Gun Rack

Shooters of all kinds are packing guns and bows all over the country - in trucks, boats, ATVs, and, more than ever, mountain bikes. For the knowledgeable gunslinger, the trick is to figure out how to carry this equipment (short guns, long guns, bows…) around, and buy the appropriate vehicle-mounted rack.

Consider the practice of mounting your guns in the rear window of a pickup truck. Generally, authorities are quick to point out the stupidity of such actions. You are practically writing on your window, "Steal me!" Yet despite this seemingly obvious folly, thousands of shooters and hunters do exactly this – they display their guns exactly this way. We would like to point out that there are several other choices that mark you as less of a target.


A good portable gun rack should be capable of several functions. Naturally, the first thing it should do is hold the gun or bow securely while en route. Even through the toughest terrain, the rack must hold the weapon perfectly in place.

On the other hand however, the gun must be easily accessible when the time comes. The window-mounted racks are widely used for this reason; guns in racks of this style are easy to access. You simply have to reach back, pull the gun out of its spring clips, and you're on your way.

The basic construction of these racks is essentially the same. Onto the window are mounted steel posts. This can be done by screwing them on or by using special quick mounts. Rubber-coated spring steel clips are then bolted or welded to these posts. The clips then hold the bow or firearm tightly once slipped into their grip.


The option exists for any of these window-mounted racks to be wall-mounted instead, making them useful for camps, cabins, or anywhere you may not want to drop a lot of money for an actual gun cabinet, but still need a place to keep your guns. Practically any sort of rack that's a vertical mount will work.

Everyday there are more shooters waking up to the ineffectiveness of racks that are window-mounted. They are also realizing that their insurance agencies are, understandably, very against them as well. "Attractive nuisance" laws are becoming more commonplace in many cities and counties. These laws proclaim that certain types of merchandise - guns included - are intrinsically attractive to thieves. If you openly display an item of this class, you have contributed to the theft, and may be liable for prosecution. How's that for a knee to the groin. Not only do you lose your guns, but the insurance company also shafts you, and the law might put you in jail or fine you!

So, it's really no surprise that there's a demand for racks that keep guns secure, but also keep them out of sight.

Many companies have designed models that provide varying degrees of protection while using the same spring clip system used for window-mounted racks. These range from racks that mount at the base of a bench seat, to racks designed for mounting inside the car trunk, to those that hang between the seat and the cab of a pickup truck. These are definitely a step in the right direction and a viable alternative to window-mounted models.

You're not limited to spring clips however. The past few years, especially, have seen the development of portable gun racks designed to securely hold firearms and bows; they also keep them out of sight.

There are some racks that are made of tubular steel, closed-cell foam, and Velcro closure straps. These could be mounted in the rear window, but they are designed to be mounted horizontally to the roof. Putting one of these on the roof of the cab, for instance, keeps the guns just as accessible as a window rack, but a bit less obvious.

We suggest four models of this type of rack - a single gun version that mounts horizontally or vertically, the same rack with a special lock, a two-gun vertical mount, and a two-gun horizontal mount. This last is the one that we think is most effective for roof mounting.