Not that I need a kit gun, but if you were looking for a gun to carry in your box while fishing, what would you choose.

I've got some smaller pistols like a j-frame, but mostly I keep full size pistols around for shooting. Since I don't want to wade all day flyfishing with the extra weight of a full size, I'm looking for something lighter.

Couple years ago I would have went with a Ruger LC9, but I haven't kept up much. What would you guys be looking at?

What do you want it for, plinking, 4 legged self defense, 2 legged self defense?

Plinking makes the most sense. But I've seen some things happen at the access points that i wouldnt rule out self defense. 4 legged predators arent a thing where I fish.

I had one of the Browning black label 380. Loved the idea of it, but it was the most unreliable gun I've ever owned.

LCP, Glock 42 or 42. Ang a untold lengthy list of 22 handguns. Do not put it in a fishing box... it will mistakingly get left ther occasionally and moisture will rust parts.

^^^This^^^

Glock 42 or Ruger LCP if you want a really reliable .380. Those 2 are hard to beat!!!

Sig P365 hands down, nothing comes close.

Agreed if you want a 9mm, but I wouldn’t leave mine in my tackle box like the OP described.

Police trade in Glock 40S&W.

Water resistant as they come,
wear resistant finish.
Accurate enough,
powerful enough,
Cheap for what you get.




Not because I own one, I don't.

Should!

An LC9s would be good, or less expensive yet, an EC9s; fixed sights but seem to be extremely reliable. I'd also consider a Ruger LCR, LCRx with our with out the hammer, which ever you prefer. They can be had in 22LR, 22 Mag, 38 special, 357 mag, 327 Fed mag, or 9mm. Frankly for what seems to be your purpose I'd go with the 38 special. Pretty handy guns. I've grown quite fond of mine.

There are 3 different versions of the LCR.
Hammerless Short Barrel
With Hammer Short Barrel
With Hammer 3" Barrel I like these for what you are thinking of. Comes in 22 LR, 22 Mag, 38 Special, and 357 mag, and I assume (soon to come) 327 Fed Mag.

If you want to plink while you fish, there are many good 22's to choose from. Personally, when I fish I put the S&W Governor in the glove box of my boat. Finish is water resistant. Any of the calibers/shells are great for most use including self defense against scumbags on the lake or at the boatramp. 410 is a great snake killer.

If it will be a Centerfire on your belt, I say go with a small light 9mm to keep plinking costs down & be good for defense. There are many to choose from. And just a sampling, in the last few weeks I bought two different 9mom's that were barely used that were both well under $200. A Canik TP9 SA (like a Walther 99) and a Tristar imported Canik C100 (like a CZ 75 compact).

If you mean to keep it in your tacklebox (which means no self defense to me) then a stainless .22 auto (Ruger comes to mind) or even a stainless or plated revolver. Ruger .22's can be bought cheap once the finish starts to show wear. And they keep going. Again, a small 9mm won't really take up any extra room.

Another thought is to find a CZ 52 in 7.72x25. They are tough reliable ex-military guns, were always inexpensive (dont know about these days) and the round is cheap to shoot and Hot. I paid $125 for the one I bought years ago, like new with holster and spare mag. They are probably double that now. Loud though...

Any of the above mentioned would work great. I’m still pizzed off at Ruger for not releasing the 3” barreled LCR with adjustable sights in .327 Fed Mag yet like they’ve claimed they’re going too. It would make the ultimate little “Kit Gun”

A $200 Taurus G2C would probably be my pick. They've proven to be reliable, they're cheap, good capacity, cheap, reasonable size, cheap, shoot pretty well. Oh, and they're cheap if they go swimming.

This! I've been impressed with my dads. Way more accurate than my shield and has been extremely reliable with a VERY wide range of ammo. I really like these.

How big are the fish.....

I used tackle box loosely. It'll be kept in the house when its not in my flyfishing vest or pack.
I owned several 40s, even had a 357Sig. Won't own another. I've been looking at the g2c for a while. Shot a friends quite a bit. Heck of a gun for the money. I also like the mk 3 idea for a 22. Probably even heavier than the G2 or lc9.

I also had the cz-52, and i think i'ld take the old Makarov first.

If I didnt like my S&W model 37 so much i'ld just pack it.

A rational person would just grab a 22 for snakes and squirrels. That would pretty well cover it.

