smith wesson actually makes a 'safety kit' for outdoorsmen that includes a 500 snubnose, if i recall correctly. its a wheelgun, but being as its bbr is short it should be concealed without much effort. it uses the .50 round which should stop anything short of a bear in a passenger train.

I may be mistaken...

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/w...07&isFirearm=Y

this should be what you need

also, .357 does necessarily indicate wheelgun. many autos are chambered in that round. 4" barrels are not that difficult to conceal but may be uncomfortable with many clothing options and for outdoor activities like hiking.

.45 shot from the range you would need to shoot to defend yourself against and imminent bear attack is going to penetrate plenty. .40 has higher velocity with roughly comperable balistics to the .45 if the 9mm isnt going to be enough for you.

Are you looking to conceal while hiking/camping only or is this gun going to do double duty for in the woods and on the street?

I'd get a RUger Alaskan revolver, if I were U. They make it in 3-4 different calibers. 44 Mag is what I'd get. The others will probably have very stout recoil.

Why are you trying to conceal your handgun from a bear? What kind of bear? People have killed bears with 44 mag rounds; even .357 magnum rounds. But then someone decided that only a 454 or 500 round will do.
It seems that insecurity knows no upper limits.

You might consider disguising a pump action 12 gauge as an umbrella. Surely the bear would not recognize that one until it was too late, and it had a couple of rifled slugs in it.

Originally Posted by Blanco720

also, .357 does necessarily indicate wheelgun. many autos are chambered in that round. 4" barrels are not that difficult to conceal but may be uncomfortable with many clothing options and for outdoor activities like hiking.

.45 shot from the range you would need to shoot to defend yourself against and imminent bear attack is going to penetrate plenty. .40 has higher velocity with roughly comperable balistics to the .45 if the 9mm isnt going to be enough for you.

There's a good bit of difference between a pistol chambered in 357 Sig and a 357 Mag revolver. The OP did say 357 mag. That indicates one handgun only. The grip on most 357 wheel guns are of a shape width(especially near the but) that would be a little harder to conceal. Not impossible but a little harder.

If you are after the Black Bear From Hell 10MM's are available in either Semi Auto or Revolver.

It it's worse than that 12 Guage with slugs is your best bet.

Concealed handgun and bear protection I think are two different issues. I don't think you will find many if any pistol that will do both real well. If I am looking for bear protection in the backwoods I want it to be readily available and very easy to sight with. I carried a 6in revolver in Alaska in a open holster. This wouldn't conceal well in most city areas. Then again I wouldn't want to take my compact 40sw for protection in bear country.

Hey Guys!

"Conceal it from the bear" LOL I am looking for a street carry that can protect me from a bear when I go camping/hiking. I know this is a tough one. So many people with so many different ideas on what will stop a bear. As you guys said "who decided only a 44 will work". Exactly! However being under powered would be a bad idea.

My wife, hailing from Japan is pretty opposed to guns to begin with. So this purchase is definitely going against her wishes. So one gun for multiple duty it has to be. With that said, Spokane is not a rough town by any means. I am not really to concerned about walking around downtown at 2am with my wife. But lately I have just had this strong gut feeling telling me I should have a gun around. Can anyone relate to that?

Maybe being able to conceal shouldn't be that much of a concern. I don't know. If you are carrying concealed and the gun becomes partially visible is that bad? Can they get you for intimidation or something?

This is an interesting read...
http://www.chuckhawks.com/protection_field.htm

A .357 is an adequate caliber for most black bear and a lot of brown. It starts getting mild when you get to larger bears. How serious are you at carrying? Go with a 2" Ruger SP101 if you will carry often Or a 4" GP 100 if occasional. Both are concealable, the smaller one is a bit easier to conceal.
Buy some 180 FP CoreBons for the bears and some standard 125-158 hollow points for the "social" carry.

Get some training in defensive shooting.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...campaign=10611

I looked around a little on the web this morning to see what is currently offered that I think would work for you. I have up with the Ruger GP-100 3" barrel .357 Magnum revolver. With a good 158 grain JHP round you should be able to fight off just about anything, and with a good holster it should not be too hard to conceal.

