A small link that might be useful in some way...

It's a website on the legalities of how to pack a pistol and all that stuff.  Personally i have never touched a gun though i carry a bullet in my back.  In any case...it's a right i think we can never lose.

:guns:

http://www.packing.org/news/article.jsp/2827

Lots of interesting responses, and I appreciate everyone's suggestions.

I can't keep track of names, and am too lazy to go through and figure out who said what, but most guns do have "drop safetys" and "trigger safetys", which are designed to prevent the gun from going off accidently.  Also, any holster I would use would have to protect the trigger from getting jostled or snagged.  I've taken my dad's Glock 23 apart (don't have my own yet, debating options and agonizing over the idea of spending money on something other than my motorcycle), and I've seen how the drop safety works.  If it were to malfunction, it would be more likely to prevent the gun from firing entirely than to make it go off.  Still, point is taken....  never have a holster that makes the gun point at yourself.

I carry loaded... I feel that to do otherwise defeats the purpose.  If I carry unloaded, and for some reason I *do* need the weapon (Heaven forbid), I'm likely not going to have the presence of mind to remember if I have chambered a bullet... and that's assuming I'm carrying the glock, and not the revolver (which I have on me today).  That's a personal decision, and I hold nothing against those who disagree.

As to why carry?  I suspect you may still not find this sufficient reason, and I don't begrudge you that, but to explain my point of view:

8 million Americans defend themselves with a handgun every year (approx).  Of those, 80% never need to fire a shot.  Makes sense, really... if you were going after someone, and they pulled a gun on you, would you stick around to see how it ends?  probably not.  Nobody who carries ever wants to have to use it... but I would much rather carry and have to use it than not have it when I needed it, and watch someone I care about shot.

In a perfect world, where nobody hurt anyone else, there would be no need for handguns.  Until that happens, or somehow you take guns away from all the criminals and I become a blackbelt ninja dude who can project my loved ones with my bare hands (unlikely, I'm afraid), I believe that concealed weapons are an important right, and one that is not abused (by those who can legally excercise it) nearly as often as the media would have us think.

Which brings us to the primary reason I carry:  I don't think I'll ever need it, at least not soon.  I do think that it's important that the right is not taken from us, and I carry at least as much as my own personal (though not seen) statement of the importance of that right as of anything else.

whew.  Alright, back down off the soapbox. =]  too many things that I wanted to respond to in those posts!

Oh, and one other thing:  I've been thinking about it, and the only way I can think of to securely put the gun in the bike is if I were to mount a safe of some sort (there are some small electronic ones that would probably fit) on my back luggage rack, and then put a security cable to lock it to my bike so it can't be removed without doing some serious work with a hacksaw.  However, that wouldn't be waterproof, which would be a trick to overcome, and I suspect it would really paint a target on me for theft.  Not to mention screaming "GUN SAFE" to anyone who knows what to look for  

So I guess I'll have to find a solution that doesn't involve something like that.  Thanks for all your suggestions, and comments!

This thread is crazy. I cant believe how many of you all own, or carry guns. Its astonishing really. Ive never even held a gun for any amount of time. I cante evn imagine lving in a place where people routinley carry around conceled weapons. Thats f%&ked. No wonder your murder rate is so high. not trying to be a prick, but its is insane.

Regarding the safety or drop-safety, I doubt that these are tested by throwing the gun against the pavement or an oncoming vehicle at 60mph.  Now, if you keep it securely enough on your person and YOU hit something and do 60-0mph., then you won't be around to care whether your gun went off.

One typical problem is what to do with the gun at resturaunts, etc. where you need to take off your coat.  You can't really leave it in your tank bag   so without a secure trunk, you might be left wearing your riding jacket through dinner.

They did the banning firearms thing in Australia, and from what I can remember, gunfire related incidents went down, but home invasions, the ones where people are still in the house when someone breaks in... those went up quite a bit    A criminal would think hard 2 or 3 times before entering a house with potentially well armed citizens still there.  Anyways, criminals don't follow the law... blah blah blah if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.

