Handguns for the homestead and everyday varmints

By John Markwell | Contributing Editor

Two good examples of chest holsters. The Galco Great Alaskan for a 5” S&W Model 29 is on the left. The holster on the right is the extremely versatile At The Ready chest rig adapter for Blackhawk Serpa holsters; any Serpa holster can be turned into a chest holster in about 5 minutes using this set-up.

If you’ve been lucky enough to live at your rural retreat, spend time there on weekends, or are contemplating the big move, there are a myriad of things to think about and occupy your time.

We have been fortunate to have lived in truly rural America since 1969.During the past four and a half decades, we’ve never really farmed but we have always had some sort of livestock and a garden. From chickens to goats, a couple of horses and a milk cow, or a few sheep; you name it, we’ve probably had them at one time or another on several of the places where we’ve lived here in the Allegheny Mountains. Local wildlife has also been a big part of our rural lifestyle and there has been no shortage of encounters with the local varmints over the years. Even when travelling or working in the west, we have, at times, encountered pests and in many cases it was our “everyday” handguns that were called upon to deal with them.

Monday March 24, 2014

I had just settled into my chair with an adult beverage to watch some news on the TV when Helen barged in the gun room door babbling something about a critter in her barn. The opossum, that had been raiding the cat’s food bowl, had made an appearance and was “down behind some hay bales”.

CCI shotshells. From the left; .45 Colt, .44Spcl./Mag, .40S&W, 38Spcl./.357Mag, 9mm, .22Mag, .22LR. At far right is a home made shot shell for the .45ACP made from a cut off 30-06 case with gas checks encapsulating the shot load on top of the powder charge.

We’d been through this drill before, but we donned a jacket, grabbed our 4-inch S&W Model 651 .22 Magnum revolver and a Streamlight ProTac 1L flashlight, and followed the wife out to the barn. We could see the cats but the possum was indeed down behind some hay bales which were stacked on pallets. We moved some of the bales and the possum tried to escape by crawling under the pallet we were standing on. Bad move! We waited for the ‘possum’s head to appear in a gap between the pallet’s slats and then sent a Hornady 45-gr. FTX bullet into its brain pan. The 45-gr. FTX bullet incorporates Hornady’s patented Flex Tip technology, and it did an outstanding job of eliminating this varmint, which had been putting a hurt on the cat food for quite a while. In this particular case, we used the S&W 651 22WMR revolver because it was close at hand. Having resided on top of the black gun safe since the past fall, I knew it was loaded with three CCI shotshells and three of the Hornady Critical defense 22WMR cartridges. The .22MAG S&W 651 is one of any number of handguns that get used pretty regularly as “Everyday” guns around our place here in the Alleghenies.

June 30, 2014, Monday

 We had just returned from the 2014 summer varmint shooting trip a few days prior and had a Springfield Armory 1911 slide and frame waiting for us. These had been sent to the SA Custom Shop for the installation of a gold bead front sight on the slide and to have the front strap of the frame checkered at 25 lines per inch to enhance the gripping surface. Since it is only normal to want to use newly acquired handguns, they tend to be relegated to “Everyday” status around our place; at least for a while. We had reassembled the pistol, checked its zero, and had been carrying it in the new Galco Great Alaskan chest holster while catching up on a month’s worth of mowing and brush hogging. This Springfield Range Officer 1911 is chambered in 9mm and we had a CCI shot shell in the chamber while running the tractor and brush hog over the field below the pond.

Tools for pest control in the barn; S&W 4” Model 651 .22WMR revolver and a Streamlight ProTac 1L light.

It seems like the summer heat in the Alleghenies gets the snakes moving: we don’t know if this is a truism or not but, over the years, it sure seems like it. This day was hot and it looked like the Copperhead was trying to head for cover as the brush hog chopped the grass near where it had been laying. I picked up the snake’s movement in my peripheral vision just to the right of the rear tractor tire. I hit the brake and drew the 9mm 1911 at the same time. It’s about four feet from my tractor fender to the ground. With the gold bead front sight held just above the snake’s head (to allow for the offset of the bore at such close range), the trigger was pressed and the CCI 9mm shot cartridge pulped the pit viper’s head. And with that, another varmint was dispatched with one of our “everyday handguns” and the grandchildren and goats were a bit safer.

