I know this is probably a touchy subject, but can anyone tell me if there are difficulties carrying a pistol through central/south america. obviiously i would keep it to myself whenever possible, and if they take away at a border crossing it won't be missed, i just want to know if anyone else has had problems carryinng ..........

you can never be too careful eh.....especially been a new yorker.... carrying drugs and pimping whores.

when i travelled through the dangerous galactic emptiness we carried as many lethal dangerous weapons as possible, if you feel safer with death causing weapons...take more...perhaps grenades, claymores and even a 'nuke in a suitcase'.

as an american you can go around killing innocent civilians...just for fun or for the great cause of Mr.Bush.

the choice is yours my dear friend.

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I had survival training but couldn't use a petrol bowser, let alone ride a bike. Claudio! Claudio!

Just for some background, I spent a year and a half in Guatemala doing social work in the late '80s and wasn't allowed to go anywhere without a U.N. issued .45. I'm not some weekend warrior having a mid-life crisis. I'm currently living in New York because i'm going back to school for law so i don't feel so completely helpless against the bush administration. I am completely ashamed to be affiliated with the united states because of what this government is doing. I just put up the post to see if it was a common thing to carry a gunwhen travelling through sketchy coutries.

i have not travelled in South America except with the military.

I would suggest that carrying a pistol just ups the stakes especially if you are stopped by the military or police.

I would also like to point out unless you are properly trained i.e. military or police in its use and care you are probably going to get killed by it either by your own hand or by the guy who takes it off you.

Have you ever shot anyone? do you know how hard it is? I suggest if you pull it on some one who knows what they are doing then they will undoubtably take it from you and shoot you with it. I would.

Leave it at home and if you get robbed hand over the cash with a smile and don kid yourself your a hero.

Charlie

I believe there are some openings in Iraq for Americans that want to carry guns.

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Close to Antarctica and a long way from reality

Hope I'm never touring behind you if you carry a gun, the 'baddies' might think I have one as well, and before long it might be normal to think 'Oh biker travellers, they will be armed, so perhaps shoot them first, in case they shoot you'. Gun? never even seen one let alone wanted to have one, and -perish the thought - needed to carry one.
What an odd thing to want to carry.

Mexico is a no-no. Unless you have a permit, and IIRC, belong to a hunting/gun club, you will be arrested on the spot, and be looking at a darn long time sitting in a Mexican jail...not good.

-H-

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With a little love and luck, we will get by.
2003 BMW R1150GS Adventure
1983 FJ45 Land Cruiser Troop Carrier

I've driven my family from Canada to Panama and haven't found myself wanting a gun along yet. I think the anxiety of the trouble caused would quite possibly ruin the trip.

Hi Kidcalavera:
That’s sketchy countries are more safe than New York or others cities of your country. And I never thought to go to USA carrying a pistol. Maybe Because I’ never allowed go to your country; they never give me a visa. (I suppose the reason is that I’m from south America I mean this sketchy countries)
A gun kills people, always which ever been the situation and I’ll never take off the life of anyone.
We live here and we are not dead yet.
Sandra & Javier


[This message has been edited by javkap (edited 08 June 2005).]

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Javier...
Dakar Motos “ ”

Hello together,
I just came back from a 4month-trip passing Chile/Argetina/Peru/Boliviana and Brasil. We did not take any weapon with us and we have never had a bad experiance with the peaple there. Just be careful and be aware of risks.
However, do not forget to enjoy your trip.
Yes, it might be that you had to carry a gun when working for UN, but as a tourist you wont need that.

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www.moto-adventure.ch - just THE page about touring Europe and South america by bike!

see : http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000458.html

finding clever (!) solutions (like beddhist) should be discussed, if you get attacked, robbed.

kidcalavera, you seem quite well determined according to this post :
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000216.html
think or think twice
you re scaring me !!!

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--
Vincent Danna

* www.va-project.com
Sept 2008 - dec 2009 : Voyage et art contemporain en Amérique du sud.

* http://vincent.danna.free.fr/
2002 - 2004 : Un tour du monde en moto.

I´d rather leave my panics at home and enjoy the adventure.
Entering the infinite world of possibilities is a privilege of a very few, don´t despise it!
The apparent feeling of safety that a gun could give you will be vanished by the constant thought that you could be robed or assaulted.
IMHO Motorcycling would lose the sense of freedom when you have the risk of automatically going to jail when caught with a gun , as you will inmediatly in my country.
Think about it, Good Luck

MoroCycler

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THE Motorcycle JOURNEY is making known the unknown.
http://www.morocycler.smugmug.com

Leaving aside the moral question for the time being, I think there would be a great deal of difficulty in carrying a pistol through Mexico at least. I was stopped at checkpoints maybe a dozen times while riding the length of the country, and twice had the soldiers look through my things. Now they didn't search to the extent that I couldn't have hidden something, but guns are frowned upon as much or more than drugs, and I wouldn't risk it. If you had it hidden that well you wouldn't be able to access it quickly enough in a roadside holdup anyway. My outlook is that if you expect trouble, you'll find it, so I haven't and won't travel armed, even though I own firearms myself.

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Andy Tiegs
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...lsouth-america

you definitely should start a trip by analysing the risks of getting attacked/robbed like on :

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000458.html

but no way (!) by thinking carrying a gun or smuggling whatever !!!

i m amazed by this post !!!

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--
Vincent Danna

* www.va-project.com
Sept 2008 - dec 2009 : Voyage et art contemporain en Amérique du sud.

* http://vincent.danna.free.fr/
2002 - 2004 : Un tour du monde en moto.

No need to be amazed - it's all about cultural differences.

In some cultures, carrying a weapon is considered common, if not normal - and when going to "dangerous places" of course you'd carry.

The question is a fair one - and the answer is simple, as is pretty clear from the posts above - NO!

Only in the US does the "average" person carry a weapon, (before an American dumps on me and says "we don't all carry guns" by average I mean just that - "average Joe" can and does carry - NOT meaning that everyone does!).

Attendance at the first International BMWMOA rally (held in Canada) was significantly down from the usual - and the message I got from their bulletin board posts was that many wouldn't go because they had to leave their guns behind - no guns allowed in Canada.

Let's keep this a fair and reasonable discussion, and allow for cultural differences - and be happy that we can discuss the differences in thinking that people around the world have - and learn about each other from the discussion - WITHOUT "dumping" on each other.

And review this post on "Guns, knives and hand grenades" (started by a Brit):

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000054.html

for more on the same subject - which seems to crop up with regularity!

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com