Best Vehicle Handgun?

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People tend to discredit it as a "novelty" weapon, but I use a Taurus Pubilc Defender in my car.

I have one of the gun magnet holsters mounted underneath my ignition and the gun hangs 4 inches from my hand. In the event that you get car-jacked you don't even have to aim. Just point it at the window and adress the threat.

My first round is a AA skeet load. It probably wont kill the attacker even at close range, but it's enough to make the guy think "Golly-gee whillickers, this dude just shot me in the face with a shot gun." While having an insanely low risk of hurting an innocent bystander.
Rounds 2 and 3 are 00 buck. If unloading the skeet load wasn't enough then these two should be. This round is enough to be lethal up close while still posing a very minimal rick of hurting bystanders.
Rounds 4 and 5 are affectionately saved for the 45 Long Colt. In the event that those first 3 rounds simply weren't enough and you have to use lethal force two doses of LC should do the trick. You do have to worry about penetration at this point and civilians because of that, but if you're trained to use your weapon you should be able to handle that.

The quick accessibility of an extremely loud shotgun shell to the face is daunting in an enclosed area. I highly recommend it.
 
I would never leave a handgun in a vehicle.
Isaac-1 said:
Lately I have been rethinking my need to carry a gun in my truck (Super Duty F-250), my principal need stems from carrying the evening bank deposit to the bank from work on most days. The reality of the situation is it is mostly checks these days, but can still include several thousand dollars in cash occasionally, the perception of a fairly thick deposit bag is probably a bit more than the reality, and in this case I think the perception is the big issue. In the past I have just grabbed whatever was handy (note I live in a state where in vehicle carry is relatively unrestricted), often a semi-auto of some type, .45ACP, 40S&W, etc. I am now considering purchasing a gun just for the purpose, I want something that will resist corrosion (condensation is a problem around here certain times of year), be relatively cheap so if it gets stolen I am not out a lot of money (say under $500 used market), small enough not get in the way in the confines of a vehicle. Most likely carry position is the tray next to the ignition switch or by the seatbelt clip between the seats. What are your thoughts?
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I also used to transport cash to the bank for deposit, usually late at night after we closed or early morning before we opened. It was a long 45 mile trip. I carried a 1911 in a Tanker shoulder holster, plainly visible, and deposited the bag in my bank's night deposit box. There was never a problem. We were in a remote area and there was no alternative. If we had been in town, I might have inquired what a courier service would charge for that. My time and safety are also valuable to me.
 
A third gen smith and Wesson in 9mm like a 5904 or 5904 would do it, or a 5906, which is all stainless. Should go in the $350. - $400 range. For more firepower with fewer rounds, consider a Springfield XDs in a .45. Used price about $440 around here.
 
My friend chose a 3" SP101 in 357 magnum for that purpose. I think he paid $312 plus tax for it at the gun show. It is stainless steel and thus very rust resistant. I thought it was a good choice. He is a pretty good shooter and five rounds of 357 is nothing to sneeze at.
 
TGEShopkeep said:
People tend to discredit it as a "novelty" weapon, but I use a Taurus Pubilc Defender in my car.

I have one of the gun magnet holsters mounted underneath my ignition and the gun hangs 4 inches from my hand. In the event that you get car-jacked you don't even have to aim. Just point it at the window and adress the threat.

My first round is a AA skeet load. It probably wont kill the attacker even at close range, but it's enough to make the guy think "Golly-gee whillickers, this dude just shot me in the face with a shot gun." While having an insanely low risk of hurting an innocent bystander.
Rounds 2 and 3 are 00 buck. If unloading the skeet load wasn't enough then these two should be. This round is enough to be lethal up close while still posing a very minimal rick of hurting bystanders.
Rounds 4 and 5 are affectionately saved for the 45 Long Colt. In the event that those first 3 rounds simply weren't enough and you have to use lethal force two doses of LC should do the trick. You do have to worry about penetration at this point and civilians because of that, but if you're trained to use your weapon you should be able to handle that.

The quick accessibility of an extremely loud shotgun shell to the face is daunting in an enclosed area. I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...

