looking into purchasing a handgun, looking for suggestions...

[Alchase]

I will not say anything bad about the 10mm, that is my favorite caliber. Having said that I would point out that the FBI found a majority of the 10mm handgun shooters were intimidated by the recoil, and that radically effected the followup shots put on target down range. The .40 cal is not quite but close to the 10mm in stopping power, and allot easier to shoot "for the average person" to put rounds down range on target. And the .40 is allot cheaper and more widely available ammo then the 10mm.
 
Still I love the 10mm.

[MikeWalking]

Recoil?      Practice, practice, practice...    I wonder how much shooting the average FBI Agent did prior to hire?

[addicted]

I will not say anything bad about the 10mm, that is my favorite caliber. Having said that I would point out that the FBI found a majority of the 10mm handgun shooters were intimidated by the recoil, and that radically effected the followup shots put on target down range. The .40 cal is not quite but close to the 10mm in stopping power, and allot easier to shoot "for the average person" to put rounds down range on target. And the .40 is allot cheaper and more widely available ammo then the 10mm.
 
Still I love the 10mm.

i wish they made a roni for the glock 10mm.... it's like a match made  in heaven.

[bradslam]

As someone who spent 14 years in Alaska and has been around hundreds of grizzlies and black bears, I completely agree with Crookedknife.  Pepper spray and a S&W J-frame .38 revolver.  Be realistic.  Most people can't shoot a handgun very well to begin with, let alone trying to hit a grapefruit-sized target that is coming at you at 30mph while bouncing up and down.  You are more likely to wound the bear and piss it off than anything else.  A can of pepper spray will be far more effective in deterring a bear attack.  Plus, it weighs next to nothing, meaning you will be more likely to carry it.  If you are carrying a weapon for bear protection it really should be a 12ga with slugs.  Now, for the .38 I mentioned.  I think it is much more likely that you would have a dangerous encounter with an animal of the two-legged variety than anything else.  Could be thieves at a trailhead or pot-growers on Forest Service land or even a morel picker that is overzealous in protecting his spot.  A nice lightweight revolver is something that you won't mind packing along and will be ultra-reliable.  It would also be effective against cougars, which I worry about way more than bears.

[TheHunt]

I have a 44 Mag and it gets heavy at the end of the day. 

I am actually looking for a Glock 21 which is a high cap 45. 

[CP]

I mostly carry a Glock 26.  It’s so light that I forget that I have it, holds 11 rounds, 16 if I want to carry the weight of the high cap mag.  With the right ammo the ballistics are near .357 mag levels.

[yakimarcher]

smith and wesson 686.

[Alchase]

Recoil?      Practice, practice, practice...    I wonder how much shooting the average FBI Agent did prior to hire?

That is probably more accurate then you realize  ,
 
The sad facts are "most" people do not shoot enough to be proficient with their handguns, including law enforcement officers, regardless of caliber.
 
 
 

[Jburke]

Recoil?      Practice, practice, practice...    I wonder how much shooting the average FBI Agent did prior to hire?

That is probably more accurate then you realize  ,
 
The sad facts are "most" people do not shoot enough to be proficient with their handguns, including law enforcement officers, regardless of caliber.

Sad but true.  I will be the first to admit that I don't get to shoot as much as I'd like to and this year I'm trying to change that.

[Bean Counter]

The sad facts are "most" people do not shoot enough to be proficient with their handguns, including law enforcement officers, regardless of caliber.

Ironically, this has actually been studied by the FBI. Its in a red softcover report entitled "Violent Encounters." Most hardcore thugs and gang bangers shoot their guns more times per month than LEOs. Also, bad guys tended to hit their LEO targets 33% of the time, compared to 20% vice versa. That statistic, however, may be skewed by the fact that LEOs usually carry more ammo than BGs and are free to get trigger happy once it hits the fan.

[Bean Counter]

You specifically mentioned protection in the back country. Against humans, a .380 in your pocket is better than a .45ACP in the safe.  In the backwoods, with a spooked 400lb black bear, its better to be over gunned than under gunned.

I wouldn't go less than a .41 mag revolver. If you must go semi, then I would stick with a 10mm or a .45ACP.

Let us know what you decide.

[44 Flattop]

[quote author=MikeWalking link=topic=78015.msg964231#msg964231
 The sad facts are "most" people do not shoot enough to be proficient with their handguns, including law enforcement officers, regardless of caliber.

I couldn't agree more.  That is why I am a firm believer that a serious handgun shooter should be a reloader and preferably a bullet caster also.  Back when I shot 50 rounds per week, I shot alright.  When I shot 100 rounds per week I saw definate improvements.  When I went up to 50 rounds per day, even more improvements.  It sure didn't take long to figure out the more a feller shoots the better shot he becomes...

On the flip side it is a bummer to find that when one lays off shooting handguns it takes very little time to lose hard won gains, similiar to losing strength in weight training.  Luckily as in weight training it takes little time if shooting enough to regain lost abilities.