Trunk Gun: Smart Investment or Bad Idea?

[hang fire]

Threw me for a sec, never heard of a trunk gun. But here in AZ no need, if you can legally own a firearm, you can carry concealed without a permit in or out of a vehicle.

I do have what is often referred to as a truck gun. It is a MN scout scoped carbine and when/where ever I go out to the desert in my old 1985 K-5 Jimmy, it is in there ready to go like an old buddy.

 

[hang fire]

FROGO207: **Here's a tip. Take the cylinder out of your revolver and the bolt out of the rifle and store them separately in the vehicle. This will make them that much harder to do something with if stolen.

That is a good tip, but it is also a safety concern if a revolver cylinder is left loaded in gun. In case of a vehicle fire, it could fire off some rounds with the chance of hitting people. We always empty the rounds out of DA revolver cylinder if left in vehicle.

 

[Beaux Nehr]

That is a good tip, but it is also a safety concern if a revolver cylinder is left loaded in gun. In case of a vehicle fire, it could fire off some rounds with the chance of hitting people. We always empty the rounds out of DA revolver cylinder if left in vehicle.

Let me get this straight, a vehicle fire is going to cause a DA revolver to... cycle?

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

Handguns should be on your person. That said, a trunk gun is a good idea... Make it a rifle, carbine, or shotgun.

 

[Sam1911]

That said, a trunk gun is a good idea

Many folks seem to believe so. Can we discuss why it might realistically be so?

I certainly can appreciate firesky's comment about a very basic break-action shotgun in part of a wilderness survival kit, though I'm still not sure I find it very critical. I mean, his reason for establishing a survival kit was a friend who was stranded -- for two days. You can survive FAR longer than that without eating anything at all. Seems a can of SPAM, a pack of durable chocolate bars, or a couple MREs would be much better use of the space.

So, who else has a reason to share why a rifle or shotgun always in the trunk is "a good idea?"

 

[fireman 9731]

I carry a short SKS behind the seat of my pick-up, and I keep a Romanian Tokarev easily accessible from a seated position up in the dash. I also almost always have my carry gun on my hip.

I have them for a variety of reasons. The rifle mostly for on the farm for 2 legged work. I have caught several people lately trying to steal stuff. Its also there for the occasional coyote or other pest. The pistol stuck in the dash is there because I can get to it quicker than I can my carry gun in case of attempted car jacking or road rage or whatever. Also, if I have a passenger, they usually don't carry anything so it could be a gun for them if needed in a pinch.

Also being on the Fire Department requires me to sometimes respond directly to the scene of fires, accidents, and med calls. Out here you never know what you could be rolling up on and the police can be a long way off. We have had 3 meth lab busts in my district in the past 3 months.

Its all for peace of mind mostly, but they all have their intended purposes.

I'm in rural KY. People don't break into vehicles around here and honestly I don't worry about it. Now if I lived somewhere else, then I might.

 

[bannockburn]

I have had my cars broken into several times so I tend not to leave anything of any real value in it. If they want some old CDs or a couple of inexpensive sunglasses, fine I can live with that. But a gun; no way.

 

[holdencm9]

If I lived in a remote location I would consider having a lever gun or a pump shotgun in my vehicle. Mostly for varmint/predator control.

Agreed. Where the risk of property crime is negligible, and the potential utility is increased, the risk/reward balance tips.

I will remind everyone of a time I heard about in Texas where a man climbed up a monument/ building and it was the suppressive fire from civilians on the street shooting back that allowed him to be taken out without greater loss of life. Truck guns are just old dinged up tools that keep working. Mine is a Win 30-30.

See, I think this is the point Sam1911 is trying to make. Yes, the noble citizens of Texas helped pin down the Texas Tower Shooter, but those events are exceedingly rare. I have also heard people say they keep an AR or something in the trunk in case the bad guys have body armor. Seems far fetched also. Point is I can't justify to myself that the risk of getting it stolen several times over don't far outweigh the potential benefit of needing it and being able to use it (as in, I may "need" it if I am in a restaurant when some psycho starts shooting, but I won't be able to get to it!)

 

[Sam1911]

I have also heard people say they keep an AR or something in the trunk in case the bad guys have body armor. Seems far fetched also.

Yes. The plan there seems to be to die with their rifle in the trunk.

 

[jrdolall]

The trunk of my truck is not a good place for a rifle. I live in a very rural area and predators, mainly coyotes, are at the top of my HIT list. Carjacking and car theft are not real problems where I live.
I keep two guns in my truck at all times. A Hi-Point 9mm between the seat is always accessible and an AK74 mounted below the rear seat. I have no reason to believe that the AK could be used in a SD scenario unless the BG allowed me to turn around and dig it out.

