Let's Talk About Discreet Rifle Carry

[entropy]

I have several bags that fit either my AR pistol or my AK. The AR pistol rode in my truck with a mag in and chambered round during the Mpls. riots. It was in a sports equipment bag under a blanket behind the cab. (In WI only, I did not go to MN during that time.)

 

[Rexster]

The big problem with discreet cases is they also look like something expensive. I have a no name tennis racket case for my ar pistol when we go on vacation, but most everyone knows I don't play tennis. So it is just for prying eyes.

You are correct, but there is a caveat: Car burglars absolutely will break your window or pop your lock to steal cheap-looking bags. I did more reports for Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, than everything else, combined, while working 33+ years of police patrol in Houston, Texas. Burglars will steal kids’ cartoonish backpacks and diaper bags, and they know that plenty of tennis racquets are expensive, and that plenty of folks keep electronics and credit/debit cards in athletic and other mundane-looking bags.

 

[entropy]

Hence why I put mine under an old blanket.

 

[adcoch1]

You are correct, but there is a caveat: Car burglars absolutely will break your window or pop your lock to steal cheap-looking bags. I did more reports for Burglary of a Motor Vehicle, than everything else, combined, while working 33+ years of police patrol in Houston, Texas. Burglars will steal kids’ cartoonish backpacks and diaper bags, and they know that plenty of tennis racquets are expensive, and that plenty of folks keep electronics and credit/debit cards in athletic and other mundane-looking bags.

Maybe a pet bed would work if it has to be visible. I keep the tennis racket bag just to keep the dust out and nothing in the car on vacation looks like a tactical bag. You are correct though, a thief will steal anything....

 

[Rexster]

A nice thing about a Winchester 94 being so flat, is that it can be on the seat, under a dog sleeping pad. I keep a hoody hanging behind the seat, which can act as a cover, when walking to and from the truck, if I have decided not to use a rifle case, or a tripod bag, or a lacrosse racquet bag. (One thing about a lacrosse racquet bag is that I do not look the part, as only teen and college girls seem to play lacrosse, at least here in Texas.)

 

[TheWarhammer]

Way back in the early 90's, I had a saddle blanket style seat cover on the bench seat of my F150. A feature of that cover was a rifle scabbard integrated into the leading edge, just under your knees. A rifle was completely invisible when stored there, but super quick to draw as soon as you got out of the truck. Although you couldn't access the gun while you were in the truck with the doors closed, it was pretty handy in case you wanted to get out and take a quick shot at something edible.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Im not close to neighbors. But I do back up to my garage and load into my truck.Ounce of prevention.....

 

[chicharrones]

I've always wanted a folding stock rifle, but I never did anything about it. I've had plenty of takedown guns, whether they were called that or not.

This particular case from Bulldog isn't made for rapid deployment, but it does keep some prying eyes from noticing it contains a firearm. I have a couple neighbors that have quizzed me about going shooting when they have happened to see me load or unload a traditional rifle case into or out of a friend's vehicle in my driveway. Never a word said when I've done that with the Bulldog case.

Otherwise, I park in my garage and load/unload guns with the garage door closed.

Since my shootin' buddy moved away, the only way the Bulldog case really helps these days is carrying the gun into or out of some other establishment. Still, LEOs and most gun people would suspect its contents fairly quickly.

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[H&R Glock]

Michigan requires my AR rifle to be transported in the trunk Funny because I can carry an AR15 pistol in the passenger compartment under my CCW permit. Therez not 25 cents difference in the guns in my estimation. Go figure!

 

[theotherwaldo]

I picked up a long gun because it fit in a backpack - and it floated.
It was an AR-7, along with a pup tent, a mini camp stove, a can of fuel, a mummy bag and a bunch of other stuff in a hard-framed orange back pack.
This was floating in a gyre below Rainey Falls on the Rogue River of Southern Oregon.
I still have the camp stove and pup tent... .

 

[CapnMac]

If it's just neighbors, or gawpers at the convenience store, musical instrument cases can be handy. Square cases for bass guitars are handy. They might have to be gutted and refit.

Learned this while living in a fourplex, had a nice anonymous Remington case for my Savage 110T. Was toting this to the ride for a trip to the range, and a neighbors said "Nice Axe, bruh!" He kept getting me band stickers for it. Broke down and got a bass case from the pawn shop as a joke. But, I was perfectly willing to set QD swivels in the axe case (unlike the Remington) which allowed for a handy shoulder sling.

