Rifle carried in vehicle for self defense

[Slamfire]

I used to carry a Chinese SKS. Got that for $75.00 and then those got expensive. Then I carried a MAS36 in the tool box. Then I sold it for twice what I paid. And now all my old military surplus rifles are too expensive to replace.

If I do it again, it probably will be a H&R Topper Shotgun.

 

[Kleanbore]

I started to reply and then noticed Post #43 from Jeff White, which states very well what I was about to say.

That's from the context of civilian self defense in the traditional meaning of the term.

Now, if I were heading out to a friend's A-frame, which is out in the boondocks and where animals may present a danger, I would strongly consider taking a long arm.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Tactically, its just not a sound practice. TOO cumbersome and hard to hide, and then get to it.

Back when I was a youngster, I always carried a 30-30 in the back window of the pickup in a rack.

Today, the "Muggles" would be scared to death and or some puke would break in and steal it.

To be able to manage then thing in a car/truck cab is gonna be tough.

I carry a 40 caliber Glock in a Serpa Holster on my person.

Its with me regardless of where I am and I dont have to worry about coming back to my rig and finding the windows smashed in and my gun gone.

Just some thoughts

Snowy

 

[stuckinsocal]

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

Practical for immediate use? No, and people need to realize that's a limitiation of carrying a long gun in the vehicle. As a cop, I assume you agree with that. That's why you carry a handgun on your person all the time. But the main reason I carry a rifle in my truck is that I can't get a CCW due to the politics and laws in California and carrying handguns is way more regulated than carrying a long gun. Handguns have to be unloaded in a locked case...long guns don't need to be locked.
I think that once people realize the limitations of the truck gun, it's not as impractical as many think.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

<snip> ... Plus I have a hard time coming up with any likely self-defense scenario where I would be justified in using the rifle....

If I'm outside my truck, and my life is in immediate danger, I'm going to use the pistol on my side.

And if I'm inside my truck, and my life is in immediate danger, I'm still going to use the pistol on my side.
It's just quicker to draw and fire my pistol rather than grab the rifle, chamber a round, and try to aim from within the confines of the truck cabin.

And if I'm outside my truck, and I had time to return to my truck and get my rifle, chamber a round, and then shoot, then most likely my life was not in any real immediate danger.

Agreed. And unless your vehicle has been completely disabled, i.e., stopped dead in its tracks, you could just as easily spend that time driving it the (heck) out of there. It is very difficult, despite what you see in movies and TV, for small arms fire to completely render a vehicle undrivable.

 

[X-Rap]

I hunt and live in the rural Rocky Mtns so I almost always have a long gun handy, when I am away from my truck/car its in the trunk, toolbox or locked to the seat frame with a flexible cable lock.
As to using it as a defensive weapon, civil unrest has reared its ugly head from time to time in the USA and be it power outage, earthquake, hurricane, riots or what ever else may befall a person while away from home a long gun would indeed be some psychological comfort and practical use if the situation required it.

 

[stuckinsocal]

Agreed. And unless your vehicle has been completely disabled, i.e., stopped dead in its tracks, you could just as easily spend that time driving it the (heck) out of there. It is very difficult, despite what you see in movies and TV, for small arms fire to completely render a vehicle undrivable.

There have been times where my vehicle has been broken down in some bad areas of town when passing through. It happened once in the same area where I was almost attacked by two bums...almost, because I outran them. Where I live in CA, I can't get a CCW and OC is virtually useless when driving because of the school zone restrictions. It's definitely comforting to have a rifle in that situation. Hell, even if you break down in the desert in the middle of nowhere you'd still have problems with people; there's illegal aliens crawling all over the place here by the border. My point is that it does have its limitations, and it shouldn't be relied on as an immediate response weapon. But there are realistic situations where it might be needed. People who carry a rifle in their vehicles simply need to realize those limitations and take them into consideration.

 

[Skpotamus]

Mine is there more for civil unrest than anything else. Two years ago we had a flood hit our area, taking our roads, businesses and all the power for about 3 counties. We had a lot of looting, robbing, and damned near rioting going on. During that flood, I ended up getting my vehicle stuck on a (thankfully dry) road that got washed out on either end and had to hoof it a few miles to my home. I got drenched and sick as a result of getting cold. After that, I started carrying a 72 hour bag with a rifle in a sneaky bag. After seeing the lawlessness and chaos of a relatively small disaster (no deaths from the relatively minor flooding), and seeing what happened when a real disaster hit LA, I started keeping the rifle in my vehicle as well.

