Grizzly 10mm’s: FN 510 (or other non safety auto 10’s) vs Smith and Wesson m&p 2.0 with safety

[340Wby-4-everything]

Have had well over 20 10mms in my life, current stable is less than half of that, don't have an M&P and love Smiths, but after recently purchasing an FN510, no need. Great feeling pistol, very accurate, 22rd mag and if you cant stop Mrs or Mr Grizz w/22 rds, God had other plans for you that day and God Bless. It is all in the holder however, so try them out and get what you like and feels good. Comfort is key. Course we are talking 10mm and for Brownies full house loads are the order of the day so comfort is relative to the shooter. I have had numerous Sigs - P220s and Emperor Scorpion 1911, skipped the Xten for the same reason skipping the M&P, RIAs - FS 6" Tact Hi Cap and Midsize, S&Ws -1006, 1026, 1076, original 610s, Colts - Delta gold cups and Dbl Eagles, Stars - couple Megastars, FN510, Springfield XDM as well as several Peters Stahl Springfield Omegas, Bond and a couple customs - CS40 converted to 10mm and custom build off small 1911 frame. For Bear country, my go to would have been my G29 with 15rd mag, but the new love of my safe/life is the FN. Carry it chambered and spray away if necessary. Anyone that doesn't carry Chambered in Brown bear country imho, simply has a death wish. The likelihood of it going off without you doing something careless (eg pulling from the holster by the trigger) is akin to winning the Powerball. Regardless of size, all bears, brownies of any locale included, are much faster than one would think. Ask any Alaskan Brown Bear guide.

 

[redchinviking]

I would like to ask an Alaskan brown bear guide a lot of questions! While I am at it, you guys have any holster recommendations that stand out of the pack with red dot/light combo?

 

[marksman1941]

I would like to ask an Alaskan brown bear guide a lot of questions! While I am at it, you guys have any holster recommendations that stand out of the pack with red dot/light combo?

Depends on how you want to carry. Chest or hip?

 

[redchinviking]

Depends on how you want to carry. Chest or hip?

Chest, but either under or behind a bino harness. Currently running Alaska guide creations (would be behind), or marsupial (would be below/under)

 

[marksman1941]

Chest, but either under or behind a bino harness. Currently running Alaska guide creations (would be behind), or marsupial (would be below/under)

Gotcha. This is where I have to tap out of the conversation, as I've never carried chest. I'm sure some of these gentlemen have more firsthand experience with that. My .44 always rode in a holster that attached to my pack belt, which was the most comfortable option for my setup.

Someone else mentioned a slug gun, and if you're in aggressive brownie territory you might give that some serious thought. A 10mm is powerful by handgun rights, but is still anemic when you're talking angry bear. An 18.5" 12ga with 4 slugs in it is a different level of firepower. I would consider packing both.

 

[redchinviking]

this is supposedly some of the thickest grizz densities in the contiguous just north of Yellowstone but we are serious backpackers and weight is a real consideration. Not uncommon for us to put on 10-15 miles a day on a 7-10 day hunt if needed. I have a hard time imagining packing both with the amount of gear we already have on our backs. I think bear spray and the fn is where I'll end up but I really wanna do this right the first time and get the setup right. Good reliable gun with hard cast ammo, a light, a red dot, in a well fitted holster that's oriented right for this application.

 

[huntinghuasna]

This makes me feel a bit naive. Do most people carry non safety equipped autos in their holsters chambered?

Always! No such thing as a non safety equipped auto (semi-auto). Safeties on pistols come in different forms. Thumb safety, grip safety, trigger safety etc. Double action vs. single action vs. double/single vs. safe action (striker fired) and so on. Some pistols will not fire unless a magazine is inserted. Learn about the different types of pistols, actions and safeties and then decide on the one for you. Reliability and training is key, perfect practice makes perfect. With all this said, one in the chamber can be the difference between life and death. I own several types of pistols, my go to for self defense and competition is the Glock. Please PM if you'd like.

 

[marksman1941]

this is supposedly some of the thickest grizz densities in the contiguous just north of Yellowstone but we are serious backpackers and weight is a real consideration. Not uncommon for us to put on 10-15 miles a day on a 7-10 day hunt if needed. I have a hard time imagining packing both with the amount of gear we already have on our backs. I think bear spray and the fn is where I'll end up but I really wanna do this right the first time and get the setup right. Good reliable gun with hard cast ammo, a light, a red dot, in a well fitted holster that's oriented right for this application.

And that's where preference takes over. I tend to overpack for things, and sometimes go a bit overboard lol. If you're sticking with just the pistol, spend plenty of money on your carry ammo and practice with it. Use cheap stuff for learning the gun, but burn several boxes of your hard cast practicing draw from holster and rounds on target quickly. The difference in panic fire vs quick aimed fire is all a matter of practice, and with a big bruiser of a handgun it can be tough. Make it a point to practice shooting at last a magazine a week until the hunt, drawing from the holster while wearing your pack and all, so that in the event of a bear encounter you're not fumbling for things.

 

[FrogFire7]

This makes me feel a bit naive. Do most people carry non safety equipped autos in their holsters chambered?

I worked in a gun shop as a weekend hobby for 5-6 years. A fair amount of people don't carry one in the chamber. But, people who understand firearms and their operation and are serious about carrying ALL carry one in the chamber.

I'd think especially in bear country where you may not even have time to draw your weapon in the first place, let alone rack the slide and then try to get on target.

 

[Hoss50]

Glock 40 MOS is what I carry. Shoulder holster mostly, but I am probably switching to drop leg holster because I don't like that the gun points behind me when it is in the shoulder holster.

 

[sea2summit]

This makes me feel a bit naive. Do most people carry non safety equipped autos in their holsters chambered?

Yes. As long as you keep your booger hooker off the trigger it's very safe. I carry S&W, Sigs and, embarrassingly, Glocks all without safeties. In a striker fired pistol I think a mechanical safety introduces more problems then anything, it doesn't make it safer.

 

[sea2summit]

I would like to ask an Alaskan brown bear guide a lot of questions! While I am at it, you guys have any holster recommendations that stand out of the pack with red dot/light combo?

I'm not a bear guide but grew up in the Alaska woods. How do you want to carry it and what other things are you wearing? (Bino harness, clothing layers, pack, etc)?

I would not use a red dot hunting on a weapon that is not your primary, a backup is a backup and the last thing you want when a bear is heading your way is a rain filled RDS with a big hazy dot, multip dots, or worse yet fogged over completely so you can't see through it. They're super tactical, accurate, and fast…but they bring with them a lot of maintenance, additional training requirements, and failure risk.

 

[Wyo37]

Did some scouting this year for next season in there. I just took a glock 19. Me personally I don't care for external safeties on pistols.

Didn't see any bears.

 

[FEENIX]

Chest, but either under or behind a bino harness. Currently running Alaska guide creations (would be behind), or marsupial (would be below/under)

I went through 4-5 different brands for my Glock 40 MOS before I settled for

https://diamonddoutdoors.com/products/denali-chest-holster

This is the only one that I can pull off the holster with one hand.