 

[hang fire]

Most bad things that happen to people were not a problem, until they happened.

 

[Rail Driver]

Recently there were a rash of over 40 vehicle robberies/burglaries in my neighborhood. More than 5 firearms were stolen, among other property. Those people that had guns stolen from them WILL NEVER keep a gun in their vehicle again.

The rest of them will be extra vigilant in locking their car doors (at least for a while).

I prefer to keep my gun in a holster on my hip where I can use it immediately if necessary, though I do bring my guns with me when I go out of town instead of leaving them at home.

As far as location - I'm about 30-40 mins away from town in a small subdivision in a relatively rural area. The neighbor at the end of the street has about 50 head of cattle on his farm.

 

[jcooper9099]

It's definitely a good idea if you think you may need one for an off-road or survival situation. Even just plunking or hunting. During hunting season I keep a mossy 500, camo clothes, and a bright orange vest in my truck just in case I feel I want to hit a hunting spot on my way home. Having a lock box like a previous post describes would be a great solution. My advice though. don't put an expensive gun in there. During any season the temp and humidity in your trunk could easily rust a barrel.

 

[JustinJ]

I carry a full size pistol in my car at all times only for the reason that my attire sometimes only allows for concealed carry of something no larger than my Ruger LC9. If i were to find myself in a scenario in which i needed to use a gun for self defense while getting out of my vehicle the Ruger P89 definitely provides more advantage than a pocket gun. Its a highly reliable and accurate weapon that i got for only $200 as a police trade in. While i certainly don't want any gun stolen for various reasons the cost makes it a practical car gun. As much as i would hate for a gun i own to make its way into the black market I don't feel I should have to hinder my own right to self defense because of the potential immoral and irresponsible actions of others. Isn't that ultimately why we feel guns should be available to responsible civilians in the first place?

Rifles from a car are impractical for self defense and i find the sudden SHTF scenarios in which a rifle is needed to fight one's way home to be just plain silly. If one has the time available to retrieve a rifle they have the time to available to drive off.

 

[Skribs]

I put my gun in a gunvault in the car when I can't carry it into a specific place, but I wouldn't consider that a Trunk Gun, per se.

 

[armoredman]

It would be illegal under Federal law wasn't a poll option.

Curious, where is it illegal under FED law? Federal law doesn't cover carrying on state property unless you are a prohibited possessor, IIRC.
To me, it depends where you live, where you vehicle is parked, what type of area it is, where you typically drive, what type of things you may or may not typically expect to run into, etc.
I would never leave a firearm in my vehicle if at all possible. I don't go to places where I am required to disarm, and yes, to some that is a PITA, here in AZ it really isn't as a very large number of businesses are firearms friendly.

I can see having a long gun, rifle or shotgun, in the vehicle in some specific circumstances, including but not limited to;
A) I live WAAAAY out on the woods, with poor cell/satellite phone service, where the "3 shots" emergency signal might be heard better than "HELP, HELP!" I would also keep some pistol flares, too. As mentioned, emergency food/water would be good - I do that already.
B) I live in Alaska or other wide open country with lots of big hungry predators. Then a nice lever action in a big bore caliber might be a real comfort, same as an Alaskan bush pilot, who can reasonably expect to have to use a firearm to defend against predators, at least to my extremely limited knowledge.
C) I live on the border/in the drug corridor. I'm keeping a long gun on my shoulder when possible, along with water, radio/cell phone/satellite phone, etc. This has been proven to be an area where violence is occurring more and more often on our side of the border as lax enforcement encouraged by corrupt politicians serve to allow the thugs and villains much more leeway to kill and destroy to move their "product", and steal it from each other. In the trunk might be a little too long to get to it, and having to get out of a vehicle with that long gun might be the last thing ever done - driving away while screaming for help in the phone, (hopefully they didn't bring an illegal cell phone jammer with them!), might be more conducive to long life...but giving them a reason to not come up anymore might give more life to your family and neighbors in the long run. Hard to make a stand on that.

So, I say, it depends. I can't see keeping an M-1A SOCOM in my trunk if I live and work in downtown Phoenix, but an M-1 Garand in the deep woods of Wyoming might be just the ticket for any number of situations.

 

[razorback2003]

Come to Memphis. You won't want to leave a gun in your car here where car theft and break ins are very common. I've left a long gun in my vehicle in areas less prone to break ins but not in Memphis. I keep my handgun on me.

 

[jrdolall]

Come to Memphis. You won't want to leave a gun in your car here where car theft and break ins are very common. I've left a long gun in my vehicle in areas less prone to break ins but not in Memphis. I keep my handgun on me.

Memphis made the list of top 10 most violent cities.

