Concealed Carry Weapon on bike

Bumping this thread as I'm late to the party, but does anyone know if you can open carry on a motorcycle?

I just applied for my CPL this year(should hear back in a few weeks) so I can conceal it when the riding season arrives but was just curious about open carry.

Michigan does have an open carry law so it is legal to do so, but I know as soon as you step inside a car it's considered concealed. What about throwing a leg over a vfr...still the same? or no? It's not any harder to spot than walking around.... I'll have to ask the local LEO's for their opinion and then my attorney but wondered if anyone had previous experience.

 

Open carry is a touchy subject. I know its legal in alot of states, but most likely the general public will get scared and call the police. That means you will be stopped and talked to, even it its legal. Dont get me wrong, i feel if you can carry (either ccw or open carry) you should. I would just go and get your ccw and call it a day.

goto opencarry.org for some interesting reading.

 

That is a tricky question because laws vary so much from state to state. I second that you should visit OpenCarry.org - A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost!. There is info there broken down by state and will even cite when a certain town or county has different laws than the state.

If you do OC on your bike, make sure you have a good holster (such as the kind that are designed to keep someone from grabbing the gun out of your holster). I would be worried that the holster might fail for some weird reason and the gun would fall.

I agree that it does freak some people out but that is no reason not to exercise a right. Personally the only trouble I have had is from officers who threatened to point a gun at my head when I had done nothing illegal.

 

I've already been to opencarry.org and other websites that are Michigan oriented. There have been plenty of times where groups get together and exercise the right in small towns and what not and make the news here, so it's a known subject. Yes, it does freak people out, but as long as you carry yourself in a professional manner with a very good holster it seems to bother people less.

As far as actually open carrying on the bike, I wouldn't, but I was just curious if it was possible or anyone did it. And yes, I would definitely want a locking holster!


You definitely need to be careful though with police encounters. My city and state police are pretty smart about it, but my township...complete idiots.

 

Well the police around here seem to think they should be the only people with guns, but thats another topic

 

im real late to this thread but i live in Northern CA. i have a CCW it was not hard to get in my county iv had it since i was 23 i mostly carry my S&W642 and other times i carry my Glock 30 porple forget not all of CA. is a Big City (hard to get in cities) but my CCW says i can carry in any city in CA. i.e. Sac, SF, and LA. and i do every time.

 

I forgot to ask anyone who carries any weapon for protection PLEASE understand and train yourself in useing them in high stress situations PLEASE

 

here in Texas we can get a cc permit, but no open carry. we're orking on it though. this being talked about as "the gun" state.

 

In Michigan you have to take the NRA course Personal Protection in the Home course in order to qualify for Concealed Pistol License. VERY basic course.

I would highly recommend getting involved in International Defensive Pistol Association(IDPA) matches and/or practices. They involved timed exercises based on real world scenarios. I've been to a few matches and they are a lot of fun to watch or partake in. One of the better ones I saw was, they built a "dark room" out of plywood and 2x4's and you had to clear it out in total darkness with your little tactical flashlight and pistol. VERY REAL WORLD.

 

Usually carry both of my HK Mark 23 Mod 0's in a shoulder rig. One under each arm just in case. LOL No, sometimes a Glock 27.

 

Here's an interesting article in the Washington Post on an open carry incident in VA. Hope the link still works. Open carry while riding is legal in VA. Just from observation, most cruisers carry on their hip if they're carrying. Sport bikers carry on the small of their backs.

Guns Worn In Open Legal, But Alarm Va. (washingtonpost.com)


Here's a good summary of open carry states from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_carry

 

IMHO, I would advise against carry on the small of the back when riding. If you dump your ride you would open yourself up to some nasty back injuries if you fell on your firearm.

 

It doesn't matter where you carry when you ride, if you fall, it WILL HURT. Anyone who has fallen on a full wallet or a pocket full of change can relate. I've had some nasty bruises from both of those just goofing around while skiing. I can't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to land a on a square 4.5" metal slide of a gun.

 

Sorry guys.. .wasn't advocating carrying on the small of your back. Just saying what I've observed people wearing while riding in my area.

I prefer to open carry with it mounted above the dash with a small cutout in the windshield. :wink:

 

Vlad, you beat me too it.
Small of the back carry is the worst possible option. You are open to injury, not to mention the problem of weapon retention.

Mac

 

Article 4 of the constitution says that any right (such as a driver's license or carry permit) you are given in your home state must be respected by all other states in the union, which means if youre given a permit of any kind in your home state it applies everywhere else in the country. Not sure about DC, since it isn't a state, but I wouldn't worry about getting hassled as long as you have your permit with you anywhere else.

 

Ah...7yr old thread.

 

I've had a CCW my entire adult life in a southern state. The only time I don't carry is when I'm on my motorcycle. Right or wrong, logical or not, I don't do it in the event I go down and get hurt, I don't want anyone else dealing with or stealing my weapon. Besides that, it would be in my tailbag where I can't get to it quick. IF I carried, it would be a 9mm Baby Glock or one of my two .38 specials loaded with Buffalo Bore soft lead, 150 grain, gas checked hollow points.

 

7-8 year old thread. :rip: Driving is a "privilege," not a right. The right to drive a car or motorcycle is not guaranteed by the constitution. You do have to travel, unconstrained though.

As an experiment, I would take a stroll to NJ and NYC, and see what they have to say about the pistol on your person.

 

You need to look up the reciprocity laws, lots of specific info there.