Let's Talk About Discreet Rifle Carry

Peeling off from another thread, let's talk about ways to transport a rifle (or carbine, PCC, etc...) and keep it near you without alerting or unnerving those around you.

dis·creet /diˈskrēt/
adjective

- careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage.
- intentionally unobtrusive.​

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I subscribe to the "gray man" line of thinking when it comes to keeping a long gun near me. Hidden in plain sight is better than concealed but raising questions. "Tactical" rifle bags, and even some of the "stealth bags" out there are too easy to recognize. MOLLE webbing, 5.11 logos, even some shapes (Sneaky Bags comes to mind) stand out and make anyone who's halfway observant wonder what's in the bag.

I've seen some recommend tennis racquet bags or musical instrument cases. While those don't necessarily scream "gun", a racquet bag does stand out as strange if you aren't at the tennis court. And when is the last time you saw someone shopping in a store with a saxophone case slung over their shoulder?

There's lots of urban unrest right now. Many reasons why one might want to have a rifle with them, but not be obvious about it. Even just a way to get a rifle from your house to vehicle and back without all the neighbors being aware. So, what do you carry and how do you carry it when you want a bit more than pop than a pistol?

Unfortunately, my garage is always too full of tools and projects to actually use it to park a truck.

Below is a backpack I picked up a few years ago. I can't recall the brand, and there are no labels on it to give it away. It just looks like a typical hiking pack. It had a really nice suspension system with a padded back. There's also a removable hip belt. The inside is fully velcro lined and is comes with several velcro straps to secure whatever you want to lash down. I like that it isn't a "tactical" color, like OD, gray or tan. The bright red doesn't look military-ish in any way. The water bottle holders are a nice touch, both for camouflage and for... water.





Spare 30-round mags:

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AKM with a 20 round mag:





I can actually pack my Mossberg Shockewave in there at the same time.

Armored farmer said:

Takedown pins on my AR pistol.
Milwaukee grease gun case.

He's right.....
This homemade case is cool, but next time it'll be a plain duffel bag.

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I like the tool case idea. That wouldn't raise eyebrows if you were seen carrying it. Milwaukee tools are pretty nice. It might be a theft magnet if left visible in a car, but then I try to never leave anything visible in my truck that might encourage a break in. Maybe something from Central Pneumatic or Pittsburgh from Harbor Freight would work. Nobody would waste their time to steal those, lol!

For the record, this discussion is just for fun and I don't think anyone would suggest to forgo carrying a handgun on your person in favor of a rifle in a bag. The discussion is about how to carry a rifle, for whatever reason, in addition to your normal CCW. My apologies if the subject somehow triggers some readers. (Pro Tip: If you don't like the topic, your participation is not required.)

Getting something like a Sub2000 or other PCC can certainly help with discrete rifle carry. I prefer not to use a gun that has to be disassembled and reassembled. Again, this is in the case of needing quick access, which I acknowledge is highly unlikely.) That, in my mind, takes AR carbines and guns like the Charger out of the running. Of course, AR pistols and the Charger pistol are small enough when fully assembled to put them back on the list. The Sub2000 is just a quick fold away for being put into action. I've been considering a Stribog SP9 or CZ Scorpion pistol as either one would fit in the center console of my truck, even with a folded pistol brace. Those would certainly be easy to pack in a pack pack.