When I got my A2, I forked over for a very nice Waller (sadly no longer in business) carry case that is about asn anonymous as a person could ask.

For the M4, I have a dedicated case, but I also have a Hilti-branded case for a laser level and tripod that the M4 fits nicely, but you need softside bags to carry accessories inside.

All sorts of ways to address this.

 

[SharpDog]

Darn you @TheWarhammer you got me looking at various backpacks with velcro inside and now I want one:



https://covertbags.com/products/elite-survival-systems-covert-operations-rifle-backpack

 

[taliv]

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/backpack-pistol-concept-project.808937/

The above is something I did a long time ago. It was more of a bugout get home thing for me for business trips. Didn’t need to have instant access to it so some assembly was fine.

these days my state allows rifle carry in cars so I just do that. I don’t try to be discrete with my AR because if I’m using it, I’m also probably throwing on the plate carrier and or grabbing a helmet with nods too and so it’s not just a matter of concealing the rifle.


However I do have a cz scorpion micro that I want to conceal. It was easily concealable and lots of companies make discrete cases for it... until I stuck a 9” silencerco Osprey on the end. Now it won’t fit in any of the discrete cases and I’m looking for a better solution. Actually my intent is motorcycle carry so I’m trying to figure that out but it’s too long for the pannier too

 

[Walkalong]

Discontinued Bulldog Cases carry case. No outside pocket so it just looks like a bag.

 

[Walkalong]

Bulldog double case.

 

[SharpDog]

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/backpack-pistol-concept-project.808937/

The above is something I did a long time ago. It was more of a bugout get home thing for me for business trips. Didn’t need to have instant access to it so some assembly was fine.

these days my state allows rifle carry in cars so I just do that. I don’t try to be discrete with my AR because if I’m using it, I’m also probably throwing on the plate carrier and or grabbing a helmet with nods too and so it’s not just a matter of concealing the rifle.


However I do have a cz scorpion micro that I want to conceal. It was easily concealable and lots of companies make discrete cases for it... until I stuck a 9” silencerco Osprey on the end. Now it won’t fit in any of the discrete cases and I’m looking for a better solution. Actually my intent is motorcycle carry so I’m trying to figure that out but it’s too long for the pannier too

If you want a discrete plate carrier to carrier your AR pistol look no farther. I got this as an office pack to carry my laptop and sidearm but it could certainly carry an AR pistol.

 

[35 Whelen]

Just curious, the thread is titled Let's Talk About Discreet Rifle Carry, so why all the photos of AR pistols?

Since I play a mando, a case for one is only natural.





I actually have kept this rifle under the back seat of my Dodge for years. A few days ago after work I dragged it out and checked its zero on the 200 yd. gong. It's more accurate than I'd remembered and weighs just a smidge over 5 lbs.

35W

 

[Armored farmer]

My nearest neighbor is a little over 1/4 mile away, no no issues there. My 300 BLKOUT PDW Pistol "truck Gun":

Length: Closed: 23 3/4s” Extended: 27 ½”
Weight: Unloaded: 5lbs 14.5 OZ, Loaded 20rds: 6lbs 12OZ

How it's normally transported:

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The case fit's the AR15 pistol, 3 spare mags, another pistol with a couple of spare mags. IF broken down it's only 18.5" for the upper and fit's in a daypack.

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Thats a perfect setup, well done.

 

[jmorris]

May not be very incognito because I don’t wear goofy pants or hats but a hard golf club case doesn’t get any odd stares rolling into a hotel lobby when I go to out of town 3 gun matches. 4 long guns in soft cases fit easy.



In vehicle, I just keep it out of sight.

 

[Rexster]

Michigan requires my AR rifle to be transported in the trunk Funny because I can carry an AR15 pistol in the passenger compartment under my CCW permit. Therez not 25 cents difference in the guns in my estimation. Go figure!

This is largely why, IMHO, the AR15 “pistols” became popular. Even in states that allow long guns to be accessible inside the passenger compartment of motor vehicles, many states/jurisdictions require that such rifles and shotguns be kept unloaded. Some such laws and regulations are found in the fish and game laws/rules, if not in the actual penal/criminal codes. Yet, in many of these places/situations, any handgun can be kept loaded.

Of course, the concealed-handgun-license “movement,” that occurred in the Eighties and Nineties, is what enabled widespread legal carry of handguns, so it had to happen, first. I could not legally carry a handgun until 1984, when sworn as an LEO. My “bag gun,” up to that point, had been an Uzi Carbine, with the collapsible stock option, and Texas law allowed me to keep it loaded. (Texas law remains quite long-gun friendly; just be careful of the few prohibited places for ALL firearms, and, of course, places where federal law applies.)

