I just got one of those front-of-chest pistol concealed carrying devices/holsters (like the Bilfran Mile Run holster from Eagle) so I can carry while mountain biking (CCW pending).  What I need is something light, small, powerful, and reliable (yea, choose any two) that I can grab with one hand while biking.  It's gotta be light enough so it doesn't go bouncing around with the bumps, and it's gotta have a fail-safe type of operating mechanism so that if I go flying off the bike it won't go off.  I'd want as powerful a round as reasonably possible.  What would you get and why?

Beretta 85 (.380 Auto) with Glazers

It is a great size for concealment but not the biggest round. It is very reliable and safe. Ambidextrious safety. Quite a bit like its big brother the 92FS. A great small handgun. The Glazers will make up for the power. Just don't shoot your own foot with them.

Either the Glock 30 in .45ACP or Glock 17 with 17rds of 9mm would be my preference.

There is an entire line for you to pick from though. Anytime I think I need something reliable or rugged in a handgun I automatically think Glock. I personally don't think there is anything more rugged or reliable out there. A Glock 17 is what goes with me on any hunting trip when I take a handgun. If I hunted bear or the like I would probably opt for a larger cartridge, but for most small/medium sized game in Texas it does the trick. That Glock even has a couple of boars in the 200lb range under its belt.

My $.02

Michael

A S&W 41 or 44 mag in Stainless with  a 5" barrel for "backwoods" riding. A Glock in any cal for more populated areas

BrenLover

For defense against 2 legged varmits I like the little Walther PPK or PPK/S - 380acp.

For defense against 4 legged critters you probably want a larger caliber.

Hey retrodog, I went to the Barretta USA web site and they had:  Tomcats, Bobcats, Alleycats, but no Beretta 85.  Does it go by some other name, or did I just f-up and not find it?

I have carried a Browning 9mm High Power in a break away fanny pack. I also stuffed it in a zip lock bag to keep the sweat and mud off of the pistol. I could operate the safety and fire the pistol through the bag as well. Although accuracy suffered a little bit it was not that bad. I also did not have to police up any brass either. The High Power is a bit heavier but I did not mind the extra weight.

Have fun and safe biking to you.

AKASL

LIVE FREE OR DIE

WHITE MOUNTAINS OF
NEW HAMPSHIRE

I sometimes carry a S&W 442 airweight J Frame with CorBon 115 +P+ when on my bike. Very light,  snag free, safe and one hand pop pop pop, or is it bang bang, shoot shoot?

Bill

Happiness is a warm gun...
Bang bang, shoot shoot...

I don't have a "Mountain Bike", come to think of it, we don't have any mountains. Anyway, if 2 legged vermin is your main concern then all suggestions are good, depends on how much weight you want to carry. I have a Browning BDA .380 with the 13 round magazines (pre-ban of course). My rounds for it are "Hydra-Shok", practice with ball ammo though. When I hunt I always carry a .22 pistol just out of habit. I'm originally from Montana and still carried a .22 pistol. Hi-Standard or Ruger. At least you can carry enough ammo to shoot at sticks and not break the bank when bored.

Too easy. G27.

The only problem that I see with the glocks is that they would have to be holstered to be safe in the case of a tumble because of the glock trigger and no active safety.  I'd personally go with a revolver with a magnum caliber for single handed operation, safety, and not having to pick up brass.  It would also be good for wild animals of the two and four legged variety if the situation warranted that.  The only downside I can see is that you'd only have 5-6 rounds and you'd have to use two hands to re-load, but you'd have to have two hands to reload a semi-auto as well.

God Bless Texas

.454 Casull in a big shoulder holster.  I need to give the prissy idiots in their faggoty stretch pants something to look at as I ride by.  

Actually, I gave up on mountain biking because the sport has been taken over by a bunch of idiotic morons and I can't stand being on the same trails as those pussies.  Then again, that was about three years ago.  Maybe the popularity of the sport has died down enough now and only the hardcore bikers are doing it?  

Remember roller blading?  I still laugh at adults on roller blades.  Hilarious!

Sig 225

When I hit the trails, I carry a Glock 20 in a chest mounted universal holster by Eagle Industries.  I bike through some mountain lion territory and the 10mm is perfect woods gun suitable for defense against two-legged and four-legged varmints.  The G-20 is a big gun but it conceals well with the holster zipped under a light fleece vest.

