By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
I am guilty as charged; packing a great big sixgun in the outdoors is a habit of mine and why not?
As my long-departed pal, and former managing editor of the now-defunct Fishing & Hunting News, once put it, “A handgun is a great deterrent to violence.”
In his case, he was talking about the .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 with the 6 ½ inch barrel bought about the same time I purchased a Model 57 S&W in .41 Magnum, and to the best of my knowledge, he could shoot that sixgun pretty good.
Anyway, earlier this year I had the chance to traipse around the mountains of west-central Washington, before they started catching fire, and I took along my brother’s .44 Magnum Redhawk Hunter he had left in my care while he took a road trip. Suffice to say, the Redhawk is an awesome handgun, and to pack that gat, he had purchased a shoulder/chest rig made from rugged nylon which had elastic loops for spare cartridges.
About a week ago, according to The Guardian, a New Mexico man was attacked and killed by a bear around the community of Crystal, on the Navajo reservation. According to the report, Navajo police killed the bear after a search.
Earlier this summer, a high school kid was attacked by a sow bear on a popular hiking trail in Washington, apparently after getting between her and a cub.
Habitually, when the media reports on wild animal attacks—fatal or otherwise, involving bears, mountain lions, wolves or even coyotes—they invariably add the caveat that such incidents are “rare.” That is absolutely right. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, I’ll say that is the case. But if you happen to be among the unlucky 1 percent who runs into an animal with a real grouch on, your day just might get ruined.
I’ve had some close encounters with bears, and once or twice encountered a cougar I didn’t really trust, but on most of those occasions I had an iron inches from my gun hand.
A gun the size of that Ruger Redhawk probably should be packed in a shoulder or chest rig.
For my purposes, however, is prefer packing my wheelgun on a cartridge belt. Call it a quirk.
I personally built cartridge belts for my .357 Magnums, .41 Magnums and .45 Colt wheelguns, and holsters to pack them in. That was way back when I did a small custom holster business on the side, and I sold a few gunbelts to clients made from either plain cowhide or heavy rough-out/suede, primarily as demo pieces. Honestly, there’s really not much better in life than using something you’ve personally created.
Having a good revolver wherever one goes is a good idea. Nobody can predict the future, or even what’s around the next bend in the road. Trouble happens when we least expect it most of the time, so like the Boy Scouts used to say back when I was a kid: “Always be prepared.” It has likely kept me out of unpleasantness more than once, possibly because the mere presence of a wheelgun on my hip has had the proper discouraging effect on strangers.
Among the brands I would personally recommend are such names as Bianchi, Simply Rugged Holsters, Barranti Leather, El Paso Saddlery, Milt Sparks, Mitch Rosen, DeSantis Gunhide and Hunter Leather. There are others, of course, and my best advice is to shop around and find a rig which fits your personal needs and likes.
The cartridge belt should be comfortable, durable and not too heavy; that is, it should be functional rather than fashionable, although I’ll grant special dispensation to anyone packing a Paladin rig with the silver chess knight profile on the holster.
Weight is an important factor since packing a revolver which could range in weight from 3 to 5 pounds, depending upon the model, for a whole day on the trail or just cross country on a hunt is no small consideration. I’ve been carrying sixguns during deer and elk seasons for decades, and at the end of the day, sometimes my midsection is begging for relief, yet the next morning I’m right back on the move with the same hardware.
Some folks carry small revolvers in fanny packs, or in a backpack, which is another option. They’re not as readily accessible as a holstered handgun, but it’s better than having no gun at all, especially in an emergency survival situation.
With hunting season just over the horizon, I’ll be oiling my cartridge belts and making sure they are all in working order. Having something go wrong when civilization is miles and hours away is not an option for me. It shouldn’t be for you, either.
