First handgun on recumbent tricycle

[maly]

I do most of my riding before sun-up, sometimes as early as 3am. I recently encountered a couple of cranky-looking characters on a bikepath. As they approached, I reached into a pocket to grab my can of dog repellant pepper spray; they immediately changed direction. I hear the occasional story of a cyclist being mugged or attacked by road ragers.

Due to laying back low on the recumbent with feet clipped to pedals, dismount might not be quick and graceful, leaving me with a sense of vulnerability should dog or human decide to attack. Aiming pepper spray can be limited and inadequate.

I'm thinking of a concealable, small-framed revolver which could be loaded with birdshot, at least in the first two chambers. Maybe .32 or .38. I'm considering a shoulder holster gear-carrier already, so maybe a gun could be concealed and readily accessible there.

I live in Florida so I have to take classes. I assume I should also get some training drawing from the position I ride. I don't intend to carry at times other than riding.

Any thoughts?

[SwedeSteve]

Sounds like you are on the right track!

[Taurus Fan]

Birdshot is good for rodents at 5 feet or less but nothing else. As far as weapon, a .38 snub sounds good for your circumstances, though you may take a look at a 4" barrel, they're easier to shoot than a snubbie. The new .327 magnum sounds like an interesting alternative, too new to tell.

[Long Shanks]

A shoulder holster will work well and a crossdraw would probably fill your needs as well. Practice drawing is the way to go, with an unloaded gun of course. You should be able to simulate your riding position at the range to get used to firing from it. Good luck. I wouldn't bother with a .32 might as well get a little more bang for your buck. There are plenty of .38's to fit your needs.

[TXplt]

I ride with .38 snub in fanny pack. After your training, classes, and CCW issue, I'd recommend you carry all the time, everywhere you're able. FL has good CCW laws.

[maly]

Thanks for the advice. Now the next questions are what, where, and how much?

I looked at Taurus. I want small and light, so the 2" 16oz 5shot.38sp looked best on that site. Any other suggestions? Should I buy from a gun store or try to find a used one?

[Don357]

Originally Posted by Long Shanks

A shoulder holster will work well and a crossdraw would probably fill your needs as well. Practice drawing is the way to go, with an unloaded gun of course. You should be able to simulate your riding position at the range to get used to firing from it. Good luck. I wouldn't bother with a .32 might as well get a little more bang for your buck. There are plenty of .38's to fit your needs.

In regards to the ".32", according to ballistics reports, the .327 fed mag has more power and more energy than a .38+P. However it is a new round and Ruger is the only manufacturer that has a gun in production as of now, but Taurus has one due out soon, so it is probably fairly pricey right now. It sounds like you're an older person, probably retired and new to shooting. A .38spl or .44spl Charter, Taurus, or Rossi would meet your need unless you want to spend a lot more money for a Smith & Wesson or Ruger.

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by maly

I do most of my riding before sun-up, sometimes as early as 3am. I recently encountered a couple of cranky-looking characters on a bikepath. As they approached, I reached into a pocket to grab my can of dog repellant pepper spray; they immediately changed direction. I hear the occasional story of a cyclist being mugged or attacked by road ragers.

Due to laying back low on the recumbent with feet clipped to pedals, dismount might not be quick and graceful, leaving me with a sense of vulnerability should dog or human decide to attack. Aiming pepper spray can be limited and inadequate.

I'm thinking of a concealable, small-framed revolver which could be loaded with birdshot, at least in the first two chambers. Maybe .32 or .38. I'm considering a shoulder holster gear-carrier already, so maybe a gun could be concealed and readily accessible there.

I live in Florida so I have to take classes. I assume I should also get some training drawing from the position I ride. I don't intend to carry at times other than riding.

Any thoughts?

I think that in the semi lying down recumbant position, you could simply wear a decent runners pack with gun pocket and carry a good sized handgun of your choice.

Something like this can be either worn across the belly or, if yer one of those skinny s.o.....sorry, then you can actually wear it bandeleero style across the weak side shoulder.

MidwayUSA - Bianchi 4410 Top Secret 2 Fanny Pack Ambidextrous 4" Barrel Revolver and Medium Automatics Nylon Black

[Taurus Fan]

Originally Posted by maly

Thanks for the advice. Now the next questions are what, where, and how much?

I looked at Taurus. I want small and light, so the 2" 16oz 5shot.38sp looked best on that site. Any other suggestions? Should I buy from a gun store or try to find a used one?

Gun store, most assuredly, buying a used gun is too much of a crapshoot, especially for the inexperienced. Sounds like you're determined to have a snub, so consider this one, it's only a few dollars more than the 5 shot versions, ignore the MSRP, they sell for a lot less: Good luck.

Taurus International Manufacturing Inc

[Triggerjerk]

The choice of handgun aside...your tactical position sounds poor. I have seen these bkies go by, but have not looked at them closely. Your feet are attached to the pedals? That's bad. And you're laying back? Hmmm...

The first thing that you need is a different bike. You need to be able to get on your feet quickly and assume a good stance to shoot. Well, okay, you can shoot one handed while riding along on your back with your feet clipped to the pedals, but that seems like a very poor tactical position to be in. If I thought that I was in a situation where I may face a threat from a dog or human...and clearly you do...I would not want to be glued to a machine. Also, I may suggest that if you point a gun at, or shoot at anyone while you are in motion, a prosecutor will suggest to a jury that you were still moving, so should have attempted to get away from the threat. Any way that I look at this, you will want to be able to dismount quickly to face a threat. Get a different bike.