Thompson/Center Encore in .300 Win Mag, for those pesky biker-munching grizzlies.

"Mmmmm!  Meals on wheels!"

I'd probably want something fairly slim-line so if I fell on it due to an endo or something, there would not be any protruding parts jamming my flesh. I would rule out a revolver because of that. You might also want something with a fairly heavy trigger and a manual safety.

Perhaps a Sig, or if the manual safety is not an issue, a Glock 36?

What?!! 380's, 9mm's. Man, get you something with a 4 in front of it or at least a .357 or some 38+P's. I like a Glock 27 or 23. A glock will not go off unless the trigger is pulled which is no easy task. Nor will it go off on impact, it would be easier to turn a conventional safety off than to pull the trigger on a glock if carried properly. Or try one of the Taurus Titanium revolvers in .357, .41 mag, 44 spec. or .45 long colt. Obvioulsly trickshot beat me to the chase but my favorite would have to be a raging bull in .454. It'll kill anything that walks. But seriously I just don't feel comfortable shooting anything but tin cans with a .380. Just my opinion so I don't want any body getting their panties in a wad.

[frag]
Matt

Get a Sig 245.  Pretty cool gun.  You can even use Sig 220 mags (that is if you have a Sig 220).

JasonC

HUH????  You think a Glock is not safe, but you recommend a revolver?

Both are exactly the same, a double action pull of the trigger makes the gun go bang.

If this is a concern, as something grabbing the trigger in a tumble, then you would need a semi auto with a safety.

However, the glock would actually be safer than a revolver in my book, because the Glock has a trigger safety that need to be pulled back to fire, and the revolver does not have this.

The glock can be carried without a round in the chamber, eliminating all worry, but the revolver cannot.

The safest weapon, that would be ready to fire one handed immediately... would probably be a semi-auto handgun, with an external safety, and a grip safety.

Small, reliable and safe?
A H&K P7 is my reccomendation. Pretty hard to have an AD with a squeeze cocker.

Gotta plug the HS2000 here.


Aviator [img]www.dredgeearthfirst.com/aviator.gif[/img]

"Hey retrodog, I went to the Barretta USA web site and they had: Tomcats, Bobcats, Alleycats, but no Beretta 85. Does it go by some other name, or did I just f-up and not find it?" Sitting Bull


It's a Cheetah

Check out the 85FS. There is also the 84FS for more rounds but the grip is wider. I chose the 85 for a flatter profile for concealment.

http://www.beretta.com/pistole/Cheetah.htm

Sorry for the delayed response.

you should get you one of those gold plated 50 cal desert eagles with scope and a laser. seriously i have to agree with the glock. i carry a 19 when i ride my bike thru our wooded trails here ive fallen off several times and have drug it thru the sand and mud its like a timex it takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n.

I didn't say it wasn't a safe gun.  I said it wasn't safe if not holstered because something could easily pull the trigger.  Because of the Safe Action system, I'm confident a glock wouldn't go off if dropped, but if there's other stuff in the compartment I'd be concerned something could snag the trigger in a fall.

You'll notice I listed 5-6 shots in the revolver, indicating that you could keep it minus one round and not having to worry about a trigger pull setting it off, yet be able to cycle to a live round quickly with one hand.  I'm sorry I was not more clear on this.

Furthermore, every revolver I've ever handled has had a much heavier trigger pull than any of the glocks I've handled.  I own neither, so it may be that people have their weapons setup differently and this colors my judgement.  All the Glocks I've ever been presented with had what I'd consider light trigger pulls, especially when compared to an uncocked revolver.  We're talking what felt like 2 lbs, if that.



And anything that catches the trigger is most likely going to trip that trigger safety.  I think it's a good system if you keep it in a holster, but not in a space where you store other things.



And that negates the requirement of only needing one hand to operate it.  Plus, the revolver is less likely to go off unless the weapon is stored cocked and something significant pulls on the trigger as opposed to uncocked.  The Smith and Wesson revolver I shot last weekend had a significant trigger pull, which felt greater than 5-6 lbs.  But as I stated, store only 5 rounds in a 6 round revolver, and you have one empty round to cycle through before being live, something you can do with one hand.  That cannot be said with most auto pistols carried unloaded, and taking both hands off the handle bars to cock a gun under stress might not be the best idea.