Just a few days later, while taking a walk with my wife and the dogs, the same 9mm Springfield Range Officer pistol stopped a fracas between the dogs and a woodchuck. Maggie, my Heeler, suffered a bite on the nose but the woodchuck did little other damage.

Everyday Handgun Concept

Right up front we have to acknowledge that we personally have little to no interest in modern hunting handguns. With their long barrels (often chambered for rifle rounds), telescopic sights, slings, etc., we view these as essentially carbines with the butt stocks cut off. We’d prefer to just have a light rifle; but that’s just our opinion. Admittedly, hunting handguns are great implements for hunting and really are pretty neat. However, they certainly are not convenient for everyday carry and use while out and about on the farm, ranch, or rural property.

Everyday handguns are easily carried when working the tractor. This is the author’s S&W 651 .22Mag Kit Gun holstered up on the old Ford.

For our needs, a handgun must be, first and foremost, convenient to carry and therefore the “Everyday” handgun is not the typical “hunting handgun”. Our “Everyday” guns don’t have optical sights, long barrels, or slings for carrying them. They are not chambered for rifle cartridges, wildcats, or even the biggest of the magnum handgun rounds. Often times, our everyday handgun is whichever pistol or revolver we’ve been shooting most recently (the advantage of having your own range), or whichever we are currently carrying, or have decided to carry, on any given day. Thus, over the years, we’ve used a bunch of different handguns for dealing with everyday varmints. Many times, the handgun we’ve used has been determined by sheer chance.

Snakes

Here in the Allegheny Mountains, we have Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads and in the prairie dog towns of the west, where we’ve spent considerable time, there are prairie rattlers. We, and some of our shooting cronies, have had encounters with rattlesnakes on numerous occasions over the years. In almost every encounter it was the “everyday handgun”, the one that was carried or close at hand at the time, that was used to deal with the snake.

When shot from the author’s tractor, the 9mm CCI shotshell did a capital job on this Copperhead. Even with the 9mm Government Model’s light recoil spring, the CCI shot shells will not completely cycle the pistol.

One of my prairie dog shooting buddies, Pete, is a retired cop who, out of long habit, carries a Colt Commander in 45ACP on a daily basis. In 2013 he had a snake encounter in South Dakota. One round of 45ACP (we don’t know what load he carries) did the job. The same day another of our group, young Bob (not to be confused with old Bob), dispatched another rattlesnake with his .357 Magnum revolver. Although dissimilar firearms, what both had in common was their availability at the time of need; “Everyday” guns if you will.

Around our place here in the hills, we often tote around whatever handgun suits our fancy on any given day. Over the years, we have dispatched rattlesnakes and Copperheads with everything from 22LR Smith & Wesson Kit Guns to S&W Model 27 and 29 magnum revolvers and 1911 pistols chambered in both 45ACP as well as 9mm. In a couple of cases, both here in the East and in the West, we have shot rattlers and other pests with our 17M2 chambered Kimber 1911. What all of these different side arms have in common is that, at the time they were used, they were the current “Everyday Handgun”

Another case in point

This old four screw S&W K22 revolver has been busting assorted varmints, like this Norway Rat, for many years. Its an ideal .22 for everyday use.

The year before the plague decimated the Thunder Basin prairie dog population, we made a late summer trip there to shoot with a friend who had promised his son a trip if his grades were good. It was hot in the Thunder Basin country in August but Ben, the kid, was having a great time despite the oppressive heat.The snakes were also pretty active and we’d seen several. One afternoon Ben’s rifle went down. He and I had been shooting prone, side-by-side, with me on Ben’s left. I got up and walked around to Ben’s right and squatted down to see what the problem might be with the rifle. Ben seemed to go apoplectic pointing behind me and trying to speak; sn….sn….snake! I had crouched down within just a few feet of a coiled up ‘rattler! My gunshot damaged hearing prevented me from hearing its buzz. The next few seconds were a blur; reflex accentuated by sheer terror. I levitated, drew my 17Mach2 Kimber 1911, and commenced to perforate the very unhappy pit viper. I had carried the Kimber everyday during our time in Thunder Basin and used it just this one time.