I usually grab a 2” 38sp of some stripe when I head to the fishing hole. I shoot snakes and pigs when necessary out at the bass pond and the lake and creek I usually catfish has been known to have the occasional meth lab around hidden in the weeds. I feel a little bit better with a 38 and an extra speed strip when poking around down there at night.
I’m an S&W guy so it’s a 36, 10-5, or my 15-3, all 2” for me. But I’ve given the 3” LCR some thought too. Would probably buy one if it would fit any of the holsters I already own.

If you want a light reliable pocket carry .22 pistol, I’d highly recommend this one. Mine stays loaded with 11 rounds of CCI Stingers.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/rugerr-sr22r-22lr-blue-titanium.html

"Fishing gun"?
I tend to use hooks. Much easier on the "catch and release " aspects....
....as for shooting fish in a barrel, I hear it's not as easy as it sounds.

Actually, in all truth, a "fishing gun" is a major reason why I exist. A short tale to tell...

When my father was dating my mother, he went fishing with the "old man" to make a good impression. While out in the boat, my grandfather hooked a water moccasin just behind the head, and held it over my dad's head, as my dad tried to get away from it. At one point, he was flat on his back in the bottom of the boat, with that snake pissed off just inches away. My grandfather decided that this boy had no sand, and was not fit for his daughter.
My dad is a soft spoken man, who sees it as a failure If he has to raise his voice. He's a decon in the church, well read, well spoken, and my role model. He was silent as the boat returned to the wharf. As it touched the dock, he jumped out and walked up to the hardware store at the top of the ramp, and walked back to the gun counter. (Back then, you could buy most anything at the hardware store.)
He paid for a .22lr 9 shot revolver, loaded it , and walked back to the boat.
He pointed it at my grandfather's forehead, and said calmly, "you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will kill you."
At that moment, my grandfather realized he had misjudged the man in front of him. That revolver rode in his tackle box for the next 10 years.
My grandfather later took my mother aside, and told her he approved of the young man, and her safety would never be in doubt. He never told her why.
I'm the second child of thier union, and the story did not come out, until I was a young man.
That revolver was stolen from his home during repairs using an outside contractor. It has never been recovered.

There is an option i hadnt seen. I like that.

In all honesty I have a cheap High Standard Sentinel that I use for a truck gun. Would do fine as double duty, and the abuse couldnt hurt it. Always fun to look at options.

I'd like a Smith 651 for carry or safe spot in fishing gear.
But they be pricey these days.

For a beater I'd get maybe an LCRX.
Or a used Glock 9mm.

I've lugged a 629 and 1911 on my hip when fishing.

Just remembered, also toted a 648 for a while.

But my back is screwed up and I'm older now.
No more full size rigs when fishing.

If you are not looking for something for bear defense, or something to shoot at beer cans or turtles, etc., it would seem to me that you already have just what you need. Load your J - frame S&W with a combination of snake shot and SWCs or HPs of your choosing and you are well armed for whatever. Take along an optional speed strip or speed loader if desired. This should take care of any rabid animals - coyote sized types and 2 legged types as well - that you might encounter, snakes, attack perch, etc., that you may encounter. A J - frame is lightweight, compact, and .38 SPL is powerful enough punch for any of these critters. Now if you have a concern about bears, I would suggest a S&W M-69 .44 Mag with the heaviest SWCs you can find. This is an L frame and a little bit larger than a K frame, but much handier than a N frame. A good way to carry it would be in a chest holster. JMHO, YMMV.

Covers all bases plinking, self defense, etc.

Given the OP's stated use for said "Kit Gun" (which sure as hell isn't a .40 S&W Y'all) I would suggest perhaps an Ruger LCRx in either .22 WMR or .38 Spl. The .327 Federal magnum sounds interesting, and I might just be tempted if they ever bring it out!

My favorite "fishing" companion is a S&W 60-10 J-frame .357 Magnum 3" with adjustable sights.

If you want a little lighter then the above mentioned LCRX3" in .22 LR, .22 Magnum, .357 Magnum, or the 9mm or .327 once they are brought out, are about as good as it gets for a compact "plinker".

Bob

I keep a governor for my fishing boat gun. couple bird shot and some 45 colts. Shoot snakes, hogs whatever I need it for. It does everything I need.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this yet...

A PMR 30 would be an interesting choice.
Reports on early ones were pretty problematic, but it looks like Kel Tec sorted out their issues a while ago.

