[orienteeer]

or take it w/you every time you leave the car?

[jbkebert]

Mine gets locked in the car several times per day.

I have a small remodeling company in the Topeka area. I am not going to carry a loaded gun into a customers home without their blessing. I leave the holster in my waste band. When leaving I just slip it back into place otherwise its locked inside a small strong box. The strong box is cable locked to both the floor of the truck and the seat frame.

[Old Dog]

Why would one leave one's carry pistol in the car?

[ArchAngelCD]

or take it w/you every time you leave the car?
A carry pistol is a carry pistol so there's practically no reason for it to be off your body.

If for some reason I have to leave it in the car (like going into a government building) it gets locked in a small handgun safe that's cabled to the trunk.

[ColtPythonElite]

Why would one leave one's carry pistol in the car?
Pretty simple....To go into places that forbid carrying a firearm.

[psyopspec]

I used to leave mine in the car occasionally, but either in a strong box or by running one of those gun cable locks through the trigger guard and then the seat mount (thanks Hillary!).

[caverkevin]

Like others have said - lock it in an strong box. I have a few of these nanovaults. (http://www.gunvault.com/nano-vault-300-nv300.html) I keep one under my driver's seat should I need to take my pistol off of me. It still could get stolen, but it going to take a little more effort and tools to bust the cable or box.

[SlamFire1]

Can't take it in to the court house, the airport, a lot of other places. And I am not going to check with TSA.

[Kingcreek]

I drive a crossover that has several storage compartments accessable from the back seat or rear hatch. One of them has a lockbox permanently mounted in it for those times when I need it.

[Skribs]

If I am going straight somewhere where I cannot carry and then straight back home, I don't even bother carrying. But if I'm going somewhere where I can't carry amidst other places, I'll leave it in the car in a gunvault nano. I'm not really seeing where the OPs question is coming from.

[Stevie-Ray]

Mine goes with me every time I leave the car, as it's on me. In a CEZ situation, it gets locked in my nano-vault.

[orienteeer]

ok, look. i have a gun near my bedside in the house. i have another one in my car; it's ready to go, as soon as i rack it & take safety off. i don't want to have a nanovault between me & it. i don't NEED to bring my car gun inside. i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house? i live in an upscale suburb w/no history of breakins or burglaries.

if you guys can't focus on the ?, pls back off.

[Sig Bill]

I wouldn't leave a gun in the car without the means of securing it. Windows can be smashed in easily. I have a nanovault in my car in case I have to leave it in.

[Ala Dan]

I take mine with me [where applicable]~! In other law enforcement locals,I
seek out their "lock boxes" within the station; otherwise places that don't
allow licensed CCW holders, I DO NOT frequent - period~! ;) :uhoh:

[bbuddtec]

yep mostly on occasion of having to enter a fed building, etc. Otherwise, never. Oddly enough, haven't seen a "no guns" establishment here in NY...

[JEB]

i do sometimes have to leave my carry gun(s) in the car. these are very rare occasions and never for very long periods of time. i much prefer to just keep my pistol on me for a number of reasons.

[Hossfly68]

I leave mine in the car when I come in the house, but my car is locked in the garage. I would not leave it in the car if the car was just in the driveway. Even in a nanovault. An upscale suburb doesn't mean your stuff is safe. It just means you haven't been hit yet. If you're a crook, are you gonna rob the crack house (most likely your buddies) or are you gonna find an unprotected house in a nice, peaceful suburb? That's where the good stuff is until it gets stolen and sold to the guys in the crackhouse for an eightball.

[303tom]

Sometimes...............

[psyopspec]

ok, look. i have a gun near my bedside in the house. i have another one in my car; it's ready to go, as soon as i rack it & take safety off. i don't want to have a nanovault between me & it. i don't NEED to bring my car gun inside. i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house? i live in an upscale suburb w/no history of breakins or burglaries.

if you guys can't focus on the ?, pls back off.