"In the event that those first 3 rounds simply weren't enough and you have to use lethal force two doses of LC should do the trick"

An important side note here:

Don't kid yourself about that statement. Using a firearm IS using deadly force in the eyes of the law, regardless of what you had it loaded with. Even drawing or displaying it may constitute such, depending on jurisdictional law.

The law really doesn't recognise the use of a firearm as "less than lethal".

If you choose to carry your weapon loaded as such for your stated reasons, fine...just don't think it means anything except a display or use of deadly force in the eyes of the law.
 
under $500 used market?

Glock in any flavor. Glock 17/19 in 9mm. 23/22 in .40, Glock 20 10mm, etc... Lots of used 3 gen Glocks out there for less than 500 bucks.

They are very very reliable and can take lots of dirt in 'em and still work fine.

Deaf
 
i would think the truck gun would be in addition to your personal carry piece as the ccw is difficult to access when seated in the vehicle.

murf
 
The problem with leaving a firearm inside a vehicle, but not inside a very sturdy locked, bolted-down container, as I see it, is that it may well be used against me, as I approach the vehicle. (I know what it is like to step outside, to see a "BMV" in progress.) My "car/truck guns" are the weapons I carry with me, to the vehicle, which will normally exit the vehicle when I do, except when I must walk into the few places where I cannot carry.

Tuffy Products makes good locking storage products, though not to fit all vehicles.

For the times I must leave a firearm unattended, inside a vehicle without a lock-box, I like firearms that allow me to pass a sturdy U-lock, of the type intended for locking bicycles, through the frame or action. Kryptonite makes such locks with "New York" in the product name, a reference to NY bike thieves being the true test of such locks. I can affirm that cheap U-locks cannot withstand a sturdy pry bar.
 
Rexster said:
The problem with leaving a firearm inside a vehicle, but not inside a very sturdy locked, bolted-down container, as I see it, is that it may well be used against me, as I approach the vehicle. (I know what it is like to step outside, to see a "BMV" in progress.) My "car/truck guns" are the weapons I carry with me, to the vehicle, which will normally exit the vehicle when I do, except when I must walk into the few places where I cannot carry.

Tuffy Products makes good locking storage products, though not to fit all vehicles.

For the times I must leave a firearm unattended, inside a vehicle without a lock-box, I like firearms that allow me to pass a sturdy U-lock, of the type intended for locking bicycles, through the frame or action. Kryptonite makes such locks with "New York" in the product name, a reference to NY bike thieves being the true test of such locks. I can affirm that cheap U-locks cannot withstand a sturdy pry bar.
Click to expand...
 
Rexster said:
The problem with leaving a firearm inside a vehicle, but not inside a very sturdy locked, bolted-down container, as I see it, is that it may well be used against me, as I approach the vehicle. (I know what it is like to step outside, to see a "BMV" in progress.) My "car/truck guns" are the weapons I carry with me, to the vehicle, which will normally exit the vehicle when I do, except when I must walk into the few places where I cannot carry.

Tuffy Products makes good locking storage products, though not to fit all vehicles.

For the times I must leave a firearm unattended, inside a vehicle without a lock-box, I like firearms that allow me to pass a sturdy U-lock, of the type intended for locking bicycles, through the frame or action. Kryptonite makes such locks with "New York" in the product name, a reference to NY bike thieves being the true test of such locks. I can affirm that cheap U-locks cannot withstand a sturdy pry bar.
Click to expand...

I have a Tuffy center console in an old Land Cruiser. It seems pretty much thief resistant. I used to keep my Redhawk in there but no more.
 
3 vehicles - 2 Glock 19s and 1 keltec PF11 (all 9mm double Stack). All 3 have been 100% reliable
For the daily driver which has modern security features I use the console. The truck and the Mustang I consider less secure so they get a cabled lock box

But these are secondary. I always pocket carry a 380

I think defensive pistols need to be DA
 
My EDC is a Ruger LCP .380acp, even when I carry someting larger, which is most often a Glock 19, 1911 Officer, or SP101. In my vehicle, I typically have an AR of one flavor or another in a gun locker under the rear seat (ain't cheap, sadly), or a Kel-tec sub2000. These are always on board in case I see coyotes when feeding cattle in the morning before heading to the office in town, but of course, they'll serve well in any application. I could be convinced a Beretta Storm or a bull pup of some flavor would be a great truck gun, but for the cost, Keltec's and AR's work well for me.
 
