Good Car Rifle "Junk" ?

[jAK-47]

I've been thinking about keeping a rifle in the car. Don't really care about the finish, etc. My priorities are under $250 and maybe 3 inch groups at 100 yards. Prefer handgun round, maybe even 9mm. Prefer semi-auto vs. bolt.

I own a KelTec Sub2000 but it is evil looking. If I ever had to use this gun in self defense I'd like it to look as "harmless" as possible. Maybe a Cowboy lever 30-30 would even fit the bill.

A 3X scope with co-witness irons would be IDEAL. A second hand rifle that has a beat up stock, etc. but still works well would probably be the best bargain. I don't plan on it getting stolen but if it does, I don't want to cry...

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
jAK-47

[Red_SC]

What about an SKS? It's cheap and reliable. Or, a lever action if you really want it to look innocent.


Edited to add: Sorry, I missed the part about wanting it to shoot a pistol round.

[MolonLabe416]

A reliable self-loading rifle under $240 will be a challenge. Why a pistol round?
I'd recommend a good used Marlin or Winchester lever rifle in 30/30.

[Rupestris]

I'd recommend a good used Marlin or Winchester lever rifle in 30/30.
Ditto. I picked up a used Winny 94 last year for $175. You can probably find a Marlin in .357 used.
Another option under $250 - Saiga .223 or 7.62X39. It does look a bit EBRish tho.

[Rebeldon]

Marlin 1894 .44 mag.

[Paul B.]

I bought a 1979 vintage M94 Winchester for $100 from a foreign exchange student who was going back home (Iran) and couldn't take the gun with him.
I put a Williams Foolproof peep sight on it and it rides behind the seat of my pickup truck. I peobably should cut it back to a trapper version, but what the hell, it works just fine the way it is. When boondocking, it rides next to me on the seat for those casual targets of opportunity, like coyote, jackrabbits, what have you. Also kind of handy to have this close to the border what with the "coyotes" that smuggle in illegal aliens and drug smugglers. :( :mad: Some of those guys get right touchy, should you run across them doing their illegal business. :eek:
I also have an M94 in .45LC which holds ten shots which sometimes goes along for the ride. The nice thing about using a neat "John Wayne" type gun os the "sheeple" aren't scared crapless by the sight of it, where an AR-15 is, to them, an ugly nasty black assault rifle.
Paul B.

[J. Parker]

An SKS fills the bill or a lever 30-30.

[Onslaught]

I know you said pistol round, but I'm still gonna vote Saiga. I just handled one today at my favorite FFL, and it's sweet for the whole $199 they want for it! 7.62x39 is not a heavy recoiling caliber, and it's the least expensive caliber I know of besides .22LR. It's got the side mounting AK scope mount rail for your optic of choice, and you can see UNDER the mount to use the irons which, IMHO is better than co-witness of a 3x sight that you can't see through anyway. Co-witness works best with a 1x red dot.

I will be purchasing one VERY soon.

[jAK-47]

Thanks for your help. By coincidence I was looking at SKS Yugos and they are a great gun. I'd have to get one without a bayonet if I was planning on keeping it in the car; it's a little heavy for that purpose too. I already have e SAR-1 and an AK103K so it would be a nice addition. Now about that cosmoline :barf:

The reason I'm looking into a small, light car rifle is I've been looking at too much TV news and reading too many threads on these boards about psychos and "What would you do if..." :D If I lived in a rural/desert area I'd love to have one for the occasional rabbit or coyote but to be honest, I'm thinking in terms of a plinker that doubles as a "longer" range self defense weapon when a CCW pistol isn't enough. I know the odds of needing a rifle for self defense are absurd but... Besides, being a little paranoid gives me an excuse TO BUY ANOTHER GUN ;)

I'm not "married" to a rifle that is chambered for a pisto roundl but I was hoping to avoid adding yet another new caliber to my stock of ammo. So a .45, 9mm or .357magnum would be ideal. I know the 30/30 is a hell of a round and the lever action cowboy guns are great. Someday I'd like to get into Cowboy Action Shooting so a 30/30 lever gun wouldn't be wasted. My price is based on having the gun beat up and/or stolen. A second hand rifle that is cosmetically a wreck but shoots straight would probably be the best bargain.

