Car / Truck gun: rifle or shotgun?

[Univibe]

I could be using either a 18" pump 12 gauge, or my stainless Mini-14.  I'm using the Mini right now.

Shotgun is probably "safer" in the city;   but 6 rounds and doubtful reloading vs. 20 round magazines settles it for me.

Another option if I had one would be a pistol caliber carbine.



Those who have a  car gun, what do y'all use?

[sqlbullet]

AR-15 pistol.  As a pistol it is covered by my concealed firearms permit which allows me to keep it loaded and ready to go in any state my permit is recognized.

Current setup carries a 7.5" barrel, kak flash can and a shockwave brace.

[pacapcop]

States of Reprocity correct?

[Trapper6L]

The ranch is within distant eye sight of Mexico. The brush country of South Texas is loaded with drug dealers bringing drugs over and taking millions of dollars back. It's not uncommon to see "mule trains" where 5-8 people are chained together with backpacks. The lead guy and the tail guy will be packing usually M16's and some have AKs. If they see you, they're coming straight to you. They will kill you for your truck so they don't have to walk. The usual truck gun is an AR15 with 2 30 round mags taped together and a ammo pack with mags ready to go. The bullet of choice is the 62gr Penetrator as it will go thru brush and a denim jacket. While there have been a few times of a wild ride to get away from these guys, I have once had them at my drivers door. I have the scars for proof that they also carry knives. The border of Texas with Mexico is a war zone but few believe it because it isn't headline news. Any reporter that gives a negative report on the drug dealers will be dead within 24 hours, just like the police chief across the border from Laredo in Nuevo Laredo. You don't go into that part of Texas and not be armed to the teeth. There's usually several pistols in the truck as well. None are ever on safety. The best defense, a good dog that can see things you either can't or won't.

[Kenk]

Absolutely, our 92lb yellow lab gets riled up if a twig drops, or if a coyotes in the area when I take her out at 2:00am before going to work

[Bunny]

I run a AR pistol.  12 inch barrel and a brace with a couple 40 round magpuls.

[blaster]

I also favor an AR pistol for a truck gun. either my 9" 300 Black Out or 10.5 " 5.56 pistols. back in the '70s & '80s when I used to fish off shore and down in the Caribbean, in addition to various rifles and pistols belonging to me & my crew, I kept a Browning 1919 A-4 machine gun on the boat. back then there were lots of boat hijackings by the Columbian Cartels and the Coast Guard suggested all vessels be armed. now days all that excitement has calmed down and I have down sized to a smaller boat so I just keep a Dura Coated SKS on the boat.

[sqlbullet]

States of Reprocity correct?

Yeah.  Though I have to read their laws carefully since some carve out exceptions.

[Kenk]

absolutely some states are incredibly vague On these things

[Spudmeister]

Right now I'm running a Sig 556R.  I like the folding stock so if the gun has to come out of the trunk it does not have to be identified as one while in the case.  An even better solution IMO is an AR pistol in 300 BLK.

[inv136]

Beside my EDC pistol on my hip, I have a Sig Sauer AR15 pistol with arm brace plus 3 spare 30rd magazines, and a backup pistol locked in the console vault safe (a crap Glock 17 that never sees the light of day and it's the only Glock that I own because I don't miss seeing it and I wouldn't want to miss any of my other pistols). That arm brace makes it a lot more accurate and controllable, it's like having an SBR without the requirement for the tax stamp. 5.56 caliber is OK in town, but, if I was going out of town or into the woods I'd add a .308 caliber rifle like my PTR 91 with collapsible stock.

[RJM52]

Since having a loaded long gun will get you in troble in most states, I was going to go with one of the rifle caliber "AR/AK" style handguns but they are bulky and not as fast to deploy as a handgun...and what do you do with it when you are not in the car?

Ended up instead with a Glock 40 running Underwood Xtreme Penetrator ammo.  Figured that will get into most cars just as well if not better than a .223. Has a Steamlight 800 lumen light/green laser on it.  The rig and two mags are kept in a Bagmaster Vertical Carry pouch seat belted to the center jumpseat of the truck. When I leave the truck, just flip down the center armrest and it is out of sight.  Could also be put behind the rear seat or just taken with me. 

That said, if I was in Trappers situation down on the border it would be a folding stock AK47 or SIG 556R.  I much prefer 7.62x39 or .308 to .223 when the possibilty exists that one may have to shoot into a car.  Have seen way too many failures with .223 to want to rely on them...

Bob

[sqlbullet]

[R]ifle caliber "AR/AK" style handguns ... are bulky and not as fast to deploy as a handgun...and what do you do with it when you are not in the car?

...
Bob

These are important questions that really relate to how you may need to use the gun.  One size is not going to fit all.

Your solution of a longslide + deep penetrating ammo is one way.  And one I can respect as it is a good compromize.  Gun is accessible, and leaves the vehicle with you solving the locking problem.  And an Underwood 10mm round from a 6" barrel is going to offer good energy.

Other options include locking tactical racks or locking underseat storage boxes.  These are less "immediately" accessible and may require a person to fight their way to the handgun with a handgun. But they would secure the gun when not in the vehicle and still provide access from inside the car.

Each person has to decide what compromise best fits their needs and abilities.

[dred]

I stash a 9mm Kel Tec Sub 2000 and about 100 rounds of 147 gr Speer Gold Dots in the stash magazines.  The S2k is joined by a M&P m2.0 9mm which also uses those ready magazines.  The M&P is my travel sidearm and I added the Sub 2000 after a local hero dispatched a mass shooter with his AR.  I decided I wanted something that I can punch with at over 50 yards if my sidearm does its job and gets me to the truck.

I built it such that I can poke holes at 100 yards within 10 seconds of touching the folded carbine.

[5.7 Mike]

I enthusiastically advise that if you buy a dedicated "truck gun", whatever the definition of that supremely vague term is, you never leave it unattended under any circumstance. It goes in and out with you. This is one of the main ways to prevent criminals from obtaining guns and goes hand in hand with responsible gun ownership. I can't tell you just how many felon in possession/VOP cases I've worked on where the defendant stole firearms out of easily accessible vehicles, either because it was unlocked, did not auto-lock because the key signal was still being received by the ECU from inside the home, or it was a smash and grab.

If you have a way to lock it, great, but then you lose ease of access, so it's a balancing act of what's best for you.

Regards