Had my eye on a Marlin Guide gun for a while, lever-action. Just window-shopping. A story diversion: an Alaskan missionary pilot said his plane is like his pick-up truck - two seats in the front and all the junk in the back. In case of forced landings, they are REQUIRED to carry firearms (does that make you feel all warm and fluffy inside to hear that?) But, he had a problem - his plane is always too stuffed to manage even a rifle in there. He was given a lot of hand gun advice, so he took one out and landed himself on a little grizzly-infested island, with a friend for backup - armed back-up. They didn't have to wait long. They were charged. He shook his head and said, the only reason that bear went down - twenty feet from him was that his 5th shot was lucky and severed the spine. That was the story for the bear skin he was displaying. Now, drat, I can't remember what handgun he did settle on. His website mentioned he had to shoot a moose that burst thru his living room window, and some predator animal that chased his dog thru the front door and into the house as he was TRYING to have his morning coffee. SO, my suggestion is you forget the parachutes and go to Alaska and ask this colorful fellow which handgun he prefers to pack for bush piloting to dump off missionaries into remote wilderness indigenous Indian churches.
Had my eye on a Marlin Guide gun for a while, lever-action. Just window-shopping. A story diversion: an Alaskan missionary pilot said his plane is like his pick-up truck - two seats in the front and all the junk in the back. In case of forced landings, they are REQUIRED to carry firearms (does that make you feel all warm and fluffy inside to hear that?) But, he had a problem - his plane is always too stuffed to manage even a rifle in there. He was given a lot of hand gun advice, so he took one out and landed himself on a little grizzly-infested island, with a friend for backup - armed back-up. They didn't have to wait long. They were charged. He shook his head and said, the only reason that bear went down - twenty feet from him was that his 5th shot was lucky and severed the spine. That was the story for the bear skin he was displaying. Now, drat, I can't remember what handgun he did settle on. His website mentioned he had to shoot a moose that burst thru his living room window, and some predator animal that chased his dog thru the front door and into the house as he was TRYING to have his morning coffee. SO, my suggestion is you forget the parachutes and go to Alaska and ask this colorful fellow which handgun he prefers to pack for bush piloting to dump off missionaries into remote wilderness indigenous Indian churches.