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



Originally Posted by n8opot8o .




quick explanation: as a newbie on this forum I was unfamiliar with its format, and therefore only saw the FIRST PAGE of this thread, leading me to think it was a new thread and also to the comment about the only dissenter being from Belgium. However, although I may have misunderstood the way the forum works, I don't believe I misunderstand the issue. As I've said, I have friends that own guns, who use them responsibly (Ive never known my pal Rich, who has a large gunsafe at home full of shotguns, to show up to work with a gun in his truck or to carry a gun when he goes boating). Ive lived in both rural and urban areas, all over this country, but as a cyclist and someone who has toured in this country in others, I see no logical reason to bring a gun, nor do I understand the need to carry a firearm to a movie theater or a college campus (are you serious Joe? you are excited to have the opportunity to legally carry a gun to class? WHY? what are you going to do with it? Are you afraid of your classmates? A lot of coyote attacks on your campus?). I don't bring my saws-all to a dinner party or my chefs knife to work, why would I? There is such a small likelihood of needing these tools under these circumstances. If I was confronted by a bear in the wilderness, the last thing that I would want to do would be pump a couple rounds from a .45 into it, which would mostly just **** the thing off. Best protection from wildlife? make a lot of noise. Very few wild animals are seeking confrontations with humans, if you leave them alone and make your presence known there should be no reason to defend yourself. Worst experience I've had with animals on the trail was mangy street dogs in rural Mexico nipping at my panniers, I just rode away...
Not going to read through the 200+ pages of posts, but figured I'd address this above and join in on the conversation.

When you say "there is such a small likelihood of needing these tools under these circumstances," the main issue you're forgetting is that criminals are carrying unlicensed, potentially fully automatic weapons and do not care about the law whatsoever. If they are breaking the law, they are certainly going to use situations to their advantage. If they know that the best place to open up and take out their anger on the biggest group of people is a place where people won't be able to defend themselves, they'll go to that place. By allowing concealed carry everywhere else BUT places such as a college campus or a movie theater, you are in effect making those places targets. However, make it legal and that criminal can think twice that there may be a fully licensed individual sitting silently in that crowd with plenty of practice at shooting... he may rethink the idea altogether. You shouldn't be worried so much about the people who legally want to carry, who in a lot of states have passed a psychological exam, a shooting test, a background check, a class about how guns can and cannot be used. Those people are going to use guns for self-defense or the defense of others, or to shoot that bear attacking him.

I understand the discomfort about guns, and I think that maybe the restrictions about who receives a concealed carry or a gun at all should be stricter, however, I also understand there are black market guns galore in the US and that's not going to stop anyone who wants them. There are 90 guns for every 100 people in the US, I highly doubt you are going to get rid of most of them, if not at least the illegal ones. I say enable those who would use them properly rather than create rules that don't address a problem, but make it worse. As for the bear....

A 45 is a big bullet. And a bear is not a rhino. With a clip of at least 9 and up to 14, at close range, hopefully you'll be able to (1) hit it in the heart or (2) hit it in the head as it progressively gets closer while charging you.
 
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No I don't carry a gun with me while cycling. Well here in Europe it's not allowed, but even if it was... really you guys over there have some issues with weapons. You really feel safer carrying a gun while cycling? What do you think will happen to you while cycling what wouldn't happen where you live and work (where you don't carry the gun with you, I suppose)? There is no such thing as real safety anywhere. Just get along with that and enjoy the day. Don't know the crime rate in Arizone but I don't think that it's that much higher than in other places.

When I cylce I don't even spend a thought about attacks or whatever. I just cycle.
 
Originally Posted by teenroadwarrior .

Well, it wouldn't necessarily be the fact that it is a gun. It would be the sound that scares them off.

I've done a lot of target shooting in rural areas. It's not uncommon to have a cease fire because deer are wandering across the 100-yard range. If it won't scare off whitetails, I have no faith whatsoever that it would scare off a predator, much less any rabid animal. Warning shots are pure Hollywood.
 
Originally Posted by KD5NRH .





I've done a lot of target shooting in rural areas. It's not uncommon to have a cease fire because deer are wandering across the 100-yard range. If it won't scare off whitetails, I have no faith whatsoever that it would scare off a predator, much less any rabid animal. Warning shots are pure Hollywood.
I've done tons of target shooting in rural areas as well, and it seems to me that most animals won't even come close to the shooting range / dirt road in the back woods. Not to mention whenever I'm hunting, or target shooting out on a unimproved road, the animals will scare faster than when at a shooting range.
 
