Travel/Truck gun

[Route 45]

The advantage goes to the Shockwave for compactness and ability to deploy rapidly in a confined space. The PC Carbine would need to be assembled first, so not possible to deploy as rapidly.

But if I were traveling and wanted something that stores easily and assembled for the cabin or hotel room, I'd pick the PC Carbine over a Shockwave for capacity and easy mounting of a weapon light and optic.

IMO, they might overlap a bit in philosphy of use, but they really are in two different camps.

I'd second the suggestion for a S&W FPC folding carbine for something that is both easy to store and deploys fairly rapidly if needed.

 

[KJQ6945]

Truck gun

 

[ol' poke]

My vote goes for the Shockwave, but why .410? Mine is an 870 Tac14 in 12 gauge, candy striped load.

 

[ECS686]

Out of your choice the Ruger. That said I don’t do “vehicle guns” When I travel I usually run a S&W M&P 45 2.0 compact because it has 10 round mags and or a 6 shot K frame because both are legal in every state.

I travel a lot to Washington State and while their mag restrictions ban grandfathers high caps (for now) I’m not gonna be a test case.

 

[bwframe]

Don't you already have a 9mm on your belt?

If I'm gonna go with a long gun for the truck, it's gonna be 5.56 or 12 gage. Maybe short or folding one's, but for sure big boy serious cartridges, shells or slugs.

If your threat cannot be realistically stopped with your pistol(s), then you want your go to rifle to be a rifle caliber. Whether poke through, reach out and touch or suppressive fire, that's what the threat is likely to be coming at you with. You need to be able to counter that.

A tip - While we always talk about not sparing money on life saving equipment, I would suggest a traveling truck gun should be at least somewhat "disposable." A poverty pony that's been wrung out enough to assure reliability.

Nuther tip - A broken down AR in a folded silicone sock fit's nicely in an appropriately sized cheap folding chair bag. Extra points for a color that kind of blends with your vehicle interior. If you are lucky enough to have grey or black interior, Amazon sells some sweet cheap wool blankets, (I call them invisi-blankets.) Just sayin...

Not asking for theft or confiscation or abandonment, but that would be more tolerable with a 4-5-6 hundred dollar rig than a 2K setup that you just couldn't walk away from the investment. Needless to say, but a private sale is a private sale, right?

 

[Slow Hand]

Of your two, I’d go with the r Ruger. I have kind of a similar setup, as far as a travel gun. It’s not really meant to be used immediately but more for having “when we get there”. Mine is an FX9. Basically a 9mm AR. Uses Glock mags, which there are several of, in varying sizes, in the laptop bag that the broken down FX9 is in. It has a re dot and a brace and shoots well and quickly.

But, as said above, if you already have your truck gun on your hip and this is more for sue at the destination, a rifle caliber makes sense too. I have mine because the mostly likely use at the destination we go to often is putting down a car hit deer, or dealing with other nuisance critters. Mine also has a tri lug setup and a 9mm can is in the bag as well, along worth a few mags of 147 jhp’s so we don’t upset the others in the campsite if it needs to be used.

 

[Slow Hand]

And, if you are looking for something that is much more quickly available, not exactly immediately available, but darned close; I carried a Kel Tek SUB2000 in my truck for over a decade. Folded up is fit perfectly between my drivers seat and the console. Never had it move around in a panic stop, but I could reach down and slide it out of its hiding spot and have it unfolded and ready to fire in just a couple of seconds. It top folds vs the smith’s side folding setup. This makes it much more slim. No, you can’t (easily) mount a red dot on it but for my use that was definitely a worthy trade off. KT makes (or made) an insert that you could put at the front, bottom of the handguards to put a little rail. I had a surefure mounted thee in a scope ring. Old school but it worked. And they also made an insert that wo7ld slip into the the front of the action area when it was opened that covered the action and the breech of the barrel. It just slipped out when you unfolded it. And again, happy sticks are available for them to have some decent capacity and hitting a man sized steel at 100 yards was an easy feat.

Also, having a semi auto vs a pump is an important factor if you ever had to use it while driving. Having 17 rounds on tap that you can fire one handed while controlling the steering wheel vs 3-5 of a pump action seems a no contest to me.

 

[KellyinAvon]

I'm on Team PCC. Mine fits in a backpack, same mags as my EDC. Gives a good option between EDC handgun with 1-2 extra mags and "I'm not leaving the house without my technical vehicle with a Ma Deuce." I'm kidding about the Ma Deuce of course, at that point I'm not leaving the house.

Regular threat level vice heightened threat level. One night during the riots in 2020 when it was time for me to go home there was a mob forming at Michigan Street and West Street (east side of the IUPUI campus.) I park in the Ezkenazi garage (west side of the IUPUI campus.) When I got to my car and popped the trunk I had a subcompact 9mm and 28 rounds. That's when I decided there needed to be something between EDC and AR.