[squirrelbaster]

those recumbent bikes are a LOT of fun! after reading this i went to my local bike shop (1 block away) where a friend of mine works and he let me play in one. there great, if there where not so many guns on my list to buy at the moment and the need for another safe id buy one! where as its not a great tactical position, it IS the whole reason your out there i think. i say dont get a new bike thats silly. do what you enjoy the way you enjoy it. oh and i find snubbies realy hard to aim, in my hands there just noise makers becouse with a barrel of 2 inches i cant hit jack. so give that some thought. anyways good luck!

[Triggerjerk]

Snubbies are a bit tough. I do okay with them on a 14" x 20" cardboard, which is the size of my upper torso. I load my snubbies with wadcutters to lessen the recoil. I am not a high caliber fanatic, and this is the best size/power combo for me. In hot weather I also like the Beretta Model 21 in .25 auto. It is convenient, and I hit very well with it. And yes...I know how to read the ballistic charts. It is the lowest powered of all the rounds, but I like the gun better than the Kel-Tecs and some of the others.

[ander254]

have you ever thought about mounting a tactical shotgun to the frame just make sure your feet are on the pedels to keep you from rolling backwards

[ArkansasHunter]

How about rethinking the type firearm you want ? KelTec and Ruger have some pocket pistols best suited for your needs and there lite weight and there polimer framed to prevent rusting, they also hold more ammo too.
Take a look at this Ruger.
LCP™


Ruger's lightweight, compact pistol is the perfect choice for personal defense carry.

I assure you, you want be disappointed in this Lil power house and is very concealable...A.H

[mitch_mckee]

Originally Posted by ander254

have you ever thought about mounting a tactical shotgun to the frame just make sure your feet are on the pedels to keep you from rolling backwards

Maybe mount a turrent on that thing?

[maly]

I had composed responses to each of you but hit the wrong button and it all disappeared. I'll try again tomorrow, probably.

In the meantime, another question: Can birdshot be used in semi-automatics?

Here's one that remained:

Originally Posted by Triggerjerk

The choice of handgun aside...your tactical position sounds poor. I have seen these bkies go by, but have not looked at them closely. Your feet are attached to the pedals? That's bad. And you're laying back? Hmmm...

The first thing that you need is a different bike. You need to be able to get on your feet quickly and assume a good stance to shoot. Well, okay, you can shoot one handed while riding along on your back with your feet clipped to the pedals, but that seems like a very poor tactical position to be in. If I thought that I was in a situation where I may face a threat from a dog or human...and clearly you do...I would not want to be glued to a machine. Also, I may suggest that if you point a gun at, or shoot at anyone while you are in motion, a prosecutor will suggest to a jury that you were still moving, so should have attempted to get away from the threat. Any way that I look at this, you will want to be able to dismount quickly to face a threat. Get a different bike.

Rather have no gun than to change bikes(actually, a trike with two wheels upfront--known as a tadpole design). I can usually dismount quickly and I can usually outrun dogs if I'm already in motion. It's when I'm stopped that I'd feel most vulnerable.

[mjames834]

To answer your last question, yes, bird shot can be used in semi's, but don't count on it extracting. Don't know what's available for semi's other than .45 ACP. Took my 1911 to the range & for S&G's fired it at 7 yards. It had a nice pattern on the target with about 210 pellets of #9 shot. However, it didn't extract completely & the aluminum case got mashed up when the slide closed. There are shot shells for .38 & .44.
The Ruger LCP isn't readily available. The .327 isn't out there in any great number, but promises to be a great round.
Bag the .32 & consider a .380 as the lowest in power you want. Consider how you'll cycle a slide on a semi to eject a defective cartridge while riding.
Smith, Taurus, & even Rossi, make nice revolvers from snubby to 6" barrel. Aftermarket grips are available for most revolvers for around $25.
Laser grips run $200-$300.
Go to a gun store that carries a good supply of handguns to get your hand on them & weigh the pros & cons of each. Some of our Missouri folks get the Florida CCW.
Watched a guy tip over on his bike at a stop light because he forgot to remove his feet from the pedals in time.

[Cyrano]

Have you given any thought to a Taurus Judge? The short-barreled (3 inch, I think) version loaded with a .410 shotshell is supposed to be devastating at the short ranges you'd be using against dogs or muggers. I'd suggest loading either No. 6 shot or No. 4 buckshot for defense, and loading the last two chambers with .45 Colt HP. It's as concealable as any other snubbie and more powerful than many. Worth considering?

[big boomer]

I agree with Cyrano with the judge, alternate shot shells with 45 shells and your well defended if it will fit your space requirements.

[squirrelbaster]

Originally Posted by Cyrano

Have you given any thought to a Taurus Judge? The short-barreled (3 inch, I think) version loaded with a .410 shotshell is supposed to be devastating at the short ranges you'd be using against dogs or muggers. I'd suggest loading either No. 6 shot or No. 4 buckshot for defense, and loading the last two chambers with .45 Colt HP. It's as concealable as any other snubbie and more powerful than many. Worth considering?

this sounds like somthing you should consider. makes me want one.....