What exactly is a "truck gun?"

Mine is a work in progress, still being built.
Budget, lightweight AR-15.

ATI Omni complete poly lower I had spare.
10.5" light profile barrel with pinned and welded 5.5" muzzle brake
Free floated handguard
A3 "sporter" upper without forward assist or dust cover.
Fiber optic low magnification optic or cheap RDS.

My truck gun is a simple AR15 pistol with an 11.5 bbl and flash light. You ask why a pistol, well it is because I can carry it loaded canceled because I have a canceled permit it is easier to manipulate in a vehicle and it is more powerful than my 9mm.

Reason for a truck gun, well you never know when you might end up in an episode of the walking dead and I also live out in the middle of nowhere with the cougars, wolves and bears, o-my.

In reality I have just done it for so long now I do not have a reason because to me it is just like having car insurance, flat and simple “JUST IN CASE!”

But then I also carry a shovel, axe, water bucket, bug-out-bag, first aid and spare clothes for the same reason “JUST IN CASE!”

jim in Anchorage said:

But aside from that, why do you have the gun in the truck in the first place? What use do you think it will have?

Click to expand...

Some folks have property that gets driven, with critters making themselves occasionally available for a quick shot. Having a handy (read short) rifle/shotgun to grab, jump, swing & pop is nifty. Adds some purpose to driving the fence line, especially in pig country.

Carl N. Brown said:

The truck gun used by a friend of mine in Afghanistan was .50 BMG Barrett.

Click to expand...

Oh, I put those little Barrett things in the back seat of my mustang.



The truck gets the DShk.*



*Dismounted in this photo

They make good truck guns**



**Syrian Civil War photo courtesy AP

I keep a single shot h&r 12 gauge turkey gun behind me seat. Not ideal for the "zombies" many think are attacking daily but cost 90 bucks. 24" barrel and removable chockes it's perfect for me. Would rather have it than my snub in my pocket even in a defensive situation but has way more uses.

With a 25 round box I can kill 5 squirrels, 5 ducks, 5 geese, 5 coyotes and 5 deer if I have to. Or rabbit or squirrels. Etc. If I'm patient that is, can't hit much compared to a 28" pump.

That being said I think you're leaving a gun in your car you are contributing to easy pickings for criminals. I've lived in the city city for most of my life and only had problems in the country... Because smash and grab is so easy especially when ur truck is on gravel and you're 3 miles out.

I put a chain through the barrel of my h&r with a quality loc securing it to the seat mount. Most car thieves use a brick sitting near your truck to get in. Pros use a slim Jim usually or a brick, as it's still faster with no way of getting caught. Few carry bolt cutters to remove my shotgun. They'll prolly tear my seat up though.

Bottom line pick something useful but Busch stadiums parking lots are a prime target for thefts because all the suburbanites leaving handguns in the consol. Lock it up because our politicians are too dumb to let us bring a gun in.

Edit: tow strap and jumper cables come in handy just as much, but I need to work on my first aid kit and poptart stash as well!

My .50 cents,
HB

jim in Anchorage said:

I often see the phrase here. Discussion's bring up every thing from street sweepers[handy if you drive into a riot} or accurate bolts [good if while crusing down the road you spot a wolf at 300 yards.]
So what do you call a truck gun?

Click to expand...

When I think of truck rifle AKM or SKS automatically comes to mind though for 300 yard shot at game dull finished plastic stocked Remington 700 bolt gun would be the way to go. The bolt gun version of AKM is Remington 700.

I wonder how often they have to wash & wax those Technicals ... that sure looks to me like it would be hard on the paint.

UH OH! Now I have a vision of a group of ISIS Babes in bikinis (but with black head coverings) in a gas station waving signs at passing ISIS Technicals advertising a club car wash ...

... I think I'll go get my morning coffee now. CYA.

Count me in for the M1 Carbine. I used to keep one in the trunk when I was running cash for Showcase Cinemas in greater Boston back in the day. My stops were between 2100 and 0100 so it seemed prudent. I kept it unloaded with 2x15 round mags on my belt so any thieves wouldn't immediately have a loaded rifle.

I haven't felt the need for a trunk gun since then, plus these days I work on a military base so such a practice wouldn't be good for my stripes.

My truck gun is soon to rotate. For years it was an absolute beater marlin 60 tube fed 22, the longer barreled version. Currently it is a taurus pt99. In the near future I intend to replace the pt99 with the Spanish 1916 mauser. Who knows what I will end up with in the truck over the years. The only requirement is that it be functional, reliable, and hold no sentimental value. Limited monetary value is a big plus as well.

A "truck gun" first and foremost to me is . A 2to4 inch pistol in a heavy caliber.10mm 44mg. etc. It rides in my truck concealed with fast access. It rides in addition to my CCW.

I've always had a truck, and until about Y2K I used to keep a beater 20ga Savage shotgun behind the seat.

I was young and naive then.

In contemporary times, my honest feelings are that having a full-time truck/trunk gun is irresponsible, save for a farmer, rancher, or a specific road trip, etc.

#1- Cheap? There really aren't any guns that are cheap. I mean really, anything functional is a couple hundred dollars minimum.