Super light (gun loaded with 30 rounds is about 1.25 lbs), very high capacity, easy triggers and they are a Blast to plink with. Mine is a good, accurate plinker but not a target gun. Shoots better than I expected though so I'm happy with it.

40 grain bullets run around 1300 fps so its a lot like shooting a .22 rifle. A little louder than most people expect, and you get muzzle flash but NBD.

A far cry from a Ruger Mark II, or a K22 Masterpiece, but WAY more packable. And you'll never worry about scratching it.

Just a thought.

Back when I lived on the Olympic peninsula, I fished a lot of beaver ponds and trout/steelhead streams.
My handgun was a Charter Armrs Pathfinder 22lr, 3 inch.
Fed it CCI mini mags, which it liked. Shot a lot of critters with it.
Still have it, but it has been replaced by a Ruger SR 22
You could do a lot worse than a 22

Any kind of Glock.

I gave my son a Ruger SR22 a couple years ago. He does a lot of kayaking on rivers fishing for those bronzeback bass. The little .22 semi auto is always in the yak. He had to shoot one cottonmouth that wouldn't let him by and said it was comforting at the take out spot at dark one evening when two nefarious looking dudes drove in and parked nearby giving him the stink eye. He doesn't have to actually carry the gun but size is a consideration in a kayak. If it were me, I would probably have an Airweight J frame .38 along on my fishing trip. But I'm getting kinda old school and find that more often than not I usually have a S&W 642 with me. It is becoming my "always have gun."

I don't understand the seemingly common view of "kit guns." The things people choose seem exactly counter-intuitive to me. If I'm out fishing, I'm not going to shoot something unless it is fixin' to kill me or permanently maim me. About the only options we have for that are bear, cougar, wolves, feral livestock, and real bad large dogs. Those call for a .44 magnum, not a rimfire. If the problem is snakes, if I can hit them in the head with a pistol, they're not doing anything that warrants shooting them in the first place. If I truly need to shoot them, then I need a shotgun with quail loads ... like low base 12 gauge 3-1-8s.

My fishing gun is my short single action .44.

YMMV.

Tom

WE usually fish among bears... I have taken to carrying a Taurus Titanium 5-shot revolver in 44Spl with hard-cast...

Would Never question someone using a 22lr for a carry-around. Those little suckers really dig deep. About as much good as you can get without substantially more weight.

I don't fish much, but my best friend does. We both have SW360 PD, and they weigh almost nothing. He has first 2 rounds birdshot for snake, and the other 3 rounds 337 hollowpoint. I just use 357 for walking the dogs in the woods. EZ carry and secure in a blackhawk serpa..

I grew up reading outdoor writers from my very early youth and envisioned myself in this romanticized ideal of someday packing a .22 "kit gun" as i hiked/hunted or whatever through the wilderness using it to shoot targets of opportunity, defend myself from snakes, bag a rabbit or grouse for supper, or even to survive off the land. Many years later when I was able to buy a gun like that, I quickly discovered that even shooting the lowly .22 LR out of a handgun for a few rounds without ear protection, leaves my ears ringing.

Over the years, I've arrived at the conclusion T_O_M stated here- except we don't have cougars and only recently have there been black bear sightings where I live and hunt, so I don't actually need a .44 magnum.




So, I've arrived at the conclusion that I need to decide before I leave for a hike or whatever, what the purpose of the gun is. If it's to shoot targets of opportunity and maybe try to bag a small game animal or two, I need to either bring ear plugs or take a suppressed gun. If the purpose of packing is to have a gun for my personal comfort/ security while I do other things, where the most likely predator that I would encounter would be the two legged kind, I want something more powerful than a .22 LR.

For the former purpose, I have a 22/45 Lite & suppressor. For the latter, I would've gone with my 5" aluminum frame 1911 until recently, but I bought a 3" S&W 60 that I've worked over a little bit and have grown pretty fond of it.

Agree with this.

I see a lot of gun writer and youtube types putting down the concept of the Governor, but I think it is a damn good gun. Useful, and fun to shoot.

I’ll join the chorus of people advocating for the Sig 365. Great gun. Fired over 1000 rounds without a jam of any kind, plenty accurate, and really small. Best choice, in my experience.

The compact Glock G30S would be a solid choice.



It is lightweight, yet has sufficient capacity for a compact .45 ACP pistol (10+1)

With proper ammo selection it will likely handle any aggressive animal, large or small.

