Sidearms & Scatterguns Please Help Me Decide

[johngfoster]

Please help me decide. I am looking at a semi-auto hand gun to carry with me while backpacking in bear country to back up my bear spray. Ergonomically, I just don't care for revolvers, so please don't advise getting a 44 Mag. revolver. I just don't like them and don't shoot them well. I much prefer a semi-auto hand gun. I have been considering a Colt Delta Elite, as well as a Glock 20, both in 10mm (which I understand is ballistically very close to a 41 Mag.)

I really like 1911s. They fit my hands well. I'm familiar with their manual of arms, and in a stressful situation I want something I'm familiar with. I have other 1911s as well, and my carry gun is a full-sized 1911 Springfield Loaded. However, I've never shot anything in 10mm before.

The Glock 20 is the other option I'm considering. Plusses are that it is reportedly uber-reliable (but I've never had reliability issues with any 1911 either), it has a higher capacity magazine (15 vs 8 rounds), and some folks say it can handle hotter loads. I've heard said that the Delta Elite can't really handle the heavier 220gr Buffalo Bore loads that I'm considering using. Plus, it's cheaper than the Delta Elite.

I realize there are folks in both camps of the Glock vs 1911 debate. I find myself sitting more in the 1911 camp myself, and leaning more towards the Delta Elite. But for something like this, I want to carefully examine all points before finalizing my decision. Is there anything I'm not considering that I should? Looking for wisdom here. Thanks.

 

[Akhunter907]

Where do you live? Are you talking grizzly/brown bears or black bears? No idea where the Mission is

If grizzly, only way to go is the 44mag or the 10mm IMO. Since you do not want a revolver, then glock 10mm would be MY choice

Black bear then maybe a 45acp, for that my choice would be the sig220

Unless you are confortable to carry a 1911 cocked and locked so to speak, then okay,,,, but if it were me, I'd want to be able to find a trigger and the gun go bang, so double action or a double-single

My bear carry is a 44mag taurus, really like it and it fits the above requirements. but I guess end of day something is better than nothing

 

[Jig Stick]

For grizzly country, if it must be an auto, I'd get a Glock 10mm. If you're in Alaska, I'd look at a 45.70 or 12g.

 

[Blackbrush]

Glock v 100 yr old tech? Glock.

 

[cal50]

Glock 10MM

 

[johngfoster]

Where do you live? Are you talking grizzly/brown bears or black bears? No idea where the Mission is

NW MT about 1:30 south of GNP. I shoot Glocks well enough, but being used to thumbing down the safety as I present the firearm, is a habit I'm developing. The long double-action first trigger pull gives me pause, as I find my finger tends to pull the pistol to the side as I pull the trigger. I know, I know--technique and training. But 10mm is expensive to train with. Am I just making excuses, or are there any valid points to my argument?

 

[Akhunter907]

Well, my pic again from those listed is a glock. Well, would I own one for bear defense?? No, and I carry a side arm into the woods a bunch, in at times serious bear country

Let me make my case for the revolver, first is flat ease of use. Put 5-6 in cylinder and you are done, period

No slide to rack, no safety, no chamber check

Shooting situation Just make it to the trigger. 5-6 rounds of 300 grains hard cast. In a real "event" you may fire 1-3.

Then. You can still pull a hammer and get a sweet single trigger...

For me bear defense starts with a 44. 300 grains at that but load down plink. But that's me. For feel I shoot autos too, no biggie running from one to the other. Glock is bigger than my 44 too. I carry my 5 shot small frame concealed just as easy as my sig

Just fwiw

 

[Akhunter907]

Dang. Can't stay away. My first line of defense is my rifle. Period. If I'm chasing moose with a rifle, that's my bear defense. Hand cannon is typically in camp. Successful, back to camp for pack frames and rifle and pistol. Wear the pistol while taking down a critter with rifle still nearby.

