which to carry woods/camping/canoeing/hiking

[dabigguns357]

I put a S&W 629 4 inch barrel on lay-a-way,but i'll be on our camping trip before i get it paid off.My wife will stay behind at camp with my S&W 686 but i'll be out hiking and canoeing with my sons.Which would be a better choice for all around carrying while we are out.Mind you here in WV we don't see big bears or wild boar the size of tanks.This would be more for the the 2 legged kind of critters.I'm not worried about the weight and length,i just wanted some opinions as to what you would carry.

Here is my 2 choices i'de like to carry

1)Glock 21 sf plus extra mags
2)S&W 4506-1 plus extra mags

 

[briandg]

so you're looking at hellbillies, feral dog packs, snakes, maybe skunk raccoon or possum, or even a highly aggressive snapping turtle that decides to eat one of your feet? Take either one of them. You are basically asking for a service pistol, not an outdoors survival pistol.

 

[jhenry]

These days I generally carry either my Ruger Standard Model .22, or my Super Blackhawk. They are kind of at opposite ends of the spectrum though. What I don't have right now is a K Frame .357, so I am keeping my eyes peeled for a 4" blue Model 19. I have killed loads of small game with a 125 grain lead round nose over some Unique, and a 158 grain LSWC would but the hurt to anything else.

 

[Daryl]

Carry whichever one you shoot the best and are most comfortable with.

It's 6 one way, a half dozen the other.

I've carried everything from SA & DA revolvers to various semi-autos for the same purposes, and they've all served me well.

Daryl

 

[blume357]

I'd vote for the Glock .... only because I think it might

survive a dunking better than the Smith... but not really sure.

 

[wnycollector]

Before I picked up my 1st .357 DA revolver, I carried my SIG P220 as my woods gun and never felt under gunned. Since you will be more worried about 2 legged animals rather than 4 legged, the .45acp is a great choice. For me it would come down to which I shot better...that's the one that would be strapped on my hip if I were in your shoes!

 

[WvHiker]

I live in WV too, and often think about this. It seems to me that a four inch .357 would be ideal for the woods around here. 10mm would also be good. Having said that, I just carry a Glock 19 camping and hiking. I also worry more about two legged threats more than anything else when I'm in the woods, so take whichever gun you like better. Me, I'd take the Glock, because you never know when you're going in the water.

 

[AK103K]

I'd just keep things simple and carry what I normally carry.

I just put a lanyard on them when I'm on the water.

 

[Sevens]

Are you asking us to pick between two different .45's? This isn't even a caliber debate... this is kind of like asking the forum to decide which t-shirt you are going to wear this morning!

I'd say the G21 for sure, no contest. It's plastic and ugly and would only look better if dropped in the dirt, banged up against a tree branch or crapped on by a passing bird. It's a tool, made of plastic and black metal. You aren't going to a Texas BBQ, take the Glock.

 

[Crankylove]

It's plastic and ugly and would only look better if dropped in the dirt, banged up against a tree branch or crapped on by a passing bird

You read my mind

 

[dean1818]

For the rough, wet, and muddy, I would NEVER take out my "nice" pistol
(Especially with limited places to clean)

This IS actually a place for one of them ugly Hi Points

If it gets soaked....so what

 

[AK103K]

Whats a "nice" pistol?

Believe it or dont, but most guns are more robust than many seem to think, and a little dirt and water wont kill them.

 

[ftballgod]

glock 21 sf i have one. it was my 2nd handgun i ever bought. i love it. i have shot it, buddies and girlfriends have shot it. no problems. easy to load and shoot.

 

[.357SIG]

I have a 1006 and a Glock 20...pretty much the same guns on your list, but in 10mm. The S&W is much more fun to shoot, has lower recoil, and slightly longer barrel, giving it a little more velocity. I shoot the S&W more accurately at long range (25-50 yds). I carry the Glock in the woods because of mag. capacity. The gun is much more than just a tool to repel criminals; it can be used as a signaling device as well (if you fall down a nasty hillside). I want to have as many rounds as possible on hand without carrying 50 mags with me, because you never know what use you will find for it if an emergency comes up.

 

[tony pasley]

Most of the time I carry a 1911a1, but when I am going climbing, rafting, in the mountians of North Carolina I carry my Bulldog 44 spl that I have had since the 1970's.

 

[pythagorean]

If we go "camping" in the wilderness my choice is the SW 27-2, which would also be my choice if I was still working LE to this date.

 

[trlrnr]

I'm getting a new pistol for those same purposes. an alround "woods" gun. my pick is gonna be a glock 20 10mm. final decision came when a bear ran across the street from me walking my 6 mo son.

 

[Lucky 7]

I'm like Mr. Pasley, 1911 .45 (a Spinger Mil-Spec) in a Galco Paddle and two spare mags in a Bianchi carrier (and 2 more in a day pack) go with me hiking. Just got a GP100 3" that will be taking it's place in 3 weeks though.

Anyway, of your two choices, I'd go with the Smith. I had a 4506-1 with adjustable night nights that I foolishly sold off years ago and have hated myself for it. Load that bugger with some hot 185s and rest easy.

I can see the validity of picking a Glock though as weight is primo on humps.
Good luck with your choice and if you go with the Glock get a 3.5lbs trigger disconnect. It'll make it (the trigger) less like a Nerf gun.

Regards,
Lucky

 

[RETG]

I just returned from MT, WY and ID and carried a Beretta .40 at all times. Don't know what or who you will meet in the National Forests anymore.

But, when hiking in the woods, and at camp at night, I also had my Ruger Alaskan and a can of bear spray at all times.

Luckily, the only bears we seen were blacks, and they did not bother us, and we did not bother them.

 

[darko]

I recently took the family on a weekend trip to a friends ranch. I pondered which weapon to take as well. I ended up taking my Glock with the 357sig barrel (light and easy to carry, as opposed to my other options) but decided that in the future I would buy and take a Glock 20SF loaded up with some doubletap ammo. 16 rounds of hot 10mm should be good enough to stop most threats, be they four legged or otherwise. The Glock is also much lighter than most, if not all, of my revolvers.