Truck gun?

[Pistolenschutze]

Unlike some states, Colorado law allows a citizen to carry a loaded handgun in his or her vehicle if so desired, without need of a CCW. There are a few jurisdictional restrictions on this, such as the People's Republic of Denver, but generally speaking it's legal to do so unless the person is otherwise restricted from possessing a firearm. The legal theory behind this is that, in Colorado, one's vehicle is considered an extension of his or her domicile, and thus a citizen has the right to protect himself or herself within it.

Now, even though I have a CCW and carry a handgun on my person virtually all the time (wherever it is legal, which is most places), I still carry an extra handgun in my pickup at all times. I do this for the benefit of my wife (who has no CCW), and because I then always have a backup handy if, for some reason I am not carrying on my person. Due to the risk of theft, however, it troubles me a bit to keep an expensive firearm in the truck. At the moment, I keep a Taurus .38 snubbie there, but I'm thinking of changing that out to a North American Arms Black Widow in .22 mag caliber, mainly because it is a much less expensive firearm, and because it is small and handy. Indeed, I can simply stick it in my waistband if I need to leave the truck and I'm not carrying at the time. This happens rarely, but it does happen. My question then is, would you folks consider a small .22 mag, single action, reasonably adequate for "serious social interaction" situations under the circumstances I just described?

[Nighthawk]

good question - I await some responses. I carry a .32 kal-tec most of time .
consider it too small but better than nothing

[southernshooter]

It is better than nothing. I would recomend maybe a cheap 38spl derringer you could find one for around $150

[45Smashemflat]

I'd go for a .380 myself - thinking of it as potentially disposable as you are. In the same price range, you may find a used cheap 38 as well at a pawn shop.

[358 winchester]

I would like to tell the truth on this one no joking and I sure hope I don't hurt any one's feelings.
The cheap derringer is not worth the trouble just try to pull the trigger on one and you will understand.
My mother and two of my Aunts have the NAA in 22 LR and will not carry any thing larger even when I offered them free guns.
A very close female friend just bought my NAA 22 for carry and another friend Male has carried his NAA 22 for almost ten years, he even too the grips off so it fit in his front pocket better.
I have tried the Katec, the NAA 22 and so many others that you could stock a display cabinet with the ones I have tried. any and every thing from a 25 to a COP 357, auto and revolvers, 45 AMT back-up heck you name it and I have tried it if it is over two years old!!!
My first carry was a High Standard 22 Lr derringer that was removed from my truck one day back in 1975. I have just now found another High Standard in 22 Mag. I was a cheap *&^(*(& and wouldn't buy one at the inflated prices of the 80's & 90's.
It is now my always in the truck gun and I will always have it just in case I need it. I have a wallet holster for it.
Now to the 22 caliber be it a Lr or a magnum.
the 22 is a fine get off me round if used right I refer to this caliber in a small hand gun as a "DOCTOR GUN"
EYES, EARS, NOSE or THROAT !!!!!
worst case is a shot to the knee cap then one to the eye
Heck no I don't plan to go into a gun fight with a two shot or five shot 22
But if the situation requires me to pull my gun then there is going to be only one side of the story told MINE and a 22 well placed will do the job.
Just so you know my normal carry gun is a 45 ACP with some nasty bullets .
Now I have had my say so blast away at me but at 57 years of age I will not be changed, sorry I know that if I am comfortable with what I carry then I have 75% of the battle won, BTDT.
Ron

[Pistolenschutze]

Ron, I agree with you wholeheartedly and thank you for the sage advice you provided in your post. As for the derringer, no way in God's green Earth, for me at least. The one I do own is a safe queen and there it shall remain. Not only is the trigger pull horrible, the recoil from any decent sized caliber darn near breaks my hand.

You seem to understand clearly what I was driving at with my post. I don't intend to carry the piece except under very rare circumstances, I only want something to keep in the truck as a "just in case" gun. I chose the .22 mag simply because it does have a bit more "oomph" than a .22LR, but is still very light and managable. For normal carry, I will alway choose something larger, most often a Glock 33, or at least one of my .38 snubbies.

