Drm50……I agree that asking for a firearm to protect yourself from bears in Alaska for $40-50 is not a very realistic goal. But to say that any gun that isn’t a top of the line, expensive gun is a waste of time is just plain stupid and uninformed. If you know what you’re talking about, there are plenty of brands that are dependable, durable, accurate, and trustworthy guns out there that are not top dollar brands. I have numerous big money guns from the best manufacturers out there, but I also have several that were bought at bargain prices that are still well made, dependable guns. This Taurus is one of them. If you prefer to be a snob over name brands, more power to you.