What Guns Do You Keep On Hand?

[mdees88]

Thank you for this very helpful post.
Since I asked the question, they have not done it anymore, and actually my brother was helping them re-build a dam on their property.
We are now on quite good terms, so if there is any more problems I think we can work it out.

That's good to hear...

 

[mdees88]

I've carried quite a few guns over the years. I have always been searching for the best snake gun. By best, I mean the least obtrusive option to carry on me at all times that will effectively dispatch a snake.

When we would work at our camp, one guy carried a full size 7" 357 magnum on his hip. Another guy carried a compact 40 cal. Well the guy with the 40 couldn't hit a snake if his life depended on it, lol. The other guy carried 38 snake shot (which is a great choice) but his revolver weighed over 3lbs.

I've carried 1911's, 44 magnum, 38 snubnose, 9mm, 22s, etc. Well my absolute favorite handgun for snakes is a North America Arms Pug in 22 magnum. It is so small you literally forget it's in your pocket. The 22 magnum shotshells are powerful enough to kill a snake but you must be close for the pattern to be tight enough.

The barrel of the gun needs to be 4-5 ft from the snake for an effective shot. 3-4ft for a highly effective shot. Most all of my kills have taken two shots. One shot from 5-6ft to immobilize him. Then one more from 3ft to quickly finish him off.

There are certainly guns more effective at killing snakes (12ga, 410, 38 snakeshot, etc) but none of them are this small and light weight. I sacrifice a little killing power for a gun so effortless to carry that I will always have it on me.


Here is a small water moccasin under my quail pen....

Shot this cottonmouth in my driveway. He was under my truck...

Almost stepped on these two moccasins walking to my quail pen, luckily I was armed...

Shot this moccasin and rattlesnake working at my camp....

Here it is next to a S&W 629 classic 44 magnum. It's tiny....

Another option to consider is the NAA Black Widow in 22 magnum. I was hoping it would group tighter with the longer barrel but it didn't. It is easier to hold due to the larger grip but I still carry the Pug. If you get either you will definitely need to practice because neither one of these guns are considered "easy" to shoot...

 

[Chicken poppy]

I've carried quite a few guns over the years. I have always been searching for the best snake gun. By best, I mean the least obtrusive option to carry on me at all times that will effectively dispatch a snake.

When we would work at our camp, one guy carried a full size 7" 357 magnum on his hip. Another guy carried a compact 40 cal. Well the guy with the 40 couldn't hit a snake if his life depended on it, lol. The other guy carried 38 snake shot (which is a great choice) but his revolver weighed over 3lbs.

I've carried 1911's, 44 magnum, 38 snubnose, 9mm, 22s, etc. Well my absolute favorite handgun for snakes is a North America Arms Pug in 22 magnum. It is so small you literally forget it's in your pocket. The 22 magnum shotshells are powerful enough to kill a snake but you must be close for the pattern to be tight enough.

The barrel of the gun needs to be 4-5 ft from the snake for an effective shot. 3-4ft for a highly effective shot. Most all of my kills have taken two shots. One shot from 5-6ft to immobilize him. Then one more from 3ft to quickly finish him off.

There are certainly guns more effective at killing snakes (12ga, 410, 38 snakeshot, etc) but none of them are this small and light weight. I sacrifice a little killing power for a gun so effortless to carry that I will always have it on me.


Here is small water moccasin under my quail pen....

View attachment 3483627

View attachment 3483625

View attachment 3483626


Shot this cottonmouth in my driveway. He was under my truck...

View attachment 3483628


Almost stepped on these two moccasins walking to my quail pen, luckily I was armed...

View attachment 3483631

View attachment 3483633


Shot this moccasin and rattlesnake working at my camp....

View attachment 3483634

View attachment 3483629


Here it is next to a S&W 629 classic. It's tiny....

View attachment 3483655

Another option to consider is the NAA Black Widow in 22 magnum. I was hoping it would group tighter with the longer barrel but it didn't. It is easier to hold due to the larger grip but I still carry the Pug. If you get either you will definitely need to practice because neither one of these guns are considered "easy" to shoot...

Wow, i’m sure the snakes are putting wanted poster. up of you all over town.

Seriously, though. That’s a lot of snakes! Could i ask the reasoning behind shooting them? since everyone does it for different reasons (stuffing, protection of children/animals, etc.) just curious.

 

[mdees88]

Wow, i’m sure the snakes are putting wanted poster. up of you all over town.

If they would stay out of my yard and out from under shooting houses, they would live much longer lives.

Seriously, though. That’s a lot of snakes! Could i ask the reasoning behind shooting them? since everyone does it for different reasons (stuffing, protection of children/animals, etc.) just curious.

That's not all of them either, just ones I shot with that particular handgun. I actually like snakes. I have even (foolishly) grabbed a live cottonmouth at a drive through and relocated him. I do not like them in high traffic areas where I could accidently step on them though.

So I only shoot venomous snakes that are in areas I frequent regularly. Most all of the snakes I've killed have been in my yard. Four of those I stepped within 3ft of before noticing them. (I literally almost stepped directly on the two that were mating).

I don't shoot nonvenomous snakes and I don't shoot venomous ones that are in remote areas that I do not regularly frequent. All of these snakes are venomous, and they lived to see another day....

I even spare banded water snakes, which are typically misidentified as water moccasins and killed...

 

[fuzzi]

If they would stay out of my yard and out from under shooting houses, they would live much longer lives.


That's not all of them either, just ones I shot with that particular handgun. I actually like snakes. I have even (foolishly) grabbed a live cottonmouth at a drive through and relocated him. I do not like them in high traffic areas where I could accidently step on them though.

So I only shoot venomous snakes that are in areas I frequent regularly. Most all of the snakes I've killed have been in my yard. Four of those I stepped within 3ft of before noticing them. (I literally almost stepped directly on the two that were mating).

I don't shoot nonvenomous snakes and I don't shoot venomous ones that are in remote areas that I do not regularly frequent. All of these snakes are venomous, and they lived to see another day....

View attachment 3483762

View attachment 3483763

View attachment 3483764

View attachment 3483767

View attachment 3483766

View attachment 3483770

View attachment 3483765

View attachment 3483768

View attachment 3483769


I even spare banded water snakes, which are typically misidentified as water moccasins and killed...

View attachment 3483776

As far as venomous snakes, I have only seen Copperheads on my property. One small one got away, another small (12") I coaxed into a wide-mouthed jar and had re-homed by a local nature center employee, the third was too big to mess with and within a couple feet of my steps, and my dog, my cats, my family. It had to go but I dispatched it with a shovel and a pair of long handled pruning shears.

Other snakes I've seen in my yard are:
Ring-necked
Brown
Worm
Green (smooth)
Rat
Black racers (a lot!)

Most of the time they avoid me and I'm fine with that.

Addendum: Edited to add video of my encounter with a brown snake