If you want adjustable sights (I personally prefer fixed sights on a carry gun), Smith & Wesson makes both a 2.5 and 3 inch model of the 686.

If you can only own one gun, a .357 Magnum revolver is a great choice anyway. You can shoot .38 Special rounds on the range and get some +P rounds for home defense. Then load it up with .357 Magnum rounds for the woods.

I really do not see a downside to this choice for you.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by TOF

If you are after the Black Bear From Hell 10MM's are available in either Semi Auto or Revolver.

It it's worse than that 12 Gauge with slugs is your best bet.

Glock 29 subcompact 10mm loaded with either hot hand loads or buffalo bore will handle a Black Bear. Any animal bigger than that I'd want a rifle

After more reading.... Holy cow! You wouldn't believe how many have posted this question on the net. So I was checking on an Alaskan forum (bears galore up there) and what was mentioned was that a .44 was a good choice with a .357mag as the bear (pun intended) minimum using a hardcast 200 grain round. So after more consideration about my needs I have decided that I probably won't carry around town that often since it is relatively safe here. Which means home protection/hiking protection occasional carry. So I think you guys hit the nail on the head. A 357 revolver in 4" is probably best. So the Ruger GP100 blued I like as well as the S&W 686. If I decide on a .44, which I doubt it will probably be the S&W 629 as it is similar in length and weight to the 686..... Thanks all! I appreciate everyone's advice!

Edit: Yeah I read a good article about 10mm.... Nice round with great ballistics. However I have fired Glocks and my hand is to small for the grips. Not really comfortable for me to shoot. To bad too because I like them. XD's would be my choice if I was to get a pistol.

Pics and range report are in order when you make that purchase.

Have fun and teach your wife to shoot the .38's Maybe that will help sway her mind.

You got it!

I was able to shoot a S&W .357 about 2 years ago. I believe it was the 686 in 4" maybe 6" I don't remember. What I do remember is that I was far more accurate than with the .45 Glock I was shooting the same day.

Off to Cabela's I go......

Originally Posted by DevilsJohnson

There's a good bit of difference between a pistol chambered in 357 Sig and a 357 Mag revolver. The OP did say 357 mag. That indicates one handgun only. The grip on most 357 wheel guns are of a shape width(especially near the but) that would be a little harder to conceal. Not impossible but a little harder.

you are absolutely correct, i missed the mag when i first read it. i stand corrected.

Originally Posted by biotech

Concealed handgun and bear protection I think are two different issues. I don't think you will find many if any pistol that will do both real well. If I am looking for bear protection in the backwoods I want it to be readily available and very easy to sight with. I carried a 6in revolver in Alaska in a open holster. This wouldn't conceal well in most city areas. Then again I wouldn't want to take my compact 40sw for protection in bear country.

I think bioteh is on to something here......I think you need two pistols. You are running in to compromises that aren't going to serve you in either situation. One hammer does not do all things when it comes to carpentry and it's the same with guns. Get yourself a city gun and a country gun and live longer! Dealing with an angry bear is about equal to dealing with a crazed PCP jacked idiot. They both keep coming till they run outa blood. A bear needs big deep holes in the right place to stop them.

You make a very good point. I can't argue it at all. So the .44 is still on the short list. These are what I am considering not it any particular order. Any other suggestions?

Ruger .357 GP100® GP-141 - 4", 6 shot
S&W .357 Mag Model 686 Plus Revolver - 4", 7-Shot
S&W .357 Mag Model 327PD - 4", 8 Shot
S&W .44 Mag Model 329PD - HIVIZ®, 6 shot
S&W .44 Mag Model 629 - 4"

Ruger Alaskan in .454 Casull

Wow that thing will kick over my head...lol

have u considered the 10mm?

Originally Posted by knoxrocks222

have u considered the 10mm?

Please read the thread before posting

smith wesson 'safety kit' - 500 magnum snubnose
or get the 460 magnum
or Ruger Alaskan 480 magnum
or any short barreled 44 magnum

the 460 and the 44 mag are the most usefull because you can shoot 45lc in the 460 and 44 specials in the 44 mag