[358 winchester]

Pistolenschutze
do some research on a 22 long rifle round named QUIK-SHOK by CCI it has some very very impressive features according to the BATF /NRA / COP/ and the SHOP likes it a lot. I only allow my mother and aunts to carry this round in their 22's.
I have done some of my own testing with it and have a few thousand ( about 12 K) rounds stored as a result of my test.
it is a better round as to wound and shock effect then a 38 special military ball ( FMJ ) I love it for varmints kills a dillo DRT (Dead Right There) they don't even jump
and the only derringer is the HIGH STANDARD 101 all others are for show only!

[Ursus]

Being not a primary carry weapon, I think is as good as any under those circumstances, Pistol.

[ironsight65]

Pistol, I had the same situation to consider recently. I wanted a
truck gun but did not want to spend much in case of theft. I went to
a gun show looking for a used Rossi 38 snubbie. I decided not to pay more
than 200 bucks. Well, I found a Rossie 357 snubbie instead for 180.00
out the door. It fit the bill perfectly. I keep a paddle holster for it
in the truck also so I can take it with me if I don't have my primary
carry gun. You should look around for a used Rossi 38. Usually you
can find them used for around 200. They are basically a Taurus only
they cost less. If the price difference between a 22 and the 38 is
only 50 to 60 bucks, I think it is well worth it to go with a 38 revolver.

[stash247]

The .22 mag is a whole lot better than a sharp stick, or nothing at all, though I would like more handle than NAA gives it.
A cheap .38 spl revolver is ten times more re-assuring, to me, and I have bought them for a hundred dollars, or less, ugly, well worn, but functional.
Look around, there are still loads of 'Police Trade In's' on the market, from smaller departments everywhere, and they are much carried, little shot, weapons with a lot of life left, for a bargain price.
Just my .02.

[IShootBack]

Originally Posted by 358 winchester

I would like to tell the truth on this one no joking and I sure hope I don't hurt any one's feelings. The cheap derringer is not worth the trouble just try to pull the trigger on one and you will understand.
Ron

I agree with you Ron. Good Advice.

[Pistolenschutze]

Well, I think I solved my problem, folks! I was never truly satisfied with the .22 magnum idea from the get go. The Black Widow is a nice little piece, but, as Stash and others among you pointed out, something a little more effective--in the .38 special range--would make me much more comfortable if "push" ever came to "shove" and the excremental material ever hit the rotary impeller. The only problem, of course, was finding a .38 revolver that is not only inexpensive enough, but also reliable.

This afternoon I had a thought (yes, I do have them occassionally, albeit not frequently enough according to my spouse. She is give to exaggeration though. ). I remembered that I had an old, rather beat up, S&W Mod 469 9mm auto in my gun safe that I absolutely despise. Oh, it's not a bad weapon, you understand, in terms of quality at least. It's just that the grip on the bloody thing is so thick that I couldn't wrap my rather small hands around it and thus I couldn't hit the broad side of a liberal with it on a good day . I then remembered that our local gun dealer often carries some inexpensive, foreign-made .38 special revolvers. I thought to myself, " Hmmmm, I wonder if he would work out a trade?" It so happens that he could and did!

The long and the short of it is that we traded straight across, no coin of the realm involved. He ended up with the POS Smith auto that I disliked so much, and I came home with a brand new Armscor Mod 206 .38 special. OK, I know the Armscor is not "top of the line" when it comes to firearms. They're made in the Philippines based on the old Colt Dick Special pattern with a six round cylinder. Yeah, it's a "cheapo," but for my purposes, used as a truck gun, it should do the job nicely. I'll get y'all a range report soon as I can put a couple of boxes of ammo through it.

[dbl tap]

I don't have a big problem with carrying a 22 mag. If you are comforatable shooting it. The most accurate I shoot, is with the rental 22 ruger at the gun range. I have about 3000 rounds through that gun. remember, actually having the gun on you and shot placement are the first two most important factors in a gun fight.
One thing I try to stay away from is tucking a weapon in my waistband without a holster. I was at a wedding and the best man had a 38 turned into him by a server who found it under a table. The owner was very embarrassed. It just slipped out. Weapon retention is also very important when ccw. DBL TAP

[Lon Norder]

--Pistolenschutze,

It's been a week since your new acquisition.........
Anything to report?