I'm confused. I thought you started this thread to solicit the very feedback you're now not happy to be hearing. I'll keep playing, FWIW.

Having a gun in a locked car is not as secure as having it in the house, even if that home has guns but no safe. There's less risk to the criminal - a vehicle can be verified vacant, smashed, and gone through in the time it takes to jigger a window and enter a home. So, the crime is faster, easier, "cleaner," and less at risk of interruption than a home burglary. I used to a live in a neighborhood with no history of vehicle break-ins too... until the day it happened. I walked down the stairs of the apartment toward the door, then noticed a letter from the local PD hanging on it advising of the smash-and-grabs and telling residents to report missing items.

I'd left a gun under the seat the previous night, and as I walked from the apartment door to the vehicle to see if it had been broken into, my thoughts weren't on the value of the (potentially) missing gun. Instead I was thinking about the mayhem that could be caused by my complacency. Whether or not I was legally culpable, I didn't want my stupid mistake to be the reason a criminal shot someone else. I was lucky that time; my car and belongings were spared, but it wasn't because of a nanovault. It's because I had a non-descript vehicle that was a lot older than most of the others in the lot, and therefore not a worthy target. No more long-term storage of guns in cars for me. The only way a gun stays in the car is if I have no alternative, and even then not for very long.

You're welcome to poo-poo the rather sound advice you're getting in this thread to secure your guns. Leaving them vulnerable to theft is your prerogative; just don't expect the rest of us to condone that behavior.

[ArchAngelCD]

ok, look. i have a gun near my bedside in the house. i have another one in my car; it's ready to go, as soon as i rack it & take safety off. i don't want to have a nanovault between me & it. i don't NEED to bring my car gun inside. i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house? i live in an upscale suburb w/no history of breakins or burglaries.

if you guys can't focus on the ?, pls back off.
That's a little nasty of you considering no one seems to be bashing you!

BTW, caps and punctuation are a good thing when writing.

[bergmen]

Yes.

Dan

[TarDevil]

ok, look. i have a gun near my bedside in the house. i have another one in my car; it's ready to go, as soon as i rack it & take safety off. i don't want to have a nanovault between me & it. i don't NEED to bring my car gun inside. i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house? i live in an upscale suburb w/no history of breakins or burglaries.

if you guys can't focus on the ?, pls back off.
Not wasting my time here.

[Sky]

Something to consider is the place you need to park and the time frame the vehicle will be left unattended. Restaurant parking lot, broad day light, and a man and family went inside to be seated. There was a wait so the man went back outside after approx 5 minutes to grab a smoke only to find his car driver's side window smashed. Computer, cell phone, and other items were gone.

Smash and grab can happen anyplace.

Very upscale restaurant and the man had driven up from Mexico to celebrate a family members birthday with a special meal. Long story short I told him, "Welcome to America"!

Bolt cutters, long screw drivers that can be used as a crowbar, are all tools of the trade so, "do you feel lucky today"?

[M2 Carbine]

I lock my carry gun in the car sometimes, like when going into a government building.

Makes no difference anyhow, since in all my vehicles there is a 24/7 spare handgun and rifle.

And all the handguns are where I can get them while I'm in the seat belt. It makes no sense having a car gun locked away where you can't instantly get to it if needed. By the time you get to a locked gun the shooting will probably already be over, one way or the other.
The gun may as well be at home in the safe.

Same goes for your carry gun, if it's all you have available. If you can't quickly draw it while in the seat belt, the car jacking or whatever, will probably be over before you manage to get your gun.

[Skribs]

If its one you leave in your car, it's not your carry gun. That's where most of us got confused. Your question wasn't "do you leave your carry gun in the car", it's "is a locked car secure enough for a pistol."

Breaking into a car is a fairly low-risk crime for the criminal, for reasons stated above. Granted, a nanovault isn't going to keep them from getting the gun, but it is going to keep them from being able to immediately use it. Either way, they're probably not going to use it on you when they're breaking into your car.

