Gun Owners, do you carry on the bike?

[creggur]

I appreciate your point of view, Square, it's about as reasoned and open-minded a response one could hope for in a thread like this.

I respect anyone's choice to own guns or not, and would only hope others respect mine.

My personal take: I own a number of firearms, all legal, and all safely stowed. I grew up in Alabama so I'm probably genetically predisposed in some way to enjoy shooting.

Grew up with loaded guns all over the house, Pop's view was an unloaded gun was just an inefficient stick, so what's the point in having it if its not ready for use? Guess I share that philosophy, and was taught at a very young age to respect them.

Having said all that, I don't carry on a daily basis, but do when I'm on trips. I've unintentionally ended up in bad areas where bad guys were packing. I'm one of the good guys though - well trained, well practiced, and well restrained - would never think about even reaching for it until it was time to use it.

Hope it never, ever happens.

 

[rem]

My comments were not in any way aimed at you, squarebore. Bad timing on my part, and I beg your pardon for not making that clear. I thought your post was quite respectful. I was just reading over the thread and was trying to be proactive. If anyone feels I was out of line, or jumping the gun (pardon the pun), please give me a pass on this one. It can become a hot topic quickly. The decision to take a firearm biking with you should not progress into an overall gun morality issue. At least not here. I'll just go back to sleep now. REMember, I'm old. ::021:: R

 

[creggur]

I'd say your caution is well-placed in a thread like this, Rem. These things can go south fast, and a timely reminder to us to avoid that is certainly merited.

One of the nice things about this place is how we're allowed to chat openly and have a good time as long as it stays civil.

 

[snakebitten]

REM, always the reasonable.
Which only surprises me because 6 months of his winters would require no firearms anywhere around me. I'd be coo coo. (er)

 

[kmac]

Amen to that....oh wait, probably another topic that is best left out of the equation.... ::025::

But seriously, politically or socially hot topics are usually best left out of theme based forums like this one.

It is always hard on a forum to see a persons face, their inflection in their voice, sarcasm, or the level of frustration. Things get crazy quickly. I keep hot topics to face to face situations.

Dangerous animal country would be the only place I would carry. 90% of the places I ride are occupied with coyotes and black bears, both of which I have been within 10-15 ft. of while unarmed {unplanned of course} all without serious incident. The generally are easily shushed away. Cougars are the biggest threat in most of the places I ride and even those are rarely dangerous, but there have been a few attacks and deaths here in So Cal.

My wife is an RN here in our local hospital which is the trauma center for the whole region. She just had a patient that was mauled by a Mountain Lion a couple weeks ago just outside of Hemet city. He was a homeless drug addict living in a camp just out of the city and the police/animal control did not believe it at first but they did a swab test on his wounds and sure enough it WAS a lion as he stated.....they found out he was feeding it and just got too close.

Grizzly [brown bears depending on region] and wolves are a whole other story. My problem with carrying even in Grizzly country, for me only, is if I am far enough north to be in wolf and grizzly territory I am probably going to head across the border into Canada so carrying is not likely then either.

If I were riding and rough camping in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and those areas with no border crossing I would probably carry my Para Ordinance P14 .45 but only have it loaded and in reach once I hit my camp site.
JMHO and of minimal relevance to anyone to anyone else.

 

[S10Pilot]

Sorry rem, I hope I didn't step over the line, tried to be respectful. I own guns but have no need for them on the bike. Of course they are not guns really but rifles as the barrels are rifled. Whole over issue . Bit like oil. Haha

"Bit like oil" - - WELL SAID!!
Just looked up your "stomping grounds" on Wikipedia - looks like you live in a beautiful spot on the "green marble"!!

 

[Old Blue]

Well, I'm licensed but lazy. Usually too lazy to carry while riding. It's enough of a bother to wear the boots, gloves, and helmet. Adding a gun is just too much trouble.

I've got a few that I really like, and I'm good with them, but jeez, I'lll just risk it most of the time when it's just me.

I also do tend to rely on my personality and fairly imposing size. Not that it really counts for anything in a crunch.

 

[creggur]

Well, I'm licensed but lazy. Usually too lazy to carry while riding. It's enough of a bother to wear the boots, gloves, and helmet. Adding a gun is just too much trouble.

I've got a few that I really like, and I'm good with them, but jeez, I'lll just risk it most of the time when it's just me.

I also do tend to rely on my personality and fairly imposing size. Not that it really counts for anything in a crunch.

I'm pretty confident in my personality - what can I say, I'm a charmer. What I lack, however, is anything resembling an imposing size.

That's when it's nice to have a size-equalizer in the tank bag...just sayin'...

 

[snakebitten]

You're on a roll tonight Ron.

