Legal Weapons and Overlanding

[AnthonyD1978]

I have always felt the safest in the woods, away from people. I never felt a need for any type of weapon. Man, animal....it didn't matter.
That all changed shortly after the episode in Ely, MN known as the "Ely Six".

Another take away from this since it was a group of people.

If it's legal in your state make sure you have adequate capacity magazines. I swap magazines out depending on how and where I'm carrying. I have a compact and full size gun that shares mags. Some of the full size mags also have extensions on them. So depending on how I'm carrying and the environment I can have 15, 17, or 22 round mags in the gun or on my waist. Just depends on how concealed I care to be.

It's not about being paranoid. It's about having the right gear and tools depending on the situation. Goes hand in hand with overlanding.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

Finally got around to fabbing this up. Priorities for me:

1. A secured mount that will stay in place in the event of an accident or rough trails.
2. Quick access for my dedicated truck gun. While keeping some level of concealment from passerby’s.
3. Works with my Safari Land QLS mount/holster from my gun belt. This holster also has manual retention that must be defeated to draw the gun.

Previously I kept this gun in a another kydex holster in my center console.
There is some level of owner responsibility and knowing your environment. Would I leave my gun mounted like this if parking in Phoenix or another big city? No, I would put in in the center console.

 

[CR-Venturer]

Finally got around to fabbing this up. Priorities for me:

1. A secured mount that will stay in place in the event of an accident or rough trails.
2. Quick access for my dedicated truck gun. While keeping some level of concealment from passerby’s.
3. Works with my Safari Land QLS mount/holster from my gun belt. This holster also has manual retention that must be defeated to draw the gun.

Previously I kept this gun in a another kydex holster in my center console.
There is some level of owner responsibility and knowing your environment. Would I leave my gun mounted like this if parking in Phoenix or another big city? No, I would put in in the center console.

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Nicely fabbed up; looks very solid. Having said that, I'm a big advocate of carrying your gun on your person at all times. If you ever do need it, it's useless sitting in your vehicle holster or locked in the center console. Just my .02.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

Nicely fabbed up; looks very solid. Having said that, I'm a big advocate of carrying your gun on your person at all times. If you ever do need it, it's useless sitting in your vehicle holster or locked in the center console. Just my .02.

This gun stays in the truck. I have another I carry on my person.

 

[CR-Venturer]

This gun stays in the truck. I have another I carry on my person.

Noice. Do you have a rifle or shotgun for the truck too?

 

[Dodge Cummins]

I agree anthony. I carry a small 9 on me but have a full size mounted in vehicle

 

[AnthonyD1978]

Noice. Do you have a rifle or shotgun for the truck too?

I do not have any long guns I keep in my truck 24/7. I do take a long rifle or my pistol caliber carbine with me depending on what I'm doing that day. I will be camping this coming weekend and the below will be next to me as I sleep on my cot.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

I agree anthony. I carry a small 9 on me but have a full size mounted in vehicle

Exactly, I have a M&P compact I carry most of the time. For a vehicle or OWB there is no reason not to go with a full size with extra capacity and a longer barrel.

I swap out my M&P compact and M&P full size sometimes during the winter. That's when I can carry my full size OWB in a plain kydex holster and under a jacket. My compact then goes into my Safari Land holster in the truck since it still fits and locks in.

 

[CR-Venturer]

I do not have any long guns I keep in my truck 24/7. I do take a long rifle or my pistol caliber carbine with me depending on what I'm doing that day. I will be camping this coming weekend and the below will be next to me as I sleep on my cot.

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Sweet!

 

[DaleRF]

Finally got around to fabbing this up. Priorities for me:

1. A secured mount that will stay in place in the event of an accident or rough trails.
2. Quick access for my dedicated truck gun. While keeping some level of concealment from passerby’s.
3. Works with my Safari Land QLS mount/holster from my gun belt. This holster also has manual retention that must be defeated to draw the gun.

Previously I kept this gun in a another kydex holster in my center console.
There is some level of owner responsibility and knowing your environment. Would I leave my gun mounted like this if parking in Phoenix or another big city? No, I would put in in the center console.

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I Like It!
Great Job!

 

[GoodSid]

I always carry where legal and usually for both protection and fun or meat gathering.

