Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticks
I have been informed that a couple of the job sites that I will be working at this year are having a huge problem with rattlesnakes (READ - above normal for the area)
The company policy is "No Guns" (Verbal only), yet my supervisor mentioned that one should probably keep the snake shooter handy.
I responded with "So, I won't catch any grief if I keep a .410ga derringer in my pocket?" No response but no denial either.
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So if you whip out a gun and shoot a snake, don't be surprised when you get fired. In other words, don't designate yourself as the snake shooter for the crew just because you are carrying a gun.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sticks
Anyhow, I am not too worried about them if I come across one (you go your way, I'll go the other), just when I am in a position where either backing up or avoiding is not going to work so well (crawling under a piece of equipment, I need to be where it is currently at and it turns into a territory dispute...) an eye to eye meeting does not appeal to me.
I am not walking around with a shovel all day, and I am not qualified to be a snake handler with the hooked rods.
So, having said that, any recommendations for a reliable, small, not going to break my wrist, snake gun?
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Wow, it should be fun being under a piece of equipment and shooting a shotshell. You may not want to carry a shovel all day, but I would suggest you wear some ballistic goggles/glasses so that ricochets don't blind you. Little pellets in the skin can be removed fairly easily, but restoring vision is much more difficult. By "ballistic" I mean glasses that will stop the pellets, not your everyday cheapo shooting glasses. I believe Gargoyles, Wiley, and a couple of other companies make glasses that will stop birdshot.
Buying a derringer would be a bit stupid, especially a Bond Arms derringer. It is big, heavy, and you get ONLY 2 shots. Plus it is single action only and so you have to thumb cock each shot. You would be much better off with a .357 snubbie 5 shot revolver firing CCI shotshells. Recoil with shotshells really isn't bad at all (nothing like a slug). You will get 5 shots instead of 2. You can carry .357 or .38 spl loads. You can have a gun that is MUCH lighter if you get an airweight or the like. Plus, the gun will be more useful for things outside of work than the Bond Arms.
The Judge would be a good gun, BUT if you want to shoot buckshot every, then you need to buy the long cylinder version (3" I believe) and not the standard smaller version. Also, the gun is MUCH larger than other than snubbies or the Bond Arms derringer. It would be great for the job, but it isn't a gun you are going to readily and easily conceal which makes it a bad gun for you on the job site where guns are not allowed.
DON'T go with a NAA mini revolver loaded with rat shot from CCI. It is single action only and you need to hit the brain with it and the tiny pellets just aren't great for the job.
My advice to you, if you are worried about being under equipment and meeting a snake, is to buy a security mirror on a stick (such as is used to look under vehicles by security folks). You can look at the areas you need to visit under vehicles before you crawl to them. You look before you go under and then you use it to look around corners up in crevices, taking it with you as you go.