LN

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by Lon Norder

--Pistolenschutze,

It's been a week since your new acquisition.........
Anything to report?

Not much, Lon. It's been so cold and wet here recently that I haven't had a chance to test the revolver at the range. In addition, I noticed the other night that the ejector on the weapon won't stay properly tightened on the ejector rod, which is not an encouraging sign. The dealer I bought it from has agreed to repair the defect (he claims it's minor and easily repaired), but until I can thoroughly test it on the range, I will not depend on it. Hey, it's a cheapo revolver, I knew that when I bought it. All I want it for is a carry around gun for my vehicle, one that I won't be terribly upset should it happen to get stolen. Nevertheless, what it must be is reliable. If he can't fix it properly, he's gonna replace it or we will be discussing the matter in front of a judge. We shall see. He's supposed to have it back to me by the end of the week.

[Lon Norder]

Sorry 'bout the weather situation. It doesn't look like it's going to be any better in the immediate future, from what I'm seeing.

I was interested because I have gone through the same search. Luckily, I have a Taurus, which is a "no tears if lost" gun, as are all Tauruses, in my experience.

This one is a snubnose .22 mag ultra lite. I'd estimate the triggerpull to be in the 20lb range, even after long attempts to break it in, lighten the mainspring myself, and finally, the attention of a top flight gunsmith.

Like you, this one is for use if I'm caught without any other choices or availability. For a truck gun, I agree that a revolver is the way to go. FWIW, I used to have a Rossi snubnose .38, bought cheap that would have been perfect for this use. Still, it wasn't a major brand, high dollar proposition, either. I wish I hadn't traded it off. It was 100% reliable while I had it.

Good luck on the gun and the weather. Let us know how it works out.

LN

[deftones1515]

I would go with an armscor model 206, its what I carry with me at all times.

[martbo]

Pistol, can we dream a little? I think a perfect truck gun would be a 6 shot .410 revolver. I remember years ago seeing ads for a 2 shot .410 derringer with a 6 inch barrel. (Funny, the ads called it the "Great Alaska back-up'). I thought then and now after reading your question that a 6 shot revolver would be great.

[Lead Lobber]

I get so tired of seeing variations from state to state that regulate our right to keep and bear arms. Screw them. Arm yourself (with the law) and fight anyone that says you can't bear arms.

Just a tired old man's 2 bits worth - LL

[new sks 2005]

i also live in colorado and i didnt know that you could carry a loaded handgun in your car. i have a nagant that im going to start to carry in my truck.
thanks pistolenschutze

[rsbks7]

I was very interested in your problem. I keep one of two guns in my truck. I switch them out every so often. One is a Sigma series S&W .40 cal.( A dependable and man stopping round). The other is a Hi Point model C9. Either gun is not real expensive (compared to a Sig,Glock etc.). But in the event I must use one. I know I can depend on either to hit what I aim at. I shoot each about once a week and have owned both for several years.In case either was stolen, I can afford to replace with the same.

[southernshooter]

Originally Posted by martbo

Pistol, can we dream a little? I think a perfect truck gun would be a 6 shot .410 revolver

It ain't a 6 shot but a five shot .410 should work

http://www.taurususa.com/products/pr...egory=Revolver

[Pat Hurley]

This may be an old wives tale - or maybe it's applicable only to the warmer climates - but I have long been told that interior car/truck temps that can reach 130+ degrees - greatly shortens the lifespan of most ammo.

Fact or fiction?

[southernshooter]

Pat the heat factor down here gets up to 115 in the summer. So I could very well see it being 130+

[Pat Hurley]

Originally Posted by southernshooter

Pat the heat factor down here gets up to 115 in the summer. So I could very well see it being 130+

I know for certain that it gets over 130 degrees inside cars here in South Florida, especially during the summer. My question is... doesn't that extreme heat adversely affect the lifespan of most ammo? Therefore, isn't a loaded gun, left inside a vehicle 24/7, prone to eventual ammo failure?