 

[DaleRF]

I always carry where legal and usually for both protection and fun or meat gathering.

Yep!

 

[Toady]

I always carry when going out to the boonies, as do my oldest daughter and her boyfriend. But, to be honest, I carry every where I go except to work. That whole airport and no guns thing gets in the way, lol. But, i can carry almost any knife I want to carry because of where I work at the airport. Odd, right??

When we go out to the boonies I usually add one of my AR pistols, just in case. I don't worry about four legged animals as much as I do two legged animals. When in camp the AR pistol is always accessible, either to me or the kids. Even my youngest who doesn't carry knows where it is and how to use it. And we all know gun safety rules, so calm your jets :-)

There is a lot of traffic where we go to overland camp and we have met a lot of great people. And a few people we were worried would come back and try to rob us. A few. But I have two beautiful daughters that I will do anything to protect. Enough said on that.

How I carry depends on the situation. Normally I carry IWB at about 3:30-4. Driving long distances, I prefer cross draw holster, but IWB works without discomfort. Just harder to draw IWB as quickly due to draw stroke in a vehicle. Motorcycle, prefer my Miami Classic shoulder holster. Only because my jacket rides up sometimes, and depending on t-shirt I am wearing, I don't want to flash my pistol to everyone on the road. I prefer conceal carry %100 of the time..... Unless at camp, lol. In camp, I will normally switch to OWB carry, just for comfort. But the people I go out with are of the same mind as I am. They always carry, so no worries about hurting anyone's feelings. If in camp with people I don't know, I will conceal carry until I know them well enough to know how they feel about guns. But I won't ever not carry just because someone I am with doesn't agree with my right to carry. Just because YOU choose to be a potential victim, doesn't mean I have to be a potential victim too.

Toady

 

[DaleRF]

I always carry when going out to the boonies, as do my oldest daughter and her boyfriend. But, to be honest, I carry every where I go except to work. That whole airport and no guns thing gets in the way, lol. But, i can carry almost any knife I want to carry because of where I work at the airport. Odd, right??

When we go out to the boonies I usually add one of my AR pistols, just in case. I don't worry about four legged animals as much as I do two legged animals. When in camp the AR pistol is always accessible, either to me or the kids. Even my youngest who doesn't carry knows where it is and how to use it. And we all know gun safety rules, so calm your jets :-)

There is a lot of traffic where we go to overland camp and we have met a lot of great people. And a few people we were worried would come back and try to rob us. A few. But I have two beautiful daughters that I will do anything to protect. Enough said on that.

How I carry depends on the situation. Normally I carry IWB at about 3:30-4. Driving long distances, I prefer cross draw holster, but IWB works without discomfort. Just harder to draw IWB as quickly due to draw stroke in a vehicle. Motorcycle, prefer my Miami Classic shoulder holster. Only because my jacket rides up sometimes, and depending on t-shirt I am wearing, I don't want to flash my pistol to everyone on the road. I prefer conceal carry %100 of the time..... Unless at camp, lol. In camp, I will normally switch to OWB carry, just for comfort. But the people I go out with are of the same mind as I am. They always carry, so no worries about hurting anyone's feelings. If in camp with people I don't know, I will conceal carry until I know them well enough to know how they feel about guns. But I won't ever not carry just because someone I am with doesn't agree with my right to carry. Just because YOU choose to be a potential victim, doesn't mean I have to be a potential victim too.

Toady

Yep! An ounce of Protection...

 

[Giljr572]

You're absolutely right. I will NOT compromise.

Just to make position clear, I believe any law abiding citizens should be able to own anything a basic infantryman would be equipped with.

I see your point, but does that include M67 grenades and M72 LAW? Or the C9 LMG (M249)? Also the Wpn Det in a CA Inf Platoon normally carry a C6 GPMG (M240), a 84mm Carl Gustaf AT Recoiless Rifle, and a 60mm M19 mortar. I'm not sure I would trust just any "law abiding citizens" with any of those... ;)

Just my Canadian humorous 2 cents!

