http://www.kahr.com/new_pm9094.html
I have not yet felt the need to bring a weapon to the pool with me, but for cycling and running, this pistol seems like the weapon of choice. It’s light, compact and powerful. I think it weighs less than 20oz fully loaded. Does any twitcher know of a lighter pistol that is as powerful (or perhaps more powerful) than this one?
I bet a can of mace is lighter.
Even lighter: thinking ahead and proactively avoiding trouble.
When the choice is between brains and brawn the former usually trumps the latter.
Glock 27, 40SW
Similar in overall size to the Kahr, but chambered for the 40SW, which is, in my opinion, a better round than 9mm.
40SW is a slower round, with more stopping power and less penetration than 9mm. It is the best compromise between a 9mm and 45.
A lot of people don’t like Glock, but I think they are the best combat guns around. Ugly, yes. Simple, yes. And, utterly reliable. Also very safe.
Good point except that bullets don’t evaporate in the wind. Mace does.
Too much gun, man. Unless you have a Dirty Harry complex you want a last resort deterent not a major man-stopper. Get a .22 auto with as high a magazine capacity as possible. You can put the first 3 or 4 round in the air or in the dirt just to scare off an attacker and still have plenty of rounds if the warning doesn’t take. A well placed .22 will do the trick (ask anyone in the Mafia). Easier (faster?) to handle, more controlable.
But…if you’ve got to have the fire power, go for the .40. Only an ounce heaver than the 9.
What kind of rig would you recommend for the Kahr or the Glock?
While running, I would keep the weapon tucked in some kind of waistband/racebelt in the small of my back…seems like I wouldn’t get too much bounce back there.
On the bike, maybe the same, but I would like something like a small butt-pack that allows for quick access but also for good concealment.
I used to think it was senseless and rather foolish to think about packing while running or riding my bike. But frankly this is because where I run and ride are safe residential suburbs.
Well safe is a relative term because I have travelled a lot of US cities for work (have not for about a year now) and when I was out of town I would try to run outside. I have to state the obvious which is that there are a LOT of dangerous cities in America. For example, you could live in a safe neighborhood but have to cycle or run through some real dangerous places to get a long run or ride. Or you may run outdoors at night through some sketchy places.
Frankly, if I lived in one of these places I would seriously consider carrying a handgun. Although I would make sure to get a permit as carrying a concealed weapon carries a heavier penalty than getting assulted.
Fuelbelt makes a special gun carrier that carries it in the small of your back that keeps it from bouncing and shooting your ass off. Just kidding. Cripes… I’m speachless.
Guys, guys…
If I thought I needed to carry a weapon with me when I trained, I would immediately move somewhere else.
I don’t ever want it to come to a point where I feel like I have to carry a gun while out for an enjoyable run or ride. If you feel like that, then what is the real difference between training where you live or training in Bahgdad, or Falujah, or Kabul, or Mogadishu.
If you wanted to train there, it would be wise to do it in groups, in daylight and with an armed escort. That’s part of the reason we’re there. No one should ever have to live like that, in that kind of fear.
This is the U.S. I feel safe here. My bike is sitting on my porch at home right now unlocked. My screen door is the only thing preventing a stranger from walking into my living room a few blocks from here.
I’m not necessarily anti-gun per se’, but I do like the idea of living in a society where they just aren’t needed. Happily, at least in my little world, I just don’t think they are.
Think happy thoughts.
“You can put the first 3 or 4 round in the air or in the dirt just to scare off an attacker and still have plenty of rounds if the warning doesn’t take”
That’s about the worst idea I’ve seen on this forum. Fantastic way to shoot an innocent bystander or get arrested for discharging a firearm in public. I don’t think you should run or bike where you think you need a gun to do it, but if you do, you don’t ever pull the trigger unless you’re aimed at what you want to hit.
Tom,
Many parts of America are like living in parts of Baghdad or Kabul - we have the highest murder rate in the world. Look at the numbers for our cities like Chicago, LA or NY (700 murders per year in those cities at least). There are some real dangerous places in every American city.
I can relate to what you’re saying. I live in a suburb of Chicago and I often leave my doors unlocked even during the day when I’m gone. But many if not most people don’t have an easy option to just move from where they live if they live in high crime areas.
I am totally anti gun but man I would carry one in many places in America.
"I am totally anti gun but man I would carry one in many places in America. "
But in those places that you would feel the need to carry, would you be going out for a run?
Guns and concealed carry are like religion … you’ll never convince someone they’re wrong. My view is similar to Tom’s: If a gun is necessary for safety, best to stay away; and, I think guns generally cause more problems then they solve.
One must be realistic though. There are very dangerous places to live. I live in Las Vegas, in the Green Valley-Henderson area in the far southeast part of the city. My neighborhood is safe. But, north Las Vegas is gang ridden and crime ridden, and a dangerous place to be. I wouldn’t run/ride there unarmed … but then, I wouldn’t run/ride there period.
MM: lots of holsters around that would work. Try galls.com. This is a law enforcement oriented website that sells several different holsters that should work fine for your needs.
A word of caution: someone else mentioned warning shots and such. I was trained that if you carry a gun, you have to be prepared to use it without hesitation. And if you are prepared to use it you have to be prepared to kill. No warning shots. No mercy. The PC advise: “You don’t ‘shoot to kill’, you shoot to stop the threat!”
Make sure you are ready for the responsibility. My Glock 27 stays at home, unloaded in its lock box. I haven’t shot it since I turned in my badge.
I thought the stuff about the US and guns was mostly a media beat-up.
I mean, are you *seriously *going riding with a gun?
I am astonished…
If I lived in one of those places and was a runner I would seriously consider it.
I have choices of where to ride and run but many persons don’t.
slowguy is right on this one IMO.
Here’s my problem with carrying a gun: When I carry a gun, I am ready and willing to kill. I am trained to, I know exactly how, and I have practiced it thousands of times in training. I’ve been involved in training that gives me the confidence and resolve to use a combat firearm to kill from reflex. There is no thought, no judgement. Just training and reflex. Acquire target center mass, engage with two rounds. Engagement over. In a split second.
That was the military. I’m not in the military anymore and haven’t been for many years.
Combat firearms are made to kill and are designed to be used as such. They are not non-lethal, they aren’t designed to intimidate, scare or spoof a threatening individual. They are made specifically for killing them.
So when you strap your hogleg on for a run around town you are saying, “I am ready to take a human life in defense of my own.”
Is that how you want to live? Can you imagine living with yourself the rest of your life if it came to that?
We’ve had the gun discussion in the other forum, and I’m not trying to start it again here. Personally, if I lived in a place where I thought I needed a gun to run, I’d get in my car and go somewhere else to run. Or I’d run at the gym. Going for a run isn’t worth my life, or the risk of me taking someone else’s life. I have no doubt that there are very dangerous places in the US. I lived in Chicago for many years. However, in the bad parts of town, you don’t see a whole lot of runners.
“So when you strap your hogleg on for a run around town you are saying, “I am ready to take a human life in defense of my own.””
Actually, what they’re saying is “I’m willing to take a human life to protect my right to run in a bad part of town.” Not a statement I’m willing to make.
I agree on both points. I’ve got other things to think about.
Are you running in like the south Bronx or in some really bad place in DC? What do you need a handgun for?