It is also roughly the size of a G19, so it is pretty comfortable to carry on a regular basis, so a guy is not likely to leave it in a pack or his camper instead of wearing it in a chest pack, or belt holster.

If I'm carrying a pistol these days it is a PPQ45 or a short, heavy frame Vaquero in 45 Colt.

And I am damn near always carrying a pistol.

I have carried a Stainless Ruger SP101 hammerless 2" .357 for 25 years. Slips easily in back pocket and is always handy.

Same is available in .22LR.

LCR 22lr

Plenty for halibut, seals, and gut eaters. 😁

S&W AirLite 22; quality 9-shot revolver. 11 oz. Used to be able to get the 3” barrel. I don’t know if that’s still available — looks like 2-2 1/2” now. That was my kit gun.

Ruger Wrangler

With my luck, what’s the easiest to clean of it gets dunked?

Semi or revolver?

In MS a fishing gun is for snakes. No man eating critters.

Been thinking of a ruger revolver, lcrx? In 22mag.

If it's for snakes and you plan on shot loads I'd go .38 Special. The .38 shot load is a quite noticeable step up from the rimfire shot loads.

Not necessarily shot loads.

Hard bullets.

The lcrx .38 alloy or does it step up to steel?

The .22 LR and Magnum along with the .38 Special are alloy. The .327, .357 and 9mm are steel frames.

Responses clearly show the best choice depends on what threat you might encounter, with the biggest being a griz of some flavor, and perhaps the most dangerous being a man intending harm. Seems a crazy fishing endeavor, or at least a shame, where truly dangerous people must be considered, but it is what it is.

I'd take plinking out of the equation. YMMV, but if I'm fishing, I'm fishing. But if small game is a consideration, then plinking of a sort is back on the table.

If snakes are the only consideration, then a question is are you shooting at any "bad" snakes you see, or only those that somehow wind up too close for comfort. If the latter, I'd seriously consider a shot load of some kind.

If not fishing, but hunting, then is your primary a rifle or shotgun, how big, yada, yada, yada.

Edit to add: The OP was too broad a question, but perhaps he was looking for things to consider in addition to guns to consider.

^^^^^^^^
I have no clue where my "new" avatar came from. I never had one to start with, and WTF with that one.
Edit to add: Clearly I'm not the only one with the avatar issue.

You can opt out.
I took a stock one.

Living on wild side for awhile.😉

I don’t know about the OP’s area but the lake where I take my boy fishing all the time has a network of two tracks around it that crisscross through some seriously overgrown and wild areas. It’s only 2 miles from town but rather wild and secluded due to overgrowth and rough and rutted access. Methheads love these kind of places to set up mobile labs which they don’t like people snooping around. We haven’t found anything and don’t go looking for it and keep to ourselves when we see people down there, but I do know guys who’ve stumbled onto these type of operations around here. For that reason I always have some kind f centerfire handgun with me and more often than not an AR and a few mags. I’m not going to quit fishing because of them but I’ll darn sure go prepared to deal with some weirdo.

Someone I know real well spends a lot of time fly fishing rivers in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. You might think that bears would be his main concern - but actually, it's moose that make him nervous. They sneak up on him all the time. It's the moose that convinced him to carry a big bore revolver. Convinced me too. Make mine a stainless DA Ruger. Easy to deep clean after a swim. Any number of rust resistant heavy loaded 45acp or 10mm would also suffice.

Most of the time when I fish, I've got the LC9S in my belt. Just like when I'm mowing, picking up bags of salt at Menards, or whatever

I'd love to live in a world where guys spend a day fishing here and there, and potting a grouse for camp supper with a kit gun .22. It just doesn't work that way in my neighborhood.

I was fishing in a county park near Waterville IA a couple of years ago. I was alarmed after hearing a car pull in, to see 3 large pit bulls running my way unattended.

Had my hand on the LC9S when I realized these dogs wanted to play friendly like.

How about this thing. You could kill a lot of fish with it.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...298/re-mossberg-590-mariner#Post14130298

There's a wooded ridge trail not far from my home and we walk it occasionally. I loved to carry a .22 revolver and plink with it while walking. The near end of the trail is across a neighbor's farm, and I walk his line fence to access it.

I put night sights on my 1911 after a chance meeting with his "escape artist" Holstein bull, while coming off the trail one night. I also learned that at nearly 50 years of age I could still jump a fence with one hand on a post. Wouldn't care to try it now.

