Are you armed, or do you carry a weapon.?

[Caerus]

Im packing pepper spray for rides alone.

[Karl Beaton]

there should be a 5th option: yes: but cannot get licence as I am white

[Guest Big H]

Nice one to get...... I wanted to buy one a few years back..... still sorry I did not!!!!

 

It is made by North American Arms, stainless, single action, available in .22, .22 long and .22 Magnum. Small concealable. They even made a bel buckle where it could fit in.

 

The one below is in .22 Mag....... as Bill Jordan said..... a hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a 44 Magnum.

[Cassie]

TO posts#13 & #16

 

I'm also wondering...where exactly do one carry a weapon on a bike??

Unless strapped to teh outside of the leg, it will take way too long to stop, dismount, take your camelback off, rummage to the bottom to retrieve said weapon...and them aim and shoot he bugger!

By that time you'll already been whacked over the head...

 

So In my opinion - bad idea to carry weapon - it will be of no use when you really need it....I do not have the proper solution to this yet either!

[Guest Big H]

The one I posted will fit in your back pocket of your cycling jersey. Before you use it or carry it you must practice..... a lot!!!!!!

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Hmm, Some nice discussion!.

 

Yeah Migies 21, I (and many others) are also very concerned about the systematic disarming of the population by the government of the day.

 

The new licensing structures put in place 5 or so years ago were not designed, or meant to disarm legal gun owners, or prevent people from owning guns, but they have been used as a tool by government to do just that very thing.

 

The erosion of our civil rights to own and carry arms has been slowly removed, and replaced by smoke screen that somehow everyone will be much safer if they just let their all knowing and caring government moniter and control those "gun nuts".

 

Sound familiar.?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Nice one to get...... I wanted to buy one a few years back..... still sorry I did not!!!!

 

It is made by North American Arms, stainless, single action, available in .22, .22 long and .22 Magnum. Small concealable. They even made a bel buckle where it could fit in.

 

The one below is in .22 Mag....... as Bill Jordan said..... a hit with a .22 is better than a miss with a 44 Magnum.

 

I would love to get one, I have seen plenty of them in the USA where you can basically go buy one over the counter and walk out with it the same day in most states.

 

You can also buy it in a over / under model, only two shots, but perfect for what its meant to do.

 

Today, in SA you will really struggle to get it licensed if you bought one, so if you have a .22 of any type, dont give it up, you will never get another.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The one I posted will fit in your back pocket of your cycling jersey.

 

Yeah, I dont buy the "where will I carry it" - a .22 or even a .32 will fit easily in the back of your cycling jersey and weights less than a bottle of water.

 

If you are worried it could fall out use a jersey that has a zipper pocket.

 

With basic training it will take less than 30 secs to grab, cock and fire. The same time it would take to grab your pepper spray, but a lot more convincing.

[deanbean]

You get the spring loaded gripper quickdraw holsters that could hold a firearm, under your shirt, I ride with a baggy MTB type shirt, you could get it out quickly if it's at your back. If you are worried of losing it, attach it with a lanyard, and don't wipe out.

[scotty]

I dont know if thats true Scotty, I think the opposite might happen.

 

Personally, I believe an armed society is a free society, and in SA especially, a disarmed society in my opinion is in deep s**t.

 

I think as cyclists, especially those of us who ride alone, are almost "sitting ducks" to those who want to take what belongs to us, you dont have to go far to read the bike jacking issues lately, sometimes benign, but sometimes the cyclists were attacked with panga's and knobkierries.

 

I am not particularly attached to my bicycle, but I like all my appendages, and I would like to be around a few more years, so if I am attacked by some thug, who feels in the process of taking my bicycle, cell phone whatever, its okay to murder or maim me as well, I will respond with like force and wont think twice about using a weapon to defend myself.

 

Not really, the SAPS discourage their members from carrying firearms off duty, reason - criminals know that they carry them and so target them. I cannot recall of someone being killed thus far for their bike and possesions, roughed up, beaten, traumatised yes, but not killed. This could be because the criminal knows chances are you are not carrying a lethal weapon. However if he believes you are carrying he would first think of neutralizing you i.e. shoot you and if by chance you have a gun he has hit the jackpot.When cycling its best to view anyone particulary 2 or more persons walking suspiciously, now the problem is do you pull your gun out everytime you pass them, because if you dont your chances as being someone with both hands on the bars and being out of breath, against an armed criminal who is edgy and high on andrenelin are not good. If i did carry a gun and it was taken from me by force only to be used later to kill someone, i will not sleep easy.

[gummibear]

Bicycles and guns don't mix!!!

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I cannot recall of someone being killed thus far for their bike and possesions, roughed up, beaten, traumatised yes, but not killed. This could be because the criminal knows chances are you are not carrying a lethal weapon. However if he believes you are carrying he would first think of neutralizing you i.e. shoot you and if by chance you have a gun he has hit the jackpot.

 

I think its only a matter of time before there is a fatality Scotty. Its just a case of "when"!

 

I think in any crime situation the intention is to neutralise you as quickly as possible so you become less of a threat to them, this is the case wether you are carrying a weapon or not, actually the police will tell you this as well.

 

I hear your point, but my feeling is that if I were a criminal I would go for a soft target (ie) someone who I knew was minimal risk to me, if I knew my intended victim was packing a weapon and was prepared to use it against me, I would look elsewhere.

 

A case study was recently done in the USA where Baltimore was in the process of changing its firearm laws.

 

In Baltimore itself, where basically firearms are restricted to the home, and no handguns are allowed to be carried, murder and assault rates were highest in the State.

 

However, it was found that crime was lowest in States like South Dakota, Virginia etc, in large because gun ownership is fairly unrestricted and the population is on average well armed

 

So, more access to guns by the general public = lower crime rate.??

 

I dont know, but its fairly convincing.

[Deep Section]

Guns give rednecks (and others) self confidence!

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Guns give rednecks (and others) self confidence!

 

Ai,lets keep opinions like this out of the discussion.

 

Or next we are going to have people claiming, "fast muscle cars give men a sexual high."?

[Guest Big H]

Guns give rednecks (and others) self confidence!

 

Bumper sticker in the States....."You cannot rape a 38"..... redneck or not ..... packing a 38 does give some confidence.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Bumper sticker in the States....."You cannot rape a 38"..... redneck or not ..... packing a 38 does give some confidence.

 

- Another bumper sticker I recently saw in the States -

 

When seconds count, the cops are only minutes away.!

 

Maybe in SA we can change that to "hours away".!