I have an AR15 but I dont have a clip for it. Gonna get me a rabid infested deer this year!!
Just curious. what type of hand gun would be the best to carry on a thruhike? I was leaning towards a glock, but they do not have safety's on them. A revolver then?
Ruger P45.Originally Posted by Aiwix
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...04&isFirearm=Y
Hiking poles would probably work...maybe...
They have ways that you can carry a concealed handgun and yet still have decent access to it. It would defeat the purpose to bury it in your pack in the event you needed quick access to it, wouldn't it?
You could go with a revolver--but make sure it has a cross bar saftey. Or, if you wanted a semi auto you could just load the clip, but not rack the slide....Only problem with that is, you have to take precious seconds to rack the slide on your gun in the event of an emergency, whereas with a revolver you could simply pull the trigger.
It boils down to whatever you're most comfortable with and whatever you personally feel the safest with using.
A Glock has three safeties, they are all automatic. As long as you obey rule three "Keep your finger off the GD trigger until you are looking for your front sight on your already ID'ed target", you'll be fine. If, you don't have the training/understanding/presence of mind to do that, you need training.
If I were to carry a pistol on a hike (I might and then again I might not, for a variety of reasons) this is what I'd carry:
http://www.kahr.com/PA-1_9mm_pm.html
I'd get it with tritium night sights, and I'd get the black diamond finish.
This gun will fit inside those Granite Gear belt pouches.
A mouse gun.
I hear FGNs talking about them all the time, so you should have no problem finding one.
can you have night sites put on a gun that doesn't come with them? I know that if you have a skilled machinist you can put on sites that are colored--can you do the same with night sites? That'd be really handy!
Just a quick reminder to folks thinking about carrying: You go thru all sorts of lands and jurisdictions on a thru-hike, never mind going thru 14 different States. There are National Parks; State Parks; National Forests; State Forests; State Game or Hunting Lands; Historical Parks; State or Federal Wilderness Areas; Wildlife Management areas; Preserves;Land Trusts; state "Recreation" areas; Town or County-owned land; privately owned land, and so on. All of these places have their own rules and laws regarding the possession of guns.
Unless you are a law enforcement officer on the Federal level, at some point you'll almost certainly be breaking the law if you decide to carry a firearm on an extended hike of the A.T.
what to carry, don't worry about the recall, its safe
....and yes I plan on "breaking the law"....
Yes, they come in green or yellow, Meprolight or Trijicon. It is always cheaper to buy the gun with them, not to mention the hassle.
I carry a glock 38 which is .45gap hold 8 rounds and is small enough to conceal and light.There is a smaller version too. Before I got this one I carried a Glock 22 .40 16 rounds kinda heavy for hiking both have lithium night sights.
I always carry one in the chamber FBI stats show a gunfight is over on average in less than 3 seconds which could save your life.
Get a holster made by Blackhawk or Fobus they are able to hold the gun secure at any angle and lock in so if you reach in you dont get a hold of the trigger first. They also are hardshell and made custom for any model not one size fits all.
"Sometimes you have to make a clean break from the past to make a new beginning"
Sorry Mine has Tridium night sights not lithium the brand is Tru dot and I sweat they glow for months
"Sometimes you have to make a clean break from the past to make a new beginning"
I have no argument with those who carry on a hike or anywhere. As long as they are trained and licensed if required by law. I personally carry a can of OC/CS. Safer for me and I feel I could put someone down with it and get away, etc. Just my personal preference. On a hike I find it is much lighter. I have tried hiking with a handgun many years ago. I found I prefer the gas. I can keep it real handy and easy to get to also.
"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go, and look behind the Ranges. Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you . . . Go!" (Rudyard Kipling)
From SunnyWalker, SOBO CDT hiker starting June 2014.
Please visit: SunnyWalker.Net
12 oz S&W 340PD -- scandium frame and titanium cylinder, 357 mag DAO. or save $200 bucks, add 1.3 oz, for the M&P 340, same with ss cylinder. Do a lockectomy.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...04&isFirearm=Y
Revolver for ease of maintenance, cleaning, fewer moving parts, less problems with long-term moisture/wet, etc.
A DAO revolver does not have a "safety" per se...pull the trigger, it goes bang.
All pistols, glocks included, have at least two safeties. First is between your ears. Second is a proper holster, that covers and protects the trigger...most modern hand guns will not/cannot "go off" unless the trigger is pulled.
and...
Safety Rule #5 "Keep your bugger hook off the bang switch."
Sunny Walker is right. If you don't have extensive handgun training, you could end up a menace to yourself and others on the trail. CS will work on dogs, weird hikers, bears anything you may come across.
Being a gun guy, and in light of my previous post, I will say that I very much agree with this. If I were to thru-hike, and not section hiking, definitely no gun due to weight. A week of an extra 12oz is far different than 4-5 months. One reason I got an airweight revolver is not necessarily for the trail, but security at rest stops, gas stations, etc to and from section hikes (3 to 10 hours one way for me typically, often at night). Many more BG's and nutjobs there than on the trail. I wouldn't be a responsible gun owner if I left it in the car at a trailhead parking lot...so it has to go with me on the trail.
OC is not bad for giving you a little 'get-away' time. Good to have some plan, though for getting farther away if something bad does happen...pepper spray will only incapacitate at best a few minutes....do you go up/down the trail (in a predictable direction to the BG and his buddies, or off-trail and out of sight? Then what do you do?) In some areas of the trail, I'm not sure I'd want to shoot a BG...half his family might be within earshot, and my luck he'd be the backwoods' Sheriff's brother in law. (Wasn't that a movie?)
Someone mentioned hiking staffs as self defense. It would truly take years to become proficient....but a few hours with someone well trained in martial arts could teach you a lot about how they could be used more effectively to stop a threat. Remember, the bad guy you have a run in with might be an ex-marine, or ex-police officer, and well-versed and trained in self-defense against such tactics. Most hand to hand fighting anyway goes to the ground...that's a whole different animal than poking or clubbing somebody with a stick. ("There's no such thing as a fair fight...")
None of the above would do a bit of good in some situations we've seen on/near the trail. I'm sure a good number of the trail assaults we've heard of had some forewarning. I know several times I've met up either with locals or "hikers" that didn't sit right with me, and moved on. Probably nothing to it, but I wasn't of the mindset to wait around and find out.
A good website to check out is www.nononsenseselfdefense.com Neither pro-gun or anti-gun, it has lots of info on not becoming a victim, with an emphasis on situational awareness as a prevention tool, and how self-esteem and physical appearance/presentation can avoid or deflect confrontations.
I'm not anti-gun. I'm just concerned about people taking a firearm on a trek like this without proper training. The best defense is awareness of your surroundings. This will allow you to avoid a lot of problems. I do agree it is better to carry the gun than leave it in your vehicle at the trailhead for 5-6 months. I haven't decided yet how I am going to handle the situation when I start my hike.
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