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Carrying while riding

32K views 387 replies 45 participants last post by  2-BKing 
#1 ·
Looking for suggestions on carrying while riding... I'm thinking a shoulder holster might be my best option, but I'm open to suggestions and experiences... Feel free to answer in the hypothetical because you "don't own any guns." :laugh:
 
#3 ·
Guess it depends on what you are carrying. If you have a .380, something smaller, couldn't you just put that in the inside chest pocket on your riding jacket?
 
#4 ·
not looking for gun suggestions... more for holster/carry suggestions... My EDC is a Springfield XDS 4.0... I could probably fit it in an inside pocket but don't like having guns around without the trigger being covered, and I feel like the weight all on one side would feel weird/awkward.
 
#6 ·
For a slimmer firearm like the XDs, you might try a belly band or other elastic garment that allows you to put it where you feel it is most comfortable/secure and where you feel it would do the least amount of damage to you in a crash. You could also look into IWB holsters with a retention strap if you don't have one already
 
#7 ·
I carry a Kahr CW9 IWB at about the 4 o'clock position. I tried a bunch of different types of holsters. By far the best and most comfortable is made by PJ holster. It's one piece of thin kydex molded to fit your gun. You can get different belt loop options. I use a closed loop that you thread your belt through. You can also get a clip on and tuckable. It adds almost no weight or thickness to the pistol. The pistol snaps in securely and won't pop out. It has adjustable tension. Another nice thing is the kydex can be heated up with a heat gun and tweaked to adjust angles or belt loop tightness. These pics are my CM9 which i also carry sometimes.



 
#9 ·
Any concerns with what would happen if you went down? That's another one of my concerns, I feel like carrying anywhere around the waist is not going to end well if I hit the ground.
 
#13 ·
Ah... this topic...

My opinion:

There is no perfect spot to carry while riding. Carry position is something you have to decide for yourself according to your own situation. There will be positives and negatives no matter what you decide. You are adding additional levels of risk when you carry while riding, so you have to mitigate that risk just as you already do for the act of riding itself.

If you want to carry on your person, the main downside is that you have to decide what part of your body you are willing to likely have considerable extra damage, due to having a big chunk of steel between you and whatever you impact in an accident. There is no way around this. Also, you will feel lopsided until you grow accustomed to carrying. The upside is you are typically quite unrestricted to move and go about your daily routines, both on and off the bike. The firearm is always with you and accessible so therefore you do not have to worry about it any further.

If you want to avoid the "increased injuries" scenario, then you will have to find a way to carry on the bike itself, which comes with it's own upsides and downsides. Obviously this is usually going to be a more comfortable and convenient solution, as you can carry in a backpack, tank bag, saddle bags, holster attached to the bike, etc. Lots of options. Unfortunately, most "off your person" solutions are going to have the problem of the firearm not being quite as readily available, which negates the whole purpose to an extent, and what happens to the firearm during an accident if it is physically on the bike in a holster or bag? You definitely do not want to lose the firearm for all the reasons I doubt I need to cover here. Also, transferring it back and forth between yourself and the bike at every stop is cumbersome at the least, and if you need to keep it concealed then the situation is a whole lot more difficult.

There is another important reality to consider whether you carry on your person or on the bike. Many people are unaware of this but in some places it is standard procedure/policy/whatever that when first responders, paramedics, etc., arrive at the scene of an accident, if a firearm is found they are not allowed to render aid until law enforcement arrives. I'm sure this is much more likely in some of our "less constitution friendly" states than others, but this means there is a possibility that if you are in an accident and your firearm is ejected from either your bike or yourself, you may very well be left on the pavement longer than you can afford before anyone will help you. I have yet to see or hear of this actually happening, but it is a possibility of which you need to be aware.

As for carrying positions, you will likely end up with more than one. Different situations call for different types of carry. Again, it all basically hinges on risk and what you are willing and able to accept/mitigate. Below are options I have either used or witnessed others using.

On-person carry:

Shoulder Holster:
Probably one of the most comfortable methods while riding, regardless of riding position. Not as easily concealed as one might think. (Bulge will be noticeable with most motorcycle jackets.) Fairly quick access. Looking at some seriously broken ribs and/or arm if impacted in an accident. Not likely to be thrown from your person.

"Gun Pocket" Carry:
Again, a comfortable method for any riding position but if impacted in an accident could yield broken ribs and/or arm. Fairly quick access. Not likely to be thrown from your person unless the jacket/vest/etc is unzipped more than a few inches.

