Suggestions for a Shark Gun

[John in WYO]

So my darling wife asked me to go with her to her mother's condo on the North Carolina coast for a week.

She loves the beach and the ocean and the sun. I'm a mountain man to the bone.


She goes several times a year, especially when the Wyoming winters hang on too long.

I finally acquiesced in the the spirit of domestic tranquility after many years of avoiding it.

Oh, I tried all the standard responses, can't get away from work, who would watch the dogs, horses, elk,
badgers, etc... She insisted. I relented.

I did ask what she had in mind. "Laying on the beach, swimming in the ocean..."

"WHAT? Hold on a minute here Darlin'. You HAVE been watching the news, right?
North Carolina has been experiencing shark attacks on swimmers. Several people have been bitten.."

She replied that it is a rare occurrence and we don't have anything to worry about.

"That is EXACTLY what the people who got bitten thought." was my cogent response.

I went on to explain that she had changed the entire dynamic of this trip. Because of bears and lions, I do NOT head to the mountains here without a large bore revolver on my person.


Just had a guy killed by a grizzly, partially consumed and buried for a later snack in Yellowstone National Park last week.

IF I head to the beach in North Carolina, I am damn sure to have a sufficient sidearm for sharks, period. I made it a condition of my attending the soirée on the beach.

I went on to explain that my stable of handguns does not contain even one revolver that will survive the salt air of the ocean without immediately succumbing to rust and being rendered inoperable within a week. I am being compelled to purchase a stainless steel revolver for this trip. She rolled her eyes and said "Go ahead."

Ahhhh, permission. What a sweet ring (cue Angels singing) those words evoke.

So, with that in mind, I'm polling my East coastline-living brothers here on the forum for suggestions for an adequate shark defense gun.

Give me a hand fellas, single action, double action, caliber. What do you suggest?

Please, don't belabor me with potential regulations about shooting sharks...I intend to keep all my extremities. I have no intent to harm one.

Fire away....

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Sounds like a great theory, I have absolutely no experience with sharks, so can't really contribute but wish you luck. If nothing else you will at least get a gun out of the deal. What do you want?? How will your wife know if it's good for sharks or not?? :roll: :roll:

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

When subjected to salt water, any gun,stainless or not will turn into a ball of rust if not cleaned thoroughly very soon after exposure.

 

[contender]

Well, as a native of NC,,, and a scuba diver,,, I'm familiar with sharks. I've swam with them, I've fed them, & I've just watched them as they did their daily routine.
So, my first thing is to say: Welcome to NC & enjoy the visit.
Next, shark BITES happen when sharks are in a feeding mode. As a general rule, the word "attack" means there was malicious intent by the attacker.
Can a shark hurt you? Yes.
Are you or any human a normal food item? No.
Thousands of folks enjoy the waters off the entire coastline daily & shark bites are rare. But before you get defensive,, it does occasionally happen. There are a few things you can do to decrease your chances of being bitten. One,,, choose a beach well away from any form of feeding activity. Examples; Fishing piers, schooling baitfish, jetties, inlets, or any other place with known troughs of deeper water close to shore. We equate that with situational awareness.

Now,,, on to firearms.
No air fired firearm can have a bullet leave the air & penetrate the water more than a few feet. Even 6" of water will have a definite effect of a bullet. One to two feet & most calibers are severely reduced in their effectiveness.
Salt water can be rough even on a stainless gun. But, if you do your due diligence & maintain it properly,,, you'll not have any issues for your visit.
So, pick a gun you've been wanting to enjoy. Buy it in stainless. Choose a bigger caliber to appease your feelings about needing a shark gun.

But,,, the most effective shark gun is a speargun with a 44 mag powerhead.