I've carried one off and on over the years, regardless of laws and ordinances that allow or disallow it. My safety is more important than some control freaks need to regulate or ignore my basic right to self-defense. It wasn't always so, however:

I started carrying when I got tired of blowing $26 each on tire pumps because some mentally-arthritic nutball refused to control his/her dogs. Later, I realized it only costs about $.02 to shoot the dog, whether 2-legged or not, so I carried a .22 Jennings with me. Accurate enough at 90% of close-combat ranges for quick head shots, yet small enough to be easily concealed so as not to freak out the locals. The last time I pulled this weapon out was in the presence of my son, who was (thankfully) back in the burley trailer zipped in. We were rushed in the open road by three large lab or rotweiler-sized dogs that turned and bolted when I shoved the muzzle in their snarling mouths. It sounds far-fetched, but I'd say they all knew what a gun was, or at least recognized the smell of gunpowder or gun oil as bad news. I haven't felt the need for one in recent years, but if I travel on tour I most certainly will carry, as I feel it's better to walk into court to explain myself than to be carried in.

I can't recommend this to anyone, as their circumstances and self-limits may vary, as will their experiences. Mine have taught me to be fully aware of the kind of environment I may be travelling in/through, and take appropriate measures. Also, I can't emphasize enough the value of a concealed carry training course and permit. If you have the opportunity to obtain one, by all means do so, as it's a lot cheaper than going to court. It also doesn't look bad on your record, either.

Finally, if you don't want a gun and choose to use some form of mace, forget the old style and get something that says it has "capsican" (red pepper) in the ingredients. It works well on drug users, dogs, and bears (two and four-legged kind). There are no harmful side-effects after it wears off that I know of. Better yet, if you're like me, brew your own ceyanne/jalapeno/habenjero tea as strong as you can and load one of those small squirt bottles that can shoot a long, thin stream about 10-20 feet. This is a real pisser! You might find it interesting that chinese herb manuals recommend a weaker version of this placed directly into the eyes to promote tears and subsequent healing. But it does burn mightily in the meantime, and it's dirt-cheap!
 
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Another Arizonan to speak up for the carry gang of rednecks. :0) It depends on where I am cycling if I will carry or not. If I am going into the wilderness or through the reservation I am much more at ease with a weapon. I came on a pack of coyotes once that scared the daylights out of me when without a weapon. I was lucky that time. Been chased by dogs in the reservation too. I feel pretty comfortable ridding in town so I don't then, but I am not bothered by those who do. In fact I like to see people cary openly and wish more people did. It gives me a good feeling to go into a circle K store and see people in there carrying. Do you thing someone is going to rob the place when they can see others with s side arm? I don't think so.
 
Ha Ha. Great topic. As a soon to be new gun owner, I think it's very interesting. I too would take if I were camping for sure. Not so sure about riding though.

Do you need a .45 for protection? I think a sub compact .22 would be sufficient and easy to conceal....
 
No No.. you're missing the point my friend... intimidation and scaring the bad guys is the point.. so size counts ! Bazooka, RPG etc is the way to go. Of course there's a bit of a weight penalty.
 
As for DurhamCycler and his comments about gun size, there are a few salient points to consider:
My brother, while in law-enforcement, saw a situation where a guy took 17 rounds of .357 mag from the other officer's duty weapons. The only reason the guy stopped coming was because he ran out of blood. Happens sometimes, and I'd rather it not happen while I'm shooting. After that, my brother carried a .44 mag on duty with a .45 ACP for backup. The .44 was loaded with "specials" while a speed-loader held "full-charge" loads with full metal jackets, just in case, which were used on two seperate occasions that I'm aware of.

I say you should use whatever you can shoot good with and carry comfortably. However, a much-quieter hit with a .22 is a whole lot better than a loud miss with the big-bore guns. I carried and used a .380 auto for years because it was the largest my ears and eyes (both very sensitive) could stand in closed quarters, especially in the dark. Ever use a gun in a closed room or car? It's sure to make you deaf and blind for a brief time. You may need that time to fire again. I hope you never do, but if you do, for goodness sakes don't miss. The big guns are outright painful to shoot indoors, and more so in the confines of a car or truck cab. A .22 has also made me sleep a lot better on many nights, as there is nothing in North America that won't drop when properly shot with it. That means NO BODY SHOTS ON WILD ANIMALS if you have the time to aim for the head. Bears in particular get really annoyed when shot and not killed, and you should remember that while you're camping and/or traveling through their dining room. I can't speak for coyotes, but I bet they would run if confronted by the loud noise of a gunshot, particularly if one of their own drops when it happens. Dogs do. So do people. These days you can get some 60 grain bullets for .22LR, and even though they're solid points, I've come to prefer them. They're slower than the hi-velocity stuff, but that heavier bullet makes up for it at close range where you need it. Again, a quieter hit with the .22 is still better than a loud miss with a howitzer.

