The do it all self-defense pistol

any one of these will do for me...
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I run aftermarket covers on them most of the time, because of the dusty conditions on the ranch. And out here, I have time to pop them off anyway. But yeah, they blow off a bunch easier than open emitters. No covers on, when I go to town.......
 
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Tough question!

My all-time favorite handgun is the G17 Gen 4. I am convinced that Glock somehow used a model of my hand when they were developing the finger grooves for that model. It really is a perfect fit, although way too large for most carry duties I'd require. Helluva nightstand pistol, though.

In terms of Glocks, I really like the G48 M.O.S. It feels great in the hand, is easy to shoot well and conceals better than the G19. It also is great with a red dot. However, I'd probably end up picking my G43 just because of the ease of concealment. I can pretty much take it anywhere any time of year and not worry about it printing.

All this being said, I spend some 60-80 days every spring/summer/fall actively moving through the prime mountain Grizzly country of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho and I feel far more unsafe doing this than anything else. I have had two extremely close calls with mama Grizz and one very close call with a big boar and I can assure you that during all of these encounters there was no time at all when I would have felt adequately armed with any of the 9mm Glocks. At these distances, I would wish for a 5-shot semi-auto shotgun loaded with buckshot. But, alas, I cannot carry a long gun while doing what I do.

Because of the fear the grizzly bear has instilled in me, I now would (and do) choose the Smith & Wesson M&P 10MM M2.0 with 4" barrel as my only handgun if limited to just one. I carry it in a chest rig while hiking, bushwhacking and fishing and the thumb safety provides an extra level of protection, especially while bushwhacking. The gun fits me quite well and the slightly shorter barrel helps with all-day carry.

I'd only choose this big ol' gun because it is the most appropriate choice for the greatest threats I face. I'd pretty much not want to carry it for anything else.
I use the exact same set up, M&P 10, w/ the Kenai chest rig. Tough to beat.
 
SW .357 revolver K-Frame 3 inch barrel, Tritium front sight and low profile Hogue Bantam grips. Load it heavy with 180 Gn BB outdoorsman for the field. Or 125 Gn JHP .38+P for urban social work. Great trigger, concealable, simple and balances nicely.
 
What 9mm ammo is everyone ruining for do-all self defense?
I was wondering the same thing because they say that the 9 mm has gained grounds on the 40 s&w to where it is now equal or better then, but you really have to be living under a rock to believe that.
 
I was wondering the same thing because they say that the 9 mm has gained grounds on the 40 s&w to where it is now equal or better then, but you really have to be living under a rock to believe that.
Recoil, capacity, accuracy, size. Most handgun rounds perform similar enough anymore that caliber is no longer the determining factor for me. Some penetrate a hair more, expand a hair more etc. but shot placement and bullet selection trumps all.
 
I was wondering the same thing because they say that the 9 mm has gained grounds on the 40 s&w to where it is now equal or better then, but you really have to be living under a rock to believe that.
You’d have to be living under a rock to have not seen the data that shows there is no discernible difference between wound channels made by different handgun rounds.
 
You’d have to be living under a rock to have not seen the data that shows there is no discernible difference between wound channels made by different handgun rounds.
Nope. I have read the data. I choose not to believe everything I read or see or hear on you tube. I have seen plenty of wound channels to last me another lifetime. No thanks.
 
Federal HST
Speer Gold Dot
Hornady Critical Duty
If using a shorty barrel, critical defense
Yep, for sure. In my dry boxes which store my ammo supplies that I have saved since their birth for my 9's,40's and 45's, I have all of these flavors at my disposals.I tend to lean towards the Federals because they have beefed up the web in their case to address the issue of the Glock's smile,so to speak, however, I favor shooting the M&P's much more simply because I just seem to be more accurate with them,over the Glocks. With that said,with enough practice,you can become efficient with any weapon in your hand,no matter. I just picked up a Springfield Echelon,now there is one heck of a great feeling pistol with great ergonomics. Now if they would just make it in a 40 s&w, they would make this old paratrooper even happier.
 
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