If you ever want to get a group of gun enthusiasts to go from zero to 60 in about a millisecond, make a blanket statement about one gun being the best of them all. No explanations, no qualifiers, nothing. Just throw that statement out there and watch the debate grow!
Of course, now that we’ve mentioned it, we’re going to do just that. If you have a truck gun already, you probably have some pretty well-formed opinions about your truck gun of choice, and why it is what’s best for you. But, for those of you who haven’t gone down that purchasing path yet, there are a few things to consider before making your choice.
So, what makes a good truck gun?
Circumstance
A lot of what goes into any truck gun decision is going to be related to your circumstances. Do you live in rural Montana? Your truck gun had better be prepared to stand up to encroaching wildlife if that sort of emergency situation arises. Is the purpose of your truck gun more survivalist, as much a tool as a potential self-defense weapon? A single-shot rifle or shotgun each have a multitude of uses in certain contexts while a semi-automatic rifle like an AR-15 may be useful in situations where a shotgun may not be ideal. No matter what advice you read in the coming paragraphs, the biggest key to choosing the best truck gun is to understand what your needs are and doing the research to find the right fit for those needs. So no, we aren’t going to make a blanket statement that a particular gun is the best truck gun — even if we are pretty partial to the AR-15, ourselves.
Size
A truck gun is, by its definition, going to need to fit in or on your car or truck, because we feel that a trunk gun could be just as handy as a truck gun. The point is, these are going to be guns kept in your vehicles where space is often at a premium. You don’t want to choose a gun so large you have trouble fitting the groceries around it. You’ll probably also want to take a few basic measurements so you don’t accidentally end up with a gun you can’t actually fit wherever you the storage space in your car may be. At the same time, this isn’t your concealed carry firearm, this is your truck gun. If you’re only keeping one firearm in the vehicle on a regular basis, you probably want something with a bit more firepower than the gun you carry daily, otherwise what’s the point? A good truck gun is going to normally be a long gun, but obviously not so long or large that it gets in the way of your daily life.
Safety & Security
As you undoubtedly know, gun security is absolutely imperative for carrying a gun on or around your being for the sake of both yourself and those near you. If you’re going to keep a firearm in your vehicle long term, you’ll need a way to safely secure it. Local laws may also mandate certain security measures if you’re going to keep a firearm in your vehicle, so make sure you’re aware of these laws before carrying your truck gun around in a way that would break them. This often means a lockbox, car-sized gun safe, or even having a hidden locked compartment installed in your vehicle. In an emergency situation in which you need your truck gun, you should be able to access it quickly enough to be useful, but outside of those emergency situations, it should be well-secured for your safety as well as that of anyone else in your vehicle. Of course, locking it up securely also means your firearm will be out of sight from thieves. So, whatever option you choose, make sure you can secure it properly.
Use
Like any other firearm you own, your trunk gun obviously needs to be a gun that you can handle safely and comfortably. Since this gun isn’t going to go into storage at the end of the hunting season, you’ll want to be sure you can handle it comfortably in all seasons. The fit against your shoulder is going to be pretty different when you’re in a t-shirt versus when you’re wearing a thick winter coat. Stick to a caliber/gauge of ammo you’re familiar with and a firearm you can handle well.
One of the reasons we like the AR-15 is because you can add on light, low-profile accessories like a hand stop or a grip to help you achieve the level of comfort needed. Just add your AR-15 rail grip or scales and create some extra stability. Now, as an added warning, please remember: just because the gun is going to stay in your car, this isn’t an excuse to be lax about using it. Keep up with regular range time so you don’t lose your proficiency (and use that time to make sure your truck gun is cleaned and in good shape, too).
The other part of this, as mentioned above, is to be clear about what you want your truck gun for and where you live. The general guidelines you have for your needs will play a big role in choosing the best gun. Is your truck gun going to be part of a bug-out bag for survival situations? Consider choosing an option with common, inexpensive ammo. Do you live in an urban or suburban area? Self-defense is probably going to be more important than any long-range accessories for your truck gun, so keep that in mind as you look at options.
Durability
Something you absolutely need to keep in mind when buying a truck gun is that it’s going to get knocked around. A gun you’ll keep in your vehicle is not the time to go all-out with fragile, high-quality, super-expensive accessories on top of a dainty top-of-the-line firearm. Instead, look for quality and durability for both the gun itself and any accessories you add on. The gun is likely to get scratched up a bit as it bounces around if it is not locked down properly or if you do any offroad traveling, and a cheap scope will easily get knocked around enough that it isn’t zeroed-out if it isn’t broken outright. Stick to guns you know can handle the beating, and that you don’t mind getting a scratch or two on. Likewise, make sure you’re seeking out accessories that aren’t expensive, but are still durable enough to hold up to the temperature variations and jarring from being in the truck all the time.
We aren’t going to tell you which specific gun makes the best truck gun because the best is going to be different for everyone. We can, however, tell you that the accessories you choose will matter just as much as the gun itself, especially in terms of aiding your grip and precision. Choose things like fixed iron sights that you don’t need to worry about zeroing out as well as low profile grips, hand stops, and other options to help you get a strong grip quickly. Explore all of our AR-15 rail grip, hand stop, and other control options for your truck gun, your competition AR, and everything in between. See all RailScales has to offer online!