 

[Zach S]

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

Much like the ABC fire extinguisher beside it, which has been put to use...

 

[JohnBiltz]

I live in Arizona, outside of the cities a pistol is not good for much. Do I ever expect to use it? No, I don't but that doesn't mean I don't bring it with me.

 

[22-rimfire]

I don't understand if you have a CCW permit, why would you want to carry the long gun in the vehicle versus the handgun? I see little good in TN of having rounds in the magazine and none in the chamber with a long gun in a vehicle when you can keep a handgun loaded and within easy access should you need it.

I believe the long gun rule was created due to poaching and folks road hunting.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I carry like carrying a rifle cause it gives me greater accuracy and firepower if the situation calls for it. I remember reading here a year of so a go where a man with a 30/30 took out 3 state troopers. Rifles have their place in your travel bag.

 

[JVaughn]

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

I can see your point on this one, but I don't necessarily agree. While I do agree that I'm not going to get my rifle out in a carjacking situation (I can't even get to it from the driver's seat) I still feel it has it's place. I always have my sidearm for emergencies like that. There are situations where the rifle is useful.

For example:

- if you find yourself stranded - vehicle broken down, etc. in the country, you may have to defend yourself from wild animals, such as bears.

- if you are far enough out in the country, you may have to hunt for food.

- if you return home and find your door standing wide open, you may want to have your rifle in your hands (as opposed to your pistol) when you walk in.

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.

Based on this comment, I see you agree with the third one. Police aren't the only people who have to fight sometimes.

 

[JohnBiltz]

If your pistol is to be used to get you to your long gun then its a good idea to have a long gun available to get. My carry is always with me. A long gun in the car is for extreme situations. Hopefully I'll never need it the same with the fire extinguisher in the trunk with it. Its also not as though I have to be walking around with it on my back, nor do I carry a fire extinguisher around with me.

 

[mljdeckard]

^^ I concur. A pistol isn't a good plan. It's an EMERGENCY plan. Now it may well be that the odds are small that you will have a chance to get to it and use it before the crisis is over. But if we were working on odds here, the odds are small that you will ever need a gun to defend yourself at all. It seems disingenuous to me, to say that you should keep a handgun in case something bad happens, but carrying a rifle is a waste of time.

My lifestyle and plan are such that I have good reason to keep a rifle in the truck. I might get a call from my dad at any time to run out to the desert to shoot.....whatever we feel like shooting. Also, in the last several years, pot farms are very much on the rise in places where I recreate. If I were fifty miles into the desert hills, out of cell range anyway, and I DID get confronted by los bandidos while I was out playing with los coyotes, it would really suck if all I had was a .45.

I pondered the Trolley Square shooting in Salt Lake in '07. This was a mass shooting in a place I visit frequently. My first concern would have been to get my family out the nearest exit. In this case, people had a hard time leaving because the traffic was so jammed up. If I was clear, and my family was out of danger, and it was obvious to me that more people were going to die if I did nothing, I would consider going back in. Even if only to look into the nearest exit and help the closest people get out. Were I to do this, I would want more in my hands than a pistol.

I realize that this is several 'ifs' down the road, but at the same time, it goes back to, "If the we are playing the odds here, we wouldn't carry guns at all." It would be really bad if I really needed a rifle and I had never thought to bring one, wouldn't it?

 

[hirundo82]

I don't understand if you have a CCW permit, why would you want to carry the long gun in the vehicle versus the handgun? I see little good in TN of having rounds in the magazine and none in the chamber with a long gun in a vehicle when you can keep a handgun loaded and within easy access should you need it.

It's not an either/or thing. I always have a handgun in my vehicle, but there are situations where a long gun would be the more appropriate tool.

Fortunately I live in Texas where we can carry long guns however we want in our vehicles, so I'm looking for a beater .30-30 for that purpose.

 

[GEM]

While TX state law allows such carry, San Antonio has a local ordinance against such. It was designed to bust gang memebers with cheap SKS guns. Is it state constitutional - probably not. But the last time I asked the SAPD, they said they would act on it.