Personally, my car gun IS my carry gun. If I carry, there's one in the car with me, and then it goes with me when I go somewhere. Also, if you just leave it in the car, you need to remember to take it out and leave it at home before going on federal property, should you have reason to be on federal property.

[FAS1]

Only when I have to and then it's usually briefly. Never overnight. Cars arent very secure and something like a nano vault only provides security against the laziest smash and grab crackhead that doesn't carry a pair of dikes with him while at work.

http://www.fas1safe.com/images/1242158309516-1659133886.jpeg

[FMF Doc]

Places like banks, and outside the courthouse (street parking not courthouse parking) it stays where it is required by (stupid) laws to stay...locked in the truck. First thing I did when I got the truck was have a handgun safe installed in the storage under the bench seat in the front.

[PabloJ]

Why would one leave one's carry pistol in the car?
Because they get pretty upset when metal detector goes off and they find gun on person.

[PabloJ]

or take it w/you every time you leave the car?
I see no reason why you can't leave it hidden in car. I mean you have american-made car there is no valuables visible, no NRA stickers, University of Smith & Wesson, ......no "Back Off" mud guards right? I would not bother with "vault" as with aid of small bolt cutter and pry bar they will take the whole thing with them anyway.

[CDR_Glock]

Pretty simple....To go into places that forbid carrying a firearm.

+1

I learned that lesson. I was going to a zoo. In big letters a sign said, "No weapons or firearms allowed.". I presume it applied to concealed carry. I walked a half mile back to the parking lot.

I don't believe it should be habitual or have a gun kept there all the time unless there is a secure Method of keeping it from unauthorized access. A glove compartment is not that solution. It can easily be accessed, even if locked. Neither is a console. If it isn't bolted down or completely hidden, It can be grabbed. I don't advertise that I am NRA, either. I don't advertise guns or anything related. If it leaves the house it stays on me unless somehow I am not authorized (i.e. posted places and the workplace).

It's just my way. You can do what you like.

[Stevie-Ray]

ok, look. i have a gun near my bedside in the house. i have another one in my car; it's ready to go, as soon as i rack it & take safety off. i don't want to have a nanovault between me & it. i don't NEED to bring my car gun inside. i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house? i live in an upscale suburb w/no history of breakins or burglaries.

if you guys can't focus on the ?, pls back off. OK fine. Ignore the good advice you've gotten so far to inject an idea probably most of us think is ridiculous, that is a permanent car gun. Forget that it wasn't even mentioned in the original question. I do what I consider the smart thing, that is only take my gun off my person and lock it in the nano-vault when I absolutely have to, and then only for the time needed. No dikes need apply, bolt-cutters minimum and then it'll be work to cut the cable-I know I've had to do it at work. If you've already made your mind up or think people should know what you mean when you don't know how to ask a proper question, DON'T ASK THEM!

do you leave your carry pistol locked in the car???

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

or take it w/you every time you leave the car? This was your question. Your problem is obvious.

[The Lone Haranguer]

If I know I will be going into a prohibited venue, I will lock it up in the car. Long term storage? Absolutely not.

[DeepSouth]

I keep two guns in my truck all the time. A rifle under the back seat, and a p220 mounted under the steering wheel. I almost always lock the truck when I get out. When I go to work or to a legally restricted place I toss my carry pistol in the center console.

So yes, I leave my carry pistol locked in my vehicle sometimes.

[PabloJ]

I just realized there is an advantage to owning American-made clunker. Cleanly kept Chevy 'Cavalier'....... oh yeh baby safe even in salty neighborhooood!

[CajunBass]

Why would one leave one's carry pistol in the car?

Because I can't carry at work.

So I lock it in the car when I'm at work.

[jon86]

I don't carry when I'm working out in the gym, so yes, I lock my CCW in the car when I'm training.

[Guillermo]

I almost always have a gun in the car.

If I can't carry (a prohibited place or where it would be discovered, say the chiropractor) it stays in the car. Can it be stolen...sure.