Anyway, thanks for the great input. These boards are really something.

Here's a Saiga in .223 on Gunsamerica for $229. I know I can do better but it's not a bad option. Without the hi-cap mags it wouldn't look too evil. You can modify Bulgarian hi-caps to fit according to the listing.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/upload/976388069-1.jpg

Thanks again,
jAK-47

[2002gti]

you guys just drive around with a rifle in your car? isnt mass gun laws pretty bad? here in california it would be trouble i do believe. let me know if theres some loophole.

[ducktapehero]

If you're worried about an evil looking rifle I wouldn't use a Saiga. It wouldn't take a genius lawyer to find out that the Saiga is based on the AK-47. I'd suggest a Marlin or Winchester in 30-30. Unless you're in an extended firefight(HIGHLY unlikely) it is just as effective as an AK but without the social stigma. Hell, John Wayne carried a lever action, so did Uncle Dave when he was deer hunting.

[jAK-47]

you guys just drive around with a rifle in your car

I don't have a rifle in my car - YET. And north of Boston could be Canada :D I sure as hell don't live in Mao-tse-chusetts!

Yeah, the Saiga can be compared to the AK and for that reason the 30/30 would be a better choice. Heck, in the first place, I don't think too many people resort to a car RIFLE for self defense. For that matter, if you stumbled on an idiot in a mall parking lot spraying people with an assault rifle and IF you decided to do something about it, a good .22 with a scope at 75 yards would put a nice hole between the BG's eyes. You wouldn't even have to worry about the BG wearing a vest! And, because it's a .22, if the A-holes family sued, it would look better to a jury.

I just want a plinker that I might actually throw in the car or, if I could safely secure it, keep all the time in the car. If I can legally conceal an evil Glock with 16 rounds IWB, I don't think I'll sweat a cowboy rifle in my trunk!

[Smith66]

a Winchester 94 trapper. It has a "16 barrel and comes in .357, 44 mag, .45 Colt, or 30-30. If you want a handgun cartridge, .357 would be ideal because you can load it from weak (38 wadcutters) to very powerful, as needed.
Good Luck

[slabsides]

I guess I'll be in the minority here, but my idea of the ideal car or pickup piece is a short, light .22 semi-auto carbine. It will do just about everything I've ever needed to do on the road. It should be clip fed (you carry it with the loaded clip[s] in your jeans, so cops and wardens have no beef about loaded guns in the vehicle,) have good iron sights (peeps by preference) and be reasonably capable of intimidation.
All these aspects come together ideally in the 1948 era Mossberg Model 152. I used to have one...and I want another one! You may think of alternatives.
I suppose if you are planning to shoot through dump trucks, a .30-30 lever gun would be good...they have the advantage of being plentiful, PC, and cheap.
AK or SKS? No way. You're convicted before you're arrested when you have one of these in your ride.

[45+]

I am with Smith66 about the Win Trapper in 44 Mag or 357 Mag. Wide range of ammo from Specials through Buffalo Bore Mags (check out their new 357 rounds) and it can be carried in a badmitten (sp?) case from wally-world for an innocent look when the guy at the grocery store is putting stuff in the trunk. If your carry or BUG is a 357, the same ammo will work in both, and for urban defense, it might not need to be the hottest thing going. A couple of extra boxes of ammo in an insulated 6 or 12 pack cooler in the trunk also looks innocent and helps with the summer temperatures in the trunk. Add muffs and shooting glasses and you are ready for a range trip whenever the opportunity affords...

[Magnum88C]

Winchester or Marlin levergun in any of the pistol calibers would suit just fine. Try to hold both, the Winchesters are thinner and a bit handier, Marlins are beefier, see which feels better.

BTW if you want to do cowboy shoots in the future, get a pistol caliber levergun, they don't compete with .30-30s.