To this day, there are places/situations where one cannot legally carry a handgun, even with a carry permit/license, but long guns can be discreetly and legally carried. (The legal particulars are probably best further discussed in a different thread, in the Legal section of THR.) Because of this, it makes sense, to me, to have an AR15 pistol, and also an AR15 carbine with a minimal-length folding or collapsible stock, in order to be able to “rule book” various combinations of laws, with one weapon system, with the same ammo, same magazines, and same/similar manual-of-arms. (Actually, at the moment, my AR15 pistol is 300 AAC/BLK, so it does not match my .223/5.56 carbines, but I plan to remedy that next week, with another upper, when funds land in my checking account.)

Interestingly, I am not a “fan” of the AR15/M4. It is simply a matter of practicality, and the system system having originally been chosen for me, if I wanted to carry a patrol rifle, while on duty, back in my LEO-ing days.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I used to keep my truck guns (carbines with folding stocks) rolled up in a cheap sleeping bag in the back seat along with some other cheap camping gear... .

 

[BreechFace]

Way back in the early 90's, I had a saddle blanket style seat cover on the bench seat of my F150. A feature of that cover was a rifle scabbard integrated into the leading edge, just under your knees. A rifle was completely invisible when stored there, but super quick to draw as soon as you got out of the truck. Although you couldn't access the gun while you were in the truck with the doors closed, it was pretty handy in case you wanted to get out and take a quick shot at something edible.

We had those truck seat covers growing up, it was very useful for carrying a longarm.

May not be very incognito because I don’t wear goofy pants or hats but a hard golf club case doesn’t get any odd stares rolling into a hotel lobby when I go to out of town 3 gun matches. 4 long guns in soft cases fit easy.
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Just buy some golf merchandise stickers and throw them on the outside for good measure, I would.

 

[Dunross]

Some good ideas here on the bags.

For some of the plainer, less obviously musical instrument bags, such as the ones that Walkalong and chicharrones have posted I'd add a little deception. Rectangular bags are the same shape as keyboard bags. Add a "Yamaha" or other keyboard maker patch to those bags. Add some band names.

For other shaped bags add patches and decals that would suggest some more obvious uses for the bags such as exercise equipment, yoga mats, that sort of thing. The gold club hard case is good. Put some golfing related decals on that thing.

Add just about anything that isn't firearms related or something suggesting valuables inside. "Deception in the Art of Warfare" can take on many forms.

 

[chicharrones]

Some good ideas here on the bags.

For some of the plainer, less obviously musical instrument bags, such as the ones that Walkalong and chicharrones have posted I'd add a little deception. Rectangular bags are the same shape as keyboard bags. Add a "Yamaha" or other keyboard maker patch to those bags. Add some band names.

For other shaped bags add patches and decals that would suggest some more obvious uses for the bags such as exercise equipment, yoga mats, that sort of thing. The gold club hard case is good. Put some golfing related decals on that thing.

Add just about anything that isn't firearms related or something suggesting valuables inside. "Deception in the Art of Warfare" can take on many forms.

At least two ways to think about that.

If I'm trying to make a bag to look like something else of value, that'd be the thing to do. So, some criminal marks you as someone to hit for tools or a musical instrument, but may get the ultimate prize of firearms . . . if a theft were to occur.

Yet, unmarked bags or cases are less memorable to whoever may see it. Criminals may be less interested, since there is no noticeable branding on the exterior to catch their attention. This also makes me think of a person trying to describe an average looking plain dressed person or a car with all its branding and model markings removed.

Which method of deception brings out the most curiosity of bystanders? From what I've experienced, unmarked bags and cases have yet to start a conversation with people that aren't authorized to inspect my property. Speaking of which, my plastic and alloy tool cases for work have no branding on the exterior either.

Still, the most important thing is to not let these items stay in view in a vehicle.

Speaking of vehicles, my work vehicle is a plain, average looking minivan with very dark tinted windows and no company branding on it. I've never experienced a tool loss with that vehicle through the years, probably because it looks like a soccer mom drives it. Yet, when I drove a pickup truck with a camper shell for work, that truck got broken into and tools were stolen. Which also happens to obvious working vehicles that criminals assume to be full of tools.

Nothing's perfect, though. My point of view here is as a law abiding citizen trying to blend in and I prefer unmarked, plain, and forgettable "packaging" in public whenever possible.