 

[MrSmitty]

My vote goes for the Shockwave, but why .410? Mine is an 870 Tac14 in 12 gauge, candy striped load.

I had a TAC-14, it was hell to shoot, my arthritic hands couldn’t take the recoil, I like the .410 for lighter recoil, but am leaning toward the Ruger, price and mags are why I’m not looking at the FPC, I can get the PCC at a lower price, than the FPC…

 

[gregkl]

I may make some changes once I retire and I'm not subject to work rules and my travel habits change.

I've looked at the Ruger and it's an option for me. I don't like the look of them but I'm function over form any day when it comes to a truck gun. Just not sure I want to buy another gun at this point.

 

[Brad69]

A team style mini 14?

 

[Route 45]

I had a TAC-14, it was hell to shoot, my arthritic hands couldn’t take the recoil, I like the .410 for lighter recoil, but am leaning toward the Ruger, price and mags are why I’m not looking at the FPC, I can get the PCC at a lower price, than the FPC…

I just picked up a new FPC on sale for $499 a few weeks ago. Haven’t seen the PC Carbine that low anywhere.

If you’re not set on 9mm, a braced PSA pistol lower with a 7” .300 BLK upper is a far superior truck gun than any 9mm or .410 shotgun. Very compact and budget friendly.

If you want to stick with 9mm and Glock mags, check out the Extar EP9 braced pistol. Outstanding value and performance.

 

[STEEL CORE]

I vote .12 ga Shockwave and a 9/.40./.45 Glock on you.

 

[MrSmitty]

I just picked up a new FPC on sale for $499 a few weeks ago. Haven’t seen the PC Carbine that low anywhere.

If you’re not set on 9mm, a braced PSA pistol lower with a 7” .300 BLK upper is a far superior truck gun than any 9mm or .410 shotgun. Very compact and budget friendly.

If you want to stick with 9mm and Glock mags, check out the Extar EP9 braced pistol. Outstanding value and performance.

I've looked at some .300 Blk, pistols but haven't found one in my price range, yet. As I've stated, at Academy i get a pretty good discount, so I'm looking at their inventory, and I have been scouring the classified here too..My first thought was a rifle caliber pistol, but I like having the same caliber as my edc. I'm still looking, and all y'alls advice, and info is welcome!

 

[Mgderf]

I vote .12 ga Shockwave and a 9/.40./.45 Glock on you.

I just adore my Shockwave(s).
The 12ga flavor sits just behind my head, in the headboard of my bed.
They also fit very nicely behind most any truck seat.
Some people have problems shooting them, I do not.
The Mossberg 500 was my first shotgun more than 50 years ago.
I don't still have that gun, but I do have one just like it.

YMMV

 

[Tactically Fat]

Personally, I think the idea of "truck guns" is pretty silly.

Additionally, .410 is a pretty crappy choice for anything defensive or offensive. Considering that .410 slug loads are somewhat similar to stout 9x19 loads - seems silly.

There are a multitude of smallish 9x19 platforms available.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Another option. AR-15 carbine with a law folder fits nicely in a tennis racket bag. And its quick to deploy.

 

[loony1]

I used to have the same mindset for my truck gun (Kel-Tec sub 2K 9mm paired with Glock 19) and changed my mind after taking a Sage Dynamics vehicle defense class. I realized how difficult it was to penetrate many parts of a vehicle with a pistol or pistol caliber carbine. After that class, I went a totally different direction for my rifle. I picked up a CMMG 6.5” 300 blackout dissent SBR and attatched a JMAc custom folding stock, Aero Precision Lahar K and Holosun red dot. I felt the added penetration and distance I can get with this caliber outweighed any positives I originally found with my Kel-Tec/Glock combo.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

A team style mini 14?

They are cool, and with the folding stock pack up pretty nice for travel.
I wouldn't want to leave anything with a wood stock in a vehicle though.
Perhaps a version with a synthetic stock.

 

[Route 45]

I've looked at some .300 Blk, pistols but haven't found one in my price range, yet. As I've stated, at Academy i get a pretty good discount, so I'm looking at their inventory, and I have been scouring the classified here too..My first thought was a rifle caliber pistol, but I like having the same caliber as my edc. I'm still looking, and all y'alls advice, and info is welcome!

It's nice to have caliber commonality, but 9mm can't come close to 300 BLK in power, range and wounding capability.
A consideration that may be more important than saving a couple of bills.

Over 1000 ft. lbs. of energy and .30 caliber bullets out of a lightweight, compact package:

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-7-5-pistol-length-300aac-1-8-phosphate-6-lightweight-m-lok-moe-ept-sba3-pistol-5165449201.html