I recently was looking for articles discussing rifles for preppers and my search turned up several articles on "truck guns." Perhaps it shows my age, but in my lexicon a truck gun was a rifle that was carried--generally by ranchers or farmers--to deal with predators or other nuisance animals, or put down an injured animal. Because of its nature--riding in the gun rack in the back window of a truck for extended periods of time--and risk of it being stolen, it generally would not have been a particularly expensive weapon. Of course during hunting season, when I was kid at least, you would see shotguns or rifles show up in truck gun racks as well, but that was for purpose of transportation and not because the firearm resided in the truck.
In our culturally enriched, more urban world, the truck gun concept has reemerged, but in the role of self-defense. Although I came across one author that went with a traditional bolt action rifle, the weapon of choice seems to be a personal defense weapon (PDW)--typically a short-barrel rifle, rifle caliber pistol with a brace, or pistol caliber carbine--no different from those recommended for carrying in a day pack or gym bag. The goal isn't to have a long distance weapon but something offering more firepower--both in terms of the power of the individual round as well as higher magazine capacity--than a concealed carry pistol.
I can certainly see the allure. Years ago, there was a news story of some poor soul who had the misfortune to bump his SUV or Minivan--I can't remember which--into the motorcycle of a member of a large troop of motorcyclists that had jammed around the man's vehicle. They pursued him and eventually forced him to stop, got him out of the vehicle and beat him badly. One of the attackers was an off-duty cop. I thought of the limited capacity and power of my concealed carry pistol and considered how wonderful it would be to have something more powerful and with greater magazine capacity like an AR pistol to have in the vehicle. The issue is trying to both carry such a weapon in a low-key manner and be able to easily access it from the driver's seat.
The other issue is that old maxim: your car is not a holster. The spread of "shall-issue" and "Constitutional carry" laws have largely killed off the back window gun rack. But you still need to secure the weapon to keep it from being stolen. Yes, you can put locking storage into some vehicles that might be sufficiently secure; but if you don't have that option, you don't want to leave a weapon in your car. In that case, the "truck gun" turns into a "backpack gun" so you can move it into and out of the vehicle.
Anyway, just some of my thoughts on the idea of a truck gun. Here are a few articles where a couple authors describe what they did and some of their reasoning:
- "Vehicle Based Weapons – The Thinking Behind Truck Guns"--The Firearm Blog. After discussing the concept and describing his setup, the author concludes:
Truck guns are not a one-stop solution for every situation, but rather another tool at your disposal. If you have a vehicle-based engagement it’s going to still be faster to draw your pistol for those engagements. A truck gun can be a huge benefit and force multiplier in certain situations. These could be in an active shooter event or a situation where there are multiple threats coming after you. Like everything else in life, truck guns aren’t a solution for every situation, but rather is another tool you have at your disposal. ...
- "Truck Guns, Part 1: From Stagecoaches to Tacomas"--The Firearm Blog. This article covers the general concept, the trade-offs you face with a shorter barrel, and what you want in a truck gun both as to the weapon and accessories.
- "Truck Guns, Part 2: The Stoner Legacy"--The Firearm Blog. This delves into AR-style platforms for use as a modern "truck gun".
- "Truck Guns Part 3: Defense Fueled by Vodka"--The Firearm Blog. This one delves into the AK platform and options for the modern "truck gun".
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