In or Out of Waistband (IWB/OWB) Carry:
Usually comfortable regardless of riding position, so long as positioned to left or right side. If the firearm is far forward, such as appendix carry, forward riding positions will likely not be comfortable. If the firearm is far back, in the small of the back or kidney areas, more reclined riding positions will likely not be comfortable. Hip and/or spine injuries likely if impacted in an accident. Fairly quick access. Holster quality and retention will affect likelihood of ejection in an accident.

Drop-Thigh Holster:
Comfortable option that works quite well. Unfortunately unless wearing pants with a built in thigh holster, this is not concealable. You will draw attention, both good and bad. (In my opinion, any attention drawn is bad.) Fairly quick access. Possible broken leg if impacted in an accident. Unlikely to be ejected in an accident unless holster is of poor quality.

Ankle Holster:
Less comfortable option due to location and typical vibrations from road surfaces. Wind will likely not allow full concealment. Will not work with most riding boots. Fairly quick access if not inside a boot. If impacted in an accident, broken leg, ankle, and/or foot is likely. Likely to be ejected in an accident unless holster is of high quality design.

On-Bike Carry:

Backpack Carry:
You'll never know it's there aside from the weight. No one else will know it is there period. Fairly easy to keep on person, though will require personal awareness not to leave it unattended. EVER. Basically not accessible unless off bike. Extremely restricted access while on bike. Highly unlikely to cause any personal injury if impacted in an accident. Extreme circumstances could cause the firearm to come free of the backpack during an accident. (Example: Ejected through hole torn in pack during accident.)

Tank Bag Carry:
You won't know it's there unless you open the tank bag and look, and neither will anyone else. Fairly easy to keep on person, though will require personal awareness not to leave it unattended. EVER. Restricted access while on bike. Unlikely to cause personal injury if impacted in accident. If tank bag is secured by magnets, fair likelihood that bag will be ejected during accident, but firearm should remain inside.

Tail Bag / Saddle Bags Carry:
You won't know it's there unless you open the bag and look, and neither will anyone else. Fairly cumbersome to keep on person, IF they are easily detached and you have the willingness to do so. If the bags stay on the bike, you will have to transfer the firearm from them to your person and back at every stop, or take the risk of leaving them unattended. (Locks only keep honest people honest!) Obviously will require personal awareness not to leave detached bags accessible to others. EVER. Highly restricted access while on bike. Unlikely to cause personal injury if impacted in accident. Not likely to be ejected during an accident unless bags are not properly closed or secured.

Bike-Mounted Carry:
I will not cover all the options here, just focusing on the general concept. An easily accessed position will mean it is also easily seen and accessed by others. A well hidden position will likely highly decrease accessibility to the firearm, to both yourself and others. Fully hidden will likely mean no access while on the bike. Only the best holster quality and design will have any chance of keeping a bike-mounted firearm from being ejected in an accident. If the firearm is ejected, it will likely cause significant damage to whatever it impacts, including yourself or others. Chances of loss of firearm in accident are high. Personal awareness to never leave the firearm on the bike while unattended is paramount. I would suggest that the firearm be removed and placed on person or other form of carry any time the bike is not being actively ridden.

Don't try to find an end-all way to carry while riding. Some situations may allow you to carry the way you normally would while not riding. In other situations it may be best to switch to another method. It's your call.

That about covers it. As stated in the beginning, these are my opinions based on my experiences. These are definitely not all the possibilities for carrying while riding, but they are the ones which I have either practiced or directly observed over time.
 
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#16 ·
I appreciate the run down... Thank you.
 
#18 ·
Keep it where you carry it normally. There is no such thing as quick draw McGraw on the bike. Your right wrist is what needs to be quick in that case and just do your best to stay out of the situation. There is no good way. Great write up badmoon. You nailed it completely.:yes:
 
#21 ·
I carry IWB at about 3:15 normally... On the bike this is uncomfortable, and I worry about it becoming visible if my jacket rides up (I have a tall torso and most of my jackets are too short) I just ordered a shoulder holster and I'm going to see how that works out... I for sure never plan on drawing while riding. If my hand is on the throttle that's a much better use of it and I can GTFO... I plan on carrying more for off-bike scenarios, but I ride just about every day April-November, so I need to find a way to carry comfortably and safely while riding.
 
