I was thinking more accuracy than stopping power, but I suppose in the case of a bear it can translate to the same thing: you need to have some distance between you and the critter in case your first shot doesn't stop it, and that's when a handgun becomes a questionable choice. But yeah, I know what you mean about size of black bears. There's a female around my neighborhood who's got to be 350 pounds if she's an ounce. Not aggressive, but she's got three cubs, so she gets left all the alone she wants.

I live in Illinois. My friend was caught with a loaded handgun in his car on a routine traffic stop. He got his face pounded on his car hood then thrown into the bullpen while in handcuffs. He isn't a troublemaker. Illinois sucks for guns.
I carry Halt when I'm riding. It often stays in my cargo pockets. I forget its there. I carry it more for people than for dogs.

That's one of the reasons why I moved out of there a year and a half ago. I'm glad I now live in a state that respects my right to self defense.
Great ridding weather here too, from fall to spring. Summer heat sucks big time though.

Yes. The box cutter I keep in my tool bag is definately classed as a weapon by Homeland Defense. I carried it (cutter and tool bag) in checked luggage in a recent trip out of the country and it was obvious that the luggage and the tool bag had both been opened. The cutter was still in there fortunately.

To the question of what I had done to start the situation, I had biked by while he was buisy beating up his girl on the side of the road. Guess he didn't want me to see it so he decided to run me over. The cops said they could get him on a trafic violation. As for a .357 mag not stopping a bear or having to do something stupid. Neither are true. I have hunted black bear and taken them and a few deer and antelope with this very .357 mag and a handloaded 173grn keith style semi wad cutter over 16grns of lil'gun powder, it'll do the job. Light for grizz yes, but right now it's what I have and better than a harsh word. When camping they do sometimes enter your campsite and better it than nothing. 12guage or rifle would be better but to be honest when this kind of stuff happens I usualy find I packed the pistol. Rule one of using a gun propperly for defense is have the gun. The ruger just seems to be the one that's there.

* pepper spray
* folding knife
* massive U-lock

GreenAnvil

Is this really how you think?


You perception of lawful firearms owners is pretty warped.

That type of attitude is more like what you would see in someone who posseses firearms ILLEGALLY.

All the lawful gun owners I know would go way out of there way to avoid any kind of confrontation when they are carrying, and would only use a weapon if there life was in peril.

You're thinking on this matter is very telling about the mentality and lack of knowledge in the anti-gun crowd.

I have a gang of spirits and earth elementals that protect me. When confronted, the skies swarm with twisters, lightening strikes, harpies swoop to my aid, and the earth cracks open.

Are the harpies hot and neekid?

(Note: I don't actually do this)

Nice holster and XD!

Nice bike too!

Picture Angelina Jolie crossed with the hottest bald eagle you have ever seen.

I used to carry a pistol. Haven't in a long time. When I came home from Iraq my inhibitions were diminished, I pulled my gun on a guy when my life wasn't threatened, so I sold it and used the money to buy a new bike.

Glad you made it back okay!

sounds like it was a wise idea to ditch the gun for awhile, it must be a biatch readjusting from being in a war zone.

I carry a machine gun.

A U-lock and my surly attitude has seen me through all manner of trouble. Also threatening to cannibalize someone (and looking like I mean it) once I've made them submit seems to put a little more forethought in their actions. Or maybe it's the being covered in tattoos, scars, and big gauge piercings that does the trick for me. Whatever the case, I've never had anyone NOT back down, so I've only used the U-Lock on cars, never peoples.

I have ccw permit so I carry everywhere I go. H&K USPc 9mm. My ride home is at night so I carry a surefire L5 flashlight. Also have a knife.

Like this but with shirt un tucked of course.

this thread makes me glad i live in australia

lance

Muggers, thieves, drivers, pedestrians, other bikers... Frankly I just make sure to kill everyone I see on my commute. It's a whole lot easier than trying to differentiate the bad guys from the good, and it means you aren't worrying about getting caught off-guard.

Hmm... this thread smells a lot like ARFCOM...

Out with it! Identify yourselves!

This thread smells because it's been dead for a month. Let it rest in peace.

I have an expandable baton, mace, and a taser I use for work. So I usually have those with me.

It's ****ers like you that make all us folks in Minnesota look at "Guns not permitted within this building" signs every ****ing where we go. They're big ****ing signs posted at every ****ing entrance to every ****ing building in the state. What an I sore.

Surely you can't ride a bike in MN with one of those permits because you can't take the ****ing gun into any building at all. What would you do, leave it in your saddle bag?

I won't speak for others.

In over 10 years riding a 30-mile round-trip commute into Atlanta, I've never carried a single weapon.

Once, a pedestrian punched me off my bike and sent me to the emergency room via ambulance. Got to try their morphine in the ER.

Lesson learned: on a bike, things happen very fast. I wouldn't have had any time to pull a weapon. My best weapon is the knowledge I gained from that experience. Wisdom and knowledge are the most effective weapons.

Ride smart.