Choosing Firepower over Stopping Power
After some careful consideration and thought, I have updated my “truck gun” from an FAL to an AR15, which has more magazine capacity, is lighter, and would be better for rapidly dealing with multiple thin-skinned attackers.
The FAL has ridden in the metal contractor’s box on the back of my current or previous trucks for 20 years. During that time, I’ve never had to use it, but its presence has reassured me. I originally picked the FAL because I wanted the heavy .308 bullet if I was going to be engaging people in vehicles, and the FAL was the .308 I was most willing to lose. It is a Franken-gun, built on a UK inch receiver imported into the U.S. in the 1990s. It’s built with a mix of new and surplus parts. Like all FALs, it is heavy, relatively reliable, and hard-hitting.
Heavy is my chief problem: The more I think about abandoning my vehicle and walking, the less I want to carry an FAL and 100 rounds of .308. My second issue is the situation has evolved, and today I am more concerned about violent crowds than I am other vehicles.
I already have a Ruger 10/22 in the vehicle, along with 300 rounds, but it is not a man-stopper. It is a very light, easy-to-carry gun outfitted it with an inexpensive red dot and a sling. If I am traveling with my wife or a friend, each of us could have a long gun. If I am traveling alone, then I can pick one based on the situation. Should I need to be low profile, then the Ruger takedown will be stored my by EDC backpack. If the situation looks like it might go kinetic, then the AR is an obvious choice.
An Older AR15
Just as the FAL is an old, but serviceable gun, the AR I picked for the truck is an older model. I remember buying the complete lower at a gun show for less than $150, some 16 or 18 years ago. A year or two later, I picked up a Bushmaster upper and mated them together. My guess is that someone took the upper off their rifle because they wanted one of the new quad rail uppers that were popular before the thinner rails of today that use fewer rail segments. I added back-up iron sights and a Holoson holographic sight and called it good. In that configuration, it is more than 3 pounds lighter than the FAL with its 4X optic.
Of course, the ammunition is lighter, too, and the magazine pouches are more compact. I can carry a magazine pouch with 4 mags and one in the gun and have 150 rounds at the ready. Five mags for the FAL provide only 100 rounds. And FAL magazines are also more expensive than the Magpul magazines for the AR platform. I included a cloth bandolier with 150 additional rounds on stripper clips.
I like to have tactical flashlights on my rifles, but I have more rifles than I do tactical flashlights. Since this one will probably spend the next decade in the back of my truck, I saw no reason to “waste” a flashlight on it. I have both black electrical tape and silver duct tape in my truck. In a pinch, I can tape my EDC flashlight to the gun.
Truck Gun Prep
After sighting in the AR at 40 yards (see main photo—it shot well), I cleaned it, leaving a light film of oil on the barrel and the bolt carrier group. This gun will be exposed to a range of temperature and humidity conditions while in my truck, so I want it to be well protected, but also ready to shoot.
I also made sure there was a spare CR-2032 coin battery stored in the pistol grip because I sometime leave my optic turned on unintentionally. Even if the optic is rated for 5,000 hours (200 days) to 50,000 hours (5.7 years), I want to play it safe. Any optic that has a “shake awake” technology will be awake every time I drive the truck, so while I try to carry a spare battery in every gun with an optic, it’s a must for a truck gun or carry gun. The gun has BUIS, of course.
I store the battery using a clever grip plug from Missouri Tactical, which turns a standard A2 grip into a waterproof storage tube. They work and they are inexpensive, so what’s not to like?
I stored the gun in a padded weapons case and wrapped the area around the optic in three layers of large bubble wrap for added padding. I considered putting the gun in a Mylar bag to ensure it stayed dry and sealed, but that’s just another layer of stuff to fight my way through it I need the gun. Besides, carrying a gun in a zippered padded rifle case is standard practice for many police officers. It should work for me just as well. I can snag the rifle case and run or duck for cover, knowing I have the gun and hundreds of rounds in one package.
Locking Box
Right now, the gun and spare ammo reside in the locked box behind the cab bolted to the truck bed. Do I wish I had a cool internal carrying method, like an internal roof rack? Yes, I do, but I don’t think that’s worth the cost. Also, right now, no one can see my gun. Inside the cab, someone might see it. That’s not only a “steal me” sign, it’s a red flag to a police officer who pulls me over.
The locked exterior box has other advantages. First, the police can’t search it without a warrant, and whatever is inside it won’t be “in plain view.” Second, if I cross a state line, the box meets the criteria for “transporting” a weapon rather than “carrying” it. Because it locks and is inaccessible from the interior, it is legal to cross state lines with a long gun inside as long as the gun is unloaded. That isn’t the case if the gun is in your back seat.
This law would not stop me from shifting the carbine from the box to my backseat if I thought I was in the midst of a SHTF event or facing some other threat, but I don’t see a need to call attention to myself during these (mostly) peaceful times.
Shooting the FAL
After taking the FAL out of the truck, I shot a few rounds through it to see how the old ammo held up. The ammo shot fine, but the gun was not without problems. On round 13, the 4X optic flew off the gun during recoil and hit me in the forehead, leaving a small gash. I was wearing shooting glasses, but it hit above them. I had to interrupt my shooting to apply pressure on it for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. After putting a dab of triple-antibiotic ointment on it, I pasted on a bandage and went back outside to see what had gone wrong. I also finished the magazine using iron sights. The old ammo shot fine.
Upon closer examination, the original aluminum mount had sheared apart, breaking in two places. This surprised me because this was a surplus military unit, and I tend to think of military gear as tough equipment. I don’t know what caused the metal to break. Was it riding in the car for so long? Was it the cycled of heat and cold? Or was it just old? I’m just glad it failed at my backyard shooting range rather than when I was in a more serious shooting session on the side of the road somewhere.
I kept the 4X optic. It won’t end up back on a gun, but I can use it as a hand-held 4X monocular. The FAL is destined to remain an iron sighted weapon to be shot by someone with younger eyes than mine.
Maintenance
I have stressed before the importance of checking your guns, even your safe queens, at least annually (and more often for your carry guns). When you have a gun in a vehicle, where it is subjected to those aforementioned weather extremes and bumpy driving conditions, you need to check it regularly. Make sure the optic is not damaged or dead. Make sure the gun is still clean and functions. Look for rust or exterior wear and, as I learned, make sure your scope mount is in good shape. (In this case, the problem wasn’t visible.)
You might also want to change the lube as you head into the winter and use a cold-weather lube or a dry lube that won’t freeze your action if you need your weapons when it is 8°F one blustery day. I usually add cold weather gear to my vehicle survival kit in October and remove it in the spring. Why not inspect your truck gun, shoot a few rounds through it, and then clean and lube it at the same time?
It’s like changing the batteries in your smoke detectors when the clocks change. It’s a hassle, but it might save your life.
Sometimes, especially after writing a post like this, I wonder, “Do I have too many guns?” And then I remember Commander Zero, who seems to buy as many guns in a year as I do in a decade. Still, we share some philosophical common ground, and I think we would get along well. If you don’t follow his Notes from the Bunker blog, I recommend it.
Other times, I wonder, “Am I too paranoid?” Then I laugh and shake my head, realizing you can’t be too paranoid, not these days. Chances are, someone is out to get you, and they may work for the government.