But I often have another gun in my EDC bag which spends a lot of time in the trunk.

[coolluke01]

I carry everyday. Some times I do have to leave the gun in the locked truck, but rarely. I never leave my carry gun in vehicle over night.

Practically it doesn't make sense to leave your carry gun in the car all the time. How will you holster your gun without drawing unwanted attention? I put my gun on when I get dressed in the morning and take it off when I get home at night. It goes straight into a gun safe on my dresser and stays there until the next morning.

I do like the idea of a gun safe in the vehicle and I would encourage you to do the same.

A side note. Be very thankful that you have been given such good advise, even after your less than High Road comments. This is an open forum and you will get tangents. That's just the way it is. Take those with a grain of salt and remember how much you paid for them.

[smalls]

I think the OP is confusing "truck gun" with carry gun. IE: a gun always left in the console, or glove box, and not carried on your body the rest of the day.

Personally, I see the practice of a gun in my glovebox as useless, so my carry gun is on me. It gets locked up when I go into prohibited places such as hospitals, government buildings, etc, then it goes straight back to it's holster.

[MCgunner]

Only time I'll lock it in the car or motorcycle is if I'm going into a federal building or court room and might get scanned by a metal detector and must be unarmed. Post office, no problems with carry.....shhhhh. :D Better judged by 12 than carried by 6, as I quoted many times before carry was legal in Texas. I have to go to courtrooms.

[halogrinder]

2 things:


before you buy one of these small safes/gun lock do-hickies, please watch this. excellent information on these style lock boxes.


this is NSFW, due to language, and i think this guy credibility would be much better if he didn't swear while presenting a seminar, but to each their own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yr6ATdaDQ8&feature=player_embedded


secondly, my truck was broken into a few times at the shop i used to work at, and stolen once. i decided to put it in a backpack, and lock it into a separate drawer in my toolbox. I felt that me breaking a company policy was worth more than my gun being found and used in a crime the next time my truck would be broken into. i knew i was breaking policy, I'm an adult and decided to take the calculated risk.

apparently a guy who hated his wife/life/situation/issue/position decided to call HR on me saying i was buying/selling/manufacturing guns on the property :banghead:

and as a result- my work fired me for it- breaking company policy by having a weapon on the property. note- they do not have a 30.06 sign posted, almost every single person there carries a knife, i ran into weapons in vehicles on almost a daily occurrence, and 10 of us normally built/fixed/bought/sold/traded/messed with guns after work ...... including the whistle blower... talk about no chivalry among men!
to tell you the truth- that means to me, that my safety of traveling back and forth to work, my property (my truck and the articles in it) are not worth my employment (highest paid tech/highest flagging tech/lead tech/team leader/unofficial foreman)...... and it was the best decision that i didn't have to make :D


I started my own shop, and i carry every single day, all day. I love it! I also decide where my business goes, based on how they treat CHL owners. hell, this month NRA and CHL owners get 15% of their bill for june :)


regardless, back to the task at hand, WHEN i HAVE to leave it in the truck, it gets locked to the frame of my seat, and the magazine/bullet comes with me.

[oneounceload]

I leave it in the car going to the PO, which is typically 4-5 X per week. It sits in the car door map pocket - which for me being LH, works out just fine. No need for lock box - it isn't visible, my PO's typical customer if 70 years old, and the car is locked with windows up

Not really a big deal

[Deltaboy]

or take it w/you every time you leave the car?
Yes because I have to go to some places where it is a Federal no no to carry.

[msrfrog]

I am a auto tech at a dealer and once in a while I come across one in a glove box while checking cabin air filters.

[Vern Humphrey]

Leaving a gun locked in a car is a good way to lose a gun. Remember, someone else may be in the parking lot watching as you take the gun out of the holster and lock it up.