I don't let the possibility of a crime keep me from carrying a gun in my truck. I don't let the possibility of crime keep me from having prescription meds at home.

I have computers, guns and TVs at home that could get stolen during a break in but I have done what I can to limit that possibility.
If we are afraid that our car will be broken into every time we go out then why go out? Hunker down at home and be "safe". If you ccw and a BG gets the drop on you then you will possibly donate your gun to him anyway so you should not ccw?

I don't think we should be reckless and leave a gun on the seat or on the dash any more than we should leave a cell phone in it's holder. No need to advertise that the vehicle has something of value inside. I don't want any of my belongings being stolen and my guns are some of my most prized possessions.

BTW if I lived in Flint or Detroit I would not leave anything in my vehicle. They will kill you for a tic-tac. The violent crime rate in those two cities is astronomical. Of course the mayor of Flint says there are too many guns on the streets. Go to western MI and there are plenty of guns on the street but they are in the hands of the good guys. I will actually be there next week. Flying into Flint and driving west.

 

[fatcat4620]

Add me to the handgun in the console list. I would not mind keeping a PCC that takes the same mags as my console gun in the trunk.

 

[holdencm9]

I don't let the possibility of a crime keep me from carrying a gun in my truck. I don't let the possibility of crime keep me from having prescription meds at home.

I have computers, guns and TVs at home that could get stolen during a break in but I have done what I can to limit that possibility.
If we are afraid that our car will be broken into every time we go out then why go out? Hunker down at home and be "safe". If you ccw and a BG gets the drop on you then you will possibly donate your gun to him anyway so you should not ccw?

The whole point of this discussion is the risks and rewards. The risk is not just financial (cost of gun) but philosophical....about what you are willing to donate to the local criminals in the area. Personally I would lose a lot of sleep if a gun were stolen, and think about it anytime I hear about a shooting on the news.

Some people are less okay with the idea of one of our guns ending up in the criminals hands, and the perceived risk of violent attack is much lower. For others, the perception may be reversed. I just don't really see how any gun in a car could be employed in such a way that you could argue a justifiable homicide when you are able to get to your gun but not drive away. Even in a stand your ground state it seems unlikely. MAYBE a console gun, if you are pinned in traffic or a restaurant drive-through, but definitely not a trunk gun, not for SD. Trunk guns for survival or general utility are another issue I suppose.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Growing up in the Delta of Eastern Arkansas I had a Rifle and shotgun in the back window of my Truck all the time. But when I moved to LR I took out the rack and put a beater Colt Trooper III in 357 in a rug under the seat. The truck was excellent under the sheet metal but butt ugly on the outside so I never had any issues.

 

[bhk]

I live in a rural area where breakins are extremely uncommon. I keep a rifle in the truck for coyotes and other legal creatures of opportunity. I used a truck gun to dispatch a fawn I ran over in a field last year (yes, it was legally reported). I also shot another deer hit by a car and severely crippled (again, reported). A very high percentage of trucks in my area have long guns in them, and they are used quite often for a variety of tasks. If I lived the the suburbs, though, I don't think I would have a long gun in my vehicle 24/7.

 

[Onward Allusion]

holdencm9
Trunk Gun: Smart Investment or Bad Idea?

Dang good idea. Cars break down in crappy areas. That and a Get-Home Bag with other supplies, including a change of clothing, hikers shoes, knife, a couple of PowerBars, a bottle of water, & extra ammo.

Sound paranoid? Nope. Where does one spend most of their waking hours? At work... Be prepared to have a method of getting yourself to your loved ones in the event of a natural disaster or civil unrest.

 

[Ignition Override]

No, but mostly because of exposure to humid air. They are carried cross-country only several times a year: either to plink with a buddy south of town, or to visit a brother who lives six hours away.
When a gun or two are taken directly to a nearby location, they are only in the car for about ten minutes.

A problem can exist going to a wooded recreation area before, or right after shooting.
The car is normally parked in a very tiny blindspot, on the grass, touching and partly surrounded by trees, and the guns are moved under a few trees, hidden by a camouflage net. At least they won't be found by career scumbags from Shelby County (TN)/DeSoto/Marshall County (MS) if anybody breaks into the car. Break-ins happen quite often in the area.

 

[Mauser lover]

Country Folks!
My favorite idea of a trunk gun / toolbox of the truck / behind the seat of the tractor gun is a Marlin .22 with a scope, so I can kill all of those pesky ground squirrels when I am driving through the orchard. The truck/tractor usually stays on the orchard, so the gun is not really ever on the road/in town...

I didn't vote on your poll, because you didn't have a choice for "24/7, because I hate rabies and plague carrying vermin!"