Thanks to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. residents seem a little more focused on protecting themselves. If you need to hit the road quickly, having a few good bug out or truck guns in your bag probably isn’t a bad idea during times like these. Compact PDWs (personal defense weapons) are all the rage these days. We figured now was a good time to explore some options for you.
Truck Guns for 2020 and Beyond
For this list we’re not talking about handguns. No, we’re talking about modern PDWs—AR pistols and SBRs and similar firearms that fold, collapse, and transport easily. Put them in your bag and go. Now, there’s a variety of truck guns below. We tried to keep them current, with one offering not even officially on shelves yet.
There are a lot of factors at play with the truck guns below: Size, caliber, and price stand out, among many others. Scroll through our list below and pick your poison. If you’re one of those people who can’t wait to tell us what we missed, fire away in the comments section.
SIG Sauer MCX Rattler
What’s not to like about a .300 Blackout firearm that folds down to just 16 inches? The SIG Sauer MCX Rattler is available in both SBR and pistol variants. Overall, it’s what most people look for in a transportable PDW. Oh, it’s also available in 5.56 NATO for those who prefer. Check out Tactical-Life’s full review of SIG Rattler for a deeper dive on the SBR variant.
- Caliber: .300 Blackout
- Barrel: 5.5 inches
- Overall Length: 16 inches (collapsed); 23.5 inches (extended)
- Overall Weight: 5.7 pounds (empty)
- Capacity: 30+1
- MSRP: $2,727
Daniel Defense PDW
Officially named the DDM4 PDW, Daniel Defense launched this little guy at SHOT Show 2020. We actually got our hands on a prototype back in October at the 2019 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous. Like all of Daniel Defense’s products, it’s a serious shooter. Personal Defense World has a longer review of the Daniel Defense PDW. For more information, please visit DanielDefense.com.
- Caliber: .300 Blackout
- Barrel Length: 7 inches
- Overall Length: 20.75 inches (collapsed); 24.75 inches (extended)
- Overall Weight: 5.7 pounds
- MSRP: $1,865
CZ Scorpion Micro Folder
The CZ Scorpion is a fan favorite with several different variants. In November, CZ gave us the scoop that it was finally adding a folding brace to its Scorpion EVO 2 S2 Micro Pistol. The resulting Scorpion features an SB Tactical SBTEVO Pistol Stabilizing Brace. It also collapses to less than 14 inches, which is pretty incredible. For more information, please visit CZ-USA.com.
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel Length: 4.12 inches
- Overall Length: 13.875 inches (collapsed); 22.5 inches (extended)
- Overall Weight: 5.3 pounds
- Capacity: 20+1
- MSRP: $1,227
Ruger PC Charger
Ruger first announced the PC Charger in March 2020. Based on Ruger’s popular PC Carbine, there’s a lot to like here, starting with a sub-$800 MSRP; that leaves plenty of room to add aftermarket accessories to the PC Charger, as our friends at Personal Defense World did. It also takes Glock magazines, so there’s that. For more information, please visit Ruger.com.
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel Length: 6.5 inches
- Overall Length: 16.5 inches
- Overall Weight: 5.2 pounds
- Height: 5.6 inches
- MSRP: $799
Blackbird Armament Bantam
Blackbird Armament is a relatively new player in the scene, but already has a number of solid offerings; tops on the list for us is the Bantam. Like the SIG Rattler, the Blackbird Bantam is available as a pistol or SBR (pictured). It’s also available in either 5.56 or .300 BLK. Our review of the Blackbird Bantam gives you a better idea of what to expect. For more information, please visit BlackbirdRifles.com.
- Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO or .300 Blackout
- Barrel Length: 5 inches
- Length: 19 inches (collapsed); 25 inches (extended)
- MSRP: Starts at $2,299
HK SP5
Heckler & Koch announced in December 2019 that a long-awaited civilian variant of its MP5 was finally coming to market. The all-new HK SP5 is a semi-auto sporting pistol that looks and feels like the vaunted MP5. It falls under the definition of a pistol. Tactical-Life has the rest of the scoop on the SP5. For more information, please visit HK-USA.com.
- Caliber: 9mm
- Overall Length: 17.8 inches
- Height: 8.66 inches
- Barrel Length: 8.66 inches
- Overall Weight: 5.1 pounds
- MSRP: $2,799
LWRC SMG 45
First announced at SHOT Show 2015, the SMG 45 from LWRC International took a while to start showing up on shelves. Now that it’s here, the civilian-friendly pistol variant is causing quite a stir. Chambered in .45 ACP, it brings a lot of power in a compact package, as our SMG 45 review states. For more information, please visit LWRCI.com.
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Barrel: 8.5 inches
- Overall Length: 15.25 inches (collapsed); 26 inches (extended)
- Overall Weight: 5.9 pounds
- MSRP: $2,995
Chiappa CBR 9
Chiappa designed its CBR-9 (Black Rhino) as a PDW, and it shows. For starters, it features a built-in telescoping pistol brace; it looks sharp and, as one would figure, makes the firearm a “pistol” in the eyes of the ATF. It also has a proprietary magazine design, which Personal Defense World details more in its CBR 9 review. For more information, please visit ChiappaFirearms.com.
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel Length: 9 inches
- Overall Length: 16.9 inches
- Overall Weight: 4.8 pounds
- Capacity: 18+1
- MSRP: $1,969
Springfield PDW
Last on the list is the Springfield SAINT Edge PDW. Now available, there was a ton of hype when Springfield first announced the SAINT Edge PDW back in January. Luckily, we’ve been able to test it extensively behind the scenes and the hype is warranted. Personal Defense World has more details on the Springfield PDW. For more information, please visit Springfield-Armory.com.
- Caliber: 5.56
- Overall Length: 18.75 inches (collapsed)
- Barrel Length: 5.5 inches
- Capacity: 20+1
- Brace: Maxim Defense SCW
- MSRP: $1,699