 

[LuckenbachTexas]

I have Worldwide experience in this arena too as a water predator myself. I've manuvered hundreds of miles at night in shark infested deep water, coastal,and river inlet waterways, while stalking my prey. Contender is correct. I'd stay out of the water near dusk & dawn, wear bright colors, and wear a rubber or neoprene water shoe. Many times if a shark bumps you, the materials he detects (it rejects) can save you from getting eatin instead of nipped. The firearm, ridiculous for all the stated reasons. If you think Bears are good at what they do, you must see a shark in action. Even a powerhead would be useless under the casual "swimmer" role.

 

[magnum711]

Roy Scheider used a blued S&W 38/357. It worked on jaws. LOL.

Enjoy your new gun.

 

[DeletedMember275]

Elmer Keith killed several with his 4" M29 S&W while ocean fishing. He claimed his .44 Mag worked better than a rifle with soft point bullets did.

 

[stevemb]

Seals(Navy type) used to pack SW SS .357's, not for sharks, but often in and outta salt water. Get something that dis-assembles easily. Cut thru the sharks skin just in front of tail, after killing of course. This drains urine. Later cut shark into steaks, marinade with Carribean Jerk seasoning, grill. Yum. Now that the semi-serious advice is done, where ya gonna hide a shark sized handgun ? Luck.

 

[GunnyGene]

As with bears, you don't have to be faster than the shark, just faster than the other swimmers. :mrgreen:

Seriously tho, the last thing you want to do is draw blood. It will attract any other sharks in the area and you could easily start a feeding frenzy. I've seen that up close from the safety of a boat, and once started they will bite anything that's in the water, including the propeller on the boat.

 

[P89DC]

Ruger P series was used in "Outrageous Acts of Science" episode where they fired a gun under water....

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I've heard that the 44 magnum can take any animal in North America. In this case I would recommend the Talo 2.75 inch Redhawk and when taking a shot be sure to press the gun against the head of the animal. Just don't let it pull your bathing trunks down when you're packing.

 

[kd4rgwml]

She rolled her eyes and said "Go ahead."

new 44 mag, but permission for new gun. Whoop Whoop! Green light!

 

[coach]

I've read plenty of what gun for bear posts, but this is refreshing.

 

[Jeepnik]

Roy Scheider used a blued S&W 38/357. It worked on jaws. LOL.

Enjoy your new gun.

Yea, but he had to hit the tank to do any real damage.

 

[John in WYO]

Just don't let it pull your bathing trunks down when you're packing.

I already have something to hang the trigger guard on :wink:

 

[John in WYO]

... where ya gonna hide a shark sized handgun ?

Thunderwear! http://thunderwear.com/holsters.asp

 

[John in WYO]

I've read plenty of what gun for bear posts, but this is refreshing.

and that is one of the reasons I brought it to you guys!

Thank you very much, coach.



Part Deux (that's two in Frenchie talk),

So now she has issued another request regarding the upcoming beach adventure.

Her instructions were as follows: "I need you to get an outfit for the beach."

The accurate quotation of this statement is very important, as you will see later...(especially you divorce attorneys)

Now, some of you who are married may have improperly decoded the female language and come to the wildly inaccurate conclusion that she was referring to clothing, such as a swimsuit or shorts, loose shirt, straw hat, sunglasses and thongs.

By the way, my 1925 vintage, WW2 SE Pacific Navy Vet, father trained me that proper nomenclature for the rubber shoes that slip on your feet and are secured by a strap that goes between your big and second toe are THONGS, not the recent desecration of the English language in common use by illiterate city dwellers, i.e.: "flip-flops". I don't wear flip-flops.

In the West, we DRIVE "outfits". (Example: "Which outfit are you going to take to feed cattle today?", ....take to town... Etc...)
Being Wyoming raised, she is well aware of the definition of that particular use of language. Therefore, I can only reasonably and undoubtedly conclude that she wanted me to order a new Polaris Ranger 900 EPS side-by-side ATV for our beach outing. Of course, she wanted a windshield for keeping the bugs out of her face, a cab for shade and sadly of course, they only come in the camouflage model in North Carolina.

Won't she just love it when she discovers that I listened carefully and noted her needs and wants when the dealer delivers it to us on the beach? Big points for THIS guy, I'm telling you.

