Concealed Carry Options for a Motorcycle
Deryck PooleDescription
Deryck Poole of Echo-5 Training Group talks about concealed carry options while riding a motorcycle. In his opinion, people put too much emphasis on the differences between carrying while on a motorcycle as opposed to a car, but the two really aren’t that different.
But there are a few differences, and they are in how you carry your gun. Because of the design of motorcycles, your seated position may not be the same as it is in a car. If you’re leaning forward on a bike and carry appendix style, this may not work.
Let’s look at some concealed carry options and a few things you may need to worry about when riding a motorcycle.
Tactile Feedback
If your carry position when on a motorcycle is not the same as your usual everyday carry position, make sure you do something that gives you tactile feedback to tell you this is different. Wearing a leather vest or jacket when riding is a good example. Among other reasons to wear a vest or jacket while riding, when wearing it, you know that if you have to draw your gun, you’re not going to draw it from its usual spot.
Concealed Carry Options
Where can you carry your defensive firearm while riding a motorcycle? There are a few options. One is a fanny pack. Some are designed specifically for concealed carry and will cover the trigger guard while the gun is inside it.
Another is a shoulder holster. This gets the gun up above the waistline, and leaning over at an extreme angle is no problem.
Gloves
Do you wear gloves while riding? Fingerless gloves, full gloves, or heavy ones during inclement weather? With some gloves, you won’t be able to get your finger inside the trigger well of the gun. This means the first part of your handgun presentation needs to be taking the glove off, then reaching for the gun. Remember to include this in your handgun training and practice.
Open Carry
If you’re riding and carrying openly in the middle of nowhere, no problem. But Deryck believes that we bikers already have a stigma attached to us and we don’t want to feed into the negative perception people have of us as being intimidating and not wanting to follow the rules and laws of society. Carry concealed!
Hey guys, Deryck Poole here with Echo-5 Training. We're gonna talk to you guys a little bit about concealed carry while riding on a motorcycle. A lot of people put way too much emphasis on it being that much different than riding in a car when it's really not, there's a few differences and the differences come in the fact of how you carry your gun. 'Cause of the bike and the design of the motorcycle, you might be in a position that's slightly different than your seated position, like more that cafe racer, more leaned over position, if you're an appendix carrier like I am, that might not work, you definitely don't wanna scratch the paint job up. So let's look at some of the options and some of the things you might have to worry about when concealed carrying while you're riding your motorcycle. I'm not gonna get into the laws, but just specifically things you have to worry about. If your position is the same as your everyday carry, you don't really have to worry about going to the range and practicing additional presentations from an alternative carry position. If you do have to carry from a different position, make sure you're doing something that gives you a tactile feedback, that lets your body know that you are carrying in a position that's little bit different than your normal position, something such as maybe wearing a vest or a leather jacket or maybe that's something you do regularly, so when you were wearing that extra piece of garment, that cover garment, you know, you know what? If something goes wrong, I'm not gonna be reaching for the gun in my normal position. Now what are some options if you're not able to carry in your normal carry position while you're on the motorcycle? There's a few. One, is maybe some sort of fanny pack, right? This is a fanny pack that it's actually designed for a concealed carry, it has design for left or right-handed and it will cover the trigger guard while the gun is inside the fanny pack. Another nice option that comes with using the fanny pack is, if you need to take it off or want to take it off, you're able to take it off, store it in one of your bags or packs on the bike and then when you stop for gas whatever, you're able to just pull it out and put it on, you don't have to worry about anybody seeing that it's actually a firearm. So this is a nice option that some people really like when riding their motorcycle. Another option, one of the few times those of you that like that "Miami Vice" shoulder holster, especially if you're gonna be happy to wear an over jacket, a garment such as a vest, a leather jacket, something like that to utilize this. But this will get the gun up off of the waist, so if you are in one of those positions where you have to lean down over the tank or if just sitting with a gun holster on your waistband is not comfortable, this is a nice option, this is where this actual holster would come in to play. So now that we've talked about ways of carrying the gun on your body while on the motorcycle, let's look at a few things that could actually come into