Isaac-1 said:
Lately I have been rethinking my need to carry a gun in my truck (Super Duty F-250), my principal need stems from carrying the evening bank deposit to the bank from work on most days. The reality of the situation is it is mostly checks these days, but can still include several thousand dollars in cash occasionally, the perception of a fairly thick deposit bag is probably a bit more than the reality, and in this case I think the perception is the big issue. In the past I have just grabbed whatever was handy (note I live in a state where in vehicle carry is relatively unrestricted), often a semi-auto of some type, .45ACP, 40S&W, etc. I am now considering purchasing a gun just for the purpose, I want something that will resist corrosion (condensation is a problem around here certain times of year), be relatively cheap so if it gets stolen I am not out a lot of money (say under $500 used market), small enough not get in the way in the confines of a vehicle. Most likely carry position is the tray next to the ignition switch or by the seatbelt clip between the seats. What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...

1. Jump through the CHL hoops.
You will learn much, to include a good synopsis of your state's deadly force law and maybe an inkling of local prosecutors' and LEOs' attitudes toward armed citizens exercising their right to self defense. Yes, right is right and wrong is wrong--but law is not about right and wrong, so you'd best get up to speed on it for your own well-being.

2. On-body carry is usually superior and safer than off-body carry, unless....
a. You must draw your firearm in an automobile, than most on-body carry methods suck rocks and simply reaching into the console is better. Tanker holsters do work, but are a pain to conceal, even worse than shoulder holsters.
b. You are fiddling around with your gun / putting it on & taking it off significantly more than off-body carry, as administrative handling of firearms is when many (most?) ADs/NDs occur.

3. Software
You've committed to buy and pack a firearm in some fashion or another. Spend some time thinking about your situation. Think through what you will do in particular scenarios and how you would react. Do this for on-body and off-body (console or whatnot) carry. Think about how mode of carry/access could help/hinder your performance. Is there anything you could do to reduce risk/exposure? Where should you park / what entrance should you use / is there a safer drop-box elsewhere / etc. Practice your in-auto and out-auto gun gun-handling to figure out what works and what doesn't. Develop a SOP that incorporates what you have learned and implement it.

4. Dedicated Auto Guns and Pearl-Clutching
Others have addressed it, but morally, if someone busts into your auto and steals your belongings, they are the one in the wrong. That does not prevent some gov't entities and/or LEOs & prosecutors from thinking otherwise and implementing a little localized anarcho-tyranny. And some folk understandably are sensitive to this and (sadly) have internalized the mindset. IMO, one reason to take the CHL class is to help figure out if that is the sort of place you live. Of course, you may get the pearl-clutching response, as opposed to a useful response, but keep digging. You're paying for the class, so wring out some value. The man who makes the decision on whether a dedicated car gun is the right answer is YOU.

My own preferred approach to having a firearm in my automobile is to have one on my person _and_ one in the console of my auto. And maybe a long gun in the back for acute spikes in local social problems. "Be prepared" and all that. Still, some trips I will go places that preclude a CCW, so I get by with my .38spl snubbie in my console. I stay legal and it stays in my console when I enter CCW prohibited areas. If I leave my auto for a CCW-friendly locale, I can slip it in my pocket. When I do not plan on going such CCW-unfriendly places, I prefer a strongside holster for a Cdr or GM 1911 and a couple of mag carriers offside. Not "either/or" but "both, thanks."

5. Hardware
Yep, probably the least important issue. That's why it is last. I am partial to used K-frame Smith & Wesson revolvers, especially guard company turn-ins that look beat up on the outside, but pass a revolver check-out for function. Snubbies, preferably. Other good options for dedicated automobile guns are LEO/guard Glock turn-ins. Lotsa G22s out there. J&G, Summit, and others handle these, and they are a whole lotta gun for the money.

==================================

Brian Williams said:
Unless you have a safe bolted to the floor of your truck, THIS IS A REALLY DUMB IDEA. The OP states that he wants a cheap gun in case it gets stolen, Come on, that is not a way to look at this situation. We want to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and really worry if a gun gets stolen. Unless you can come up with a way to keep it from getting stolen do not do this. Just putting it in the console or glove compartment is not securing a gun the way it should be.

