Most powerful and practical antique handgun

Horilka said:
I've been wondering if it makes sense to substitute my bear repellent DA Grizzly 8.5" shotgun with some antique revolver which is lighter and smaller.
So what is the most powerful and reliable revolver available? Swiss, French, Dutch, Italian , Norwegian Nagant? Which caliber is able to take down black bear if needed and at the same time simple enough for reloading? I would also like to enjoy it as target shooting pistol at the range, not as safe queen. I could have compared muzzle energy I suppose but I know nothing about reliability of antique handguns.
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When in the bush I pack both shotgun and my antique S&W 44 DA. Shotty on a sling behind my back and 44 Russian on the hip. I can coin a phrase from Dingus a while back on effectiveness of an antique "better than waving your #### at it" Can debate all day but it makes ME feel happy packing my Russian:dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana:
 
I didn't realize you have one of the mag fed norc shotguns....the feeding and reliability on the mags that i've seen are not what i would want in a self defense firearm. Especially the way the top round will pop up and jam the action if you seat the mag hard, or when the mag is bouncing about in a pouch or bag.

Maybe the walker is the way to go after all
 
Cocked&Locked said:
I didn't realize you have one of the mag fed norc shotguns....the feeding and reliability on the mags that i've seen are not what i would want in a self defense firearm. Especially the way the top round will pop up and jam the action if you seat the mag hard, or when the mag is bouncing about in a pouch or bag.

Maybe the walker is the way to go after all
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Maybe I'm lucky or previous owner took care about shotgun, I don't know. But I've been firing it a lot and stress testing and cleaning and caring and it gave me no single issue. And I was and still is very skeptical about Chinese quality. But this things just works whatever I do. But that's another story and let's not siderail into tube vs mag fed. Now I found excuse to buy some nice antique revolver and should work on that :)
 
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We're still waiting on the first report of someone dropping a charging bear (non-charging doesn't count) with a "waving my ####" antique revolver.
I'm not saying that t can't be done or hasn't been, I just think it would make for one hell of a story!

Custer and others reported shooting bison from horseback with the '60 Army and other cap & ball "dicks". That is until he shot his own horse in the back of the head, catapulting himself ass over "####" and rendering himself unconscious. He was found hours later by a patrol who found him sitting on his dead horse awaiting rescue.

I guess he was "beating on a dead horse" like we do with this thread once in a while .... ;>)
 
NorincoCoach.jpg
Why go "pew, pew" when "Boom" is what you need?
 
Sharps '63 said:
We're still waiting on the first report of someone dropping a charging bear (non-charging doesn't count) with a "waving my ####" antique revolver.
I'm not saying that t can't be done or hasn't been, I just think it would make for one hell of a story!
)
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I do know a fishery officer who killed a charging grizzly at 5 feet with the last and final shot of his 357 service revolver (all other shots missed as far as he knew). He was walking streams counting salmon, in the River's Inlet area. Reason that he used a handgun is that he lent his shotgun to the person he was working with and they parted to go up separate branches of the stream.

cheers mooncoon
 
Sharps '63 said:
We're still waiting on the first report of someone dropping a charging bear (non-charging doesn't count) with a "waving my ####" antique revolver.
I'm not saying that t can't be done or hasn't been, I just think it would make for one hell of a story!
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have you actually thought about what you just said ...... really thought about it ......

a person just got finished with their life and death encounter with something large and fury with big teeth that wants to make a meal out of them , and the first thing they are going to do is rush to home to their computer , log in and tell us all of their encounter of heroism with a fury , large tooth agent of death .

if anything , there is a large hole dug and the offending animal is rolled into it and covered over .
 
I think you're over dramatizing .... who wouldn't want bragging rights if he dropped a charging bear with his "antique" revolver? Hell, any gun, for that matter.

First off, in BC you're allowed to shoot a problem bear at any time. If it's bear season and you have a tag, it's meat on the table, bear fat for cooking and bullet lube and a hide to hang on the wall.

I had one that I repeatedly had to drive off and finally had to dump it at the behest of a neighbour who panicked when the bear decided he liked her compost pile. I had a tag and it was one week before hunting season. I called the CO to see if I could have dispensation to harvest the meat and have it processed. The weather was warm and it needed to hang to cool. Answer - No.

I was told that the 'shoot-shovel-shut-up' law was applicable.
 
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tacfoley said:
Any double-barrelled Howdah pistol whose calibre begins with '5'. Although the four-barrelled Lancaster in .476cal is quite impressive, a SxS .500BPE or .577 Snider is also pretty mean.

tac
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Hadn't thought of it, but building a snider/trap door/rolling block pistol would give you one very powerful shot if you don't like your wrists much...
 
With the amount of bear defense that seems to be required for wilderness safety where most gun nutters live, I'm sure glad the black bears in Manitoba are much less vicious. Around here, we whistle while we hike for bear safety, and shoot our guns for fun. Surprising low death rate doing that.
 
If you whistle that may attract bears it is the guns that are going to be scaring them off... pans and bells are good to have and as far as WSG I would use a Mare's Leg in .44 magnum... I have a .45 CL but I would not trust it 100% I would go for a .44 mag.

I know a few people that are screaming for ranch hands in .454 Caswell... I am thinking ported barrels...
 
Secondgunman said:
If you whistle that may attract bears it is the guns that are going to be scaring them
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It's funny, I wasn't aware that whistling attracted Bears. Learn something new every day!

My wife grew up in a remote community in northern Ontario, where the women spend days and days during prime blueberry season collecting berries in the bush. They continually whistle and whoop, to keep track of each other and alert bears in the area. No one has been mauled so far, at least not in the last few generations, but I'll have to let them know that whistling actually attracts bears. Cause there's lots of bears in that neck of the woods, and I want them to be safe.

Anyways, when I go out I often take my webley MkII. I like to plink after eating blueberries. Guess I might need it for the bears that the whistling attracts!
 
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