Thinking of changing my truck gun (.45 vs. .357), input please??

R

rantingredneck

New member
My current truck gun is a Ruger P97DC .45 ACP with 8+1 capacity and 2 spare 8 round mags.

I chose to assign this particular gun to truck duty because at the time I was most often carrying a Ruger P345 which used the same magazines. It made sense. Then......

I now tend to most often carry a Ruger SP101 .357 with speedstrips of .357 mag ammo. I'm thinking of assigning one of the other .357 revolvers, likely the 4" stainless GP100 to the truck safe.

Other than ammo compatibility with my primary carry gun and an advantage in raw power it has no other upsides that I can think of.

Capacity favors the auto. Concealability favors the auto (though not by much, and this isn't a huge concern for me). Just thinking out loud here and wondering if it's time to change the truck carry rotation.

I'm not buying any new guns right now, so if you are tempted to reply to this thread to entice me to buy your latest pet pistol, please restrain yourself. I have my gun preferences and I have plenty of guns to choose from for this role.

So between the two options, which would you choose?
 
I like to switch it up a lil bit. Sometimes i carry my M&P and sometimes i carry my Taurus 66, and sometimes both. I dont like to let any one gun stay in the dark too long. But if i had to chose one to carry in my truck it would be my .45. just for the fact of getting off shots a lil bit quicker and mor rounds.
 
Keeping the same type of ammo in your "truck gun" as your carry gun is a good idea.

If you're carrying an SP101 then a GP makes a great truck gun.

Go for it, make the switch.
 
Unless you routinely wear earplugs or don't want to be permanently deaf,go with the 45, the 357 will burst your eardrums with one shot from inside your vehicle. My 22 mag got one of mine, but it's louder than any of my 9mm's and my 45.And it was a derringer,Last time at the range I created quite a stir as to other shooters it appeared like I was shooting my finger when I fired my NAA 22mag revolvers.Now I keep muffs and earplugs hanging off my rearview mirror.
 
In the confined space of a vehicle even the .45ACP will deafen me. I'm not too concerned about my hearing if my life is at stake. Also, if I'm in my vehicle and my vehicle is still in working order I'm going to be more focused on escape than engagement.

In my view the truck gun is there for emergencies that may separate me from my vehicle. (Late night breakdowns, civil unrest, etc.). I'm not as concerned about shooting from my vehicle, but if I have to, then so be it.
 
Is the same ammo going to deliver optimal accuracy and performance from both .357's? If not you'll have 2 very close looking and feeling options to be choosing from.

Sticking with the .45 keeps it simple.
 
If it ain't broke .....

Stick with the 45. The stop-ability of the 45 and the 357 are both excellent, so the couple extra rounds and the quicker reload make it a plus to the 45.
 
Use whichever you like. For my truck gun I switch between my 9 mm and two .45's. And that's in addition to the .38 Airweight snub or Ruger LCP in my pocket.
 
Truck gun?

I have always wondered what qualifies as a truck gun.
I don't leave one in my truck to prevent theft.
Any time I go hunting or shooting is in a truck.
None of my guns are crappy enough to ride around in a tool box.
Is it a gun that can be deployed out a window?
That is illegal where I live.
I know a goose gun is for shooting geese, is a truck gun for shooting trucks?

Any body got a good definition?
 
Yeah, I came to post the same thing. The whole idea of a "truck gun" or the like is just...not right. Sorry, but...it's negligent at best.
 
If you take no measures to secure it, yes I would agree. However, I do. Please keep responses to the topic at hand (caliber/platform). If you wish to debate the ethics of keeping a gun in your vehicle then by all means start a new thread on the subject.

Thanks,
RR
 
Personally, I'd go with the .357s. You were keeping 2 .45s so that you could share ammo, do the same thing with the switch to the SP 101. If nothing else, it's consistent with the way you seem to do things.
 
357

As biased as I am towards the 45 I think that, though it'd probably never be necessary, it's a good idea to have ammo compatibility. I'd say change it up to the 357. And really only since you mentioned concealability a non issue. And assuming you can shoot it as well.
 
My truck is a peterbuilt, with a 63' sleeper and a bed and T.V. My clothes and other personel items are there with me, Including my .45auto in 1911 format. I cant run away because I am not fast. I can shoot well and when I am home do all the practice that I can. That is the idea behind my truck gun. charlie sierra:cool:
 
My truck is a 2001 Dodge Ram 4x4 and I spend a good amount of time in it, away from "civilization", thus my level of preparedness.

Thanks for the responses so far.

I am still undecided but heavily leaning toward the switchout. The reason I say concealability isn't an issue is that if for some reason I have to leave my truck and hoof it home or to the nearest phone/house/etc. I will toss the gun in a bag I keep in the truck for just this purpose. I'll also very likely still have my regular CCW.

Ammo compatibility questions are valid. I had thought about this but treg's post has caused me to think it through a bit more. My SP101 is set up for 158 gr. loads and shoots my 135 gr. Gold dots to nearly the same POA. So close that the difference isn't worth losing sleep over. Likely, I'll keep the 135's in my SP101 along with a speedstrip or two and then keep speedstrips of 158's with the GP and set the sights for them. Currently it's set for 125gr. Hell for leather JHP's. My SP101 shoots 125's a bit low.
 
I keep a Taurus 85 and a speedloader in my car, and have been carrying my new Smith 637 with a speedstrip, pocket carry ... gives me a lot of the same ammo. I understand people who think it's a bad idea to leave a gun in a vehicle, but when I'm going someplace I can't carry -- like to my volunteer job at the local library -- I don't like to be totally disarmed. I lock the car and the glovebox whenever I'm away from it for more than a few minutes running a store errand ... I also agree that the loudest gun I've ever been subjected to was a .357 magnum with fullhouse SD loads, wouldn't want to touch one off from inside my vehicle ...
 
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