 

[Giljr572]

So although I have open and conceal carried in multiple war zones, I've never felt the need to in Canada. Even hiking in black bear country the only thing I ever carried was a folding knife or sometime a fixed blade knife. Planning for short overland outings last summer I started to refresh my knowledge about best practice in bear country and I realized that I had been somewhat irresponsible in my approach. I'm also getting older and feel less sure of my chances in hands to paws fighting against a bear... Even with a Gladius machette from Cold Steel in the Jeep, I'm not sure I want to engage in short sword battle with a pissed-off bear, or fast moving pack of wolves or coyotes. So I now carry bear spray for day outings (more off-roading than overlanding...) and trips close to civilization (e.g. the Old Nipissing Trail in Ontario). My thinking is that if I have to use my bear spray in these scenario, I can then get out and call it a day. Or stop by Canadian Tires and get another can of bear spray. It is also much easier to deal with the aftermath of a bear encounter when you use less than lethal means. No need to report shooting a bear to a conservation officer. Which is why the bear spray is always plan A. It is also the correct and ethical thing to do. Why kill an animal when you can only deter it? In these scenarios I'm not hunting.

The only scenario where I now bring a firearm in addition to the bear spray is when I overland further out up North or deeper into the wood. In that case, once out of bear spray you need a plan B if you don't want to cut your trip short. When in a remote wilderness area you need to be prepared to be self sufficient for an extended period of time. And since it is still pretty hard in Canada to get a permit to carry a handgun for animal protection, I just bring my old and trusted Winchester Defender pump action shotgun. And two cans of bear spray... My Defender setup is short and compact, easy to use and easily stowed away or safely secured when need be. It is also easier to use in an animal protection scenario than one of my longer waterfowl hunting shotgun or rifles. And since it is a non-restricted firearm in Canada, the rules are pretty straightforward and you can easily justify having it in your vehicle if stopped by the police or a conservation officer. And since firearms are Federal jurisdiction, the same rules apply across Canada.

Also, if you carry the appropriate ammo for it, you can not only use it for animal protection but for survival hunting in the far off scenario where you break down and run out of food ,with all your comms out of commission. Pretty hard to hit a moving squirrel or bird with a 9mm pistol...

Anyway, it's always interesting to see the different points of view on this subject between Americans, Australians, and Europeans. It feels like Canadians are in the middle between all sides on this matter.

Stay safe and have a good one!

 

[MarioT'sCJResto]

Yep!

I use to have active CCW's in 3 states on the west coast , and even with the ability to carry 24/7 I only found the need when overlanding with the pups. For the most part my XD9 and XD40 had snake shot on the first two rounds, and on occasion for kicks I would carry a super Redhawk 44 or pack the Henry big boy. I had my pups trained to sit and stay, and my main concern was for their protection. Unfortunately I had to give all that up when I moved out east, 3 years later I really don't even give it much thought. I guess if I was in the big country I would like the Henry at my side.
Here's a question that I have, for those who live on the east coast have you been concerned about carrying a knife since there's restrictions on the length?

 

[BensonSTW]

I like having this little guy in the truck with me. It now wears a 3x9 scope. Being a takedown it requires very little space. 500 rounds in a crown royal bag takes up no room at all. And I have fed the wife and myself many a delicious cotton tail dinner with it.

 

[AnthonyD1978]

I see your point, but does that include M67 grenades and M72 LAW? Or the C9 LMG (M249)? Also the Wpn Det in a CA Inf Platoon normally carry a C6 GPMG (M240), a 84mm Carl Gustaf AT Recoiless Rifle, and a 60mm M19 mortar. I'm not sure I would trust just any "law abiding citizens" with any of those... ;)

Just my Canadian humorous 2 cents!

Yes, and I'm a former infantryman. We also used the mk19 and TOW missile. Are you going to use a mortar to defend yourself from an armed robber? Of course not. FYI, people can and do own tanks here as well as explosive devices. There are local ordinance on how and where they are stored. Bad guys make their own explosives and bombs. They don't care about your laws. I can also think of at least one "tank" that was made and used in a crime.

During our revolutionary war it was the citizens that provided the weaponry. That included privately owned navel ships, cannons, etc.

Freedom is "dangerous" sometimes.

I just wanted to show the mount I made for my gun. I will now unwatch this thread because I know where it's going haha.

 

[grubworm]

I will now unwatch this thread because I know where it's going