Bud White

Acutally dont Carry a truck gun dont drive enough out of company van..

Personal Ride i dont worry about it breaking down and dont really go far enough that i need a truck gun.

You stop doing a lot of long trips when you drive 6 hours out of everyday.

Euclidean

Believe me Bud I'm not doing this for fun.

You do what ya gotta do sometimes.

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AutoFan

The lever action rifle or pump shotgun (wood stock) have probably the least image problems. They aren't necessarily the best "truck guns", but as you describe your scenarios, they will get the job done with the least grief.

Bud White

That ya do i understand completely

Geezer

Eucl - I'm in Palo Pinto county, so it's pretty close to your area. Like you, I spend a lot of time on the local roads, and had to make the same decisions that you are considering. One of the first things that I discovered was that although the vast majority of the locals are a friendly, helpful lot, they are also very suspicious of strangers, especially city dwellers, and they know nearly everybody. If stranded, I'd suggest staying by your car until someone stops to offer aid. Walking down the road carrying any long gun could find yourself getting to meet a very irate rancher (and being of the younger generation isn't a plus). We're both on the main route of drugs/illegals transport area, so the truck gun is a MUST. I chose to truck what the locals do. You won't see any fancy guns in their vehicles. In addition to my normal carry, I carry a Makarov(9X18) in the door, a Mini14 on the floorboard, and an old beat up 12 Gage Express behind the seat. Any will turn a hog, dog or BG away, and they won't draw attention.

ExSoldier

I'd go with a lever action M94 30-30 carbine OR a wood stocked Mini-14. I might keep a wood stocked semiauto 12 ga slug gun too. Maybe behind the seat or in a rack.

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Camjr

Win '94 in 30-30 is so common in Texas that nobody would give you any grief in rural Texas--After all, it's ALWAYS open season on hogs. It may not be as fast on the followup shot as the Mini-14, AR, SKS, or AK, but the lever is still darn quick and VERY reliable. Why would you carry a long gun in a pistol caliber if you can carry the same gun in a good rifle cartridge like 30-30. You won't be making any 300yd shots, and will most likely still have your concealed weapon.

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Kompact9

Mini-30's are quite popular with the ranchers and farmers as well. Ammunition is easy to come by also...the upside is that it's not a "black" gun.

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Euclidean

Well realize if I get stranded, the most likely outcome is I wait 30 minutes or less and flag someone down, and ask them to call the police when they get to a town with some phone service, or maybe if I'm lucky they'll have some satellite based form of communication.

I'm planning for the worst "This likely ain't gonna happen but I don't wanna be standing out here like an idiot if it does" scenario.

I keep my vehicle in good repair (costs me but I do) and carry spares and whatnot, but I plan for the worst.

RE: .30-.30: I will get me a thuddy thuddy one day because I like leverguns, but honestly, for the sub 100 yard distances I like to use these guns for, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum get enough boost out of the longer barrels that it's darn near the same thing.

You have to realize that .357 Magnum especially, and to a lesser extent .44 Magnum, really shine out of a carbine. It's not like a service caliber carbine, these rounds really gain a lot of velocity and power in a long barrel.

A typical 240 grain .44 Magnum load is not something I can control at combat speeds in a revolver at all, but in my rifle it's entirely manageable. Not to mention, even with those old buckhorn sights, I shoot a lot better with a long gun than I do with a handgun and I guess I always will.

I count on .40 S&W out of a little bitty pistol to save my life, why should I fear a bigger, more powerful round out of a superior firing platform? .44 Magnum out of a rifle is in another class entirely.

A handgun is really a pretty crappy weapon to pick when you know there's a possibly dangerous situation afoot. The 1894 is a big step up. Granted it's still not a .30-30, but take that FWIW.

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Bud White

get ya a Beretta Storm in 40 call Euc it would be a good truck gun .. And with a slight mod the beretta mags work in the Xd's

Granted not a wood stocked gun but nice and light my 9mm storm is a fun gun