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General Alaska gun questions.

81mudyota

New member
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Messages
1
Location
Seward
I recently moved to Alaska for school and am living with my grandparents. Bears are a big issue around the house. We get pictures of 4 or 5 a week, and I spend much of my time around fish or fishing. I am 18 and understand that I can't carry in a bar(can't go in them yet anyway), in court houses, in places where it is posted that they aren't aloud, and in school zones.
I am wondering how I can carry a gun for bear protection. Right now I have a .44 mag that I open carry at the beach when I am fishing. I have heard that you can open carry up here at he age of 14, and have to be 21 to concealed carry. I am just looking to make sure this is true before I conceal carry, or find out from a Trooper that I'm not old enough to OC.
Thanks.

Edit: I've done some reading on past threads and it looks like I can Open Carry just fine, but can't concealed carry until I'm 21.
Also, how well would a S&W .44 mag work against the bears if needed? I know that I can't shoot them unless their threatening to attack myself or someone else, or breaking private property.
 
Last edited:

Haz.

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
1,226
Location
I come from a land downunder.
I recently moved to Alaska for school and am living with my grandparents. Bears are a big issue around the house. We get pictures of 4 or 5 a week, and I spend much of my time around fish or fishing. I am 18 and understand that I can't carry in a bar(can't go in them yet anyway), in court houses, in places where it is posted that they aren't aloud, and in school zones.
I am wondering how I can carry a gun for bear protection. Right now I have a .44 mag that I open carry at the beach when I am fishing. I have heard that you can open carry up here at he age of 14, and have to be 21 to concealed carry. I am just looking to make sure this is true before I conceal carry, or find out from a Trooper that I'm not old enough to OC.
Thanks.

Edit: I've done some reading on past threads and it looks like I can Open Carry just fine, but can't concealed carry until I'm 21.
Also, how well would a S&W .44 mag work against the bears if needed? I know that I can't shoot them unless their threatening to attack myself or someone else, or breaking private property.

G-Day 'mudyota.'

You will find all you wish to know regarding the best calibers, for hand guns and fifles, even shot guns suited for self defence and potection against North American black, brown, grizzley and even polar bears here;

Link,

http://www.chuckhawks.com/firearms_defense_bears.htm

Cheers, safe hunting and fishing mate!
 

armaborealis

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
56
Location
Alaska
The Alaska Outdoors Forums have TONs of threads about bears.
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php/62-Alaska-Handgun

The consensus I've generally seen is that .44 mag is barely acceptable, towards the bottom of the pack of marginal handguns. Any handgun will be ballistically inefficient and a marginal stopper against a critter like a brown bear. There was one memorable quote on a thread over at the Outdoors Forums from an older guide type who suggested filing the front sight off of the .44 so that when the bear shoves it up your you know what it doesn't hurt so much! Seriously, though, the .338 win mag is the choice of guides for putting down coastal grizzlies and even that requires multiple shots sometimes. Just look at the numbers:
- .338 win mag muzzle energy: ~4K ft-lbs
- 45-70 muzzle energy from premium buffalo bore loads: ~2.5K ft-lbs
- .44 magnum buffalo bore muzzle energy: ~1.2 ft-lbs

Muzzle energy isn't the whole story but it is an important factor.

I personally like bear spray. It is easy to use, inexpensive, as or more effective than a handgun, won't provoke the bear into a righteous death rage, and doesn't leave all the messy DLP issues (having to skin the bear and turn the hide over to Fish and Game).

\\

The DPS website covers laws for possession (http://dps.alaska.gov/statewide/PermitsLicensing/firearm.aspx). Alaska doesn't have any requirements beyond those in federal law. Federal law doesn't let FFLs sell handguns to anyone under 21, but they can be sold in private sales/transfers to anyone age 18 or moer. Also under federal law, "it is unlawful for any licensed importer, dealer, manufacturer, or collector to transfer handgun ammunition to anyone under the age of 21." I don't think that applies to private transfers/sales however.

Under 18 USC § 922(b), a person under age 18 may not possess a handgun or handgun ammunition unless certain exemptions are met. I am not aware of anything special about the age of 14.

Misconduct involving weapons 5 includes someone under 21 years of age concealing a weapon (http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/akstatutes/11/11.61./02./11.61.220.) so don't carry other than "open carry" until you are 21.
 