When we're done on vacation, I'll have it shipped home to Wyoming via truck, just in time for the end of elk season.



What a coincidence. She was just commenting the other day that she couldn't understand why I recently built a 40x80x16 shop when we don't have a motorhome or RV.
"There is so much empty space in here. I don't get it. What are we going to put in here?"
Again, I will just happen to relieve some of her stress by storing it inside so she won't have to ponder that question anymore.

I'll bet she'll REALLY be looking forward to our trip to her mother's condo at the beach next year.

 

[John in WYO]

She rolled her eyes and said "Go ahead."

new 44 mag, but permission for new gun. Whoop Whoop! Green light!

Exactly! You speak woman.

 

[mikewriter]

On a sort of serious note, I've shot and killed sharks with everything from a .22LR to a .44 mag - with a .380 in between. Also used a 12 gauge "bang stick". All of these fish were hooked and landed or hooked and at boat side. I used to carry a handgun when beach fishing at night - but it wasn't for protection from sharks! A firearm of any type would be a joke for "shark defense" - not to try to beat you out of a new handgun!

 

[ADP3]

For a coastal handgun my preference would be (WARNING BLASPHEMY AHEAD! ) a Glock Model 20 10mm with marine spring cups. Glocks are very resistant to a salt environment and Buffalo Bore, and others, make ammo with serious penetration capability. They even make an extended barrel that increases velocity and gives you more penetration and energy.

Stay out of the water early in the am, late in the pm and at night is my best advice other than wear plenty of sun screen so you don't get baked and enjoy plenty of fresh seafood while you're at the coast.

Best Regards,
ADP3

 

[pjvrefugee]

For a coastal handgun my preference would be (WARNING BLASPHEMY AHEAD! ) a Glock Model 20 10mm with marine spring cups. Glocks are very resistant to a salt environment and Buffalo Bore, and others, make ammo with serious penetration capability. They even make an extended barrel that increases velocity and gives you more penetration and energy.

Stay out of the water early in the am, late in the pm and at night is my best advice other than wear plenty of sun screen so you don't get baked and enjoy plenty of fresh seafood while you're at the coast.

Best Regards,
ADP3

this! second choice a bazooka.

 

[John in WYO]

For a coastal handgun my preference would be (WARNING BLASPHEMY AHEAD! ) a Glock Model 20 10mm with marine spring cups. Glocks are very resistant to a salt environment and Buffalo Bore, and others, make ammo with serious penetration capability. They even make an extended barrel that increases velocity and gives you more penetration and energy.
Best Regards,
ADP3

Hmmmm. Interesting observation.

After spending a few afternoons in the local gun stores handling several different stainless Ruger revolvers, with .44 magnum as a minimum I've concluded that weight is going to be an issue. Even the Ruger Alaskan short barrel is pretty hefty. I'm not sure that, given the clothing restrictions for the beach, it would be conducive to continuous carry.

Again, the closest I've been to salt water is the water softener when I add more pellets.

Then, the clerk handed me a Glock G20. I've got an LE buddy who swears by the cartridge in his Kimber 1911. More than adequate mag capacity, doubles as a self defense and hunting option. I was bear hunting in AK last year and several guys who live there sported G20s. (I had my John Linebaugh-built .500)

It feel pretty good in my hand, the tenifer finish is reputed to stand up well to salt water...can you just rinse it well in fresh water after coming out of the ocean, shake it off and expect it to work? Seems like a possibility. I don't know how a marine spring cup differs from a standard, holes to drain water, maybe?

Anyway, it seems like a sensible option to me. Another guy stuck a Springfield XDS .45 in my hand. Polymer and stainless, another rinse it off and call it good gun?
What do boat captains in NC carry?

As for the bang stick, I looked at several online. Pretty basic. Does one carry multiple bang sticks in a quiver, like arrows?

