspenders, but the military style type which hook to a G. I. web belt.

I'm not sure if they are current, but can found in surplus stores/websites. One such is found here:

http://www.armysurpluswarehouse.com/gi-style-lc-1-y-field-suspender-od.html

There are other places as well. This was the first one I found doing a web search.

You seem to do some kydex or leather work; consider building a set which positively support your gun belt and spread the weight from your hips to your shoulders.