We live in Meth central. Anytime I'm riding fire roads on my dual sport, there's a handgun, easily accessible in my tankbag, and it's not for snakes and bears.

After thinking about this, I'd like to amend it a bit. Whatever else you have loaded, if there is a good chance of a bad snake surprising you too close for comfort, perhaps the first shot or two should be a shot load. After those, then the next most likely threat will determine.
Based on recent responses, I guess the combination of rural areas and meth have changed things compared to the past. I wonder if moonshiners were/are a bit easier to get along with?

Airweight snubby .38 special with the first two rounds loaded with CCI shot rounds. Remaining chambers loaded with 135 grain Speer +P Gold Dot short barrel.

Ron

My S&W 640-1 in .357 is loaded this way with 2 rounds of CCI snake shot followed by 3 rounds of 158gr GoldDot HP's.

I think we have a winner. While I might pack my M34 .22 up here in the north for red squirrel protection, I'm darn sure toting my 337 PD .38 Special with snake shot and +P Critical Defense ammo in the follow up positions down south. Both the snakes and the humans are more dangerous.

Rossi 720 or Taurus 431/441.

I nearly always belt carry a Rossi 720 whenever I'm out were there are snakes. 2 rounds of CCI snake shot and 3 rounds of 240 grain hard cast semi-wadcutters cover all the threats that I'm likely to encounter while afield anywhere that there aren't big bears.

Look at the S&W airlite model 317. I have 2" and adj sight 3". Can't decide which i like better. 11 oz, 8 shots, you want know its there, unless you need it.


Charlie

Since this thread was started, I acquired a rimfire companion to my other trail gun. One is if I'm using "fishing" as an excuse to go outside but probably plan on popping a few rounds off here and there- the other is if "fishing" is really about fishing and having a gun there is for my peace and comfort. (S&W 60 & 63- both 3" barrels.)

The 3" 317's with adjustable sights,are rather Skookum. Doubly so when wearing CT grip. Hint.





Had this Squirrely bitch at under 5',but barked her away with a red laser dot on her head. We met in the jungle and she had Cubs(one of which is visible,next limb up).



'Course Ruger Self Shuckers are a mainstay.




Saw (21) Bears on Monday and a Grock 34 in a GFI Kenai,don't suck...which was in tow

A 317 is a tough bitch to beat for handy/dandy and I've more than a LOT of faith in a 22LR saving the day. Have seen it too many times,to discount it.

Hint....................

I'm not sure what you are fishing for. But I have found that a Ruger Black hawk with 38 fmjs. Are perfect for shooting carp in the shallows. Also shotguns and fine shot with a full choke work well

I wish I’d have read the OP, prior to digging out some old load data. I was going to offer some good loads for a .44 (heavy cast, wide metplat) for fishing! Also, have some good “trout loads” for my rifle, also cast bullets. You don’t have to carry all that fishing gear and a firearm....just a box of “special” bullets. As a plus, the fish you get is not a random chance.....you pick out the one you want!

So now to attempt to answer the actual question. Obviously, this is not for bear stoppage....so a fairly lightweight, accurate, stainless steel handgun would seem practical. My suggestion would be a Ruger Mark series .22 semi-auto in SS, or a S&W Model 617. No matter what you choose for your handgun, consider a “chest carry” ( tanker style) holster.....you will quickly learn to love it. memtb

Carried a Smith .38 snubby for quite awhile back in the day. Handloads with HBWC backwards over about 3 gr of Bullseye. Quite handy for calming uninvited lure choppers such as barracuda to facilitate lure retrieval...one shot decapitator it is. Don't fish offshore anymore so I just keep it handy for other pests.

Other than that I don't have much use for pistols.

Now I don’t drop my equipment in the water enough to take pretty pictures ...

But


S&W 631. 32 H&R Mag. 4” barrel.

Any 38 j frame would be good like this.. mines just a 32.

LJBass: Just yesterday I fished the Bighole River here in SW Montana and my fishing partner carried (waded right out into the river with it!) a stainless Smith & Wesson Model 629 in 44 Magnum with 8 3/8" barrel!
He carried it in a cross draw holster.
There have been several Grizzly maulings/attacks here in SW Montana in the last month. Along with numerous encounters/sightings.
I carried a Leatherman Super-Tool!
I would recommend a "fishing box" pistol of the Glock Model 43 style.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've got a little stainless Taurus .380 with a spare mag in the boat. If I was doing lots of fishing in bear country, I'd be carrying something with a little more punch.