Looking for a "tackle box" gun. Recommendations?

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jl1966 writes:

Thanks for the good responses guys. They are some good ideas. I am still pretty stuck on the PT22, as it seems to fit my needs the best.
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Good choice. I like mine. Nifty little gun, and "handier" than the Phoenix I compared it to above.
 
What do you use your tackle box gun for?

Mine is for cotton mouths, it's a bond arms 45 LC with shot loads, 834 +\- #12 shot X 2.
 
jmorris said:
What do you use your tackle box gun for?

Mine is for cotton mouths, it's a bond arms 45 LC with shot loads, 834 +\- #12 shot X 2.
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Wow! A Bond Arms 45LC with #12 shot loads sounds like some serious cotton mouth medicine to me.:)
We don't have cotton mouths up here, I wouldn't know one if I saw one - which I don't care to ever do. We have rattlers, but they're not huge like Texas Diamondbacks, and they're usually not much of a problem if you just watch your step when you're creek fishin'. Besides, while they can swim they usually don't. So they're no problem at all if you're fishin' in a boat.
But to answer your question - I use my "tackle box gun" for fun. Seriously - it's just a plinker for when we're not on the water and the fish aren't biting. In the 35 or 40 years I've had it, I don't think I've ever killed anything with it. No, wait a minute, I do remember killing one rattler with it that was close to camp. But that's only because I happened to be wearing the gun at the time - I could have just as easily killed the rattler if I'd have taken the time to recover a shovel from the back of the truck.
 
I kayak and carry the same S&W 642 I carry around town. Drilled a hole in the stocks and put a loop of power pro line to attach to the kayak. If you don't reload, now would be a good time to start. 38 spl can be made into a light shot shell or gentle wadcutter.
 
I would probably go with a Taurus PT22 POLY or moving up a bit in price, a Beretta Model 21A Bobcat. A Ruger LCRx or SR22 would also do nicely.
 
From many years I had a Jennings .22 relegated to actual tackle box duty. It went bang every time I pulled the trigger. Although I ran into snakes a few times when I was bank fishing I never used it as they usually went in the opposite direction when they sensed I was around. Killed plenty of paper and cans with it though. After summer was over one year I took all the ammo out of it and left it in my tackle box w/o a magazine and didn't touch my fishing gear for a couple years. It was rusted up pretty good the next time I opened the box. Slip a Beretta 950 .25 in my pocket nowadays but I don't leave it in my tackle box.
 
I guess I should elaborate on my reasons for wanting this particular gun. I own a goodly number of guns, Glocks, several .357s, various Ruger .22 autos, and several .22 revolvers among others. Most of these guns are not readily concealable in a swimsuit or shorts pocket, being either too large or too heavy. I should also point out that I am kind of a stickler for complete concealment when carrying. If I can see your gun printing through your shirt, or it looks like you are carrying a brick in your pocket, you might as well be open carrying. Another consideration is that the storage compartments on a kayak are often very small. Too small to hold my Glock 27. So I must stow the gun in a less accessible place, and we all know that a .22 in your hand when you need it, beats a .45 in your bag. I own an LCP, but it is a blued gun, and not conducive to wet environments, and I am not a fan of .380s anyway. I would much prefer a .22 snub revolver, but small lightweight one are hard to find these days for what I consider an inexpensive price. The PT22 can be had for $200-$250, it comes in a stainless and polymer model, so good for wet environments. The tip up type action allows use of snake shot, CBs, shorts, and so forth. It is small and light, so it will not be easily noticed in a pocket. It is a .22, so it will be cheap to shoot a lot, which is most important for proficiency. The only thing I am running into is that, so far, I have not been able to find one in my area!! Everybody will order me one, but I would like to at least handle one before buying it! I will be doing a gun shop cruise today in search of one.
 
Not trying to be smug, but why not just use your edc gun?
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I do that too but by 380 shot shells only have around 300 #12 shot. So they are a bit less effective but it is a feather weight.
 
IMG_02231_zpsaxpkhout.jpg
 
Every time I've brought a gun on the river when not duck hunting I've regretted it.

A canoe paddle will take care of snakes at less danger to bystanders on "a crowded river".

If you bring a defensive gun I would keep it holstered on your body with lanyard if you like to clean guns or in a pelican if you don't.
 
