By Horace Gore
There was a time when almost every single-cab pickup in Texas had a gun rack behind the seat with 1 to 3 rifles and shotguns. From the 1960s through 1990s, prior to the popularity of super-cab pickups, it was hard to find a pickup without a rear window gun rack and a variety of firearms. This gun-toting period was popular, especially in rural areas, and pickup drivers thought it was “macho” to carry exposed firearms in a gun rack.
Hunters carried guns when they went on a hunt or to a wedding! If I had to guess, I would say that some Clint Eastwood or Bert Reynolds movie showed a pickup with a gun rack, but just a guess! It is hard to say what caused the trend, but pickup gun racks were common for a long time.
All of the sporting goods stores had a variety of styles to choose from. I had a 2-gun rack in the back window of my personal vehicle for years, but not in my state pickup. The guns were there—they just weren’t visible. I traveled a lot at night (summer heat; no air conditioner) for years, and I wasn’t about to get caught without a gun by some renegade on a back road.
I had cause to reach for my .270 deer rifle only one time. Back in about 1968, I was coming from College Station to Waco on Hwy 6. As I passed through the small town of Calvert about midnight, a car full of partying folks pulled up right behind me. I was traveling about 60 mph, and the car-load of hooligans came up so close that I couldn’t see their headlights. This continued for miles.
I got worried, and after about five miles, I reached under the seat and pulled my .270 from a single gun rack at my feet. When I poked the long barrel out the pickup window, the crowd took the hint, and backed off. The last I saw was their tail lights going back to town. I had decided that I would put a .270 bullet through the radiator and motor of the car if they tried to run me off the road. I felt good about having the rifle.
Carrying firearms exposed behind the seat of a pickup for long periods is not wise. Two or three things can happen to the firearms, and all are bad. First, they can be stolen; Second, they can rust and deteriorate from exposure to sun and weather, especially when the windows are down. Third, any ammo in the guns will be subjected to high heat from the sun, which could be dangerous.
Back in the day, I used to carry a High Standard .22 target pistol when I was traveling. I spent a lot of time on ranches and jack rabbits were a prime target. I also slept better with a pistol under my pillow when I stayed in a motel or ranch camp house. I needed the pistol only once, but that is another story.
The advent of 4-door pickups saw a major decrease in pickup gun racks. Drivers still have the guns in the truck—but not in a rack. Today, I doubt that there is a pickup around that doesn’t carry some kind of firearm—rifle, pistol, or shotgun. The driver may never use it, but there are times when a pistol or rifle gives a lot of comfort when strange folks get rowdy.