#2- Damage. Even my cheapest guns don't deserve to be beat up or neglected. My cheapest firearms are some of my most cherished. I'd rather throw a soulless $600 AR15 on the ground, versus grandpa's $200 30-30.

#3- Theft. It used to be you could leave a 30-30 unattended, visible in your gun rack, outside the local Lubys. Used to be you knew all your neighbors. Used to be... ain't no more.

#4- Liability. Used to be if someone stole your truck gun and did something stupid with it, the blame was cast on them. Not no more. Nowadays it'll be you who are negligent for leaving the firearm unattended. Tweaker Timmy is incompetent and insolvent, and your pockets are deeper. That used-to-be cheap beater rifle could cost you your estate... and you never even touched the trigger.

#5- Need. Really? Read The Giift of Fear. If you are driving into a situation where you honestly think you NEED a trunk gun, please re-evaluate the whole situation and avoid it. The Rambo riot scenario is sophomoric at best, moronic at worst.


My job gives me a dedicated AR rifle to carry. They give me a car to carry the rifle inside. My job gives me a badge and the ability to arrest people. I have a legitimate need to potentially utilize the rifle 40+ hours a week. BUT... That rifle never spends the night alone in that car. It goes in with me at the start of shift, and comes out with me at the end. I'm not going to be that stupid looking cop on the news, the fool who let his unattended rifle get stolen.

Maybe for the average guy it won't make Channel 6 evening news INSTANTLY, but the liability of a long term unattended firearm is huge. The need is generally low.

For a road trip or camping trip, it makes sense. For active civil unrest, it makes sense. For a rancher on the back 40, it makes sense. In the city or suburbs, I think it's unwise to leave a firearm unattended in a vehicle long term.

I've taken umpteen "stolen truck gun" reports, and have yet to see a truck gun drawn in valiant defense of life & limb against the clutches of evil.

In reality, your truck gun gets stolen,
an evil person gains control of it,
and a you lose control of it (despite righteous intent).



It's a new world. IMO thinking should adapt.

Depends anything from an old Winchester 94 to a suppressed SBR.

DaisyCutter said:

I've always had a truck, and until about Y2K I used to keep a beater 20ga Savage shotgun behind the seat.

I was young and naive then.

In contemporary times, my honest feelings are that having a full-time truck/trunk gun is irresponsible, save for a farmer, rancher, or a specific road trip, etc.

#1- Cheap? There really aren't any guns that are cheap. I mean really, anything functional is a couple hundred dollars minimum.

Click to expand...

My guns are insured, in or out of the house, so if it is stolen I'll just replace it. Where I live your car is considered an extension of your house, so you're darn right I'm going to always have a gun, usually in the front console next to me. Carjackings happen. Like another poster, I drive a lot here in NM often in areas with no phone coverage and few other drivers. No way I'm going to get stranded in the middle of nowhere unarmed.

I once put a deer down that had been hit by a car with my Sig 220, after calling Fish & Game.

#2- Damage. Even my cheapest guns don't deserve to be beat up or neglected. My cheapest firearms are some of my most cherished. I'd rather throw a soulless $600 AR15 on the ground, versus grandpa's $200 30-30.

#3- Theft. It used to be you could leave a 30-30 unattended, visible in your gun rack, outside the local Lubys. Used to be you knew all your neighbors. Used to be... ain't no more.

#4- Liability. Used to be if someone stole your truck gun and did something stupid with it, the blame was cast on them. Not no more. Nowadays it'll be you who are negligent for leaving the firearm unattended. Tweaker Timmy is incompetent and insolvent, and your pockets are deeper. That used-to-be cheap beater rifle could cost you your estate... and you never even touched the trigger.

Click to expand...

I find it hard to believe a gun stolen out of a locked vehicle could get you in such trouble. Is the same true when a gun is stolen from a residence, which happens all the time?

#5- Need. Really? Read The Giift of Fear. If you are driving into a situation where you honestly think you NEED a trunk gun, please re-evaluate the whole situation and avoid it. The Rambo riot scenario is sophomoric at best, moronic at worst.

Click to expand...

By that reasoning we don't need concealed carry.

My job gives me a dedicated AR rifle to carry. They give me a car to carry the rifle inside. My job gives me a badge and the ability to arrest people. I have a legitimate need to potentially utilize the rifle 40+ hours a week. BUT... That rifle never spends the night alone in that car. It goes in with me at the start of shift, and comes out with me at the end. I'm not going to be that stupid looking cop on the news, the fool who let his unattended rifle get stolen.

Maybe for the average guy it won't make Channel 6 evening news INSTANTLY, but the liability of a long term unattended firearm is huge. The need is generally low.

For a road trip or camping trip, it makes sense. For active civil unrest, it makes sense. For a rancher on the back 40, it makes sense. In the city or suburbs, I think it's unwise to leave a firearm unattended in a vehicle long term.

I've taken umpteen "stolen truck gun" reports, and have yet to see a truck gun drawn in valiant defense of life & limb against the clutches of evil.

In reality, your truck gun gets stolen,
an evil person gains control of it,
and a you lose control of it (despite righteous intent).