I would rethink this into "How can I carry a gun so that I have ready access to it while I am driving?"
Click to expand...

Yeah, not so much. Or not necessarily. There are some locales where a dedicated car gun is likely inadvisable. Heck, I spend quite a bit of time outside my home. Is it a really dumb idea to keep a firearm secured only by lock and key on entryways? Let us not internalize the mindset of those who would strip us of RKBA.

Yes, access while driving or seated and stopped is a rather significant issue. And the answer may be, "in the console."

Ben86 said:
I think the idea of a car gun is silly. There's no point in leaving a gun in your car 24/7, except convenience. Carry it when you need it, take it out when you get home. The gun I keep in my car, when that's all I need it for, is the same one I use for CC (Kahr pm9) and sometimes the same one I use for HD (S&W M&P45). It's also kept in a locked case that's attached by steel wire to the seat.
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Convenience is good and more than good enough reason to keep a dedicated automobile gun. Also, reduction of administrative handling.

jmr40 said:
If I have a firearm in my truck/car and it is out of sight and the vehicle is locked I've met my legal amd moral obligations to keep the gun away from kids and thieves.

If someone decides to break into the vehicle and take it THEY are the criminal. There are no decals or bumper stickers on any of my vhicles that may give a clue that there is anything in there.
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Indeed.
 
I end up keeping my Bodyguard in a small Gunvault under the driver'a seat. I can't carry at work because of "workplace safety" (as if there's something safe about being disarmed if somebody comes in with harm on the mind). So I have the Bodyguard in a pocket holster that I can easily slip in if I'm going somewhere after work.

Not sure if I'm sold on keeping a gun in the car for easy access. I like the idea of having a piece handy in case of carjacking or acute unrest, but I don't like the idea of securing a handgun every time I leave the vehicle. That seems like a good way for someone to see you locking a up a gun.
 
Hi-Point 9mm, .40 S&W, .380 acp or .45 acp. I own the model C9, 9mm and it's a good inexpensive gun.
 
Few issues to think about, this is how I approached it and has been my life experience.

1. The more likely you are to potentially need and use a car/truck gun the more likely it is to be stolen. Areas where you're the most likely to be assaulted suffer the most car burglaries. If your gun is stolen then not only are you out the cost of that gun (which can range from a $159 bucks to possibly a little less than $1000), but you've also provided a criminal with a gun to possibly use against some innocent person.

I used to keep a pistol in my truck all the time even besides my CHL, I never took it out. It was in a locked and alarmed truck and out of sight in the book/magazine flap located behind the passenger seat (where the driver can reach back and grab it with their right hand). I never had a problem, not for years and years. It got stolen in the station parking lot. That CZ-75 Compact was gone for almost a year and it was returned to me by the Dennison Texas police department when it was found in the possession of a teenager in the country illegally at his home. He was making threats at school against another teenager who was a rival for the affections of a teenage girl. His mother agreed to a search of his room and they found it there.

Never got the rest of the stuff in the truck back, but although it could have turned bad at least the gun wasn't used to hurt anyone ... Which is what I was really worried about.

I learned my lesson and now if I'm away from the truck there are always two locks between a thief and making off with my pistol (the trucks lock as well as the lock of the safe). Because face it, at some point as a CHL holder you're going to have to leave your pistol in your vehicle because that gun won't be legally permitted to be carried in some place that you have to visit (hospital, airport, court house, nursing home or wherever).

30617377344_e021dbc3a3_z_d.jpg


http://www.personaldefenseworld.com...safes-and-holster-mounts/#gunvault-mv-500-std

http://www.armsbearingcitizen.com/whats-the-best-vehicle-gun-safe-our-top-5-picks-for-your-car/

Once at the house I take it out again along with my car-bag. Even in my drive way I don't consider my truck to being completely safe from a vehicle burglary.

I have a CHL, but having another one doesn't hurt and while my wife knows how to shoot she won't carry a gun of her own. With this at least I can toss her something.

