Quick Opinion: Truck Guns Are Dumb

Disclaimer: This is an opinion that represents the author alone.

I believe truck guns are more of a liability than an asset. My opinion is in the context of “every day carry” by ordinary citizens, carrying weapons primarily from within a vehicle for self defensive purposes. Not in the context of transporting a long arm inside of a vehicle for hunting, or for patrol of a ranch to defend livestock against pests such as cougars, coyotes, or hogs.

What is a truck gun?

In essence, a “truck gun” is often referred to as a cheap firearm that is kept in a vehicle until the need to deploy it arises. A truck gun leaves the financial liability of potential money invested into that firearm. Not only the cost to purchase it, but also its accessories, attachments, and sights as well. Some might argue that the cost could be alleviated with an inexpensive and unadorned firearm, that are in a way disposable, and dedicate it to the vehicle. This begs the question of why someone would intentionally choose to defend their life against a deadly threat with something that is not proven for function and reliability. Why be lax on the maintenance by storing it in a non-controlled environment and neglect the ability of the firearm to achieve proper functionality?

I assume that if an individual has the lawful ability to carry a firearm in their vehicle and has relatively quick access to it, they will also have the ability to carry a handgun on their person. If that is true, and an individual is faced with an imminent and deadly threat against their life, wouldn’t they be better served drawing their carried handgun in two seconds or less rather than waste precious time searching for that handgun in the vehicle?

It’s common knowledge that a long arm such as a rifle or a shotgun is better than a handgun when it comes to stopping threats. A person who supports the carry of a long arm in a vehicle would argue this and claim they can stop an active shooter threat with that rifle or shotgun. If an active shooter situation does occur, wouldn’t it in most cases be better served to immediately stop the threat with a concealed handgun? If a person can retreat to their own vehicle along with their friends and loved ones in a citizen-involved situation, it might be better to escape with their life. When advancing towards an active shooter situation with that time spent retreating and reentering, the active shooter could move into a different position and already have taken more innocent lives within that time frame. Law enforcement responding to an active shooter could view the person carrying a long arm as a threat and might respond with deadly force against the good Samaritan.

Stolen Firearms From Unattended Vehicles

Stolen firearms allow criminals to carry out harm on others through facilitation of vehicle burglary. While the original and lawful possessor of the truck gun may not be legally responsible for their stolen property, this does enable criminals to more effectively conduct themselves with malicious intent. In other jurisdictions, theft of a firearm from a vehicle could place the legal firearm owner under legal scrutiny.

An individual has the right to choose how they defend themselves. However, an immediate access to a firearm on-body is fundamentally better than prolonging the threat by searching for and retrieving one from a vehicle. Truck guns are a relatively easy target for vehicle burglary by criminals. One should seriously consider any perceived benefit and the negatives for the average armed citizen when considering a truck gun. With some notable exceptions, truck guns provide more of a liability than an asset. If you choose to keep an off body firearm in your vehicle, secure that firearm responsibly.