Other Vermin

Small furry critters like rats, raccoons, opossums, woodchucks, ground squirrels, etc., have been making pests of themselves for as long as man has lived on the land. Wherever there is livestock (and feed for same), a garden, or a dwelling adjacent to wild land of any consequence, there will be some sort of pest to upset the apple cart, so to speak.

The author’s new Springfield Armory 9mm Range Officer, in 9mm, with its first woodchuck.

We have had woodchucks undermine out buildings, ground squirrels chew wiring, Norway Rats get in the goat and horse feed, and both ‘coons and possums raid the dog and cat food. Generally these varmints are encountered at pretty short range around the homestead and a handgun is often more than adequate for dealing with them. Caliber doesn’t matter much, unless the pests are inside of a building. We have used everything from the lowly 22 Long Rifle up to the 44 Magnum over the years; again whichever our “Everyday” handgun of choice seemed to be chambered for at the time. We do, however, tend to carry magnum revolvers more often when the big game seasons are open or, as was the case for several years, when we were working in a Wyoming hunting camp (more on that later). (For garden pests Helen still prefers her 22LR Stevens Crackshot single shot rifle which resides by the sink near the kitchen door.)

This woodchuck was taken by the author with one of his 5” S&W Model 29 revolvers. Holster is a Guide’s Choice model from Diamond-D Leather in Alaska.

Speaking of the kitchen sink and varmints; you never know what you’ll find in the sink when you live in a house that has a dog door. You can’t, by the way, make this kind of stuff up. Helen woke me up one night about 3AM and whispered there was something going on down stairs. It didn’t sound like a person, and come to find out we had a raccoon that had availed itself of the dog door. The ‘coon ended up in the kitchen sink trying to exit through the window above it. We were sure this was one of the raccoons that had been raiding the cat’s food and we didn’t want it to get away but didn’t want to perforate the sink or the house either. The handgun that came to hand was our trusty Kimber 1911 in 17Mach2, which was perfect for the job, as the odds were slim that the 17 grain .17 caliber Hornady bullet would exit the raccoon. This particular 1911 just happened to be close to hand, as we had been using it throughout the week. I don’t, however, recommend shooting coons in your sink. After two shots, this particular raccoon flopped around, as they are prone to do sometimes when head shot, spewing and throwing blood all over the kitchen. The whole scene looked like something out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The .17M2 Kimber did its job very well but we don’t know if the aftermath was worth it. Helen says the next time we’ll let the coon go.

Revolver vs. Autoloader

We have shot the 1911 pistol for many decades and have an abiding love for the iconic John Browning masterpiece. We have 1911 pistols chambered for 45ACP, 9mm, 22LR, 17M2, and 38 Super and find any and all make for pretty good everyday guns. Revolver wise, we tend toward S&W’s hand ejectors, with caliber making little difference for most everyday uses. What is important to us, is ammunition compatibility and the variety available for either the auto or revolver chosen for use on any given day.

Ammunition

As almost anyone with any experience with them will attest to, the CCI shot shells for handguns are absolutely the best snake medicine ever devised by man. For years many handgunners loaded their own “snake loads” using cardboard wads or gas checks to top off powder charges and to seal the shot load inside the heavily crimped case. We have a few rounds for the .45ACP that were made by an old friend years ago from cut down .30-06 cases. (See the photo)

CCI changed all this with the introduction of their commercially loaded shot shells which are available in .45 Colt, .45ACP, .44Spl/Mag, 38/.357Mag, .40S&W, 9mm, and both 22 Long Rifle and .22WMR. We have used all of these loadings (except the .40S&W) with great effect on assorted vermin.