Fishing. Chest holster under waders all the time. I even keep it in my wader bag. Just part of the uniform

Hiking with wife or family, typically concealed, still the 44. On heavily used trails will sometimes opt for bear spray. But typically just put 44 in a pack instead of wearing it

How many times have I used it or staged it. Zero. Have had bear encounters. Most have been fishing, with these bears somewhat adjusted to humans. Others have been moose or caribou hunting. But kind of looking for a tag puncher anyway, have taken 4 that way but always with a rifle

Bottom line, carry something, know how to quickly engage with it, if that's a 1911 then great. If I find that fate I'd rather they find me with a firearm and two rounds spent and a dead bear nearby. than one fully loaded on my hip, and me and it buried under bear mound marinating.

 

[Blackbrush]

Lots of game officers carry Glock 20s too fwiw.

 

[Steyr 04]

I would go with the G20 it is less expensive than the Colt Delta. In my opinion the G20 lasts longer also. 10mm in a 1911 just beats the gun to hell causing it to break faster. A friend of mine is a 10mm fan boy he has one Delta and 2 G20's, the Delta just isn't holding up as well as the glock to the recoil of the 10mm round. He has had to replace trigger springs, and a guide rod spring in the Delta, not to mention it started out nice and tight and now it super loose and sloppy. His older Glock 20 has loosened up some but not bad at all. FWIW I am not a Glock fan boy in fact I love the 1911 and own a few of them, but if I wanted a 10mm I would choose the G20.

If I was going out to bear country with a real chance of getting eaten I would take my rifle or shotgun.

 

[79jeepcj5]

Revolvers go BANG when you pull the trigger. I've had the unfortunate experience of having a semiauto FTF at the most inopportune time. Luckily, I was able to recover and come out reasonably unscathed.
Let's just say you get surprised and a bear charges you from 20yds. Bears are fast. You're not gonna get your sidearm out and get off a shot (much less a well placed one) before he's on top of you. Flat on your back, with 400-800lbs of pissed off death incarnate on top of you, you stick that colt in his ribs and pull the trigger.....

Nothing

That's an out of battery experience. When space is limited and adrenaline is pumping, it's easy to jam a muzzle. It's happened to me. Thankfully it wasn't an 800lb bear and I was able to regroup. My advice is to overcome the revolver issue and get a DA big bore and shoot it. Repeatedly. You'll learn to love it.
By the way, I've got a cousin that's been a guide in grizzly country for 30 years, he carries a red hawk.

Regards,

Matt

 

[RedTape]

Glock 20. Love the 1911 but I prefer the Glock for the woods. If we're talking grizzly....IMO a handgun is next to useless anyway. Bring a charging, lightning fast grizzly down with one maybe two shots from a pistol? You're better off with the bear spray. G20 for everything else. 45-70 or 12 ga. for actual protection.

 

[Blackbrush]

Cylinder and exposed hammer are too easily mucked up in a hand to claw scrape IMO. Double action trigger harder to pull especially under duress. Almost half of the charges do not come as a surprise. They are encounters that go awry. I'd rather have a G20 with 15 rounds trained on the head of a bear than some 100+ year old technology 6 or 5 shot wheel gun. That's just me.

 

[Unknown]

Glock.

Magazine capacity
reliability
easier maintainence (corrosion resistance)
cheaper starting price
better parts availability for both aftermarket, and original equipment
more commonly available (I don't know if the Delta elite is still in production)
accepts heavier loads

Although I'm a genuine 1911 fanboy, some times Glocks are better..I would take a Glock 19 over a Colt 9mm in 1911.
However, for 45acp, I think my first choice would be 1911.

The 1911 has superior accuracy at greater distances than the Glock, due to the overtravel issue that Glock triggers have. However, in bear country, it is unlikely that you would be shooting at a bear at any distance where that superior accuracy would be a useful consideration.

 

[Shoottothrill]

I would go with the Glock 20 also, it will be so much easier to pull a plastic pistol out of your ass when a Grizzly gets done with you then a steel framed pistol.

 

[Kid maker]

I have seen first hand what 8 rounds of a .45 does to a charging bear, it pisses him off if you manage to hit him. Carry bear spray, it saved our asses. Lessor of the evils out here wont stand up to a 10 mm or .45. Or you can go the cheap route and toot your whistle while hiking, sounds like fun.