I do a lot of shuffling between OKC and Bonners Ferry Idaho and catch a few shooting events that cause me to load up a lot of guns. Wrestled with it for a couple years with various solution before coming up with this for the back of my truck. Had a guy ask about it so collected some pictures I took along the way to send him. Thought it might be of interest through the original idea and the first two modifications. Excuse the craftsmanship. Could be done better but like most things I'm about to pull out before I get down to business.

I'll post pictures of the modification (changed from firm-board insulation to wood and put a top on it for additional storage space) in next post.

These were taken at initial construction and the rifle supports were made from firm-board 1 1/2" insulation.


This was the start. Got the two caps on either end level setting in place inside the cab, then put the floor on.
Then put a support between the drivetrain hump and the middle of the floor. Trial and error there.
   

Than (not shown) put another cap on the end to glue the saddle notch firm-board insulation piece to.
   

I didn’t like the rifle stops after the first year so changed them when I decided I wanted to replace the insulation and put a top on it.
The whole unit slides up to the barrel ends and then the two bolts drop in to pre-drilled holes.
   

That's a neat idea.

This was the first modification where I replace the firm-board insulation with wood and leather inserts for the saddle and barrel rests. The rubber bands got replaced when a rifle nearly slide sideways out of it’s saddle on a hard turn.
   

Stock end after replacing insulation board with wood. Cut up an old pair of sheep skin slippers and used contact cement to glue the cushion in place.
   

This was the solution to replace the wood stops which were cumbersome to adjust when rifles were changed. They keep the rifles stationary side-to-side. The T-Tracks are usually dado'd in bench tops but since the material was only 3/4" I just screwed them down in place. Allows me to slide them back and forth for various rifle lengths and the top knob prevents them from popping up if you drive off road, like I was forced to do at 75mph when I left Steve's in Cheyenne last year. This worked with a long bolt and a piece of PVC to protect the barrel end from the bolt threads.
   

Then I added an end cap on to the passenger side to support the top. The board with the barrel notches comes up level to provide support in the center.
   

The top hinges for access. Seat moves forward just enough to allow it to open. The top notches could have been done much better but I was leaving in the morning and drill press was on the blink.
   

Probably could have come up with some better ideas for adjustable stops but the t-tracks have worked well so far. After my off-road experience dodging a truck who locked up his breaks last year I was relieved to find it road out the adventure well. Here are couple pictures minus the pvc thread/muzzle protector sleeves.

This bolt head slides into the t-track and the knob tightens on the PVC which needs to be cut square.
   

Here is the system in use on a work bench (picture stolen off the web).
   

With the top I can load up storage on top whereas with just the rifles exposed I had to be careful... plus this protects the valuables from prying eyes when at a motel. Could probably even take a nap in there back in younger days:-)

Thanks Don. It's been handy. The saddle width was problematic for different stock widths/thickness but now it mostly holds 8 Ballards that are pretty uniform. Still have not figured out a handy way to make that saddle cut something a guy could adjust for a couple guns that are wider.

That sure looks good. I need to make something like it for the for the camper but not for holding the rifles but for a loading bench. Something I can put the components in and have rails like you have and mount some Slotted Standard 1-5/8" x 13/16" Strut Channel and mount it in the storage compartment were I can slide it out and mount a loading press.

That is really cool. I like it a lot.

Wouldn't it have been easier just to move to Boundary County permanently ?

(01-03-2018, 11:09 PM)desert deuce Wrote: Wouldn't it have been easier just to move to Boundary County permanently ?

desert deuce, When I'm loading up my truck to pull out in May and again coming back in November I do sometimes wonder!

Not seriously though.

I don't just shoot in Boundary County. Plus I got a wife, three kids and seven grandkids in OKC. Permanent ain't in the cards.

I do believe God made every land with it's own charm. We people now, we still have our preferences don't we. I just GOT to be near some mountains and forests - at least some of the year. And a good woman accommodates the yearning. I do fly back and forth betwixt May and November though. Catch me a dose of kids, wife, a BPCR match, a 22 BPCR if I'm lucky, and do some chores, then off again.

Used to go up after Christmas and stay through spring break-up but then my grandson started wrestling. My boys wrestled through into college and grandfather don't miss wrestling.

(01-03-2018, 08:36 PM)Kurt Wrote: That sure looks good. I need to make something like it for the for the camper but not for holding the rifles but for a loading bench. Something I can put the components in and have rails like you have and mount some Slotted Standard 1-5/8" x 13/16" Strut Channel and mount it in the storage compartment were I can slide it out and mount a loading press.

Kurt, I like that idea. If I get to continue (and doc feels they've stabilized my eyes) I might get there some day myself. Last year I took a big step and got a very small travel trailer. Would be nice to have a mobile reloading capability. So far the only "match" I've traveled to is the Quigley but I hope to add the Lone Tree matches (2) this year. That first year at the Q in a tent was a little brutal even if still fun. The other three I travel to are mostly just enjoyable gatherings of long distance junkies where we camp and shoot. One in the Okanagan Valley in Wa., where that video was taken I posted a while back, the other in Cheyenne, where Stevewhr hosts a fun couple days, and one in Texas. They are fun and lots of guns get pulled out. But no scores are kept and its anything from levers and smokeless to Single Shots and Black Powder. Those are ones I'd be likely to run out of filled cases. And the one in Washington is about nine days so a reloading set up would come in handy.