I spend a lot of time in my truck. It’s my primary everyday driver.
The reason I chose the truck that I did is that it can do nearly anything I need it to do.
Ensuring that my truck is as capable as possible also involves being equipped with the necessary firepower for a variety of situations. That firepower comes in the form of a truck gun.
The situations include self-defense, the defense of others, and general sporting opportunities. If I want to go to the range on the spur of the moment, I can since I have everything in my truck already.
A truck gun is a vehicle-based weapons system that offers a larger capacity than a carry pistol, features a shorter length barrel than your 26" hunting shotgun, and is lightweight.
It is easily manageable, provides short and long-range accuracy, is easy to operate, and is easily accessible.
Truck guns are capable of eliminating threats in a survival situation (active shooter, societal collapse, violent protest, or predator control on your property).
What is the best caliber for a Truck Gun?
Buying a truck gun is as personal as buying a concealed-carry pistol.
People want their truck guns to be able to handle a variety of situations.
Some need their truck guns to pull ranch duty which may involve the removal of predators, while others may need the rifle to protect their homes.
In other words, we need our truck gun to do just about everything because honestly, we never know what the hell is in store for us when we leave the safety of our homes.
With that said, the best caliber to handle just about any situation we’ll find ourselves in is the 5.56 cartridge. As for the specific loads, we’ll get into that below.
My Truck Gun Build
My truck gun needs to be easy to feed, easy to shoot, reliable, and absolutely convincing when I need to drop the hammer.
When I considered this concept, the first gun to jump into my head was an AR-15 chambered in 5.56 NATO.
I’ve got extensive military experience with them, they are reliable, easy to feed, and have plenty of knock-down power for what I need it for.
There’s no shortage of good enough manufacturers these days, but if I had to pick one, I’d go with the Andro Corp Bravo 16.
Andro Corp Bravo 16 Truck gun outfitted with the Midwest Industries iron sights and Magpul sling.
The Rifle | Andro Corp Bravo 16 chambered in 5.56
The Bravo 16 is one of the best mid-range guns, in terms of cost, on the market. It’s not a cheap piece of junk that is going to fail me when I need it most, nor is it a high-end gucci gun.
You can get your hands on the Andro Corp Bravo 16 for around $700. I picked mine up during a sale for $400! Even at $700, the quality that you’re getting is insanely good.
You can also find them used on GUNS.COM for around $636 (as of the time of this writing).
Some of the specs that stand out to me the most are the 1:7 twist rate in a Ballistic Advantage barrel, mid-length gas system, and M16 BCG.
Bravo 16 Features and Specs
16" 4150 CMV Melonite BARREL
1/7 Twist
M4 Feed Ramps
QPQ Corrosion Resistant Finish
Mid Length Gas System with .750 Low Pro Gas Block
A2 Flash Hider
1/2×28 Threaded Muzzle
M16 BCG
15" MLOK Handguard
7075 T6 Mil-Spec Dry Film Lubed Upper w/ T-Markings
MIL-SPEC Charging Handle
Forward Assist & Ejection Port Assembly
7075 Forged Lower
Type 3 Hard Coat Anodized
Mil-Spec LPK
M4 Stock
Includes 1 Mission First Tactical 30 Round Magazine
Benefits of the 1:7 Twist Rate
If you’re looking for a MIL-SPEC clone, the 1:7 twist rate is it. The U.S. military adopted this setup in the 1980s for its M16A2 service rifle running a 62-grain M855 round.
Also found in the M4, M16A4, Mk12 SPR, and HK416, the 1:7 barrel twist rate can stabilize up to a 90-grain bullet, and handles the popular 77-grain bullets across a wide spectrum of velocities.
Benefits of the Mid-Length Gas System
Mid-length gas systems are known for providing a better shooting experience compared to a carbine-length gas system.
The mid-length gas system is also more reliable across a wide range of ammunition and running suppressed or not.
The mid-length gas system helps out a lot by decreasing the felt recoil. Many cheaper AR-15s come with a carbine-length gas system.
The Mid-Length also gives you a little better performance because you get a little bit less gas to the parts and get a little longer durability on the parts as well, especially for cheaper-made Parts which I’m sure are not the same quality as BCM or Daniel Defense.
Benefits of using an M16 BCG
The M16 bolt carrier group serves two functions over the standard semi-auto bolt carrier group.
The firing pin is fully shrouded so that the hammer is cocked by the carrier and not the firing pin itself.
The M16 bolt carrier is heavier and therefore increases “unlocking delay" (or the amount of time that the empty case remains in the chamber after the primer is struck by the firing pin) which aids in extraction.
The heavier carrier also reduces the felt recoil impulse which in turn provides a smoother operation and reduces wear and tear on the AR15.
Features of the Andro Corp M16 BCG
High Pressure Tested (HPT)
Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI)
Carrier machined from 8620 alloy, full auto profile, heat treated, Nitrided
Gas Key machined from 4130 chromoly steel alloy, heat treated and Nitrided
Bolt precision machined from 9310 alloy; carburized/case hardened, shot peened and Nitrided
4140 Tool steel Extractor alloy, hardened and Nitrided
You’re probably wondering what the hell I’m not running some type of red dot sight. While I do have a few red dot sights and holographic sights such as the EoTech 512, I wanted to keep this build as simple, durable, and cost-effective as possible.
In addition to that, I don’t want to have to worry about batteries. With this rifle living in my truck in varying temperatures, battery life would be a liability.
I qualified in the Marine Corps on iron sights out to 500 yards and am very comfortable and confident in using them. I can confidently take shots out to 100 yards which is about the farthest I’m going to be engaging targets realistically.
An ode to the old-school M16A2 sights.
The Midwest Industries Combat iron sights for the AR15 are a modern take on the old-school M16 iron sights. They are easy to install, use, durable, and affordable.
Sling | Magpul MS1 2-Point Rifle Sling
In keeping with an affordable build without compromising on the quality I chose the Magpul MS1 rifle sling.
The MS1 Rifle Sling is the most versatile addition to the Magpul line of rifle slings. The MS1 slider system provides rapid adjustments to either lengthen or shorten the sling with no slipping once it’s set, with no excessive tails, loops, or other potential snag hazards.
Reducing snag hazards are something to keep in mind with a truck gun. You don’t want it getting wrapped around or hung up on something when you need it fast.
Although 55 grain is widely available and the most common load, I prefer to go with a heavier projectile for the purposes of the truck gun.
62-grain M855 Green Tip loaded in the included 30-round Mission First Tactical Magazine
Although I do prefer a 75 to 77-grain projectile they can be more difficult to find. Why the heavier weight? They tend to buck the wind a little better, have a little more ass behind the projectile, and have better terminal ballistics.
This truck gun built with the Andro Corp Bravo 16 rifle, Midwest Industries sights, and Magpul sling came in at roughly $870! Not too bad for a very capable platform.
If you have a truck, heck, any type of vehicle for that matter, It’s in your best interest to make sure it’s equipped to handle whatever situations you may find yourself in.
Having a capable weapons system or two (including your concealed carry pistol) that’s easily accessible, and hidden from prying eyes is paramount to your safety once you leave your home.
Remember that your truck gun can be a force multiplier in a self-defense or survival situation.
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