Advice for a novice: What is the best gun to carry in an RV?

[Retired]

This 22 magnum can be carried in a jean pocket and not even noticed. It is a single action revolver. A 22 is not going to have a lot of power, but fired at close range, it will do some damage.

This Ruger 380 is a popular carry semi-auto. Its small, lightweight, easy to conceal and easy to shoot.

One of my favorites is this 9mm. It is lightweight with a compact frame. Fits a small hand well, but make sure you have a firm grip when you pull the trigger.

We hike a lot and have nearly stepped on snakes more than once. This derringer fires a .410 shotgun shell or a 45LC. There ae a couple different models but I like the 3" barrel.

When we travel or go hiking, we carry an air horn, bear spray and more lethal protection.

 

[FL-JOE]

IMHO any tiny round would not be a good choice for self defense. I would never consider a .22 magnum or a 380 for concealed carry or home defense. If you ever have the misfortune of being required to defend yourself in a life and death situation your goal is to stop the threat immediately. 9mm, .38, or larger rounds will generally accomplish this. Remember, it isn't about killing someone, it is about stopping them IMMEDIATELY from harming you.

My wife has fired my handguns over the years. However, recently I decided that there was a need for an easier more lethal way for her to defend herself if needed from our RV. I have set up a 16-gauge pump shotgun for this purpose. It doesn't kick very much and she could put someone down up to about 10 yards easily.

 

[Retired]

I can carry a 22 magnum and you would never know it. Shorts and a tee shirt or jeans and a tee shirt are my most often worn attire. Not only is a 22 magnum easy to conceal, it is comfortable to wear and carry. Unlike a Glock 9mm or 45ACP.

Guns make people nervous and draw attention to the person with them.

I stay under the radar.

Again, the best defense is to remove yourself from any threat. Physical confrontation where force may be used by either party should be avoided.

 

[Tioga Bob]

IMHO any tiny round would not be a good choice for self defense. I would never consider a .22 magnum or a 380 for concealed carry or home defense. If you ever have the misfortune of being required to defend yourself in a life and death situation your goal is to stop the threat immediately. 9mm, .38, or larger rounds will generally accomplish this. Remember, it isn't about killing someone, it is about stopping them IMMEDIATELY from harming you.

My wife has fired my handguns over the years. However, recently I decided that there was a need for an easier more lethal way for her to defend herself if needed from our RV. I have set up a 16-gauge pump shotgun for this purpose. It doesn't kick very much and she could put someone down up to about 10 yards easily.

FL-JOE has a good point about shotguns.

My wife and I drove with a small group of friends in RV's to Alaska while the the British Columbia homicides along the Alaska highway were still unsolved and the perpetrators still on the loose. 2019 Northern British Columbia murders - Wikipedia

We all took shotguns on the trip as handguns or long rifles are not allowed in Canada. We entered BC at Rooseville from Montana and needed to get permits and the Canadian border guards entered our RV to inspect that the guns were safely stored as per instructions. Each time we crossed the border we showed our permit, a couple times guards came into the RV to see that the guns were in fact being stored properly.

Boon-docking along highway 8 heading towards Denali, Alaska

 

[FL-JOE]

Being a retired LEO, I have been concealing handguns since 1974 for off-duty carry. My lifetime experiences have convinced me that the minimum round for stopping a lethal threat is a 9mm, .38 and above. I only own two handguns, a S&W 9mm Shield and a small frame 5-shot revolver in .38. Since the Shield is a single stack mag it is very narrow and easily concealed using an inside-the-pants holster. The small frame revolver is also small enough to carry the same way. Utilizing self defense rounds in each of these handguns provide good stopping power.

We are in warm climates 12 months out of the year and the only time I am not wearing shorts and tee shirts is when we are on the motorcycles. IMHO you don't have to give up lethal stopping power in order to conceal a good defense weapon. Will a .22 or .22 magnum kill someone? It certainly could if the round hit them in the right spot and possibly more than once. Will a .22 or .22 magnum have enough power, shock, and immediate damage to stop someone from shooting you or continuing to attack you? I certainly would not bet my life or the life of my family on it. Chances are if a .22 or .22 magnum round is going to actually kill a person it will be in the ER an hour after the shooting.

I am not an expert by any stretch. I am simply basing these opinions on my 18 years of violent crime investigative experience (out of a 34 year career). Anyone who conceal carries has to decide what calibre they should use.

 

[Buly]

For the Florida hot weather, we both have Taurus 738 TCP .380 ACP (9mm Short) with laser sights and two magazines.

Mine is in a pocket holster, and she has it in her purse.

 

[Jim]

This derringer fires a .410 shotgun shell or a 45LC. There ae a couple different models but I like the 3" barrel.

That looks like it would take a strong wrist to control after it went boom.

 

[Retired]

That looks like it would take a strong wrist to control after it went boom.

The same with a small frame 9mm. You need a good grip or its going to fly out of your hand.

 

[Buly]

The same with a small frame 9mm. You need a good grip or its going to fly out of your hand.

You are right. They are not a gun that you want to shoot 100 rounds per session. Just close range 5-7 shots

 

[ManlyMan]

I consider the .380 to be an excellent self-defense round for conceal carry. While it may not produce the same foot pounds of energy as the 9mm or .38 special it still makes the same size hole going in and has less chance of over penetration. This is especially true of the jacketed hollow points. The .380 has become very popular for conceal carry because of the large choice of pistols available and small size. My personal favorite is this Colt Mustang Pockelite. It’s an excellent shooter. In the photo a .380 round on the right next to a 9mm round.