play, while carrying the gun should you need to use it. When riding a motorcycle, do you wear gloves? Do you wear no finger gloves or maybe during inclement weather, you move into something a little bit heavier or even when if it turns into you're in a situation where you're riding in the rain, right? Different gloves, depending on the fingers, you might not be able to actually get your finger inside the trigger well of the gun. So let's look at a glove, right? If you have a problem with getting a grip and getting your finger into the trigger well of the gun, what you wanna do is strip the glove, so as you're going from the draw you wanna strip the glove as you're getting the gun out and now you're able to access the trigger without the glove preventing it. So, a lot of times the topic of open carry comes up, right? If you're with a group of guys or by yourself out in the middle of nowhere, Montana say and you're riding and open carrying, that's fine, but we as bikers, we already have sort of a stigma attached to us as people, right? And we don't want to inflame or feed into that stigma that we are trying to be more intimidating or we don't wanna follow the rules of the laws of society. So whenever possible, we wanna carry the gun concealed, alright? And that also falls back into that cover garment thing, right? Even right now with this gun on it is concealed when I'm on the bike, but when I'm going down the road at 50 to 70 miles an hour depending on the highway speed, what is the wind do? It wants to pull garments up and out and that way you end up displaying the handgun, right? So when I'm riding personally, I always make sure I have on a vest, some sort of jacket, something to ensure that I'm not going to be displaying the firearm as I'm riding down the road. So guys these are just a few tips when it concerns conceal carry while on a motorcycle. I hope it helps, if you have any further questions on the video, we'd love to hear from you, let you let us know what you thought of it and if you have any follow-up questions, thanks a lot.
This is a silly video and does nothing to better the culture ofCanda?
A chest holster, such as Alien Gear's Cloak Chest Holster, has always been my go to off the waist band holster. For winter sports when I am wearing a jacket it is ideal. With a zipped or snapped bike vest it should serve very well.
Really, my reply needs a moderator. LOL, Freedom of speech guys. Agree or not
Sorry, I was going to respond to this, however change of plans somewhat. Actually to many variables to cover in a brief time. First reply mimics pretty much my opinion and for much the same reason. I would probably opt to have firearm on my person with the tank mount for re-holster, but that could just be preference. Yes, left hand for all when actually moving, yes, one hand left hand practice for that. Prolly would never happen, but “Murphy” is alive and well. For the shirt open guy, carrying is a style change, button the shirt or wear a sleeveless underneath. My $.02
James Yeager reviews a"Danny pack/hip bag"from the 2020 shot show that's seems very user friendly with an added draw assist that cents the grip up for faster positive 100% grip on the draw than fumbling with reaching on and trying to clear the opening without snags or having to re acquire a full 100%positive group. Is on his YouTube channel. Check it out.
I have been looking for better ways to carry on the bike. I do not alwys wear an extra garment and shirt does fly up. Thinking of left hand pull, and possible fanny pack to put into backpack when off bike. Wearing coat easy fix when not so hot outside. looking for a good fanny pack ???
Excellent video for us riders!! I personally use the fanny pack you demonstrated. I wear it all the time when I'm riding. When riding, I can swing it around to my back, so I can lean over and it is inside the fanny pack hidden all the time, whether the fanny pack is covered by my jacket or not . When I stop, I just swing it around to the front where a fanny pack goes. I can also leave it on my standard holster side. I've practiced drawing from those positions as well. The fanny pack also allows me to carry 2 extra magazines, which is also great!! I also have a 511 backpack that has a holster section, which also works well and I've practiced drawing from that as well. Either way it goes with my everywhere I go!!
I use the fanny pack and love that the trigger is covered and that I can carry a couple extra mags! Very easy to draw and have access to the mags.
Liked the recent article about concealed carry options fora motorcycle, but I have never seen anyone discuss the problem of Right handed riders v/s deployment and shooting the weapon? and wheel guns v/s semi auto on M/C. The throttle is on the right side so drawing and using your right hand makes you take your hand off the throttle, thats the 1st problem, the the 2nd problem God forbid a malfunction and have to rack the slide? I was at a rest stop last month and a fellow rider says he carries a wheel gun on the bike due to just that very problem? food for thought? I have never seen or heard anyone adders this issue and there are thousands upon thousands of concealed riders. Thanks
What about using a cross-draw holster while on your bike? --Bill