[walker944]

I keep a loaded gun in my truck at all times. I live in the country, and am not worried at all about someone breaking into my truck. It may happen one day, but I don't worry about it. I'm much more concerned with having a gun in my vehicle at all times and don't want to risk forgetting it at home. So, therefore, it stays in my truck, easy to reach, ready to rock and roll, if needed. I conceal carry most of the time, but that's a different gun.

[MedWheeler]

The number of times I have to stow it in my vehicle are maybe once or twice per month, if even that often. That being said, I will be doing it tomorrow when I make a drop off at the airport and go inside to see some people off..
Pretty much the only other times are the few times each year I stop in a bar somewhere, as bars are prohibited zones ("free-fire" zones) in Florida.
I also had the rare occasion to stop by the P.O the other day (actually had to go twice last week), so the console got used then, too.

[460Kodiak]

Umm, only if I have a gun on me and am entering a place where they aren't allowed. Otherwise it's always on me. That's kind of the moint of having it.

[Bobson]

i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house?
Absolutely not.

A thief can break into a home, or a vehicle; but a thief can't steal your house. Your car, on the other hand...

By the way, you mentioned that your gun is ready to go "as soon as you rack the slide and flip the safety off." You'd be better off leaving it chambered, inside a quick-access safe inside your vehicle.

Look into the PBS-001 by LockSAF. Heck of a fine product; far more secure than other biometric safes I've seen.

You're welcome for this fine advice, though I doubt you appreciate it.

[halogrinder]

the PBS-001 by LockSAF is actually the best one shown in that video i posted (remember- NSFW due to swearing) but it showed to be the best that they tested- but eventually defeated it.

[orienteeer]

thanks to all for your input. apologies are hereby offered for the carry gun/car gun confusion, & my over-reaction earlier.

[Guillermo]

No worries

:p

[JPG19]

Mine goes everywhere with me, except government buildings, the hospital, or friends/acquaintances, etc...Arkansas law requires me to notify the property owner that I am carrying.

[JPG19]

Ala Dan - are you saying that I can enter a police station and hand over my weapon to be kept in a safe box? If so, ya sure do learn something every day!

[Bullnettles]

I never leave mine in the car, because of thieves. My close friend did not listen to me, and his RIA 1911 got stolen from his car a few months back. Two weeks ago he had two officers show up at his door asking where was his gun. Luckily, he still had a copy of the police report (had never even been filed) and they said he wasn't the right race anyway. Someone had used his gun to rob a bank. He's getting it back because the robber left it on the counter, but the other guy shoot at an officer with a different gun. He's getting it back once everything is processed, but he's learned his lesson.

[practicaltactical]

When I have to leave it (very seldom) it just goes into the center console. My carry gun(s) are tools and while reliable are not prized possessions. I have insurance for a reason.

[easyg]

Oddly enough, haven't seen a "no guns" establishment here in NY...
Know your local laws...

Here in NC it is illegal to carry concealed in any place where one can both buy and consume alcohol.
This means CC is prohibited in any restaurant that serves alcohol.
Steakhouse, country club, pizza place, club, lounge, whatever...if they serve alcoholic beverages then you can't CC in those places.

Also in NC you can't CC in any place where one must pay for admission.
This means no CC in movie theaters, non free concerts, non free museums and exhibits, the zoo, amusement parks, golf courses, non free seminars, etc...



Easy

[David E]

When I have to leave it (very seldom) it just goes into the center console. My carry gun(s) are tools and while reliable are not prized possessions. I have insurance for a reason.

A gun is a deadly weapon, not a stereo.

While I understand that if a thief uses my stolen gun to kill someone, it's still the thief's fault.....but it's the "my gun" part that will bother me for life.

Don't know of any insurance that'll cover that.

[Double Naught Spy]

I never leave mine in the car, because of thieves. My close friend did not listen to me, and his RIA 1911 got stolen from his car a few months back. Two weeks ago he had two officers show up at his door asking where was his gun. Luckily, he still had a copy of the police report (had never even been filed) and they said he wasn't the right race anyway. Someone had used his gun to rob a bank. He's getting it back because the robber left it on the counter, but the other guy shoot at an officer with a different gun. He's getting it back once everything is processed, but he's learned his lesson.