 

[coach]

Might be a good idea to have a lanyard on it since most shark attacks happen in the water and you wouldn't want your gun sinking to the bottom when you need it. :roll: :wink:

 

[John in WYO]

Okay, so Contender and Luckenbach were obviously far ahead of most other posters when it comes to sharks. Made sense, their observations.

Then I find this article :

https://tuffguystuff.com/outdoors/monster-shark-gets-the-best-of-two-experienced-fisherman-off-the-gulf-coast-of-florida/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TAB-SharkFight2-Desktop%20USUKCAN

Dammit, man. I just want to swim in the ocean w/o the attendant anxiety of encountering an apex predator that one can't see until it is too late. Is that too much to ask?

 

[stevemb]

I've my FIL's .357 SS Blackhawk. It was his 'gator gun for some yrs.. Really though, sounds like the wife might end up being the real threat to life and limb. LOL.

 

[contender]

John,,, I have swam in the ocean so much that there is no way I could recount the number of times. Not only as a diver,,, but as a surfer & just a swimmer. Never had any issues what-so-ever with sharks that I felt warranted fear. This includes getting in the water with a trot-line hooked 11' Tiger shark we'd caught to use for filming a commercial.
Buy yourself a firearm you desire,,, (you already got permission,) & go on the trip. Next,,, to swim,,, get in the water more around mid-day,,, and in a group area. Put yourself in the middle section of a group of other folks. And also,, steer clear of troughs in the water where deeper water is close by.

Your fears of a shark are not necessary. Respect them,,, don't place yourself in a place where they are & have the advantages, and then just enjoy your vacation.

(Besides,,, a guy who has to get permission to buy a gun has a scarier wife than any shark! )

 

[ADP3]

The marine spring cups are fluted so that striker impact is not impeded so much by water. The Glock will "work" straight out of the water with just a shake out. A fresh water soak, rinse and blow dry should suffice to clear out the salt water if you do immerse it. If I was sure it would get soaked I would put it in a plastic bag to begin with. Glocks already have a lanyard hole at the base of the grip so you're good to go there. There is also a Glock 20SF which has a slightly smaller grip diameter if that fits your hand better. I use the 20SF because it fits my hand better.

Many Bang Sticks have a rotating head containing multiple cartridges. You just jam it onto the target and BOOM, then rotate the head manually to the next round.

+1 on contender's comment about troughs. Stay off sandbars as well. Much of the NC coast has a steep drop off near shore. SC has better beaches than NC. They are broader and the drop offs are waaaay off shore. You have to go to Florida before you'll find better beaches than SC. But the SC coast is way more commercialized than NC's. NC is far more scenic.

Best Regards,
ADP3

 

[stevemb]

John in Wyo., has a pretty darn good sense of humor ! So must his wife... So, when is this trip ? We want to know when to start watching the news more closely !

 

[LuckenbachTexas]

I cut many teeth diving, spearfishing, training, lobstering, and stonecrab claw picking in the Destin East Pass all the way to Pensacola. Used to have the Marine patrol hovering all over the top of us until they verified who we were. There are monster sharks everywhere. There are some sharks running those sandbar trenches that will blow your mind.

Long story short, big sharks everywhere. if you are lucky enough to get a first bump, don't "smell" like food. Don't swim naked, and don't swim during primary feeding hours. Bring a good beer, forget the gun.

Okay, so Contender and Luckenbach were obviously far ahead of most other posters when it comes to sharks. Made sense, their observations.

Then I find this article :

https://tuffguystuff.com/outdoors/monster-shark-gets-the-best-of-two-experienced-fisherman-off-the-gulf-coast-of-florida/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TAB-SharkFight2-Desktop%20USUKCAN

Dammit, man. I just want to swim in the ocean w/o the attendant anxiety of encountering an apex predator that one can't see until it is too late. Is that too much to ask?

 

[stevemb]

If you fish the Boca Grande Pass, and ask around you'll hear stories of a giant shark they call Hitler. A warning, low gunneled type flats boats need to be outta the pass when the tide turns. Saw several get swamped.