Hazard of noise thought in error to be a gunshot

In states where pistol "concealed carry" is allowed, how often does it happen that something makes a noise which is mistaken for a gunshot, and several people pull their guns out? What would happen in such an area if I was riding through and my motorcycle backfired from its exhaust pipe?

(My motorcycle backfires sometimes, since it had a new exhaust system fitted.)

I read that a hazard in billiards saloons in the old days of nitrocellulose composition billiard balls was a ball hitting another ball hard, causing a slight nitrocellulose explosion, and several people thought that the noise was a gunshot and pulled guns out.

(I am in England.)
 

cce1302

Full Access Member
Never.

I hope you stick around long enough to let us dispel any other firearm myths you might be questioning.
 

SWSS

Full Access Member
Hmm, dont ride a Harley, huh? New pne to me. Those that shoot often are familiar with a typical gunshot.

SWSS from somewhere....
 
I have a 649 cc Honda Deauville motorcycle. When I ride downhill, I throttle back, and then at the bottom of the dip I turn the throttle up to ride up the other side, and sometimes BANG goes accumulated gasoline vapor in my exhaust system. The loudness varies, but when loud it may sound like a shotgun - I have heard plenty of real shotgun bangs at public clay pigeon shoots, even here in England.
 
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Jo6pak

Full Access Member
Contrary to common belief, gun owners are not trigger happy, quick draw gunfighters.
Those of us familiar firearms are intimately knowledgable about the destruction concealed inside that little copper cylinder. The last thing we want to do is unleash that upon another human being.
 

SilvrSRT10

Super Moderator
Yep, if you hear a noise and suspect it's a gunshot, you better use your other senses to confirm or deny it before you go guns blazing. It could have been a construction worker using one of those .22 nail guns. You run in and blow him away then who's going to finish the project? The fact you carry a gun means you need to be more responsible and level headed than most everyone else.
 

Arckadian

Active member
There was an instance in Utah when one of the buses blow out a rear dual tire and shattered a window in a car. Now the people around the area were shocked, but a police officer heard the noise and thought it was a gun shot. He did come with gun drawn but pointed in a safe direction. That is the ONLY time I have seen it, but the noise of the tire and the noise of the glass are what the officer focused on. You are right that gun shots make distinctive noises but with extra sounds it can be more difficult to distinguish at times.
 

MrMarty51

Full Access Member
Yeah Anthony, even out here in Montana, the Indian wars has been over for 140 or so years so not much shootin going on out here in this part of the west anymore, cowboys is all riding motorcicles and four wheelers, not much work done from horses so the horse thiefs is a dying breed too, just no real reason to draw on anyone any more and most people has quit packin open carry in public, which is still legal in a lot of states, and the ones that do open carry is made to "Check them in" with the bartender when entering a drinkin establishment, Nope, the wild west just aint the same anymore, getting way to civilized wit all the libs and ACLUs a runnin around, Just can`t have any fun any more.
 

kwo51

Full Access Member
On a no power call a women came out to tell me her parrot had a heart attack and died when the fuse blew. It being April first I asked her if she gave him CPR. That is when the fight began. Squirrel died also.
 

Domin8

New member
There was an instance in Utah when one of the buses blow out a rear dual tire and shattered a window in a car. Now the people around the area were shocked, but a police officer heard the noise and thought it was a gun shot. He did come with gun drawn but pointed in a safe direction. That is the ONLY time I have seen it, but the noise of the tire and the noise of the glass are what the officer focused on. You are right that gun shots make distinctive noises but with extra sounds it can be more difficult to distinguish at times.

I've heard the sound of a tire blowing on a semi while doing freeway speed. Ironically, I was in Utah. The tire blew on a flatbed trailer. The truck was headed North and I was on the southbound onramp. It definitely didn't sound like a gun shot. An explosion, like a bomb going off, was more like it
 

MrMarty51

Full Access Member
On a no power call a women came out to tell me her parrot had a heart attack and died when the fuse blew. It being April first I asked her if she gave him CPR. That is when the fight began. Squirrel died also.

:happy175::happy175::happy175:
 

Concealed 27

Full Access Member
I have been somewhere in Tampa where drive by took place, there's no mistaken a motorcycle vs gunfire.... I have bad hearing "what" but I know the sound a firearm makes. Here's a good one for ya..

In England the police don't have guns, if you committ a crime they yell stop, if you don't they will yell stop again...lol
 

cce1302

Full Access Member
I have been somewhere in Tampa where drive by took place, there's no mistaken a motorcycle vs gunfire.... I have bad hearing "what" but I know the sound a firearm makes. Here's a good one for ya..

In England the police don't have guns, if you committ a crime they yell stop, if you don't they will yell stop again...lol

They have guns now....banning firearms worked so well, the cops have had to start carrying...
 

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