# A New Mexico Bear Attack Finally Stopped With a GLOCK 10mm Pistol



## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2...ttack-finally-stopped-by-a-glock-10mm-pistol/


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

For once, I am at a loss for words!
Wow!


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

Well, we can agree this bear had every right to be extremely upset over being pursued by his dogs, him and everyone else. Quite an amazing and ironic story indeed, a trophy bear runs right by a guides house with dogs in pursuit.

I bow hunt around that area further north for elk and have camped alone in the middle of bear territory. Generally, black bear are extremely cautious of humans, especially hunters and want nothing to do with you whatsoever. But if you hunt em down it's evidently another story.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

The Glock 20 is an excellent choice for bear country where the bears are not too large. But I do have a problem with this sentence...

"A few months earlier, he had heard the theory of “spring set” and decided not to keep the magazine fully loaded."

I seriously doubt a Glock would be cause for this sort of concern. They are pretty much the perfect SD pistol in terms of reliability. His choice of ammunition would not be mine in bear country. I would go with Underwood, Buffalo Bore, or Double Tap. With sixteen rounds of any of these, the Glock 20 is a very formidable sidearm in dangerous country.

As for the man in the story, thank God and good for him that he kept his cool and his head in his fight against such a foe. Says a lot about his intestinal fortitude in such a situation.


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

In my opinion a 10MM Glock is far from an excellent choice for bear country. A .44 magnum, 454 Casull, 460 magnum are excellent choices for bear country, just sayin, it's all about ft/lbs. :watching: As we all know however, shot placement is paramount.

Here's an interesting read:

Defense Against Bears with Pistols: 97% Success rate, 37 incidents by Caliber

https://www.ammoland.com/2018/02/de...s-rate-37-incidents-by-caliber/#ixzz5R2xgdU4T


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

"Spring set" is a phantom ailment.
All springs take a "set" when they're first used. They get a tiny bit shorter.
The spring manufacturer takes this into account when the spring is designed or specified.

The real spring problem, which is indeed worthy of fear, is spring failure.
But that will only happen after hundreds of repeated flexions, which leads to metal chrystalization. That eventually results in metal fatigue and collapse.

Really-good-quality coil springs have amazingly long useful lives. I have 1911 recoil springs which were in continual use for over 30 years.
However, during those same years and in the same pistols, I used new, WW2-period, G.I. magazines almost exclusively. Their springs in continuous use, for both practice and competition, were good for only about a year.

I also have hand-made, forged leaf springs which have been in occasional use for over 200 years, and which are still going strong.
And I also have one of those leaf springs which gave up the ghost after only about 180 years. Go figure.


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## crewchief (Jul 25, 2018)

I keep double tap 200 gr FMJ FP in my P226 40 tacops now. They are powerful loads and I hope not over the limit. It'll be on my side (back up) next week up cohutta for archery season. My 44 629 is just too heavy anymore. I've been told the 10mm is not what it use to be (loaded down)!!! That said if I had one id load up at least 200 gr hard cast flat points in it.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

Jeez. Helluva story.

{The bear saw him and thought: "You! You are responsible for this mess!"]


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

denner12 said:


> In my opinion a 10MM Glock is far from an excellent choice for bear country. A .44 magnum, 454 Casull, 460 magnum are excellent choices for bear country, just sayin, it's all about ft/lbs. :watching: As we all know however, shot placement is paramount.
> 
> Here's an interesting read:
> 
> ...


I should have qualified my statement about the 10mm Glock pistol. I have carried a .44 Magnum in bear country many times, loaded with handloads. The Glock 20 has three advantages. It is light, has a much higher round capacity, and is much quicker to reload. I wouldn't want to come up against a large bear... Virginia black bears are large enough for this sidearm. A bear can take some killing and one needs a caliber and load that can break him down if it hits shoulder bone or the pelvic region. Also it should be able to penetrate the skull if need be. I know that all of the large bears have been taken with a .44 Magnum and the one that impressed me the most was an Alaskan brown bear take at over 90 yards with a Smith & Wesson Model 29 by Robert Peterson. The bullet entered the chest as the Bear raised up and broke his spine. Heck of a shot.


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## denner12 (Oct 14, 2017)

SouthernBoy said:


> I should have qualified my statement about the 10mm Glock pistol. I have carried a .44 Magnum in bear country many times, loaded with handloads. The Glock 20 has three advantages. It is light, has a much higher round capacity, and is much quicker to reload. I wouldn't want to come up against a large bear... Virginia black bears are large enough for this sidearm. A bear can take some killing and one needs a caliber and load that can break him down if it hits shoulder bone or the pelvic region. Also it should be able to penetrate the skull if need be. I know that all of the large bears have been taken with a .44 Magnum and the one that impressed me the most was an Alaskan brown bear take at over 90 yards with a Smith & Wesson Model 29 by Robert Peterson. The bullet entered the chest as the Bear raised up and broke his spine. Heck of a shot.


In my opinion a revolver with the aforementioned loads is superior to a Glock 10MM for the following reasons. 1. As mentioned in this story the Glock 10mm malfunctioned due to the boars hair caught between the slide and recoil spring(granted a revolver can jam up, but it doesn't need the inertia of a moving slide for follow up shots). Likewise, if you have a wounded arm or Limp wrist a semi, it is much more likely to malfunction than a revolver, especially if the bear is literally on you and you need to press the muzzle on him/her.

2. In my opinion and from what I've read about bear attacks and defensive shooting you will be fortunate to get 2 shots off much less 15 and much less likely the opportunity to reload. Generally in a bear attack the bear is on you w/o any notice, or perhaps startled at maybe 10 to 20 feet from you. Do you know how fast a bear can charge in that distance. The bear won't be hiding behind trees and rocks in a shoot out with a bad guy scenario where you'll have the opportunity to get 15 shots off and a reload.

3. Last, but not least, a 44 Magnum can have up to twice the energy in ft/lbs and shoot up to 405 grn projectiles which will penetrate deep, crushing bone and muscle along it's way. All you need is one, but five more should do you. The article supports my theory in that the 44 magnum has 12 defensive shootings of bear which were successful and most often accounted for with 12 successful defensive shootings. I just like those numbers mentioned and don't see a need for 15 rounds and a reload in this scenario with a much weaker caliber with only the ability to launch a 180-200 grn projectile at best, but to each their own.:smt1099

To put this is perspective, arguably the best rifle to use on big dangerous game in Africa is a 2 shot double barreled rifle in big bore calibers, 500 nitro, 458 Lott etc.......not a 15 shot semi auto rifle.


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