Car/Gun Security

If I ever need to visit such a "facility" I simply leave the weapon at home. Don't like to even think about leaving it in a vehicle.

I don’t worry about ammo, but I avoid leaving a gun in the car if possible.

All I keep in my car (weapon wise) is a bowie knife in the glovebox. I keep the tools and tire changing equipment in the trunk, but I admit sometimes maybe I shouldn't leave the knife in there.
As for guns, if I'm gonna carry, i'm keeping it on my person no matter which facility I go to. If it's really a place where I cannot be seen with a gun, then a very small gun like a .32 is what I'd likely bring.

I picked up a portable lock box from Academy. It has a steel cable the will wrap around a seat leg and it's airline approved. When I have to leave my vehicle for any length of time it's locked in the box. Cost about $15.00.

I use one of those lock boxes, too.

There are more safe-like options available if they would make you feel better.

Thieves looking to steal things out of cars in parking lots tend to not want to stick around. They usually look for valuables left out in the open and do a smash-and-grab or look for unlocked doors and look around inside quickly for stuff they can take. They are not likely to be carrying bolt cutters they can cut the cable with or other tools they can use to break the box open with.

Yet another reason it is a good security practice to "sterilize" your vehicle.

I'm only in a parking lot of such places maybe 20 minutes at a time. They are frequented by meter readers and are next door to the police station. I usually keep mine locked in a cabled lock box as I doubt anyone is going to attempt to defeat the truck door lock, the console lock, and the box lock in that amount of time.

I take it out of the holster and toss it in the glove box and lock it.

This happens to me twice a year, at the airport, while dropping off or picking up traveling family. I don't make a show of unholstering the gun. Once it is out, it goes in the center console or glove box and the vehicle gets locked. I re-holster once back in the vehicle. Some years, there might be a third time, a stop at the PO. In that case, I typically wait until I'm off-site to re-holster.

Leaving it at home is undesired by me because such a location is not likely to be the only stop during my outing.

guyfromohio said:

I take it out of the holster and toss it in the glove box and lock it.

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Same.
In my dash locked up. Believe it or not A glock 27 will fit in a Mustang from the old 80s fox body up until current year models in the dash pocket. My wife drives a highlander so I could fit a small m1 tank in her dash pocket. Our tag office, register of deeds, tax office, etc are all in the court house so there is a good bit of time spent in a "gun free" zone. (Also incredibly stupid to herd people going to the tag office through the court house metal detector while the have a metal liscense plate in their hand. Lol) Plus any time I go in the bank I leave it per state law. Otherwise I usually just carry.

If I parked somewhere I was concerned about a break-in, I would consider that reason enough to either carry regardless of policy or stay home.

Not perfect, but pretty reliable.

I also keep a tethered portable lock box in my car. I never know when my daughter will forget and leave her backpack in the car when I drop her off at school and I need to take it to her... only happened once but I was happy I could simply lock up my carry piece instead of carrying it on campus.

For the one or two times a year I find myself needing to stow my weapon in the car instead of carry it with me I am comfortable my CCW is safe from the oppertunisitc thieves and I have fulfilled my legal responcibility of due dilligence if a pro meth head / opioid addict carrying a cable cutter decides to target my vehicle then go out and murder someone with my handgun.

I typically don't have to leave a gun in my vehicle, but I do if visiting a brewery in my state, or the post office. When I do, I usually unholster the gun very carefully and place it out of sight on the floor in the back seat. I check to see if anyone is around first so no one witnesses it, and I do it before exiting the vehicle so it isn't obvious.

I think a big way to help keep it secure is to not leave anything openly sitting around in your vehicle. The less stuff that looks enticing to steal, the less likely you are to have a break in for any reason.

I've had a permanently mounted safe (lock box) in my pickups since 1995 so I can lock up my handgun or others valuables when I need to. My latest safe is from Lock'er Down that's mounted inside of my console. A thief can get into it if given enough time but would tear up everything else to do it.

I have to go to the courthouse often and could get by getting it inside but don't want to put security in a compromised position "in case". It goes into a cable connected lock box. Someone could get to the gun but would probably raise a lot attention and deputies are coming and going all the time.

MedWheeler said:

This happens to me twice a year, at the airport, while dropping off or picking up traveling family. I don't make a show of unholstering the gun. Once it is out, it goes in the center console or glove box and the vehicle gets locked. I re-holster once back in the vehicle. Some years, there might be a third time, a stop at the PO. In that case, I typically wait until I'm off-site to re-holster.

Leaving it at home is undesired by me because such a location is not likely to be the only stop during my outing.

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That's pretty much the same as with my wife and me. We both carry, but we live 30 miles from the big city of Pocatello. So when we have to go there, we make the most of it by running all the errands we can in one trip.
Yesterday, we both had to go to the clinic - her for an INR check and me for a pneumonia shot. So the guns came off there and went in the center console in our truck. We locked the doors of course, but we also have the advantage of having an unfriendly to strangers dog in the cab everywhere we go.
I put my gun back on after we got done at the clinic, but my wife is Secretary/Clerk for our church, and she needed to go to the Post Office to pick up the churches mail. So she didn't put her gun back on until we got to our third stop - Fred Meyers for groceries. And after that, Sportsman's Warehouse, a gas station, and a stop at Artic Circle for burgers before heading home.
So what I'm saying is, we're not about to leave our guns at home (30 miles away) while running errands all over town. Not when there's only a couple of places that we have to go to that don't allow guns. Besides, like I've said before...the last time my vehicle was broken into I was living in southern California and the wannabe thieves tried to steal my 8-track tape player. It's been a while.

TikkaShooter said:

After 49 years and no problems, why change?

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Because there are faceless strangers on the internet now that say you should.

Do any modern cars not come with a security system of some kind?

jdh said:

Do any modern cars not come with a security system of some kind?

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They do, but fat lot of good that does you when someone smashes a window out and grabs stuff left laying around.

bdickens said:

They do, but fat lot of good that does you when someone smashes a window out and grabs stuff left laying around.

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If you left it in clear view and in reach of a a smash and grab that is on YOU.

In states where it is required, I use a "secure container" which being interpreted is most often a box with a lock on it. At least one state excludes the use of the glove box or center console by statute. In free states, a firearm can simply be left in the car with the doors locked and that is sufficient such that by definition, only a felon would remove it without authorization. I tend to leave my more valuable items "out of sight," but I do not have to. Walmart displays many firearms visibly. The gun counter is almost never staffed. Are they negligent for leaving guns clearly visible behind glass and unattended? What about a jewelry store that leaves jewels displayed? Are they somehow culpable for burglary because they left them displayed?

I just leave it in the glove box. My truck is always locked. Always.

.308 Norma said:

Because there are faceless strangers on the internet now that say you should.

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That is a classic..

To be fair, we don't live in an urban area; nor do we leave anything of value where it can be seen.