1911er

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2009
Messages
833
Location
Port Orchard Wa. /Granite Oklahoma
44 mag

before we moved back down to the lower 48' and years before they came out with all the designer caliber handguns .454 casul,460 ruger 500 S&W mag we carried 44 mags and they always did the trick if the need arose.
 

tomrkba

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
125
Location
Virginia
One thought would be to acquire a few large dogs and take them when you walk. Large dogs like Chows are used in Northern Alaska to keep polar bears away from property. Bears think they look like wolves.

If you want double action, then look at:

Ruger Redhawk with a 4" or 5.5" barrel in 44 Magnum.
Ruger Super Redhawk in either 454 Casull or 44 Magnum, but the barrel is 7 1/2" long.
S&W Model 29 or 629 (pre-lock, such as the Model 29-3).
S&W Model 460V in 460 S&W Magnum
S&W Model 500 in 500 S&W Magnum

The S&W X-Frame revolvers would be amazing, but likely difficult to shoot. You'll need to practice frequently with any gun and these guns will be very expensive to feed.

I really like my Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in 44 Magnum. However, the short barrel may cause too much velocity loss to stop northern bears. It is; however, very portable. I think it really shines with 44 Special or light 44 Magnum.

The Ruger Alaskan in 454 Casull is a known performer. One guy killed a charging grizzly with his a few years back.

http://www.adn.com/2009/08/13/897940/twig-snap-alerts-dog-walker-to.html

I'd avoid Taurus since their internals are rough. Buy a quality firearm that will hold up to practice.

Some folks like 460 Rowland, 45 Super or 10mm for anti-bear and moose calibers. A Glock 20 with heavy FMJ flat point ammunition may be good enough. 460 Rowland kits are available for common semi-automatic pistols. I am not certain how good they are for bear, so you'll need to do your research.

There are many quality single action revolvers available, but I do not have much experience with them. A Freedom Arms revolver would be amazing and you'd have to open carry it everywhere.

Ruger-Alaskan-Armor-Nimravus-5.jpg
 
Last edited:

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
Messages
154
Location
Fairfield County, CT
I recently moved to Alaska for school and am living with my grandparents. Bears are a big issue around the house. We get pictures of 4 or 5 a week, and I spend much of my time around fish or fishing. I am 18 and understand that I can't carry in a bar(can't go in them yet anyway), in court houses, in places where it is posted that they aren't aloud, and in school zones.
I am wondering how I can carry a gun for bear protection. Right now I have a .44 mag that I open carry at the beach when I am fishing.

Hey mudyota,

A good friend of mine is a commercial fisherman and avid hunter who resides part-time in Alaska. He has had a few encounters with brown bear while deer hunting there. He's never had to shoot one but has a couple of friends that have. As you know, these are seriously huge/powerful animals and as others have stated a .44 mag should be the absolute bare minimum of what you should carry. My buddy usually has a .45 - 70 rifle with him most of the time and will either carry a .454 casull or .500 S&W as backup. As someone else posted down below, bear spray isn't a bad idea either as you don't want to have to skin the darn thing if you actually have to shoot one.

Stay safe.
 

Diesel

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
14
Location
Anchorage
I personally use my Glock 22C. I know it is not very powerful, however with my high capacity mags I can quickly put down range 45 180gr 40cal rounds.
 

job.md

New member
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
4
Location
Ketchikan, AK
I recently moved to Alaska for school and am living with my grandparents. Bears are a big issue around the house. We get pictures of 4 or 5 a week, and I spend much of my time around fish or fishing. I am 18 and understand that I can't carry in a bar(can't go in them yet anyway), in court houses, in places where it is posted that they aren't aloud, and in school zones.
I am wondering how I can carry a gun for bear protection. Right now I have a .44 mag that I open carry at the beach when I am fishing. I have heard that you can open carry up here at he age of 14, and have to be 21 to concealed carry. I am just looking to make sure this is true before I conceal carry, or find out from a Trooper that I'm not old enough to OC.
Thanks.

Edit: I've done some reading on past threads and it looks like I can Open Carry just fine, but can't concealed carry until I'm 21.
Also, how well would a S&W .44 mag work against the bears if needed? I know that I can't shoot them unless their threatening to attack myself or someone else, or breaking private property.

Just don't conceal it, then ur good.
 
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