3 Best Bear Defense Pistols When You Have Seconds to Live

Image of Bryan Hill, Founder of Pistol Wizard Bryan Hill / March 21 2024

Bear defense pistols can be drawn in 1.5 seconds or less, so you can fire before you get mauled.

They need to be powerful enough to punch through the bones of huge, dangerous animals, but not so powerful that it's slow to shoot, or inaccurate when fired quickly.

What fits the bill? Pistols chambered in 10mm, loaded with bear defense ammo.

Overview

Pistol Size	Length: 8-10". Any longer and they become slower to aim. Any shorter and they may lose too much power to reliably stop large animals.
Frame Material	Steel or polymer.
Weight	Weight: 1.5-3.0 lb. Anything in this range is a balance between comfort of carry and reducing the recoil of your stronger ammo.
Ammo Caliber	10mm.Strong enough to perform vs. large animals, with good ammo capacityand acceptable recoil.
Ammo Capacity	14+ rounds. More is better.
Best Upgrades	Pistol light, Threaded barrel, Compensator, Laser Grips or Red Dot (optional)
Storage	Chest holster or belt holster or a secure storage safe.

For more info, see our Bear Defense Whitepaper.

Under $600

Over $600

Best Bear Defense Pistol under $600

The Glock 20 is the easiest to carry bear defense pistol. It's not too big, and light enough to carry all day, but it has less power and more recoil than the other options.

Updated hourly

	Glock 20 $522.19 @ Compare Prices $522.19 @
	15+1
	1.7 lb
	8.07"L x 1.3"W x 5.5"H
	Can be comfortably carried on your hip, not just your chest Has a rail for attaching a weapon light (WML) Best aftermarket support Easiest to transfer skills between Glock pistol types (pocket, compact, etc.) - learn one, you've learned them all Unique grip angle that people either love or hate Slide stop hard to use Magazine release hard to use

Best Bear Defense Pistols over $600

At this price point, the Glock 40 MOS is a great balance of price, weight, and aftermarket support.

The EAA Witness Hunter 10mm has a better trigger and less recoil, but is heavier, and it's harder to find holsters for one. It also has an frame-mounted optic mount, which offers more performance at the cost of some bulk.

Updated hourly

	Glock 40 MOS ~~$769.99~~ $699.89 @ Compare Prices $699.89 @ $769.99 @	EAA Witness Hunter 10mm Compare Prices
	15+1	14+1
	2 lb	2.88 lb
	9.5"L x 1.3"W x 5.5"H	10"L x 1.3"W x 5.4"H
	Has a rail for attaching a weapon light (WML) Best aftermarket support Easiest to transfer skills between Glock pistol types (pocket, compact, etc.) - learn one, you've learned them all Unique grip angle that people either love or hate Slide stop hard to use Magazine release hard to use	Least recoil Best trigger Frame is drilled to fit optics mounts instead the slide. If you mount an optic, you'll improve recoil, but may need a custom holster.

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