How many of you carry a gun as part of your cycling equipment?

tafi

Very old saying: The way to get shot is to carry a gun.
If people didn't carry guns no one would need one.

Weisse Luft

So true. I went hunting with a local LEO once. We took our choice of pistols, me and my Para-Ord P14, him with his 92 Berretta. The game was squirrel. Limb chicken. Bag limit was 6 in this county and I was done by 9:00, he never got one. Of course squirrels don't shoot back but they are a more difficult target than your average urban gorilla.

Weisse Luft

False.

God created man.
Sam Colt made men equal.

If you can find a way to rid society of anti-social types, you might have a case of a disarmed society. But because there will ALWAYS be misanthropes preying on those with something of value, one must never seek to "even the field" by disarming those who abide by the social contract and carry a firearm.

alienator

I'm sorry for every responding to this thread. As has been mentioned, this is not the appropriate forum, and I should have had that in mind before I responded. There were other forums listed that where more appropriate. Some are still preaching loudly, from both sides, but I don't think the congregation cares to listen, nor should they have to, given the fact that there are forums more appropriate for the "I know more than you's" and the "you don't know what your talking abouts."

So how about taking the dick waving--whether it's liberal or conservative--elsewhere.

ProfTournesol

I carry weapons of Mass Destruction on my bike - hidden so well that even the White House can't find them. Of course they exist though, or at least I would like to have them so that's the same thing. Gotta go...there are troops breaking down my front door now.....ugggh:-)

__________________
Regards Michael

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

artemidorus

Will you Aussies stop taking the piss?? This is serious, dudes.

Actually, I'd like to add to the majority of non-American voices that appear absolutely staggered, and somewhat appalled, by this whole thread-

I'm staggered, and somewhat appalled!

Courtancer

I am completely astounded too.

I can't think of anything more dangerous than to carry a gun with amunition on a bike that rattles and goes over bumps. It wouldn't be a huge surprise to see it fall onto the road and go off. If someone in Australia carried a gun on a bike they would be arrested and sent to have their head checked.

iameviljez

This is insane. I can't possibly imagine anybody ever needing to carry a gun, ever. If you look at the amount of lives that guns have deliberately saved compared to accidentally lost you will see what I mean - unfortunately I know it looks like I'm saying that "the world is flat" because I have no links on me (surprise!). It's just an insane idea to carry around a killing machine on you - no wonder America has the gunrelated-death rate in the developed world (ie. Not South Africa!) by such a long margin it's not even funny.
BTW I am also Australian and you can see that this consideration (ie carry a gun?) would not even enter our minds. How many cyclists have been mugged and killed in Australia? Dont think I would even need my fingers to count them.

babybunny

Bah, why can't everyone just be nice to each other? It's so easy... I'm an American and I just don't get why people have to suck so bad. I mean, instead of robbing people go get a job. So what if you're a big bad thug? It just means you made some damn stupid choices in life, and are continuing to make damn stupid choices, and will continue to make damn stupid choices because you feel you're a big bad thug. Ugg, this country is screwed up sometimes. Wish there were more nice people like Australia or Canada.

Weisse Luft

Yes, nowhere near as dangerous as tire inflation CO2 cartidges many cyclists carry.

There are a minimum of 3 mechanisms on modern pistols which prevent accidental discharges. In most, the primary is a disconnector which prevents contact of the firing pin to the primer unless pressure is applied on the trigger.

There are manual safety mechanisms and also passive mechanisms. Its nearly impossible to have an unintentional discharge from any modern pistol.

The ammunition is likewise safe. It cannot go off accidently because its primer is well protected from impact in either the revolver or the pistol. Loose rounds are an exception but only a fool would do that. Sure, vibration COULD degrade the ammunition but only to the point where functioning would be compromised. Common sense and monthly practice will keep ammo fresh.

I keep mine in the upper part of my saddle bag and its quite isolated from vibration.

