Moving to alaska, keep my .40 or buy a .44?

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bnolsen said:
Okay....Alaska has cold weather. Going outdoors you might get cold. A large revolver isn't going to be carried on body. Cylinder lock is a serious concern at even not very low temps. The glock 20 will to bang no matter what the weather. Cylinder lock means you don't even get one shot. glocks have become more popular among alaskans for real reasons, not because of spray and pray.
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Uh, what? Cylinder lock???

As I've posted numerous times, a loaded G20 weighs the same as a 629MG and either carry just as easily.
 
I would absolutely carry a .44 Mag. A 12 ga with slugs is best. Bears incredibly quiet and fast. If charged you have 1 to 4 seconds to react.
My wife and I were in Denali Nat Park in july hiking l looked right and saw a moose cow, my Wife looked left and said "look a baby!" Yeah we were between them! We froze, the cow lowered her head. We slowly backed down the trail to safety.
Bears are not your only concern! In town carry a CCW, hiking a heavy handgun, in the bush a 12 ga or a .45-70 and above (.375 H&H). Bear bells and spray.
 
tactikel said:
I would absolutely carry a .44 Mag. A 12 ga with slugs is best. Bears incredibly quiet and fast. If charged you have 1 to 4 seconds to react.
My wife and I were in Denali Nat Park in july hiking l looked right and saw a moose cow, my Wife looked left and said "look a baby!" Yeah we were between them! We froze, the cow lowered her head. We slowly backed down the trail to safety.
Bears are not your only concern! In town carry a CCW, hiking a heavy handgun, in the bush a 12 ga or a .45-70 and above (.375 H&H). Bear bells and spray.
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Yep, planning to pick up one of these in .375 H&H to go with the .44 mag. I made a post about it in the rifle forum. I already have a spare vortex 1-4x scope to mount on it. I think I will be set with this and a S&W 629, keeping my 9mm M&P 2.0 for in-town carry and 10.5" Suppressed AR for home protection.

kimber-rifle-takleetna-1.png
 
Check out "alaskaslist" online when you get there for all your classified ads.

I'd keep the .40. most people don't pack heat around Anchorage but for 2 leggeds.
 
CraigC said:
I love it when people who don't hunt with handguns preach to those who do about what is or isn't appropriate for what critter. With that said, I'm done here.
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I said I'd take a Glock 20 - never said it was best for everyone.
I'm trying to post while being killed by a hypothetical bear, sucker took 3 rounds 10mm .... aah!!!! should have listened to Cra...
Max!!! Good boy Max!!!! My English Bulldog grabbed ahold of bear by the jewels and saved me:neener:
Brave Bulldog
wolf.jpg


"People who don't hunt with handguns" - Not usually, two dozen bowkills, but I do have this deer killed by a 10mm...
I know, its not a bear. 10mm don't work on bears in this thread. :p
Delta Deer pic1.jpg
Delta Deer pic2.jpg
 
paulsj said:
Luckily S&W makes .500 with muzzle break on X-frame.
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To be quite honest, I had a 3" 500mag with a muzzle break and it was very soft shooting all things considered. Easier than a 629 I thought. I was pushing 560gr WFNGC's over a large load of Unique and thought it was a great handgun.
Ce0Qnqi
 
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Were it me? I'd probably still tote the .44 mag I carried when I lived in AK.

Though in the Ancorage area the .40 will probably be fine, I'd be more worried about 2 legged threats in the city; though when I was up there some tourists did get mauled a few times on the trails near Anchorage, black bears if I recall correctly.

I liked the bigger gun, and a shotgun in the boat, when I was fishing. But we had some big coastal browns and filleted our salmon on the bank. Never had any real run ins except while hunting.

Frankly I was always more worried about startling moose.
 
Glock 40 10mm if you are a Semi Auto Guy.

But my real preference is a .454 Casull Ruger Super Redhawk Revolver if you can handle the recoil.

Actually my real preference is a .450 Marlin Lever Action Rifle.
 
bnolsen said:
Okay....Alaska has cold weather. Going outdoors you might get cold. A large revolver isn't going to be carried on body. Cylinder lock is a serious concern at even not very low temps. The glock 20 will to bang no matter what the weather. Cylinder lock means you don't even get one shot. glocks have become more popular among alaskans for real reasons, not because of spray and pray.
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Um. If it's cold enough to lock up your revolver (and somehow not freeze up an autoloader?) The bears you are worried about are gonna be hybernating.