I used to carry a J frame attached to a thong around my neck. This worked well when building duck blinds in Georgia Cyprus swamps.
If your in a Kayak and wearing a PFD, I doubt anyone could see what ever you were carrying underneath your shirt.
You could alway get your current pistols electroless nickle plated and be done with this issue.



jl1966 said:
I guess I should elaborate on my reasons for wanting this particular gun. I own a goodly number of guns, Glocks, several .357s, various Ruger .22 autos, and several .22 revolvers among others. Most of these guns are not readily concealable in a swimsuit or shorts pocket, being either too large or too heavy. I should also point out that I am kind of a stickler for complete concealment when carrying. If I can see your gun printing through your shirt, or it looks like you are carrying a brick in your pocket, you might as well be open carrying. Another consideration is that the storage compartments on a kayak are often very small. Too small to hold my Glock 27. So I must stow the gun in a less accessible place, and we all know that a .22 in your hand when you need it, beats a .45 in your bag. I own an LCP, but it is a blued gun, and not conducive to wet environments, and I am not a fan of .380s anyway. I would much prefer a .22 snub revolver, but small lightweight one are hard to find these days for what I consider an inexpensive price. The PT22 can be had for $200-$250, it comes in a stainless and polymer model, so good for wet environments. The tip up type action allows use of snake shot, CBs, shorts, and so forth. It is small and light, so it will not be easily noticed in a pocket. It is a .22, so it will be cheap to shoot a lot, which is most important for proficiency. The only thing I am running into is that, so far, I have not been able to find one in my area!! Everybody will order me one, but I would like to at least handle one before buying it! I will be doing a gun shop cruise today in search of one.
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stoky

I have the same gun only with a blued finish. Nifty little plinker like your's but I would never take this Model 34 anywhere near open water!

 
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I'm trying to remember the last time I was compelled to shoot a snake when fishing in the last 50 years (and we did lots of fishin' down South as my daddy was a die-hard bass fisherman) ... Oh, wait -- never.

As far as shooting a muskie (yeah, lotsa experience up north in Wisconsin too) -- we just kept a little shot-filled club to bop 'em in the head if they got unruly in the boat.

I think the .22 was mostly for plinking at targets of opportunity when the fish weren't biting ... And yeah, it was always a kit gun ...
 
Well, the last snake I killed while fishing, I grabbed it up and cut its head of with my knife. Shooting is easier. I was also fairly "compelled" to shoot a copperhead a few years ago that took a bite out of my finger.
 
Me personally, I would probably go on Armslist and find a cheap .22 revolver. If you don't mind me asking though, what is the purpose of killing cottonmouths? I've done a fair bit of kayak fishing in infested waters around here and I've never had one try to get in the boat with me or anything. They swim by, but the only time they get close is if I'm night fishing with a headlamp, then they come investigate and go away again after a few seconds. And if I steer towards them they get away from me and maintain a good distance.
 
My PT22 always shot well. I think it is the same design as the Beretta. The trigger is kind of stiff because it's DAO. The last time I shot it the little plastic buffer flew out of it. I intend to contact Taurus in the next week or two and have them send me one. Mine is metal, very attractive nickle with rosewood grips. I got it used for... I don't remember exactly, something like $125.

Here is another possibility: I got a used Kel-Tec P32 for $130-something. IIRC it is smaller and lighter than my PT22. Ammo would be more expensive for plinking, but it would kill a snake just as dead. It could also be useful for larger critters. They don't have real sights, but I have heard of people learning to shoot them well.
 
Hmm, a snake gun that isn't loud. The problem is that .22lr out of a short barrel isn't exactly quiet. As others have said, probably the Heritage RR with a long barrel is the best option, as .22 shorts fired out of it shouldn't be horribly noisy. It'll also be the most versatile gun you can get for not much money...if you get the magnum cylinder combo. The .22 magnum out of a long barrel should give you something close to .380 pocket pistol muzzle energies. These combos can still be bought new for way under $200 for the alloy frame version, even less if you get a blemished example priced accordingly.
 
I think a police trade in Glock compact or full-size would serve the roll pretty well if you want a centerfire.

For a rimfire a Ruger 22 (mag or LR) LCR, SR22, or MK serries would serve and hold up well too.
 
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