Did you know that NYC has a much lower murder rate than someplace like Washington, DC?  And DC has stricter gun laws  :dunno:  Community attitudes and good policing matter more than the gun itself.

Just to correct misinformation...  NYC, in effect, actually has at least as strict if not stricter weapons laws than the District of Columbia.

check packing.org if interested

For those that quoted me, please read what I wrote.

With properly designed guns, pulling the trigger will move the firing pin in front of the hammer allowing it to fire. If the hammer is pulled back without the using the trigger, the firing pin is out of the way and the gun will not fire. Some guns will fire if dropped or abused...that is why I have Beretta's.

Quote from: heentJust to correct misinformation...  NYC, in effect, actually has at least as strict if not stricter weapons laws than the District of Columbia.

check packing.org if interested

You're right... my bad  

Rich, forgive my candor, but if you've "never even held a gun for any amount of time", then you should rectify that before making statements about how crazy or astonishing it is.  I know a lot of people who make statements about how motorcycles should be outlawed as well, who have never been on one.  However, I am a strong believer that everyone has a right to their own opinion.

Let me help your imagination a bit, though.  Imagine your life just like it is now, except... well... hmm.  just like it is now.  that's what a world where people around you carry concealed.  It's illegal to let people know you are carrying concealed.  You wouldn't know anyone was carrying, and none of them would turn around and shoot you one day.  This is how life is when people carry concealed... exactly like it is when people don't.  The only exception is if someone threatens the safety of the people around you, and someone has a concealed weapon, in which case (depending on the circumstance... you don't draw a gun when someone has one pointed at you, that's asking to be shot) they will be able to protect innocent lives.

Just because I carry around a concealed weapon does not mean I am going to kill someone with it.  I personally have never shot anyone, and I'm sure that nobody else on the board has murdered anyone with theirs either.  Since you've never gone to a range and fired a handgun yourself, I won't take offense to your implication that carrying a handgun makes me a raving lunatic or a homocidle maniac.  Believe it or not, it doesn't... any more than you're love of riding motorcycles makes you a suicidle moron, as some would tell you.

Before you make statements about things, take some time and become educated about it.  Anyone can rant about the dangers of swimming, but when you get in the water you'll most likely find that with some sensible precautions, and some common sense, it's really not that dangerous.

In the Army I could easily pick off targets with my 50 cal at 1000 meters......that would just make my gs500 complete!

Time to envision a mount....

I am from TX, and routinely carried outside of town at our lease...not for people but snakes and such.

In KS people are a little to timid to have a concealed weapon law....but if there was I would carry.  

Why, not because nothing has happened where I needed one....it is simply the what if factor...like a boy scout....why do I have more crap with me than I would ever need.....my nice warm security blanket.

I was trying so hard to keep outta this, but I think I know where Rich is coming from and it MAY have come across wrong in his thread... let me elaborate with my opinion.  Sorry Rich if this isn't what you meant.

I have been totally blown away (pardon the pun) at how casual this discussion about carrying guns has been.  In no way do I think you guys are crazy, or a danger to society.  On the contrary, you come across as very thoughtful responsible individuals.  But based on my upbringing, the thought of myself as a thoughtful, responsible individual carrying a gun is quite extreme.  I find this rational thread about carrying guns outside of my "map of reality" and thus was a little unsettled at first.

Richard raised some valid arguments for carrying a gun and I could bring up many counter arguments and we could go on and on, but this won't be settled in this thread.  Different people are raised in different cultures with different opinions.

I must say I have been fascinated with this thread though... I had no idea how casual of a topic this could be for individuals and it has broadened my knowledge of the world.  Cool!

I understand that there are many reasons people disagree with carrying.  I hope I didn't come across too strongly.  It was not my intention to start an argument about whether or not you should carry a gun, merely to help illustrate some of the reasons that I do carry.

I hold no ill will against those who disagree, and I hope I didn't offend anyone with my posts.