[Brigrat]

You can carry a rifle in your vehicle in Cali, so long as you meet the following criteria:

Don't have it loaded, and don't store it with the ammo. I am not an attorney, so please don't take this advice as the law, When I consulted my attorney about this, here is what the penal code had to say:

Penal Code 12001

(j) For purposes of Section 12023, a firearm shall be deemed to be "loaded" whenever both the firearm and the unexpended ammunition capable of being discharged from the firearm are in the immediate possession of the same person.


Penal Code 12023

(a)Every person who carries a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony is guilty of armed criminal action.
(b) Armed criminal action is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison.


Penal Code 12025.

(a) A person is guilty of carrying a concealed firearm when he or she does any of the following:
(1) Carries concealed within any vehicle which is under his or her control or direction any pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.
(2) Carries concealed upon his or her person any pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.
(3) Causes to be carried concealed within any vehicle in which he or she is an occupant any pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.


Penal Code 12026.1.

(a) Section 12025 shall not be construed to prohibit any citizen of the United States over the age of 18 years who resides or is temporarily within this state, and who is not within the excepted classes prescribed by Section 12021 or 12021.1 of this code or Section 8100 or 8103 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, from transporting or carrying any pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person, provided that the following applies to the firearm:
(1) The firearm is within a motor vehicle and it is locked in the vehicle's trunk or in a locked container in the vehicle other than the utility or glove compartment.
(2) The firearm is carried by the person directly to or from any motor vehicle for any lawful purpose and, while carrying the firearm, the firearm is contained within a locked container.




Keep in mind, this section of the penal code applies to concealable weapons, rifles and shotguns need not be locked in a fully enclosed box, so long as they are not considered loaded. Rifle racks in trucks are perfectly legal, as are cased rifles in trunks, or truck tool boxes.

[jAK-47]

I found a nice 94 AE 357 Magnum on GunsAmerica and will try to get the price down around $250.00. I like the idea of a handgun cartridge that is powerful enough to even take a small deer. There will be little recoil and the ammo is pretty reasonable if I practice with .38.

Thanks for all your help. The Yugo, Saiga and 30/30 suggestions were excellent but I think I'll stick with a nice PC weapon (is there such a thing)?
http://images.gunsamerica.com/upload/976422818-1.jpg

[DAL]

You'll love the .357 Mag. lever gun; my 1894 Marlin is FUN!

I was going to suggest a Mosin-Nagant, either a model 1938 or 1944, but it seems you've made your decision. They're cheap enough to buy several, as well as rugged and reliable, or so I've heard. One of these days, soon, I am going to take my own advice, put my CCR license to work, and buy at least one 1938 MN for a knock-about rifle. I have heard the recoil is pretty stout, so I'll probably mostly be handloading for this one.

BTW, for what it's worth, I think the .30-30 suggestion is just about perfect.
DAL

[sundog]

Lever guns are nice, but present the problem of loading and unloading for the purpose of carrying in the vehicle with you. You have to handle each and every castridge, every time. My first thought when I read this was a Ruger 44 Mag carbine. Very easy to load and unload, clear, and make safe. Size is right, it's a handgun cartridge, and not one of 'those evil black things'. Don't know what the cost would be on one, but it would fit the bill otherwise. If you could find a M1 carbine cheap (fat chance on that!) it would also be a good'un. sundog

[Tamara]

The pistol caliber levergun is a good idea, or you could track down a Marlin Camp Carbine, which is pretty friendly-looking and still semiauto.

[W Turner]

I would look at a pistol caliber lever-gun as well. I got my Marlin 1894 in .44mag for just over $200 well used. Look for a Marlin/Winchester in .357 or .44 depending on your preference. Another option is the Puma? pumpaction .357 carbine that was either just released or is due to be released soon.

Mongo

[jmoffatt]

How about a High Point 9mm carbine, their cheap, I have one I bought for the hell of it at $160.00, I just plink with and it's suprisingly accurate at 75 yards about 2 to 3 inch groups.

[cyberdyne systems]

I would use the rifle you mentioned KEL-TEC folding rifle, thats what it was designed for, easy to transport and store in small space, the looks of the rifle will be the least of your worries if you ever have to use it in a justifiable shooting, no need to waste money on another gun for the trunk.