The One & ONLY Bear Handgun Worth Carrying in 2027

One handgun I'd carry into brown bear country going into 2027, and the honest truth about it: the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in .454 Casull. A retired Montana game warden and bear guide takes apart the short-barreled .454 against four questions: Is it on your body? Does it clear a thousand foot-pounds out of the barrel you actually carry? Can you get a second hit before a charging bear covers twenty yards? And can you legally carry it everywhere you're going? Inside: • Greg Brush, Soldotna, Alaska, August 2009: what the record shows, and what's only the retelling • Why a 2.5-inch .454 still clears 1,000 ft-lbs, using real chronograph numbers • Heavy hard-cast loads (300 grains and up) and the crimp-jump test every bear load must pass • Recoil, follow-up shots, and why .45 Colt is your practice ammo • Why Alaska guides carry chest holsters over their rain gear • Canada: why a 2.5-inch revolver is a prohibited handgun, so you can't drive it to Alaska • Ruger's October 13, 2026 memo: Super Redhawk production stops at the end of 2026 • Bear spray vs handguns: what the Smith/Herrero studies and the handgun-defense tallies say, and what they don't • Who should carry it, and when a rifle or a 12 gauge is the better choice Hunting and firearm laws vary by state, province and country. Check current regulations before you travel or carry.