Thinking about replacing my G29 with a S&W 640

[Litefoot]

Haven't started a new thread here in a long while. I have a G20 and a G29, but have started eyeing the 640 for backpacking duty mainly to get the hammerless design to fire through jacket, pants pocket and/or sleeping bag. I know the G29 can pack a bigger punch, especially with the DT 200 gr WNGC bullets, but I guess I'm getting bored and wanting to something different. Anyone want to slap me back into reality?

[Maine1]

never..slap!...say...slap!..you...slap!..are..slap!..replacing..slap!...a..slap!..glock..slap!..ten milimeter!

seriously, I'd try the firing you mentioned with a cheap thrift store sleeping bag, as i'd bet you could cant the pistol and make it work, thus saving the cash on a new pistol. I bet it will really warm the bag up on cold nights, too!

[Kegs]

I get bored with guns too, so I know how you feel.

I am also going backpacking for a couple days soon!

Personally, I can't imagine owning a gun that is dedicated to one purpose, but that's just a personal preference I hold - That, plus I don't have enough disposable income to afford another gun of any kind right now.

Also, I don't know why you would be interested in keeping a gun in your sleeping bag - that is not a good place to keep a gun unless you are sleeping in a very dangerous place where you fear for your life (since you could have a mistake with that while you are sleeping that may cost you your life!)...trust me, what you suspect can't happen CAN!

Do you really think that pistol is going to fit into a pants pocket in such a way that you could point it at something and actually hit it? I am a tad skeptical regarding that idea.

About the only pocket I could imagine having that in and actually being able to point and hit something with it would be a jacket pocket, and I don't suspect it's going to be all that comfortable to carry that way + how will this be deployed while you have the backpack on?

The 640 appears to be about the same weight as the G29 (surprisingly), but provides 1/2 the round capacity. There is no way to mount a light to it so you can see what you're shooting at, so you're going to have two items to monkey around with instead of one, or just shoot blindly, which is a really BAD idea.

Hey - it's your money, but have you really thought this through?

Backpacker to backpacker, I think you're better off mounting a small fast-clip accessible "gun pack" to your sternum/shoulder/belt strap vs. trying to fiddle with "pocket carry". One of these will work great, and nobody will even know there's a gun in there:

http://www.thewilderness.com/storepinnacle/index.php?p=catalog&parent=171&pg=1


If you want to go really covert, just use a large binocular case strapped to your pack and keep your gun in there. :cool:

As for sleeping, keep the pistol out of the bag and in a place where you can't grab it or move it while you're sleeping, but if woken by bumps in the night, you can obtain it very quickly if in an awake state.

[Maine1]

i actually sleep with my holstered pistol fairly often. Easy in a hammock or on the couch.
would not try it on harder ground though. Thats one reason why i love hammock camping.

[Litefoot]

Kegs and all,
Thanks for your interesting replies. Not sure why one would think that a revolver in a sleeping bag would be any more dangerous than carrying it in an IWB holster...I've never heard of anyone "sleep shooting" (like sleep walking I guess). The revolver would be in a holster while in the bag.

Has anyone else ever felt vunerable while zipped up to the neck in a mummy bag? If a bad guy or critter decided to have its way with me, I could do little to respond quickly.

Anyway, I know I'm rationalizing the revolver thing probably, but its fun to talk about the "what ifs" out there.

[Maine1]

yes, mummy bags kinda freaked me out at first. They are warm though. Arm self inside, and its all good.

[cowboywannabe]

i have both, and depending on the reason for carry i use either one.

the G29 has its advantages with capasity, the 640 is more "pocketable" and for me easier to conceal.

[Kegs]

Not sure why one would think that a revolver in a sleeping bag would be any more dangerous than carrying it in an IWB holster...I've never heard of anyone "sleep shooting" (like sleep walking I guess)

Sleep shooting:

Female officer kills herself with gun under pillow:

http://www.gunguys.com/?p=2234

Here's one from the history books:

http://politicalgraveyard.com/death/gun-accidents.html

George M. Carhart (d. 1863) — of California. Member of California state assembly (http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/CA/ofc/asmbly.html) 21st District, 1853-54. Accidentally shot (http://politicalgraveyard.com/death/gunshot.html) and killed while sleeping in Skinner's Saloon (http://politicalgraveyard.com/death/taverns.html), Bannock, Beaverhead County (http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/MT/BV.html#DIED), Mont., May 17, 1863 (http://politicalgraveyard.com/chrono/1863/05-17.html). Burial location unknown (http://politicalgraveyard.com/inqa.html#Unknown).

Man shoots himself while sleeping:

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/04/30/Man-says-he-shot-himself-in-his-sleep/UPI-77711241137602/

How about one last month?

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/SleepDisorders/colo-man-sanford-rothman-shoots-sleeping/story?id=11996668

That took all of 5 minutes on google.

I don't know you, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to see anything like this happen to you.

Keep it safe.

[Kegs]

yes, mummy bags kinda freaked me out at first. They are warm though. Arm self inside, and its all good.

Except when you are having a dream about shooting, reach over and grab the gun and fire one off into your johnson...or you hear a twig snap outside and decide to fire on it, then bullets are flying at a park ranger or another hiker who has lost his or her way...

Look, do what you want, but for the sake of your own and others safety, you should take a little better precautions than just having a loaded weapon within reach (holstered or not holstered) while you are in a semi-conscious state of mind (sleep).

A more realistic approach would be to have it holstered in such a manner so that you have to "get up" to reach it - not possible from inside a mummy bag - AND there is no chance of it being accidentally discharged by rolling around by your body and the ground or other items inside the abode while you toss and turn.

I am an extremely experienced outdoorsman with literally months of time spent sleeping outside in every shelter (or not) you can think of - and frankly, that just sounds like a bad accident waiting to happen.

I hope it doesn't.