So since you won't leave a gun in your car and now since your buddy has learned your lesson, he doesn't either. So if y'all won't leave a gun in the car, where do you put your carry gun when you have to be some place that doesn't allow you to carry it? I take it that if you have to go to such place, then you don't carry a gun at all. So basically, that means that you are putting the safety and security of your guns ahead of the safety and security of yourselves.

Interesting lesson you teach your friends.

[GEM]

I would like to point out that antigun folks promoted business and institution bans (the movies, churches, hospitals, malls, etc.) to make it difficult to carry. If you didn't want to leave a gun in the car - then you didn't have one at all for most of the day.

So, if one has to go to a medical building in TX that has a 30.06 sign in the afternoon, you just decide not to have a gun for the entire day.

[David E]

, that means that you are putting the safety and security of your guns ahead of the safety and security of yourselves.

Interesting lesson you teach your friends.

That's quite a leap.

You can avoid such places, use the trunk, use a secured lock box, use a secured lock box in the trunk, create a secret compartment, unload the gun, disable the gun, or.....

Any of which is better than merely placing it in the center console or glovebox.

[Guillermo]

David E makes a good point which I have thought about.

I determined that the chances of a gun being stolen out of the car is remote enough that I can live with the chances.

It is better for me to carry when I can and when I can't, lock it in the car. If the car is broken into when my carry gun is there, I lost a gun. Better that than me going around unarmed every time I have to go to a place where I can't carry.

[practicaltactical]

@David E

I understand that, but it's not like i left my dangerous weapon laying in my front yard. My gun is no more dangerous than my vehicle.

[practicaltactical]

Just to clarify, my vehicle is locked after all (with alarm) and my firearm is out of view. More secure than most homes I would guess.

[Rexster]

I do my best to never leave anything valuable inside an unattended vehicle. I am blessed to carry for official purposes, which means I can carry into most gun-free zones. (A mixed blessing; as a public servant, I give up some degree of some freedoms, but do get to carry more places than a private citizen.) My Jeep has a quite sturdy Tuffy Products lock-box, and my car has a lock-out feature for the remote trunk release, for the times I must leave valuables inside the vehicles.

[Double Naught Spy]

That's quite a leap.

Its not a leap at all. If folks carry for their safety and security but won't lock their gun in their car because they are afraid it will get stolen, then they have to go without a gun for the day with means their safety and security is at risk. That is putting the safety and security of the gun ahead of the the person.

The logic of not leaving a gun in the car is because it might get stolen reminds me of the folks who insist on carrying cheap guns because they don't want to lose a good gun to the cops if they are involved in a SD shooting.

You can avoid such places, use the trunk, use a secured lock box, use a secured lock box in the trunk, create a secret compartment, unload the gun, disable the gun, or.....

Any of which is better than merely placing it in the center console or glovebox.

No doubt, but they are still inside the car where so folks say they would never leave a gun.

[elrowe]

Mine goes everywhere with me, except government buildings, the hospital, or friends/acquaintances, etc...Arkansas law requires me to notify the property owner that I am carrying.
Seems to defeat the concept of concealment... Is it criminal to "forget" to tell them, or can they just ask you to leave?

[jimherb]

Here in Puget Sound, the most common crime is breaking into cars. The second most common crime is stealing cars. I don't feel it is safe to leave a gun in the car. Sure, we can harden our security so the gun is relatively safe in a break-in--but what if somone steals the car itself? I feel the gun is safest when it is on my person,

[smkummer]

Just a couple of years ago, one could buy a police positive, official police, detective special, cobra and/or agent that were holster worn or "finished challenged" for $200 to 300 but functioned fine. All of my vehicles have one of these hidden or locked in the vehicle at all times. They have a finish protection applied and get shot and cleaned once a year. I also sometimes have a carry gun depending on where I go that has to be left in the car if I go into work or federal places and locked in the glove box for the short time had worked. I live in a good neiborhood and only the wife knows I have a gun and she doesn't disclose I do. This has been for the last 12 years I have done this with no issues.

