If you could have only one hand gun..

[His Divine Shadow]

I'm not sure quite what kind of situation people imagine where they can magdump and reload 15 rounds into a bear? If you see a bear at 50 yards then why open fire? Just make noise and it'll likely notice you and go away.

The kind of situation where you are likely to need a gun to defend against a bear is probably going to be one in which you have the chance to fire a few (hopefully aimed) shots at most. In that case I'd rather have a few solid .44mag 310gr oregon trail handfucker rounds specifically for these kinds of situations, over 15 rounds of 10mm.

Anyway this isn't about the optimal bear gun ayway but seems to be a general purpose handgun (for a beginner) that could also work for hobby shooting, in addition to pulling duty as a gun for camping with, and IMO that'd disqualifies anything 10mm anyway, too powerfull and expensive to shoot regularly. And 10mm coupled with a 1911 frame, that'll wear itself out real quick unless you know what you are doing..

OTOH one can get cheap and low recoil .44spls to shoot out of a 44mag revolver and you will wear out before the gun does. The ultimate defense is a short rifle or shotgun however. Specifically a Marlin Guide Gun would be my choice, though I have a short 1892 44mag carbine which with the aforementioned 310gr rounds would be even more effective than out of a revolver thanks to the longer barrel.



Also friends don't lets friends buy Para ord. Goddamned spotty quality control.

[Count Chocula]

Ya know, thinking about the OP, I'm not sure ammunition expense will be a significant factor. Why not go whole hog and run a big dog: the DE .50.

It is fun Fun FUN to shoot!

Okay, gunporn mode off. I must respectfully disagree with His Divine Shadow on the Taurus issue: I have had very good luck with both Tauruses? Tauri? Brazilian made Beretta 9mms I have owned. My first Taurus was a PT92C (Compact), with a short grip and 13 round magazine. Easy to conceal despite its relative girth, since it's the butt that usually prints against clothing. The grip angle is very close to a 1911s, so if the 1911 fits you and your hands are medium size or larger the Taurus will work. It feels just like a Beretta M-9, surprise surprise. It has a double or single action trigger, and a very neat frame-mounted ambidextrous decocker safety. You can carry it cocked and locked like a 1911, decock it by pushing down, or do the long S&W DA/SA stroke on it. I used mine in IDPA competitions for years, beating guys with racer 1911s that unfortunately jammed at the most inopportune times. Did I mention that it's all steel construction? No, I didn't, but it is. Mine had the black finish and walnut grips.

The only mechanical problem I had with it was the sear. After about 5,000 rounds, the gun started "doubling" on me, or firing two rounds with one trigger press. Fun, but not really safe. I sent it to Taurus in Miami and they replaced the sear. Total turnaround time from CA to FL was about 8 days, and NO COST FOR REPAIR! They have a hella warranty. Sadly, the 92C was stolen, but I replaced it with a PT99 full size and am still happy with it. So the 9mm may actually be a better choice than my initial recommendation of the Makarov, which is better for concealed carry but inferior in ergonomics, penetration and capacity.

[TheFeniX]

I'm with Hav on the USP personally. It's the only logical .45 these days vs. what else?

The XD .45 has a higher capacity and is a shitload cheaper (almost $300).

That fossil the M1911 and its many, many copies? The Colt was a nice pistol but let's face it, the design is very old.

So? The limiting factor on the 1911 is the magazine capacity which is an issue with the round, not the firearm. "Old design" really doesn't mean much when it comes to firearms. If it works, don't fuck with it.

OTOH one can get cheap and low recoil .44spls to shoot out of a 44mag revolver and you will wear out before the gun does.

You'll wear out faster anyway considering all the nose-bleeds you'll get when firing magnum rounds. My only problem with the .44 magnum is the weight of the gun. After a box of rounds, my arm is tired from holding it. Considering this weight, it's a pain to carry when hunting if you're also slinging a rifle. Solution: get a scope for it and hunt with a pistol (my Dad used to do this, he still has the second barrel with the scope... hilarious when I think about it).

[His Divine Shadow]

I was not talking about how the gun wears you out when shooting it, I was meaning you will wear out first, as in grow old and die, before the gun would wear out through usage.

[TheFeniX]

I was not talking about how the gun wears you out when shooting it, I was meaning you will wear out first, as in grow old and die, before the gun would wear out through usage.

I know, I was making a joke (which I did a poor job explaining) about how magnum revolvers seem designed to kill the shooter. I learned this the hard way after my dad gave me about 150 .44 Magnum reloads to dispose of. I dispose of rounds by firing them. After finishing them off, I got one of three nosebleeds I've had in my entire life and a horrible pressure headache to go with it. My right arm also felt like it was about to fall off, which had nothing to do with the recoil.

It can shoot the .38 special for home defense (I live in the city.) It can be concealed, not easily though. The downside is the 6 round capacity, and recoil when shooting the .357. Smith and Wesson has known high quality weapons, and the SSR model has nothing but good reviews.

I missed this in the OP: A .357 Magnum, provided you have at least a 5" barrel, really doesn't have the recoil people think it does. In fact, mine has about the same muzzle climb of my 1911 and much less than the Beretta 96FS (.40 cals are just hot loads) I used to have. Almost all of the recoil comes straight back at you, much like the .44 magnum which does not operate like it does in the Dirty Harry movies. With a proper grip, the .44 magnum has about the same muzzle climb. However, with wooden grips, and the way the recoil pushes back against the gun, the palm of your hand will take a bit of punishment. Videos showing shooters bashing themselves in the face with the gun are all a problem with grip and stance, not the firearm.

What these revolvers do have, like what I posted above, is a considerable amount of concussion which is directed directly behind them, unlike an automatic with a side ejection port. And since you're most likely shooting with your mouth shut and earmuffs on, there's really no where for the pressure to go. But it's really not a huge deal with the .357.

[Kanastrous]

H&K USP, .40 S&W. Fits my hand perfectly with a slip-on grip boot, good factory sights, easy maintenance, easy to control and not particularly tiring, to shoot, consistent and accurate. Not what you'd call very concealable, though: for CC a 1990s vintage Eibar 9mm Para Firestar - kind of a very-scaled-down 1911-type self-loader. Solid steel, heavy for its size, which contributes positively to control while shooting.