2. While most of today's vehicles aren't rolling armored cars made of steel that are extremely difficult to shoot through you still need to consider the fact that any violent encounter that happens where you use that particular weapon you'll still probably have to shoot through an assailant's vehicle as well as maybe your own. So whatever you choose should maybe have a nod towards penetration.

With a nod towards both that and cost maybe consider some of the police trade in S&W .357's (I picked my S&W 66 4" inch up for $220), a Dan Wesson .357 Mag for my brother for $175, a Tokarev or maybe a CZ-52. There are also Star 9mm's, Bulgarian Makarov's and a whole host of other former military and police pistols as well as pistols like the Hi-Point 9mm's and .45's. You might not even care about cost and might go with something like a Glock 20SF or a Sig in .357 Sig.

3. Consider taking a vehicle pistol course.



If you can't afford to take this class or one just like it somewhere else ($500, plus ammo costs, lodging and then either gas or airfare) maybe you can find something similar at a training center near you.

If you carry a gun and you drive (almost everyone here I would think) at the very least find a non-square range or go to your deer lease, family farm or even just go out in the middle of nowhere where you can practice getting the gun out (which is more difficult within the confines of the vehicle with your seatbelt on) and possibly practice shooting from the vehicle (don't forget to roll your window down :) ) and practice either getting out of the vehicle or doing some creative driving around cones.

Stay safe and make your movements slow and methodical. A class would obviously be better, but simple practice on your own is better than staying at home and watching TV.

4. Consider the fact that the best course of action might be to just drive away. This is a gun forum, so we generally think about guns. If this was a car forum the focus would be on driving. Going to guns right then might not be the best course of action for that particular situation. The best course of action might be to take your foot off the brake, stomp on the gas and steer.

Leave yourself an out by leaving one car length of space when coming to a stop. That way if some road rager takes offense to your simple existence maybe you won't have to shoot them.

5. If you're willing to lay out a couple hundred bucks for a dedicated vehicle gun maybe lay out $30 to $40 for a first aid kit and review some basic first aid. I've been in EMS since 1998 and my wife's an ER nurse with a bachelors degree so we probably think of first aid and emergency medicine a bit different than most, but statistically you're actually more likely to use a medical kit than you are a car gun to defend yourself. So having both of these and training a bit in their use plus maybe having some basic provisions in the form of food and water and a small toolkit and you'll be set for anything.

Even just >> THIS << kit and a $12 box of bandaids, gauze and tape from Walmart could potentially save your life (because of the tourniquet and/or the tape which can be used as a chest seal) and will probably meet most of your needs. I'd personally add a few things (Quikclot being one and an Izzy being another), but that's a barebones kit.

6. When you're driving instead of playing Slug-bug or I-see practice if/when thinking and make a game out of it to fire up the mental processes. "If that guy gets out right now and tries to bash in my window in order to drag me out and put a dent in my head what would I do". At the very least it'll get you thinking and it'll keep you alert and in the moment.

That's all I've got, stay safe.
 
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I use a hipoint 45. It shoots fine. Plus, in a pinch, once I'm out of ammo - I can use it to hammer out dents, pound nails. The slide makes a great fist load, and I'm only out like $100 if I have to throw it at someone and run for it.
 
Just wanted to let you have my 2 cents worth.
You can never carry too much ammo as long as it's in magazines and handy.
I have a AK entry level Draco that is modified for my personal taste. The 75 round drum does rattle some on the rougher roads. He likes to ride with a little cover, sometimes and old shirt, and now when it's colder an old jacket.
He and my old truck spend most of the time together. I live in rural Mississippi and I don't even try to carry him concealed. If he is stolen there are replacements available. Magazines are dirt cheap and ammo is too.
I always carry two or more friends from getting dressed until bedtime. Once in a while I'll let him spend the night in the house.
I feel like that's the cheapest choice price wise for a reliable legal to carry handgun for about any situation you're going to encounter on the road. I have developed the habit of locking my truck, even at home and like I said above carry as many friends and ammo with you and hope that it's just a waste of time and effort never to be used.
 
I have a Springfield XD45 in a belt clip holster just below the steering wheel. The gun is fairly out of sight and super easy to draw.
 
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