 

[True Grip]

Entertainment!! ::025::

 

[Old Blue]

Another gun story other than my 14yr old cousin getting killed with his own dads gun, my stepdaughter and a friend were driving around and ignored the text messages sent by the father law, who they were living with. They came home, and thanks to the ever loving gun loving laws, father in law in rage fricking trys to kill them with his arsenal of legal guns for the terrible sin of ignoring text messages. The friend was hit, in the arm, daughter in law got away, the police arrested the 70 some year old citizen and eventually let him go, but confiscated his guns. Also daughter in laws car was confiscated by police as evidence, and this was like 1995, never to be seen again. Protection, yea, now that is quite a laugh, but the daughter in law still wants to carry a gun. I guess to be in control of potential attacks by 250 million other legal gun owners.

But do you carry while riding your S10? If so, what? What holster or bag?

 

[limey]

Another gun story other than my 14yr old cousin getting killed with his own dads gun, my stepdaughter and a friend were driving around and ignored the text messages sent by the father law, who they were living with. They came home, and thanks to the ever loving gun loving laws, father in law in rage fricking trys to kill them with his arsenal of legal guns for the terrible sin of ignoring text messages. The friend was hit, in the arm, daughter in law got away, the police arrested the 70 some year old citizen and eventually let him go, but confiscated his guns. Also daughter in laws car was confiscated by police as evidence, and this was like 1995, never to be seen again. Protection, yea, now that is quite a laugh, but the daughter in law still wants to carry a gun. I guess to be in control of potential attacks by 250 million other legal gun owners.

Just goes to show you if the girls were carrying they could of protected them selfs.

 

[BUGKILLER]

1995 Text Messages ?? This is what happens when they want to legalize pot and ban guns.

 

[rem]

In Canada, it is theoretically possible to obtain a handgun carry permit, but highly unlikely that the RCMP would bestow one. They have a great deal of discretion on the matter, and it is generally a policy to discourage it. There have been a few times when I wanted to pack my shotgun on some remote trips. I believe that's doable as long as you have a hunting licence. At least here in the Yukon. They are admittedly more lenient about firearms up here. It's a bit more of a "way of life" than in most other parts of Canada. But Canada generally doesn't care for firearms of any kind. Just the way it is up here. That's why I strongly advise you U. S. folk not to bother trying to bring one into Canada.


If anyone has a really slick way of packing a shotgun on the bike, I'd like to see it.


I would never take one outside of the Yukon. While technically legal, it's just too much of a pain to adhere to the different Provincial hunting laws, and municipal regulations, etc. And the RCMP outside of the Yukon aren't as lenient about it.


A lot of my work over the past 20 years involved being outdoors in remote areas, and I usually carried a shotgun when it was convenient to do so. Even when we were using helicopters. Otherwise, it's a bit of a pain in the @$$ to bother with it.


Let's be careful out there. R. ::001::

 

[limey]

I'm one of the few Canadians that loves my guns , three hand guns ( for the range only ) a few shot guns, muzzle loader and a few Russian surplus rifles. And it is legal to Carry a shot gun on the bike has to have a trigger lock and the container has to be locked to the bike. I have mine in a 4" PCV tube locked to the bike.

 

[True Grip]

Limey what is the legal barrel length for a shotgun in Canada? Are pistol grips or collapsible stocks legal? If I ever make it to Alaska I'd like to take a shotgun for camp security. Just security and peace of mind for staying on top of the food chain.

 

[rem]

And it is legal to Carry a shot gun on the bike has to have a trigger lock and the container has to be locked to the bike. I have mine in a 4" PCV tube locked to the bike.

Good point, Paul. Any firearm carried up here would have to have a trigger lock and be locked to the bike. Ammo would likely have to be locked away as well. However, once you got into the truly remote areas, like the North Canol for example, you would not have to be so diligent. But if someone was able to obtain your firearm and cause malfeasance with it, you would be liable as to how they came to obtain it.

 

[limey]

Limey what is the legal barrel length for a shotgun in Canada? Are pistol grips or collapsible stocks legal? If I ever make it to Alaska I'd like to take a shotgun for camp security. Just security and peace of mind for staying on top of the food chain.

If I remember the barrel length grater than 18 1/2 and over all length greater than 26" and yes you can use a pistol grips. And with the pistol grip off ( for storage ) it still has to be 26" and over. And yes to the collapsible stocks.

 

[Big Blu]

I'm one of the few Canadians that loves my guns , three hand guns ( for the range only ) a few shot guns, muzzle loader and a few Russian surplus rifles. And it is legal to Carry a shot gun on the bike has to have a trigger lock and the container has to be locked to the bike. I have mine in a 4" PCV tube locked to the bike.

Seems to me it's not going to do you much good when you need it because of all those locks. Can it be loaded when carried in that manner?

Paul

 

[True Grip]

Thanks Limey! Nice rig. I like the idea of PVC case. Big Blu the locks are for transporting legally I think. When you get to camp build it,unlock it,load it and then sleep in peace, hopefully.