Carrying a handgun on the AT

[Tuckahoe]

When i thru hike the AT in the next year i will be planning on having a .45 handgun with me. I shoot occasionally with my dad in the mountains (he has his concealed permit) and i know how to use one and clean one.

Its not that i feel i will need to use one but if if there is a slight chance that the opportunity will present itself then i feel like i should carry. you never know what will happen so its better to be prepared.

And if i somehow stumble off the trail or get hurt and need to find food, well i can always shoot something

I certainly believe that folks should be able to defend themselves and have every right to carry. But I also caution to follow and understand the law.

Dylon, please understand that caution. First off, keep in mind that most states require a CCP holder to be 21. Are you intending to wait to thru until you turn 21?

If you have a North Carolina CCP do you know what states along the AT have reciprocity with NC? Those states happen to be Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania, New Hampshire. There is no reciprocity with West Virginia (which surprised me). Additionally, when it comes to Maryland, or better yet New York you are SCREWED, Hell better add Mass to that as well. Vermont, when it comes to firearms requires no permits whatsoever.

Are you willing to risk it in those freedom lacking states should you be cought with a concealed firearm? New York will throw the book at you. You really cant bounce a handgun to yourself. Without an FFL you cant mail it through USPS. While you can send it overnight by Fedex or UPS to yourself the stores wont touch it (they really arent Fedex or UPS), and you would have to ship it from a hub. How many hubs are near the trail? Plus who would sign for it for you -- who would you trust?

Lot to consider.

[DylonHike]

I certainly believe that folks should be able to defend themselves and have every right to carry. But I also caution to follow and understand the law.

Dylon, please understand that caution. First off, keep in mind that most states require a CCP holder to be 21. Are you intending to wait to thru until you turn 21?

If you have a North Carolina CCP do you know what states along the AT have reciprocity with NC? Those states happen to be Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania, New Hampshire. There is no reciprocity with West Virginia (which surprised me). Additionally, when it comes to Maryland, or better yet New York you are SCREWED, Hell better add Mass to that as well. Vermont, when it comes to firearms requires no permits whatsoever.

Are you willing to risk it in those freedom lacking states should you be cought with a concealed firearm? New York will throw the book at you. You really cant bounce a handgun to yourself. Without an FFL you cant mail it through USPS. While you can send it overnight by Fedex or UPS to yourself the stores wont touch it (they really arent Fedex or UPS), and you would have to ship it from a hub. How many hubs are near the trail? Plus who would sign for it for you -- who would you trust?

Lot to consider.

Im waiting till im 21 and finnish my associates degree before i hike the AT, i know the law and wont break it or try to get around it. Ill try to get my concealed carry when i go.

If i do go before im 21 ill only be carrying a knife

[take-a-knee]

the Problem With Alot Of You People On Here Is You Heap All Pro-gun Advocates Into One Pile! I Was Born And Raised In The North But Live In The South As Have All My Generations Before Me And The Term "hillbilly" Is Used Tooo Loosely!! We Are Not Allll A Bunch Of Ignorant Morons Who Do Not Know How To Handle A Weapon, Or If We Do, Are Not A Bunch Of Trigger Happy Imbeciles! My Husband Has A Concealed Carry Permit And You Would Never Know If He Was Carrying Or Not, But You Would Be Damn Glad To Be In His Presence If Someone Were Threatening You! Also The Whole Point Of Carrying Is To Be Prepared If Or When It Might Happen! There Is Too Much Evil Going On In The World To Put On Rose-colored Glasses And Believe Nothing Will Ever Happen To You, But To Be Prepared For It If It Does!! Also To Put A Gun In Your Backpack Instead Of On Your Person Where It Can Be Easily Accessed Is Shear Stupidity......whoever Said Meredith Would Not Have Benefited From Having A Weapon Is Wrong And I Bet Her Family Would Disagree With You Also. It Would Have Gave Her A Fighting Chance, If She Knew How To Handle A Weapon.....