I knew a few guys who hip holstered revolvers, usually 22 or 17 in the winter to kill critters while trapping, never heard of one locking up even in sub -40 degree weather. I had my kimber 1911 out on the tundra a few times, R1 too on a belt under my jacket in sub -40 weather, they shot fine when I used em.

Mostly during the winter i had my Sig 220 in a shoulder rig during the winter, no fear of bears but rabid fox and maybe a wolf. 2 legged threats were most of my winter concerns.

Edit: I was only in western AK for 4 years. Zero guides or locals I knew used Glocks, or any 10mm, for their Bear guns. 100% carried heavy caliber magnum revolvers. Plus a shotgun or magnum rifle.
 
I spent 2 years in Southeast and was out and about hiking quite a bit and I carried a 1911 45. Brown bears weren't an issue there and I was more concerned about 2 legged brain dead paint huffers. Friends who went into bear areas almost all took short barrel 12ga with slugs as standard equipment.
 
I carry a 4" Smith 29 with 310 SKS slugs and if I feel the need for more it's a SRH 5.5" barrel in 480 with 410 WFN. Handgun will be with you, a shotgun you will set down or leave in the boat or truck.
 
Knew a guy that lived in AK, said the gun shops made a mint selling the same guns over and over. Said, everyone in the lower 48 thinks they need a 44/454 and then find out they don't sell it back to the store at a fraction of the cost. Just what I was told.
 
1970s Eastern NC: Feral dogs is what put a 38 spc m60 on my hip when I was solo cruising timber. First round was snake shot, last 4 were HPs for all others.
Today it would be my 357 SP101. I’ve got a couple of 44 mag revolvers, but nothing compact——yet!
 
george29 said:
Knew a guy that lived in AK, said the gun shops made a mint selling the same guns over and over. Said, everyone in the lower 48 thinks they need a 44/454 and then find out they don't sell it back to the store at a fraction of the cost. Just what I was told.
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More like they find out it actually takes effort and dedication to get good with a heavy sixgun. They go to something lighter like a Glock, not because it's better but because it's easier.
 
CraigC said:
More like they find out it actually takes effort and dedication to get good with a heavy sixgun. They go to something lighter like a Glock, not because it's better but because it's easier.
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Truer words were never said, sir. I've had my Redhawk 16 months now, and have shot 3k + rounds though it. I've finally broke down and paid for some revolver-specific training. I'm a long way from mastery, and I shoot twice a week every week.
 
george29 said:
Knew a guy that lived in AK, said the gun shops made a mint selling the same guns over and over. Said, everyone in the lower 48 thinks they need a 44/454 and then find out they don't sell it back to the store at a fraction of the cost. Just what I was told.
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I agree with CraigC's argument as to why these guns are sold/resold, but I certainly believe the story. We use alaskalist up here for an online gun marketplace (Craigslist and facebook prohibit gun sales.), and at almost any given time, there are numerous 44 mag revolvers for sale. As of five minutes ago there are fifteen 44 magnum and eleven 454 Casull revolvers for sale online in Alaska, most in the Anchorage/South Central AK area. I was just in a LGS yesterday, and they had 3-4 of them. The following link is a rather typical sale ad and price.

https://alaskaslist.com/-3/posts/9_General/63_Guns_Hunting/526818_Ruger_Redhawk_44_Mag_.html
 
ArchAngelCD said:
Not a good idea to carry an obscure cartridge in Alaska. Ammo costs and availability is a problem. Maybe if he reloads but still, brass would probably be a problem anyway.

Is it for sure without a doubt reliable? It better be or it's useless.
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I've never heard of that caliber. Great Northern Guns or Alaska Ammo could special order (i.e. $$$$$$$) if it's still produced somewhere. There are a LOT, and I mean a LOT of reloaders up here. I suspect it has to do with availability and cost of ammo (really, any hazmat goods), so we have a few shops who stock a good seletion of components. (Until a Democrat gets elected to the White House, then it all seems to magically disappear somehow.)
 
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