Trunk Guns

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There is much debate over what makes the best trunk gun. To understand where the concept of a trunk gun came from, let's go back a few years. Traditionally, farmers and ranchers often had a ranch rifle hung in the back of their pickup truck. The role of the rifle was to enable the easy elimination of varmints, or to be used to put down injured horses or livestock. Nowadays, many farmers and ranchers still keep a durable rifle hung in the window or stashed behind the seat for the same reasons. But in addition to the traditional reasons for toting along a truck or trunk gun, many people in urban and suburban environments see the usefulness of having a rifle somewhat readily available in the trunk of a car for self defense and general preparedness. For preparedness minded individuals, the trunk gun is often paired up with a BOB (Bug Out Bag).

Without getting into the specifics or whether you need a trunk gun, let's discuss the types of rifles that are commonly used as trunks guns. A good trunk gun should be supremely reliable, durable, capable of operating in dirty and dusty environments, and not particularly susceptible to rust. Cost is another issue, as a trunk gun may be subject to more wear and tear, and it'd be a shame to have a thousand dollar rifle beat up from riding behind the seat of your pickup.

Kel-Tec Sub-2000

Carbines are one obvious option, as their shorter barrel length makes them easier to transport. The next question is, do you go with a pistol caliber carbine, or a rifle caliber carbine? We've discussed the advantages of having a pistol caliber carbine in the past. A number of rifles fit this bill ranging from the various lever action Marlins available in .357 and .44 Magnum to autoloading carbines that share pistol magazines like the Ruger PC9, the Hi Point carbine and the Kel-Tec Sub-2000. The Sub-2000 also has the distinct advantage of folding in half for an overall length of just 16". Both the Hi Point and the Kel-Tec have synthetic stocks which adds to their durability. The Hi Point 995 Carbine is probably the least expensive carbine of this group, retailing for just over $200. The Hi Point however will only use 10 round Hi Point magazines, and does not fold like the Sub-2000. The Sub-2000 can be bought in configurations able to use Glock, Sig, Smith & Wesson, or Beretta magazines, including high capacity 30 round mags. A lever action in .357 or .44 Magnum would have significantly more power than the Hi Point however, but the lack of a detachable magazine means that it would be slower to reload.

Stepping up a bit to rifles chambered in larger calibers such as 7.62x39 and .30-30, we have the ever popular (and generally very inexpensive) SKS and the venerable .30-30. The SKS is generally fed by stripper clips into a fixed magazine, though some conversions are available to convert them to use detachable AK-47 magazines. Like their pistol caliber shooting brethren, the Winchester 94 and Marlin lever action .30-30 rifles also have a fixed magazine tube, making reloading more difficult and time consuming. Because ammunition for the lever action rifle is generally kept in a bandoleer or sling, we'd have to give the nod to the SKS in this comparison. While it too has a fixed magazine, high capacity 20 round magazines and the ability to quickly reload using stripper clips give it a slight advantage. While the .30-30 is slightly more powerful than the 7.62x39, we feel that power difference is offset by the ability to quickly reload the SKS.

MagPul PMags with dust covers

Which brings us to detachable box magazine fed rifles. Basically, this group is divided into intermediate and full size rifle cartridge firing long guns. AK-47s, AR-15s, Mini-14s and Mini-30s are all fine examples of intermediate caliber rifles. The Mini-14 and Mini-30 are very similar rifles apart from caliber, and both are marketed by Ruger as Ranch Rifles; a clear indication of their intended roles as truck guns. The primary drawback of the Mini-14 and Mini-30 is that they use proprietary Ruger magazines, instead of the more readily available AR or AK magazines. In the AR vs AK comparison, we feel that the AK wins out when equipped with a folding stock. The fact that it can easily be bought or outfitted with a folding stock means that the AK style rifle can more easily be stashed in a small trunk or even a duffel bag. The AK is also slightly more reliable and can be abused and neglected in ways that the AR cannot. If you choose to go the AR route we recommend getting magazine covers or using Magpul PMags with dust covers, as well as using a muzzle cover to keep dust and dirt out of your rifle and magazines. In fact, the shoot off muzzle cover is a valuable accessory for any trunk gun.

In the full size rifle category, your options for a "cheap" box fed semiautomatic rifle are fairly limited. In this category, only the CETME, FAL, Saiga and AR-10/LR 308 can be found for less than $1,000. I'm limiting discussion to these rifles as they are relatively inexpensive while at the same time very durable. Century built CETMEs as well as Saigas in .308 can be found for around $500, and FALs are available for around $650, making these three decently priced rifles. The AR-10 and LR-308 are more expensive, usually just under $1,000, making them fairly expensive for a trunk gun. Among the other three, the AK based Saiga is generally the most reliable. While the FAL and CETME are both fine rifles, the FAL has been known to a bit finicky about the gas adjustment, and the quality of CETMEs built by Century is questioned by some. All three of these rifles shoot about a 2-3 MOA group, so accuracy is decent enough. AR-10s and LR 308s are more accurate; both are capable of shooting 1 MOA or less at 100 yards. But if you're looking for the best bang for your buck in a durable truck gun, we have to give the nod to the Saiga in .308.

It's hard to argue against buying a $90 bolt-action rifle. Check out any gun show and you're sure to find a table full of Mosin Nagants selling for less than $100 each. While they may not be the prettiest rifles, it's pretty easy to justify spending that little cash on a rifle you can toss behind a pickup seat or in the trunk of your car. Toss in a couple of stripper clips of cheap mil-surp 7.62x54R and you've got a really inexpensive trunk gun and more than 400 round of ammunition for around $200. It may not be the fastest to reload, but if you're just hauling it around as a "just in case" rifle, it fits the bill just fine. An alternative would be Lee Enfield rifles. The Jungle Carbine model is a short barreled version that fires the British .303 round, and is short enough to fit in even the smallest trunks. Enfields can be found for around $300, and Jungle Carbines for slightly more.

Some people prefer shotguns as a trunk gun, especially in areas where it may not be legal to transport a loaded rifle. With their ability to fire a variety of rounds, shotguns can be effective from point blank range all the way out to 100 yards or more with a good slug. Pump action shotguns are generally the most popular, with the Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590A1 and the Winchester 1300 rounding out the top choices. There is a plethora of accessories for these three shotguns, including folding stocks, tactical rails and so on, so you can customize your shotty however you like. Most of these models are also easy to find for less than $300.

Not all jurisdictions allow transporting loaded firearms, and some frown on transporting firearms at all unless traveling directly to or from a range. As always, make sure to observe local laws when considering whether to get a trunk gun.