You Go Girl! Finally, Someone With "balls".

[KMACK]

If one was to meet me on the trail one would never guess that I was a cop but just as I do on a regular basis at work I would do the same on the trail if some one needed help. I hike to get a way from work but my work never leaves me. Yes I carry on the trail.

[LimpsAlong]

The problem with alot of you people on here is you heap all pro-gun advocates into one pile! I was born and raised in the north but live in the south as have all my generations before me and the term "hillbilly" is used tooo loosely!! We are not allll a bunch of ignorant morons who do not know how to handle a weapon, or if we do, are not a bunch of trigger happy imbeciles! My husband has a concealed carry permit and you would never know if he was carrying or not, but you would be damn glad to be in his presence if someone were threatening you! Also the whole point of carrying is to be prepared IF or WHEN it might happen! There is too much evil going on in the world to put on rose-colored glasses and believe nothing will ever happen to you, but to be prepared for it if it does!! Also to put a gun in your backpack instead of on your person where it can be easily accessed is shear stupidity......Whoever said Meredith would not have benefited from having a weapon is wrong and I bet her family would disagree with you also. It would have gave her a fighting chance, if she knew how to handle a weapon.....

VERY well said! I choose not to be a victim.

[Ol Mole]

There have been times that I carry on the trail. To me the type of trail, location, etc are factors in determining whether to carry or not. I have had occaisions to utilize a gun regarding both people and animals. Limpsalong has some good points regarding protecting his family. I have also had experiences where I wished I had one.

To each their own. For me, I would rather be the hunter than the huntee if the situation arose.

Hike on

[Cheers]

Next time i hit the AT i'm packing heat. Forget about having it in the backpack, i'm strapping mine to my 4-wheeler. I need to find somewhere to park my 36" wheel toyota pickup first though.

Cheers

[EMAN]

as i not so politely informed a dumbarse whose property backs up to mine when he unloaded his rifle in the direction of my house in the attempt to kill a rabid skunk (or so he says), if you can't hit something after 8 tries, you do not need to be holding a gun, much less firing it, and therefore do not need to resupply. in fact, somebody should take the gun away from you and beat you with it...

Sorry darlin...I reckon my post was a bit confusing. Actual point there was the clip/magazine thing.

Also, I'd still like to know who owns an "automatic" handgun. Pretty rare. Someone here actually said his 1911 was an automatic. Not impossible but not likely as I'm reasonably certain most of the 1911's I've fired were semi-automatic.

I know...tomatoes and tomahtoes.....auto...semi auto..........

[kanga]

Sorry darlin...I reckon my post was a bit confusing. Actual point there was the clip/magazine thing.

Also, I'd still like to know who owns an "automatic" handgun. Pretty rare. Someone here actually said his 1911 was an automatic. Not impossible but not likely as I'm reasonably certain most of the 1911's I've fired were semi-automatic.

I know...tomatoes and tomahtoes.....auto...semi auto..........

no!no! i knew what you were sayin, i was just using it to make a side point.

[LimpsAlong]

Also, I'd still like to know who owns an "automatic" handgun. Pretty rare. Someone here actually said his 1911 was an automatic. Not impossible but not likely as I'm reasonably certain most of the 1911's I've fired were semi-automatic.
I know...tomatoes and tomahtoes.....auto...semi auto..........

You hear it all the time from ABC,CBS,MSNBC etc. "The killer legally purchased the AUTOMATIC rifle/pistol ". Leading the uninformed to think anyone can walk into a gunshop, plunk down the cash and walk out with an automatic weapon.
You would be (well, maybe not) suprised how many folks form opinions about firearms based on what they hear without doing any research themselves.
There have also been some very long-winded posts on this forum when after the first paragraph you knew the poster was talking out their backside and then giving life or death advice to the original poster.
75% of the people on this board have more hiking experience than me and I have asked for and gotten some excellent advice. How were these people able to offer such excellent advice and recommendations to me?
Because they had a lot of mileage and experience in the area being discussed.
If you offer advice in survival preparedness please know what you are talking about.
<END OF RANT>

[Rain Man]

If you offer advice in survival preparedness please know what you are talking about.