#20 ·
#29 · (Edited)
That's where the media and anti-gun people always take the argument sideways; it's not about needing a gun to defend against a gun, it's about needing a gun to defend. Period.
Just an example: I've had a road-raged guy stop in the middle of a busy street, get out of his truck, and charge at me. I managed to make it out of there, but not before he tried yank me off when I was already doing 15mph. I am not a big guy, but he was. Had he been successful in pulling me off I would have been in a one-on-one with somebody much larger than me and quite out of control with nowhere to run.
 
#32 ·
#33 ·
Coming from an Ex Pat NZ'r living in Aus, It perplexes me the gun culture. I grew up in the country and guns were kept in closets or gun cabinets when they were introduced. Only time they came out was for hunting, putting down a sick beast or for when my Grandma competed in pistol events in North Auckland.
Be safe, hope you never have to use your gun in anger.
 
#37 ·
Coming from an Ex Pat NZ'r living in Aus, It perplexes me the gun culture. I grew up in the country and guns were kept in closets or gun cabinets when they were introduced. Only time they came out was for hunting, putting down a sick beast or for when my Grandma competed in pistol events in North Auckland. Be safe, hope you never have to use your gun in anger.
Guns absolutely should never be used in anger, and most likely if they are you're going to jail for a long time for it... In the act of protection from grievous bodily harm or injury is about the only country wide reason to draw your weapon... There's a good handful of states that allow you to protect your home as your "castle" and defend it if someone breaks in as well, regardless of weather they pose a threat of direct bodily harm or not.
 
#50 ·
Interesting discussion.

@crimedog, While I don't necessarily agree, you make some interesting points. I'm pro gun, mostly because I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere and guns were just a part of life.

Crime was incredibly low probably because you don't dare trespass where I'm from. If you don't get mauled by a dog, you will probably get an ass full of buckshot... but I digress.

Mostly we used guns (shotguns) for hunting and those unfortunate circumstances where you need to put an animal down. We would have gotten by just fine without guns at our disposal, but they made a good tool. And that's all they were to us... tools.
 
#51 · (Edited)
If you ignore our ridiculously high statistics that would suggest that Switzerland has an incredible number of homicides by firearm per capita.
Huh???

All that proves to me is that IF there were ANY correlation between gun ownership and death, then a country (Switzerland) that has at least 50% as much gun ownership as the US should have HALF as many homicides by firearm. They don't. They have SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT LESS.

The numbers between increasing gun ownership rates (like comparing France to US, etc.) don't correlate. At all. Proof is in the Switzerland pudding.

If it's one thing I learned in stats classes in college, it's this: If you have to keep fishing for data to make your 'output' match your 'desired result', you're lying by manipulation. It's almost like the "biased coin" trick that statisticians pull all the time.

https://www.physics.smu.edu/pseudo/LieStat/

Not unlike saying "If I pull a gun on you 20% of the time, 100% of those times there will be a 50% chance that I may accidentally press two or less fingers on the trigger, causing the gun to potentially fire in the direction of some animate object within 400 yards or more, and inflict a wound lethal in 2% of those cases". It's completely :laugh:able.


Disclaimer: CrimeDog, I'm not trying to point fingers at you, I love the points you've brought up, so please don't take it the wrong way. I just hate having incorrect data shoved down our throats, and it's not just gun control issues.

The same goes for guns per capita per state. Look at Idaho, probably one of the MOST dense states for gun ownership. Compare our homicide rates per state to something like Illinois or California. Still doesn't match up - we should have MUCH higher murder rates than we do. We are the 6th LOWEST state for homicides by guns, yet we are the SEVENTH state for gun ownership. The stats do not lie. There is no correlation between just ownership and homicide.

All I'm getting at is it's not the guns - it's the people behind them. Their values (lack thereof), education (ahem, lack thereof), background, upbringing, etc. etc.
 
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#52 ·
g00gl3it - I think that it's more appropriate to compare Switzerland to other EU countries than it is to the USA (closer in guns/pop, culture, everything really). I'd argue that using Switzerland's stats to defend guns is a worse manipulation than using them against.

No offense taken. I'm glad that we can have a real discussion on this issue. What angers me most about the topic is that few people are willing to talk openly and honestly about it. If I wanted to see inaction and rhetoric I'd look to congress.

crakerjac - I grew up in Western CT and never had a firearm in my home. The family of my best friend growing up had guns though and I'd tag along on their vacations to their cabin in PA sometimes. I never went to hunt but we did shoot so I gained what little first hand experience I have there. They are very responsible people and I have every confidence in their usage, storage, etc. I've never been scared of guns nor had any desire to own one.
 
#53 ·
Might want to try a tanker holster.

 
#54 ·
The OP wanted holster suggestions not a gun debate.
 
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