Noob questions on pistol for private airplane

[longez]

Brand new to the forum; my sister referred here for advice. I fly a 2-place experimental plane between my homes in SoCal and NW Montana, and fly over some very remote terrain in Idaho and Montana. I want a pistol to keep in my airplane in case I go down in the mountains. I am particularly concerned about wildlife (bears in particular). I realize a rife would be better but this is a VERY small airplane.

I went to an AZ range while on a business trip and rented many different handguns to see what I could handle: 1911's, several Glocks, Colt revolvers, and a couple of Sigs. What I was most comfortable with was a Sig P226 in both 9mm and 40 S&W.

Questions:

1. Is this a reasonable choice for what I want the pistol for? Which caliber?

2. I would keep the gun loaded in the plane and unlocked. Would this Sig be safe in turbulence and absolutely not fire? Be a shame to shoot myself down

3. I do not own any firearms - how can I learn to be safe and where should I buy the gun in Orange County? Or should I buy it in Montana (I am a resident of both states)

Sorry for the elementary questions but a guy has to start somewhere; all responses appreciated greatly!

Dick

[chief916]

I hope you never hit turbulence that will cause a gun to fire... good lord...

1.get what you feel most comfortable with if you would need to use it.


2. Practice will make you safe and they have handgun safety courses in MANY locations

3. Shop around buy at the cheapest price you find.

[banpreso]

1. i'm no expert but for bears i wouldn't go smaller than .357 magnum. but it's about whatever you can safely handle.

2. should be fine with the chamber not loaded or with safety on.

3. you can go to ontarget. they have various classes available. they even have a pistol selection class where you can try a variety of handguns and decide which is right for you. i think buying a gun in california is probably not going to be as economical as buying out of state, but do shop around, including the used section on the forum

http://ontargetrange.com/ontargetrange/our-classes

[unusedusername]

I reccomend getting a gun of some sort and become comfortable with it before putting it in your plane.

If you are worried about a gun "going off" due to bouncing around then you definately are not comfortable with them.

I reccomend finding a certified firearms instructor in your area who can show you the basics in person. $100 can often get you an 8 hour class.

If you let us know your location more specifically (what city?) we can point you to a good instructor.

[glockman19]

Welcome Dick.

Questions:

1. Is this a reasonable choice for what I want the pistol for? YES Which caliber? .44 mag, 5" barrel, Smith & Wesson or Ruger.


2. I would keep the gun loaded in the plane and unlocked. Would this Sig be safe in turbulence and absolutely not fire? YES Be a shame to shoot myself down

3. I do not own any firearms - how can I learn to be safe and where should I buy the gun in Orange County? Or should I buy it in Montana (I am a resident of both states)
In CA you will need to take a class to get your (HSC), Handgun Safety Card, you need it in CA to buy a handgun...you do not need it to buy a handgun in Montana. If given the choice I buy in Montana, No safe hhandgun list, buy whatever gun your heart desires. Shoot many guns at the range and get what feels and shoots best in the caliber you desire.

Sorry for the elementary questions but a guy has to start somewhere; all responses appreciated greatly!

Dick

Again Welcome.

[longez]

I reccomend getting a gun of some sort and become comfortable with it before putting it in your plane.

If you are worried about a gun "going off" due to bouncing around then you definately are not comfortable with them.

I reccomend finding a certified firearms instructor in your area who can show you the basics in person. $100 can often get you an 8 hour class.

If you let us know your location more specifically (what city?) we can point you to a good instructor.

I like your suggestions; i live in Yorba Linda. I am definitely not yet comfortable with guns, but want to learn.

Dick

[SoCal Bob]

This article looks to make many valid points on the subject. - http://www.chuckhawks.com/protection_field.htm

It does mention .357 magnum as one of the choices. Since you are unfamiliar with handguns, I recommend you find and rent a Ruger GP100 revolver to see how you handle the .357 magnum round. Ruger also makes double action revolvers in .44 magnum and .454 Casull if you decide a larger caliber is desired.

http://www.ruger.com/products/gp100/models.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/redhawk/models.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/superRedhawkStandard/models.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/superRedhawkAlaskan/models.html

I will guess that Montana would be a better place to shop providing you meet the requirements to be able to purchase there. You will need to price shop to see but a CA purchase will include CA sales tax, $25 for the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) fees and $25 for your handgun safety certificate (HSC). CA also has a 10 day waiting period before you can pickup your gun.

Do not depend on a handgun to save your life in a survival situation unless you practice with it; bears and other predators will be unimpressed with near misses. You weren't a competent pilot after one lesson, handguns are the same. Practice until you develop muscle memory since you may only have moments to react should something decide you would make a nice meal.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, most of us would sound silly trying to ask airplane questions until our knowledge base improved, by asking questions.

Good luck.

[unusedusername]

These guys are the folks that teach the instructors in your area: http://dochollyday.com/

The class you want is a "NRA basic pistol 8-hour class".