Matt Pyle killed this rattlesnake with his Springfield Armory .45ACP 19ll TRP while setting steel for the ASC. The TRP is matt’s everyday carry piece.

Most experienced handgunners will have their own ammunition preferences for dealing with larger varmints and we will not even begin to offer advice on that. We will, however, note that we have a preference for heavy cast lead bullets in the .44 Magnum for use in bear country. Specifically, we load the Cast Performance 320-gr. LBT to a velocity of just over 1100fps. While working several seasons in a Wyoming hunting camp, our everyday gun was a 5-inch S&W Model 29 stoked with that load and carried in an El Paso Saddlery 1942 Tanker holster. As there were Grizzlies in the area, this rig was always kept close at hand while in camp. The Model 29 was always carried when packing in or out and was carried by Helen on her beaver watching forays in the horse pasture.

Holsters

As mentioned above, our “Everyday” guns are carried a lot, often while working on the tractor, cutting wood etc. For handguns weighing up to about 40 ounces, we have long preferred a straight drop, strong side, belt holster carried just behind the right hip. This is about the weight of a full sized Colt Government Model or S&W L-frame revolver. However, as a handgun’s weight (and barrel length) increases we prefer to tote our handguns around in what is a relatively new holster style, generically referred to as the “chest holster”.

The author uses both of these newer S&W Kit Guns often. Upper gun is a 2” Model 317 Airweight; Bottom is a 3” Model 317 AirLite. Both are 8 shot .22LR revolvers.

These rigs are made by several different outfits and we have been fortunate to have tested quite a variety over the last few years. A few of our favorites are; The Guides Choice from Diamond-D Leather, The Great Alaskan from Galco Gun Leather and the Back Country chest holster from Badlands Leather. These holsters are all essentially a modification of the traditional shoulder holster suspension design crossed with the old WWII tanker holster. A chest holster tends to position the handgun more to the front of the torso making for both easier presentation and, especially, re-holstering of the handgun. For carrying heavier handguns, and those with barrels over 5 inches or so, we much prefer the comfort of the chest holster. Chest holsters are also very convenient for use on horseback, while ATV riding and are not in the way when getting in and out of vehicles. They also do not interfere with the use of a waist belt when carrying a pack. Most chest rigs also incorporate some provision for carrying spare ammunition. Having used chest holsters for quite a while now, about the only thing we’ve found we can’t do when wearing a handgun in one, is carry an arm load of firewood. Lastly, the properly adjusted chest holster can be donned or taken off in about 10-15 seconds.

A Final note

As much as we like, and use, centerfire handguns (both autos and revolvers), we have to acknowledge that the good old 22LR revolver may, in fact, be the most useful “everyday handgun”. Generally light weight and easy to carry, .22 revolvers can be loaded with either regular ammo or shot shells, in any order, and, depending on the gun, with as many as ten rounds. 22 autoloaders are, in our experience, prone to not reliably function with CCI’s shot shells, while the good old revolver perks along just fine when shooting them.

This rattlesnake was shot by the author’s son on Allegheny Mountain while setting up steel targets for the Allegheny Sniper Challenge. Brock often carries a 6 1/2 inch S&W Model 29 loaded with CCI .44 shot shells when out and about in the Summer.Chest holster is by Badlands Leather.

We’ve used 22LR revolvers quite a bit for busting varmints. For use around our place here in the Alleghenies, and around the cook tent in hunting camp in Wyoming, 22s, with CCI shot shells, have proven to be ideal for dispatching small varmints. A 22LR revolver would be high on our list if we were limited to just one “Everyday” handgun.

Thankfully we are not limited to having just one handgun for everyday use. We consider our selves fortunate indeed to be able to choose our “Everyday Handgun” from a considerable, if not eclectic, assortment and to live in an area where there is no shortage of varmints. These fortuitous circumstances make it quite practical (and enjoyable) to carry and use an “everyday handgun” of some sort almost every day. Good shooting.