[Bullnettles]

Sorry DNS, I don't want to arm thieves. I rarely go anywhere that stops me from carrying, but I do lock it in my car out of sight if I have to run in to somewhere quickly. However, I failed to mention he left the gun in the car overnight, which is what I warned him about. My pet peeve is leaving it in the car at all times.

[cfullgraf]

ok, look. i have a gun near my bedside in the house. i have another one in my car; it's ready to go, as soon as i rack it & take safety off. i don't want to have a nanovault between me & it. i don't NEED to bring my car gun inside. i'm asking, is a locked car as good as having it inside my house? i live in an upscale suburb w/no history of breakins or burglaries.

if you guys can't focus on the ?, pls back off.

My daughter went to college in St. Louis. Her car was broken into several times while there. The investigating police said several times, "Oh, you are from Tennessee, they were looking for your gun". She does not carry or have a permit.

The point folks are making is a car is not a safe place to store an unsecured firearm.

Of course, a house is not either for that matter.

[GLOOB]

but what if someone steals the car itself?
I think I'd worry less about the gun than the car. :)

I feel the gun is safest when it is on my person
The handgun is there to protect you. You don't need to protect it, other than to prevent access by minors.

I have a "truck gun," because I don't CCW religiously. If this particular gun were stolen out of my car, I'd feel worse about my broken window than the gun... but then I have the luxury of owning a few handguns I don't particularly like. :) I know the serial number. I'd report it to the police and leave it at that.

This does remind me of a story I read on the internet. Details may be wrong, but basically Guy goes to the Caribbean islands on vacation and rents a car. Recognizes it's HIS car that was stolen some months earlier in Florida. Reaches under the dashboard where he stowed a handgun, and it was still there. :)

[Snaps]

if it's my carry gun, it's being carried.

[Fiv3r]

I too have to enter people's homes for work as well as go down town to pull permits at the courthouse. Like others, I keep mine locked in a Nano vault cable locked to my seat frame and hidden under some towels on the floorboard. I leave it in there overnight from time to time. If I forget to reholster it, I might just leave it locked up. It COULD get stolen, but it's pretty safe and out of eyesight.

I don't think I would ever just leave a gun out in the open with only a window keeping it out of someone else's hands. At least locked in my box it is going to require a cable cutter and some hammer and screwdriver time to get to it. Also, if I forget to lock my truck doors I feel better about keeping it out a kid's hands.

[Guillermo]

I can think of twice in the last week that I had to leave the gun in the car.

Went to meet a client in a "51%" location (in Texas you cannot carry in a place that get 51% or more of it's income from alcohol sales, thereby defining it as a bar)

Went to go see some friends new baby at the hospital. (had the proper signage to prohibit carry)

What if I wanted to run around Town Lake? Get a massage? Go to a school graduation? A sporting event?

Perhaps it is the uniqueness of the Texas concealed carry laws, but I don't see how one can avoid locking your gun in the car on occasion. Or leaving it at home for the whole trip.

The latter seems like a bad choice.

[orienteeer]

ok, i'm convinced. i will NOT leave any guns locked in my car. ever. because it also occurred to me - as a condition for getting my handgun permit in (unnamed) upstate NY county, in (unnamed) township, the local PD interviewed my wife & my neighbors as to my character, like whether i had made any disturbances, assaults, etc recently, & would they have any objections to my having guns in my house in their neighborhood! so it also occurs to me that those few neighbors may have related that to an unknown number of other people.............:mad:

[Guillermo]

Mr Orienteer,

How long have you had your handgun permit?

[shootniron]

I leave my carry gun in the truck if I have to go somewhere that prohibits firearms. My Mini14 truck gun stays in the truck, but it would take a lot of effort, time and tools to remove it.