And do we have to even discuss cost differences between a new glock and a revolver?  A glock is an all around better gun, but for this specific case I'd personally go with a revolver.

God Bless Texas

Actually, I hadn't thought of that one, and it would be an excellent choice if those things weren't so darned expensive.  If price is no object, that would be an excellent choice.

God Bless Texas.

How about the plastic framed Kahr in 9mm?  Light and safe while powerful enough.

"But as I stated, store only 5 rounds in a 6 round revolver, and you have one empty round to cycle through before being live, something you can do with one hand. That cannot be said with most auto pistols carried unloaded, and taking both hands off the handle bars to cock a gun under stress might not be the best idea." posted by godblesstexas

Maybe I misunderstand you but you don't even have to cycle through an empty chamber. You empty chamber is sitting lined up with the barrel and anything you do (cocking or pulling the trigger) automatically rotates the cylinder for a live round. Maybe this is what you meant.

Desert Eagle .50

If it's strapped to your chest while your biking, I guarantee no one will ever force you to use it in self defense.

[:)]

I was thinking about this while mountain biking the other day.  The inside of my chest pouch is lined with velcro, so what I thought I could do is have Blade Tech make me a custom Kydex sheath for a Glock 27/30/36/23 and instead of putting a belt loop on the pants side of the holster, I'd have them just put a flat plate with velcro on it.  The holster would then stick to the inside of my chest pouch.  That way I could have all the trigger protection safety afforded by a holster, while still have the quick one-handed opening and concealment of my chest pouch.

I would probably do that with my Desert Eagle .50AE. I have heard some complain about reliability problems with their Desert Eagles, but I have never had a malfunction with mine. Maybe carry my SIG P229 as well.

Tyler

3" Ruger SP101 357mag for 2- and 4-legged critters.

357mag

This is more personal preference than anything else – anything already listed would certainly work.

My first choice would be the current Smith and Wesson Model 60 revolver with 3 inch barrel.  It’s stainless steel (you WILL sweat on it!), five shot, 357 Magnum caliber, 24 ounces with adjustable sights.  38 Specials can be used for plinking.

If weight is a paramount concern, consider the pricey S&W Model 360 Kit Gun.  It’s similar to the Model 60, above, except that it weights about 14 ounces.  However, I shudder to think what the recoil would be when firing 357’s.

the aluminum frame hungasrian pa-63 (9x18 makarov) is a nice choice. lightweight, compact and inexpensive.

I must agree, the Ruger SP-101 in .357, with either a 2" or 3" barrel would fit the bill nicely!

Glock 26 or 29 if you want more power. My experiences of course.

Talyn

How about just a plain ol' Bulgarian Makarov (9X18)? It would definitely stop a mugger or a wild dog.

Ruger P97...tough, cheap, reliable, has knockdown power,and.....American made!

95th, the little mak is cool, i actually prefer it to the '63...the '63 felt recoil is much higher and i like the mak's grip better, too.

but cyclists (a least us roadies!  lol!) are very weight conscious. the '63 has a non-corroding aluminum frame. saves as little weight.

i wish it had a stainless slide!

I'll second the Plastic framed Kahr. My K9 is a GREAT CCW gun but has the steel frame and weighs 25 oz. The 18 oz plastic framed version in 40S&W would be well suited for riding as well as packing more punch than the 9mm. I see you are from AL. Where do you ride? I used to be really into mountain biking and am planning to start back this fall.

ipschoser1 - I was surfing the Kahr web site and the K9 in .40 looks pretty promising.  How would you compare and contrast this pistol with a Glock 27?

The pistol grip of the standard P9 is a little longer than a baby Glock but the slide is MUCH thinner and trimmer. I prefer the Kahr (I own both, although the Glock is full sized) mainly because it has a much smoother trigger and smaller size.

I used to carry a PPK/S .380 in a DeSantis shoulder rig until it became a single shot during a wild dog attack. Now its back to old faithful. an antique S&W 36 in an IWB. Comes out slow, but ALWAYS goes BOOM!