Click to expand...

The evil people have no problem getting a gun no matter what I do. The evil people are why I carry a gun in my vehicles.

bottom line........any gun you will not miss when its stolen...but serves a purpose while you have it

Click to expand...

..........and won't cause heartburn if it gets dirty or scratched

Click to expand...

That describes the heavily Bubba-d SMLE I kept handy for many years. I also put some work into it and made it a much better shooter. I still don't mind if it gets a little beat up or dirty, but I'd be real sorry if it walked off.

BUT... That rifle never spends the night alone in that car. It goes in with me at the start of shift, and comes out with me at the end. I'm not going to be that stupid looking cop on the news, the fool who let his unattended rifle get stolen.

Click to expand...

Well ... I guess while reading this, I'd simply presumed that most here (having common sense) don't leave weapons in their vehicles, unattended, for long periods of time in public places and overnight ... so I wasn't compelled to add the caveat that Mr. DaisyCutter needed, thought it best left unsaid.

I've taken umpteen "stolen truck gun" reports, and have yet to see a truck gun drawn in valiant defense of life & limb against the clutches of evil.

Click to expand...

So are you talking strictly long guns, then? Seen a number of handguns come out of vehicles for that valiant defense ...Did see one Marlin 1894 dispatch a crippled elk that took on a Ford Explorer ... What's that ol' saying, "Better to have it and not need it than ...?"

Old Dog said:

So are you talking strictly long guns, then? Seen a number of handguns come out of vehicles for that valiant defense ...Did see one Marlin 1894 dispatch a crippled elk that took on a Ford Explorer ... What's that ol' saying, "Better to have it and not need it than ...?"

Click to expand...

Exactly, having a gun in your car is like wearing a seatbelt or having insurance, you hope you never need it but if you do and don't have it, it could dramatically change your life for the worse.

Here's a real life story, an acquaintance had a car pull in front of him and behind. A guy got out of the rear car with a Mac 10 and walked towards the trapped car, the driver saw it in the rear view mirror. He retrieved a 1911 and put two rounds center mass in the bad guy when he came to the driver's window. He wasn't prosecuted.

I guess while reading this, I'd simply presumed that most here (having common sense) don't leave weapons in their vehicles, unattended, for long periods of time in public places and overnight

Click to expand...

Will, when I read about "truck" or "trunk" guns that's EXACTLY the primary thing I think of, and that's why folks will say, they're thinking of a gun you don't ever bother to dig out of the vehicle and clean, oil, etc. but maybe once a year, if then. It is ALWAYS in the vehicle, so any time you go jump in the car or truck you've got a gun with you whether you thought to strap on your carry gun or not.

I think people who think of "truck guns" as something they carry into the house every night are FAR, FAR, FAR in the minority.


(But I guess we should be careful about claiming that folks who keep "truck guns" in the traditional sense don't have common sense. It is not cool to insult other members.)

Sam1911 said:

Will, when I read about "truck" or "trunk" guns that's EXACTLY the primary thing I think of, and that's why folks will say, they're thinking of a gun you don't ever bother to dig out of the vehicle and clean, oil, etc. but maybe once a year, if then. It is ALWAYS in the vehicle, so any time you go jump in the car or truck you've got a gun with you whether you thought to strap on your carry gun or not.

I think people who think of "truck guns" as something they carry into the house every night are FAR, FAR, FAR in the minority.


(But I guess we should be careful about claiming that folks who keep "truck guns" in the traditional sense don't have common sense. It is not cool to insult other members.)

Click to expand...

My car is kept in the garage, the gun never comes out. Even if it was in the driveway I'd leave it there.

If you are driving into a situation where you honestly think you NEED a trunk gun, please re-evaluate the whole situation and avoid it. The Rambo riot scenario is sophomoric at best, moronic at worst.

Click to expand...

Not sure why some folks think guns are only for defense of humans for use only against other humans.

Guess there are a lot of folks that never make it out of the city.

A gun leaned in the hall or bedroom closet of a locked house is no more safe than one locked in a vehicle.
Statistically there are more cars broken into but the security is no worse.
I think one can extrapolate from that a rational choice based on frequency of break ins in their particular area and adjusting their storage habits accordingly.

jmorris said:

Depends anything from an old Winchester 94 to a suppressed SBR.

Click to expand...

lol

I think I've seen that photo posted on every gun board I visit.

.

Here's mine. Fugly....

ROAshooter said:

bottom line........any gun you will not miss when its stolen...but serves a purpose while you have it

Click to expand...

There are other approaches. Most of the time law enforcement will just shrug if you report a missing gun. My current truck gun has a slightly shorter barrel and a $200 insurance policy that pretty much guarantees the authorities will move hell and high water to find it if stolen . . .

montanaoffroader said:

Put down an injured animal

Click to expand...

Yep did that with a handgun, went back to the car for more rounds (and no I was not missing). Not pleasant. Lethal and fast are very different things. Rather do it with a rifle next time.

Mike

jim in Anchorage said:

But aside from that, why do you have the gun in the truck in the first place? What use do you think it will have?

Click to expand...

Putting down that poor deer your neighbor just hit with her Mercedes?