Of course the uninformed hoplophobes here get 99% of their information from movies and television. I watch ER but I sure am no expert on medicine.

tvanhuisen

Wow! What an odd but interesting topic. First of all, I am no anti-gun guy. I am a former Marine who served with an artillery battery in the first Gulf War. I am not a gun owner but I like shooting guns for sport. Once or twice a year a rent a gun at in indoor range and shoot targets for fun. However, I have never felt the need to carry one with me for protection against other people. I have never even had the thought until I saw this thread. I live in a crappy part of San Francisco and I ride through even worse parts and I have never felt like I may be jeopardizing my life doing so. I don’t think I am naïve either. I am aware of my surroundings and avoid doing things that could make me a target for a mugging or something else. I should also say that I am 6’3” and 260 pounds, not that that would mean much to a kid with a gun but still, I don’t get scarred easily.

I am curious, have any of the folks who carry guns with them on a bike ever needed it? Have you ever had to defend your life while riding your bike? I have a good cop friend in San Diego who says that he would rather carry a gun off duty and not need it than need a gun and not have it. Do you guys carry for similar piece of mind? Again, I ride through rough neighborhoods and see all kind of shady looking people but I have never heard of a cyclist in San Francisco losing his life while going for a ride or getting into a truly life-threatening situation. That isn’t to say that it hasn’t happened, I just haven’t heard of it and have trouble imagining it.

menglish6

I don't mean to denigrate your shooting skills at all, I dont' doubt that you would put the average police officer or fbi agent to shame.

What those statistics say is still applicable to anyone in a real dangerous encounter though, yourself included. As bad of shot as the law enforcement officials are I'm sure that none of them would only place 1/6 or 1/5 of their shots in the body of a target, at a range or on the type of course you describe. What this means is that there are factors in a real situation, that are not present in simulations, that have a dramatic effect on ones ability to shoot well.

That's all I'm trying to say. Real situations are different than practice. Without practicing in those real situations it's hard to predict ones performance in such a situation.

__________________
"There aren't evil guys and innocent guys. It's just... It's just... It's just a bunch of guys." -- Steve Arlo

Weisse Luft

The best police officers are on the same level as the best civillians. The action shooting sports have made police training into a popular sport and such shooters are on par with the BEST police officers. Matter of fact, many such sport shooters ARE police officers.


I have been in situations where I would have been more "comfortable" with a concealed pistol.

jitteringjr

I am not saying that in certain situations having a gun would not help you.

Lets dissect this situation and compare it to one on a bike. The jewelry storeowners were probably standing in a fortified position behind a counter. On a bike, you're out in the open with no cover. The jewelry storeowner most likely was able to hit the deck and get to his weapon under full cover in this situation. Meanwhile on the bike you don't have this luxury.

I don't know where you personally carry your weapon Joe, but most people are saying that they carry them in their wedges. If so, that is by no means accessible if someone is rushing you with a knife and I don't feel that the average person could do anything to stop the attack.




I am stereotyping Hollywood because it is the only situation where most everyone has ever even seen someone shoot back after having been shot themselves so I feel it is justified. Hollywood makes it look so easy to keep your cool when you have a bullet in you and accurately aim your weapon to return fire. Have you ever fired a weapon after you were just shot Joe? I haven't but I have been seriously injured and I know how adversely it effects your judgment and motor skills.

This along with what Menglish6 was saying about the police and FBI statistics comes into play. Have you ever shot a weapon while your life was in danger Joe? I don't care who one is or how much experience they have, nobody is as accurate and calm with a weapon under duress as they are while are playing shoot the target games in a practice range. (current military in a war zone excluded due to increased experience under fire)




Even the most paranoid person is never 100% aware of everything going on. Say you are at a stoplight on your bike. A car comes from behind you in gold ole Mesa and a guy reaches out of the passenger side window and lunges his 6-inch survival knife into your neck. Can you prevent that by drawing your weapon, aiming and firing faster than he can lunge? If so you need to take your ninja like assassin skills and work for the CIA and quit wasting time on electrical engineering and Scuba instruction.




Joe, I am okay with you carrying a weapon to protect against yourself against any predator. I am not against that. It is your right to choose to carry and I would never take that away from you or any other law-abiding citizen. I just don't think it is as effective as one thinks it would be against human attackers especially for those people who keep it in hard to get to locations like their wedges.

Personally I don't carry because I would feel inclined to put stupid drivers out of my misery. Around here, that would require a butt-load of ammunition and I would have to buy one of those sub 15 pound pro racer bikes to make up for the difference in weight and I can’t afford spending that much on a bike. jk

__________________
04 Bianchi XL Carbon w/ Centaur
The Late 03 Jamis Comet. May she rest in peace.