The instructor trainers might run a class themselves, but more likely they will point you to a good instructor.

For this class you do not need to own your own pistol yet (in fact I reccomend waiting until you take the class to buy one).

[longez]

This article looks to make many valid points on the subject. - http://www.chuckhawks.com/protection_field.htm

It does mention .357 magnum as one of the choices. Since you are unfamiliar with handguns, I recommend you find and rent a Ruger GP100 revolver to see how you handle the .357 magnum round. Ruger also makes double action revolvers in .44 magnum and .454 Casull if you decide a larger caliber is desired.

http://www.ruger.com/products/gp100/models.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/redhawk/models.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/superRedhawkStandard/models.html

http://www.ruger.com/products/superRedhawkAlaskan/models.html

I will guess that Montana would be a better place to shop providing you meet the requirements to be able to purchase there. You will need to price shop to see but a CA purchase will include CA sales tax, $25 for the Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) fees and $25 for your handgun safety certificate (HSC). CA also has a 10 day waiting period before you can pickup your gun.

Do not depend on a handgun to save your life in a survival situation unless you practice with it; bears and other predators will be unimpressed with near misses. You weren't a competent pilot after one lesson, handguns are the same. Practice until you develop muscle memory since you may only have moments to react should something decide you would make a nice meal.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, most of us would sound silly trying to ask airplane questions until our knowledge base improved, by asking questions.

Good luck.

Thank you Bob. I have flown for more than 40 years and have lost two friends to aircraft accidents in remote areas; one appears to have survived the crash but became a bear's dinner near Mammoth.
It was 4 day backcountry survival training in Idaho for that led me to a want a pistol in the plane; the two crashes made it real. I'm a little intimidated (okay, a lot) by all the experts here but I'm sure new flying enthusiasts feel the same way.

I'm flying to Montana on Wedenesday and will see if anyone there knows of a gun shop; the nearest "town" has only two stop lights so I doubt it. Do I have the cart before the horse; should I be seeking out some training first and then buy a gun? Or buy one and then have a qualified instructor teach me?

More dumb questions to follow

[longez]

These guys are the folks that teach the instructors in your area: http://dochollyday.com/

The class you want is a "NRA basic pistol 8-hour class".

The instructor trainers might run a class themselves, but more likely they will point you to a good instructor.

For this class you do not need to own your own pistol yet (in fact I reccomend waiting until you take the class to buy one).

I'm getting lots of help; thank you all!!

Dick

[G-forceJunkie]

I would:
1) take an NRA basic pistol class that can provide a gun to learn the basics
2) go to a range that rents guns and rent as many different ones that you can and see what you like
3) buy a gun that suits your needs and you can handle
4) Take intermediate training classes with your gun
That all said, I would think a revolver with a 4" barrel would suite your needs the best.

[Cyc Wid It]

Thank you Bob. I have flown for more than 40 years and have lost two friends to aircraft accidents in remote areas; one appears to have survived the crash but became a bear's dinner near Mammoth.
It was 4 day backcountry survival training in Idaho for that led me to a want a pistol in the plane; the two crashes made it real. I'm a little intimidated (okay, a lot) by all the experts here but I'm sure new flying enthusiasts feel the same way.

I'm flying to Montana on Wedenesday and will see if anyone there knows of a gun shop; the nearest "town" has only two stop lights so I doubt it. Do I have the cart before the horse; should I be seeking out some training first and then buy a gun? Or buy one and then have a qualified instructor teach me?

More dumb questions to follow

You should read here (depending on your residency status) before checking out gun shops in Montana.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=503873

[random name]

Are you flying a Long-EZ?
do you have enough room for a small back pack that you could
put energy survival gear in; I would just leave it unloaded in the pack.

[longez]

You should read here (depending on your residency status) before checking out gun shops in Montana.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=503873

Ohhhhh, this seems complicated! I am a legal resident of both Montana and California, but from what I read on the thread I can't purchase a handgun in Montana and then put it in my plane and fly to my other home in Cali? I know less than nothing so if I am to keep the the plane in my locked hangar in MT and in the locked LA county hangar in Cali would I be breaking the law by keeping the gun in the plane? If I buy the gun in Cali and then fly to Montana for a month am I breaking Montana laws? I know this is Calguns forum but you all seem very knowledgeable - and helpful; thank you!

Sorry; I'm really an noob.

Dick

[longez]

Are you flying a Long-EZ?
do you have enough room for a small back pack that you could
put energy survival gear in; I would just leave it unloaded in the pack.

Yep, a LongEZ. Most of the time the GF fills up all the (very limited) baggage space but there are two areas just large enough for a handgun that aren't accessible in flight. I'm concerned that if I crash I may not be in one piece and dealing with injuries of mine or the passenger, fire, etc.... and loading the gun might be more than I could cope with. Is it not safe to have the gun loaded in the plane? I often experience +/- 3g's of turbulence and don't know if that could cause the gun to fire. ???

Dick