That probably needs a test case but some else can do that. It's just a heads up.

Theoretically, you could stroll down the street with your AR slung - but they will come for you, I'd bet.

 

[hirundo82]

While TX state law allows such carry, San Antonio has a local ordinance against such. It was designed to bust gang memebers with cheap SKS guns. Is it state constitutional - probably not. But the last time I asked the SAPD, they said they would act on it.

What's up with San Antonio? They have this, plus the lockblade ordinance. Even Houston doesn't have those.

It is definitely not allowed under state laws. Where local governments can regulate carry by non-CHL holders is very clearly spelled out in Local Government Code Chapter 229:

Sec. 229.001. FIREARMS; EXPLOSIVES.
(a) A municipality may not adopt regulations relating to the transfer, private ownership, keeping, transportation, licensing, or registration of firearms, ammunition, or firearm supplies.
(b) Subsection (a) does not affect the authority a municipality has under another law to:
(6) regulate the carrying of a firearm by a person other than a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, at a:
(A) public park;
(B) public meeting of a municipality, county, or other governmental body;
(C) political rally, parade, or official political meeting; or
(D) nonfirearms-related school, college, or professional athletic event.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Not SD, But Emergency

I keep a Marlin 70PSS Papoose in a bag behind the rear seat in the truck (SUV). Can't be seen with any of the doors open, can't be seen from the rear with the hatch open.

The Papoose is a .22 LR take-down rifle, weighing not very much and taking up not very much space. Also, when it's in the carry bag, it's maybe eighteen inches long, and doesn't look like it's a firearm. I have a brick of Federal and a couple of trays of CCI Stingers in the emergency bin.

So, light, compact, and plenty of ammo.

It's my "what rifle for being stranded in North Idaho" gun.

There's enough ammo in there to blow off fifty or a hundred rounds signaling for help, and still have enough left to hold off a stampeding herd of squirrels or rabbits.

Now, maybe I'll find an old beater Marlin 336 or something that I can throw back there, but the Papoose stays. The odds of squirrel/rabbit encounters are significantly greater than having to battle bears or wolves (though we do have them).

So, not really a "self defense" rifle, but more of a regional "stayin' alive" rifle.

Not really "tactical," more of a "strategic" consideration. You know, along the lines of Rule 1 ("have a gun").

 

[LT1coupe]

I keep a well used trapper length 30-30 behind the back seat of my 4 door truck with an empty chamber but loaded tube. I ccw a pistol, but it's just to help me get to a long gun

 

[armoredman]

Used to be an Enfield 303 with bandolier of stripper clipped Federal ammo, but that went bye bye. Now it's the vz-58 in covert case, installed 30 round mag, two loaded mags in AR mag pouch in the case. Why? Why not. It doesn't ride very often due to work requirements, but under AZ law it's legal, and there are long drives around here with nothing around. Nothing but coyotes and illegal invader drug runners, that is. So, while it isn't practical to use while driving, if I am stopped and have the chance, it would be great, plus it is portable in a manner that doesn't arouse hostility from "winter visitors" if I don't want to leave it in the vehicle.

 

[shiftyer1]

Ya'll texans need to quit lookin for beat up 30-30's for the truck...........now I know why I can't find one!!!

 

[LT1coupe]

Sad how things have changed. I grew up in South Texas when having a rifle in a rack in the back window of your truck was normal. No worries about somebody stealing it, you just didnt mess with another man's truck & the rifle was simply a tool....

 

[Sheepdog1968]

When I travel, I usually bring something along as the state laws and I transport as allowed by state law(s). Often I will bring along only one long arm. My overnight trips are often visiting friends and we will do some social plinking, I typically bring along the long arm I like to shoot the most - for me that is a 30-30 lever action. I sleep perfectly fine with it and feel well protected on the road with it.

 

[BENBRU]

I don't drive a truck, but I keep my AR behind the front seats of the mustang.(you can't see it because of the rear seat delete package I put in. Incident not too long ago, some gang banger shooting across a street at another banger with a Police Officer driving down the street in a marked car. The goons here are getting brave, figure it couldn't hurt to be ready.

Is it easy to pull out? Meh, it takes a second or two. Would I rather have an AR with two thirty round mags available if the scum here is getting that brave? Duh...