I'll start by saying I have no illusions that 10mm is on par with magnum calibers. I don't hunt. I've never shot at a bear or any other 4 legged critters.
But... I carry a Glock on/off duty. I train with them, and compete with them. For the last 10 years I've been focused on Glocks. My concern is that under stress I want every advantage. I want that muscle memory to work for me, not against. I rarely ever shoot a revolver. When I do it's a j-frame and as different from a 460S&W as a Ferrari is from a Prius.
You can dismiss the fast follow-up shots and capacity, but in my view they are valid points in any situation. If all I have to protect myself from a charging animal is a handgun, I want the ability to put several quick shots on target. We know people hit less under life and death stress with 2 legged attackers, why would a moose or bear be any different? And revolvers by design flip more than semi-autos.
The path I'm starting down is a Glock 40 (6" 10mm) as a woods gun. I know from another forum that folks have had reliability issues with the G20 and have replaced it with 45 Super (still nowhere near a magnum wheel gun wrt power). This person does live and work in Alaska so I don't dismiss his viewpoints. To date all my camping/hiking has been along the eastern seaboard. Yes there are bears in NC, PA, VA, etc - but not like Alaska or the northwest. I am planning some hikes in The Bob and Alaska in the next couple years, which is what got me shopping for a "woods" gun.
I plan to start testing the Lehigh Defense Extreme Penetrator as an option. There's a video of it easily going through bulletproof glass and I'm hoping that what it lacks in energy it will make up for with penetration. Also, the Federal Trophy Bonded 180gr JSP has been out of stock for over a year everywhere.
Again - I'm not expecting any 10mm to equal a magnum. And I may end up with a revolver one day, but given my experience and training with Glocks I feel I have to give it a go. Besides, all handguns suck and if I'm using one its because the 12ga semi auto full of slugs or the 45-70 lever gun is out of reach. It also means I failed to make noise and stay aware of my surroundings.
On a side note - the Canadians have a group of game wardens I think (might have been a military unit) who are issued G20's for Polar Bear defense. Aren't Polar Bears more dangerous than Brown and Grizzly bears? I wonder if they have had any actual shootings.
Before you suggest that licensing, background checks, or other restrictions for the 2nd Amendment are reasonable... Apply those same ideas to the 1st and 4th Amendments. Then tell me how reasonable they are.
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