For those that are seriously concerned about their safety, Massad Ayoob wrote a book years ago called "The Truth About Self-Protection" that goes into intimate details about every aspect of this. If you can find it, it's an eye-opener, and well worth whatever you pay for it. Forget Hollywood's crapline about this topic, as well as the mainstream media. They both lie, as do politicians.

Finally, if your life turns to liquid $hit because you used the above info, or you failed to use the above info, or for any other reason, for that matter, that's your problem. I can't be held responsible for your decisions or lack of them, nor for your actions or lack of them. Have a nice day. :)
 
Would a Taser stun gun discourage a bear ? Leaving aside the range issue.

Just askin' you know.....

regards

David

btw if you'd asked me what topic would have generated a 225 page response before I joined this here forum I never would have guessed.......
 
Well I highly doubt a taser would deter a bear. All though, if you try please post Youtube videos seeing as it could be quite entertaining to see it's reaction. I would suggest you do it from a safe spot (ie car, tall building, really anywhere but a tree).
 
Pulling a gun for intimidation sounds good but in actual practice gets a lot of people killed. It might back off the occassional jackass, but if you are dealing with the real "bad guys" its a great way to find yourself staring at 2, 3 or more guns bigger than yours in the hands of people who are actually willing to use them, and possibly already have. Unless you have law enforcement, military, or other background and extensive training in armed confrontation, a handgun is as much a liability as an asset. In close quarters (less than 20 feet between you and your target) even experienced law enforcement officers have difficulty pulling and firing their weapon with any accuracy. Carrying a handgun can also give a false sense of security, overriding common sense that keeps you out of potentially dangerous situations. "I can ride anywhere I want, I've got a Glock." If you are going to have a handgun for defense, make sure you get real training in its use as a defensive weapon, not just popping a few paper targets at the local gun range.
 
I did not read a single post but I had to reply to this thread. This is how I roll. lol /img/vbsmilies/smilies/ROTF.gif

 
Cool wheels Grandamn but watch out for that recoil - looks a tad lined up for impact ground zero to me......

Great colour scheme btw.

regards

Daviddb
 
Perhaps the original question is slanted? 'Carrying' is vastly different to 'using'. If you carry then you must have a clear picture of the 'use'.

Carrying is secret and benign.

Presenting a firearm (revealing a secret) can achieve an escape from death.

Using is opening a pandora's box. Survival is better even if it results in 10 yrs behind bars. Survival is an instinct that no law can overpower unless you let the law overpower a basic instinct. Unfortunately too many people rely on laws rather than instinct and in my country 'use' is automatically a criminal offence.

Nobody need know if you carry, and if the 'use' is justified then you should be alive. I say 'should be' with some trepidation...no good if you believe the movies where any pistol can hit a light bulb at 10 yards.

Hitting a target takes much practise in gun control.
 
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Anybody who is thinking about buying a gun or already owns one, or thinks California needs more gun laws should read the 192 page book "How to Own a Gun & Stay Out of Jail," California 2010 edition, by John Machtinger, who is an attorney in California and an authority on firearms laws. This book is available from (and published by) http://www.gunlawpress.com/ for $15. There is a national edition but every state has their own laws about firearm concealed carry and use for self defense.

In California you can get misdemeanor convictions for both carrying a concealed handgun and carrying a loaded handgun. Each of which can get you a year in jail. Pulling the handgun out can get you jailed for a minimum of brandishing it to voluntary manslaughter if you use it in what a jury thinks is an unreasonable manner. Dr Barbara Saldinger from Stanford lost her appeal in August of 2010 and served 60 in jail for brandishing a pellet gun in front of people she mistakenly classified as trespassers on her property in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

No matter what state you live in there are federal restrictions on bringing guns into federal buildings such as Post Offices, etc.

 
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I have been thinking about getting a Kahr PM9 for carrying while riding. I had a Ruger LCP but with my XXL mitts it was hard for me to feel comfortable shooting it.
 
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