Hiking the AT is "survival preparedness"? News to me. But does remind me of this research--

How We Confuse Real Risks with Exaggerated Ones

RainMan

.

[LimpsAlong]

Hiking the AT is "survival preparedness"? News to me. But does remind me of this research--

How We Confuse Real Risks with Exaggerated Ones

RainMan

.

I meant the concealed carry debate. Poor composition (maybe choice of words) on my part.

[spindle]

Next time i hit the AT i'm packing heat. Forget about having it in the backpack, i'm strapping mine to my 4-wheeler. I need to find somewhere to park my 36" wheel toyota pickup first though.

Cheers

Don't forget your pack of beagles and scout troop. Make a day of it!

[Tuckahoe]

Sorry darlin...I reckon my post was a bit confusing. Actual point there was the clip/magazine thing.

Also, I'd still like to know who owns an "automatic" handgun. Pretty rare. Someone here actually said his 1911 was an automatic. Not impossible but not likely as I'm reasonably certain most of the 1911's I've fired were semi-automatic.

I know...tomatoes and tomahtoes.....auto...semi auto..........

I know that there are those that when they hear automatic, seem to only think of "machine gun."

Far be it for me to point point out that that the M1911 was and is an automatic (and was markested as an automatic, as opposed to the single and double action revolvers more common at the time) as its enegery is harnessed to automatically open the slide, eject the spent casing, carry the slide forward and stripping a cartridge out of the magazine and carrying it into the chamber. Firing the pistol again carried out the same actions of automatically preparing the pistol to be fired again.

To refer to a "semi-auto" pistol as an automatic is correct as well as using terms such as "autopistol", "autoloader", "self-loading", and "autopistol."

I know we all get hung up on terms missapplied by the media, but it important to understand the historic context of terms used.

[randyg45]

I know we all get hung up on terms missapplied by the media, but it important to understand the historic context of terms used.

Well, maybe; but terms change over time. I remember when "gay" meant "lighthearted".

Whatever the history may be, imo "automatic" and "semi-automatic" are not, today, synonomous; I think it important to understand the difference. So did the NRA Training Counselor who taught my Certified Instructor courses.

[TD55]

Aren't "semi-automatic" weapons modified "automatic" weapons with a design modification implemented to make them "semi-automatic"?

[LimpsAlong]

[quote=randyg45;929260] I think it important to understand the difference. So did the NRA Training Counselor who taught my Certified Instructor courses.[/quote]
Uh Oh Tuck, Trump card played

[LimpsAlong]

Aren't "semi-automatic" weapons modified "automatic" weapons with a design modification implemented to make them "semi-automatic"?

I can only speak from experience on one weapon, the AR-15. There are additional parts required to make the weapon full-auto. The full-auto sear or lightning link have to engage the hammer and only release it when the bolt is fully closed.
You can hold a 1911 loosely and get it to rattle off several rounds but this is not true full-auto as your finger depresses the trigger for every shot.

Tuck probably knows about some older blow-back military arms that don't require extra parts to function fully auto but i don't.

[Tuckahoe]

Aren't "semi-automatic" weapons modified "automatic" weapons with a design modification implemented to make them "semi-automatic"?

NO. As the BATF sees it for example once a machinegun always a machinegun and a MG modified to be a semi-auto, would still be considered a MG and subject to the 1934 NFA act.

Semi auto receiver are semi-auto. And for example the lower receiver of the AR-15 and the M-16 might look the same, the AR-15 is missing a particular hole in the receiver that allow the installing of the auto sear.

[TD55]

Thanks. So, it sounds like some weapons are designed as semi auto and have to be modified to be auto.