Rifle carried in vehicle for self defense

[mljdeckard]

I secure it by keeping it covered and locking the doors.

 

[skoro]

No, my compact pickup doesn't have anywhere I could keep a rifle out of sight. I do keep a S&W 357 k-frame revolver in the console, though.

 

[walking arsenal]

My AK has a folding stock and fits in a tennis racket case. It gets dumped into the locked trunk of my car when I leave town.

 

[Grey_Mana]

For all who carry a long gun in a vehicle- how do you secure the firearm against theft when the vehicle is unattended?

Growing up, my grandfather left a rifle in the rack, tools in a box in the back, the doors unlocked, and the keys in the visor. "Somebody might need to borrow the truck" was his explanation. I think he thought the same about the rifle and tools.

Times change.

 

[mljdeckard]

^^When I grew up, it was like that too. I wish I could just leave the keys in it, but I'm not quite that naive anymore.

 

[SenecaGunner]

Hey guys I love the fourm. Im from ny but I keep an unloaded mossberg 500 in the trunk with a side saddle and a bag of buck and target loads for fun

 

[JohnBiltz]

I only put one in the car if I'm traveling out of town. To tell the truth I don't drive much.

 

[stuckinsocal]

Unloaded (required by CA law) SKS in a zipped soft case behind the seat of my regular cab F150. I'm currently working on a hidden steel rack with the electronic locks similar to the ones in police cars; keeps it secure but easily accessable if I need it.

 

[BigMustard]

I don't carry a gun in my truck, I figure a 5000lb 4x4 is a good enough weapon

But really, if my truck gets stolen/broken into. Which I'm sure it will one day. I'd like to think all they took was my radio and some dirty clothes. Nothing that could be used against an innocent person.

When it comes to safety in a vehicle, like my dad always told me "when in doubt, throttle out"

 

[Zach S]

For all who carry a long gun in a vehicle- how do you secure the firearm against theft when the vehicle is unattended?

In a locking cargo compartment, where the third seat used to be (I love old cars). I work in sheetmetal fabrication for a living, and have reinforced the area around the lock to the point where it would be easier to steal the whole car than to break into that one compartment.

Car gun is a converted Saiga.

 

[CornCod]

I work in a prison and can't drive on prison property with any weapons in my car. If I had some other type of job, I would carry my beater Yugo Mauser with several stripper clips of 8mm in the trunk.

 

[JellyJar]

I live in Alabama and Alabama has some very nice gun laws. However, one that many might not like is one that prohibits the carrying of any loaded longarm in any vehicle. Not not just with one in the chamber but no loaded magazines in the weapon, including any attached tubular magazines either.

I am not certain about unattached loaded mags though.

I believe that this is an old anti-KKK law. Meant to deter night riders from going out and terrorizing AAs.

 

[Skpotamus]

I made a sneaky bag out of a large bag chair, removed the seam, replaced it with velcro. Keep my AK in it with the sling sticking out like a regular carry strap. Keep it behind the seat in my truck when I go places, keep it behind the front seat of our jeep cherokee when the family goes places. Had someone break into my truck, they stole my little center console filled with loose change and my stereo, but left the sneaky bag with rifle.

 

[mljdeckard]

I keep my SKS cleared, with the bolt locked open, and magazines nearby. I do have kids in the back seats from time to time, and while I do think it's worthwhile to keep it in the truck, I don't keep it so close that the time it takes to load a magazine is going to make any tactical difference.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I am looking for a beater 30/30 to carry on out of town trips.

 

[Fred Fuller]

When we travel, we usually have a long gun along- though in our case it's most often my wife's pet 870 with rifle sights and a little camera bag full of Brenneke slugs. It's a last ditch sort of thing and the shotgun is cased and packed out of reach of the front seat. There have been pesky black bears at her parent's house in western NC from time to time (at least one of which took to observing inhabitants of the house through the windows while ambling around on the porch) and she's gotten into the habit of lugging the 870 along just in case.