I've seen some shoulder holsters that can be completely zipped so they doesn't look like a gun holster, but i wonder if the fact that anyone who knows about this kind of holsters see you packing them under your seat while attending a federal building, etc, would mean the gun is no more concealed. It's like carring a gitar case with a guitar inside, noone sees the guitar but everybody asumes you have one in. Therefore, is the guitar concealed or not?

Hey TR im not sure about your local laws but here in PA its not considered concealed if the holster is visible. So if they see you're holster; even if the grip, hammer, etc. isn't visible its still illegal...so u might want to look into that.

As far as Rich500...you would make a good politician...you act like you know everything about something you admit you know nothing about. Comparing murders rates to concealed carry permits is like saying filling prescriptions are causing drug overdoses. The murders/overdoses are caused by people who receive their product illegally. Do you know how hard it is to get a gun in the US? I've been around guns my whole life (my dad owns a gunshop/is a gunsmith for a number of years) and now if you have a DUI you can't buy a gun unless you go to the sheriff's office and plead your case. I could keep telling you stories but I have a feeling they'll fall on deaf ears.
Take a lesson from Lerxst and look into the whole story instead of blurting out something stupid that will offend others.

I can't think of a single place besides a shoulder holster that would keep it out of the way. I have guns (at a family place 200 miles away from here). Grew up with them, but for some reason am having a hard time justifying getting the kids into it here while we live in Philly. The hunting SUCKS here   . Not much game land.

In this neck of the woods, I do my best to stay out of situations in which I would need to shoot.  :guns:

Thanks Gitarman for the answer.

I guess a custom leather mc jacket could include a concealed gun pocket, so it is able to take of the jacket safely. It may not work in case of a federal building, etc. unless the pocket contained a gun-shapeless pack, suitable to store it under the seat. Both pocket and pack having velcro openings.  

To find such a jacket would be a problem, but not the holster...

Quote from: Rich500This thread is crazy. I cant believe how many of you all own, or carry guns. Its astonishing really. Ive never even held a gun for any amount of time. I cante evn imagine lving in a place where people routinley carry around conceled weapons. Thats f%&ked. No wonder your murder rate is so high. not trying to be a prick, but its is insane.

Yea I agree,
and I guesse I understand why ppl that have been in the Service feel weird w/o a gun, and maybe it could be said that the gun is in good hands

it also could prove the theory that the gov is brainwashing ppl

I personally would never consider caring a gun anywhere or even owning one, if I though I needed one I would move.

sorry for those who have guns, sorrry you feel you need to carry one.

I understand for hunting perposes, (although I am not in favor of killing for fun)

ok sorry again if this is too political for this board, but these are ideas, not trying to push them on other ppl (like religion does) haha now I am affending ppl
Sorry that last comment was a joke

Hey mods, this topic probably needs to be moved into Odds' and Ends.

jake

Wow, you guys are touchy about your conceled weapons.

QuoteBefore you make statements about things, take some time and become educated about it. Anyone can rant about the dangers of swimming, but when you get in the water you'll most likely find that with some sensible precautions, and some common sense, it's really not that dangerous.

Im not goingt o bother arguing with you people. I think carrying conceled weapons is a bit superfluous. I think that I feel much safer in a place where someone can be packing heat while casually strolling through the mall. I personally dont like this idea. As for not being educated, well, thats just a silly accusation. If you look at statistics for murder rates, and man slaughter between 2 places, one where conceled weapons are legal, and one where they are not, you will soon see that there is a corelation.
More people die where the guns are completely legal. Thats a fact.

QuoteAs far as Rich500...you would make a good politician...you act like you know everything about something you admit you know nothing about.

Strangely enough, I actually have studied this topic. We discussed it thouroughly in a political science course I took last year. I personally think statistics that I could find in a text book, would fall on deaf ears.

This is a silly argument. I guess I just cant look at it the same way you can. Sorry, I am froma  peaceful nation, where murder rates are low, shootings in frequent, and I feel safe. I just dont approve of the idea of conceled weapons freely floating about.