The problem I can see arising for some folks who decide to carry a long gun in a vehicle is that under some circumstances, they might get too involved with trying to get access to the long gun when what they should really be doing is driving away from the situation. A long gun on board might turn out to be something that complicates the decision making process enough that it delays what might be the proper response- in this case, the Michelin response rather than the Nike response. Best advice I can offer is to not let yourself be so gun-centric that you miss seeing the best option in whatever situation befalls you...

fwiw,

lpl

 

[Smoovbiscuit]

epijunkie I highly recommend tapco 20 rnd mags and some nice brass for your SKS, if you keep it clean it should treat you well. But if you got the dough an AK would be better, clearly

 

[Jeff White]

WHat kind of "defensive" scenario do you envison needing a long gun for?

I never went on patrol without my AR as a police officer. If I got out of the car in a situation where I thought I might need a firearm to resolve it, the AR was in my hands.

I don't see the utility of carrying a rifle or other long gun in the vehicle for defensive purposes by a private citizen. If you carry the weapon ready to use and easily accessible, you will have problems securing it when you are away from the vehicle. If you carry it secured, then it's not really accessible. As Lee Lapin said, you may be fumbling with trying to get to it while you should be driving out of the situation.

Employing your handgun while seated behind the wheel is difficult enough. A strong side draw is problematic, cross draw or even ankle carry is easier to employ while seated behind the wheel. In most instances you should be driving instead of shooting no matter how you are armed.

In a situation where you have been rammed or your vehicle is disabled by your assailant(s), you may have enough trouble getting out of the vehicle and employing a handgun that you are wearing, finding the rifle or shotgun, chambering a round or otherwise making it ready, while exiting the vehicle and either engaging the bad guys or moving away is something that you are going to have to practice many, many times before you will be able to do it under stress.

I think the long gun in the vehicle for most private citizens is a good psychological security blanket, but not really that practical.

Jeff

 

[M2 Carbine]

I carry rifles in all my vehicles.

As some have said, Yes it may take a minute to get the rifle from the trunk but that's not nearly as long as it would take to go home and get the rifle from my safe.

Same old song, I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.


Besides, the guns have to be somewhere, so they may as well be with me.

 

[pingpingping]

I keep a beater 30/30 in the trunk not just for defense, but for whatever might need shooting.

 

[DashCasey0120]

I put my 336 in the pickup each morning and take it out each evening. It sits with a round chambered between the seat and and the seatbelt lock, so I can get to it pretty easily, doors stay locked and its always parked in view, though since its a diesel if i stop at a 7-11 etc. the truck is usually running with the doors unlocked

 

[epijunkie67]

epijunkie I highly recommend tapco 20 rnd mags and some nice brass for your SKS, if you keep it clean it should treat you well. But if you got the dough an AK would be better, clearly

The only problem there is playing the whole 922r game. If I change out the magazine I have to change out all the parts to make it compliant. That, and I've heard the detachable SKS mags are unreliable.

 

[Shotgun wg]

I have one or more rifels in the truck year round. I always have a 308 or 30-06 and I carry the 22 during the summer. For Sd I feel they are not fast enuff to get out the window. Where they do come in handy is if I find someone sneaking around the farm one of them will be in my lap. The main reason I carry them is for hogs. I don't keep them in cases but they are fully loaded all the time. If I have time to get a gun out of a case and load it I have time to get some distance between me and the problem.

 

[phoglund]

Under most circumstances I'd say the rifle/carbine isn't very practical for self defense purposes. Like many things, there are exceptions, some of which are tied to the local geography. Where I live (Montana), there are wide open stretches of remote land. Driving these areas can find one stranded with little prospect of timely assistance/rescue. The same pertains if a 'critical incident' should occur. Possible scenarios such as witnessing an attack at a distance and being seen by the perpetrator and/or finding oneself down a dead-end road/trail with the threat between you and the way out. In this scenario, I'd feel a lot better with a long arm to support my defense.

Both my primary vehicles have pistol caliber lever guns riding along. My all wheel drive sedan has a .357 Marlin locked in the trunk. My small pickup has a .45 Colt Puma with a 16" barrel in a rack behind the seat. There are handguns locked in both vehicles as well. This is all in addition to extra cold weather gear and miscellaneous (non-firearm) tools.

Paul

 

[Hanshi]

Being old fashion the best carry rifle I own is a 30 year old Win Trapper 30/30 with one of those fine old Lyman peep receiver sights. Backing that up is another trapper in .45 Colt.