Storing a carry gun in the vehicle

Mine goes into a metal lock box that is cabled to a seat post. It can be stolen with tools and a few minutes time, but that would be after breaking into my vehicle and some concerted effort. I park in a government owned lot with routine police patrols.

OP, expect a full range of responses, especially some stating that a firearm should never be left in a vehicle no matter the circumstances. Everybody’s circumstances and environment are unique, as are each set of state laws.

But then you do not have for back and forth to work or any errand you run afterwards. Does your state not prohibit companies from disallowing employees to keep their guns in their vehicles at work? Florida allows it (with a few exceptions that fall under Homeland Security like power plants)

This is often brought up on the net and beat to death by many who will tell you never do it. I have always done it but, this is me, all have to make up their own mind. I keep one "just in case" gun in the vehicle I am driving. It is well hidden, to the point that some smash and grab is very unlikely to find it. In other words its not sitting under the seat or in glove box. For a carry gun have a couple of the lock boxes that cable tie. They of course can be broken and many will insist but, some dope head who breaks the window will seldom have tools with him or the time to do so. I also do NOT keep any guns in the vehicle that would bring tears to my eye's if they were lost. I keep stuff that works and I know works but, would be no great loss if they were a loss. Again this is a personal choice thing all have to make. MANY will get very excited and tell you never do this but, only you can decide if you wish to do this.

George P said:

But then you do not have for back and forth to work or any errand you run afterwards. Does your state not prohibit companies from disallowing employees to keep their guns in their vehicles at work? Florida allows it (with a few exceptions that fall under Homeland Security like power plants)

Click to expand...

I have heard of Co's that will have it in writing that you can't have a weapon in your car while it's parked on their property. To me if this was me? I would do it anyway but then I also have always carried at work too. I have never had any co. ask to search me or my car so don't care what they think. What I have seen is people get in trouble because they can't seem to control themselves from telling others at work that they have a gun with them.

Jbird45 said:

...Then again maybe I should just leave it home in the safe.

Click to expand...

Noooooo! Never, never, never give up!

Seriously, one day you’ll have a flat or your car will have mechanical trouble. You don’t know where that’ll be, when it will happen, or who you will encounter. That’s why I carry. I’ve lived long enough to be aging into a “target” demographic.

What I have seen is people get in trouble because they can't seem to control themselves from telling others at work that they have a gun with them.

Click to expand...

Absolutely, it is usually the newer gun/CCW owner too.............

Jbird45 said:

The president of my company is also a CCW holder and he knows I keep it there. He's a big gun enthusiast.

My biggest concern is if someone breaks in my truck I want to make sure my firearm is secure enough that it can't be used to hurt anyone innocent. I am thinking about bolting a lockbox to the truck somewhere.

And for the record, I see both sides of the argument. The safest place for a gun is on you or in the safe. But then again, if you leave it in the safe and you get attacked on your way home, well, that's not good.

I guess my point is not wether or not it should be done, but if a firearm is left in a vehicle what is the best way to secure it.

I like the lockbox cable idea, as most robbers aren't going to carry sufficient tools on them the cut a heavy duty cable, and taking the time to do so is risky. They want to grab what's easily available and valuable and get out of there. Or at least that is how I think they think. I've never robbed anyone.

Click to expand...

How secure is all a matter of how much you wish to spend. Car alarms is of course one step. Another is well hidden so some smash and grab is not likely to find it. Next is gun box of some kind. When it comes to this its all how much security do you want. I have in the past had a gun box bolted to the floor in the back seat. The idea being where it was it was hard to get tools in there to work it. Some Co's make inserts that are vehicle specific, in that they fit in things like the center console and such. Some have a shop set something up that is bolted or welded to the vehicle. The only thing I am strongly against is just leaving it under the seat or in the glove box which is of course where the scum will look first.

Jbird45 said:

The president of my company is also a CCW holder and he knows I keep it there. He's a big gun enthusiast.

Click to expand...

Long ago I had a job interview at a Co that makes holsters. I had no idea at the time they were located where I live. So I show, tell them who I am. While waiting for owner I am looking at the display case. He walks in, sees me asks, "So are you a shooter, what do you carry". The hesitation made both of us laugh. I said that's normally a topic I avoid at a job interview. Guy had a good chuckle over that one.

IMHO it just depends on how isolated your vehicle is. Many, many years ago I was walking along around midnight in NYC and I heard a chain clank a few times on the ground. After a block or so I heard it again. Only later did I realize it was a signal for thieves prolly breaking into a car to steal a stereo or some such. It was night but the streets were well lit.

I'm not sure cameras are a large help but prolly some. IMHO more important is the passers by and the public observation of your parking spot. There is no means of securing your handgun if the criminals have unlimited time.

Part of the OP`s original question was, "am I doing enough to make sure my weapon can't be used by criminals". The first thing that came to my mind was to simply remove the slide. The slide itself isn`t classified as a weapon so you "probably" would be OK by bringing it in the office. Weapon couldn`t be fired although it could be stolen so there`s that.
All that being said, a cable lock through the magazine well and through the ejection port is your best bet. Don`t leave it home!

I am not advising that you break any laws or company policies.

Notwithstanding, an unloaded gun is, "like a Ferrari without tires." Keep the gun loaded.

If you lock your doors, the firearm is secured. Anyone who breaks into the locked car is knowingly committing a crime. If you want to turn your vehicle into Fort Knox to thwart every conceivable thief and their tools, knock yourself out.

A reasonable approach that would be compliant with most state's laws where there are restrictions on transporting firearms in vehicles would be to unload the gun (if required by law) and secure it in a locked container other than the glovebox or center console, and to keep the container out of sight. The container can be partially secured to the vehicle with bolts or a cable.

One could get the film that goes on windows to resist smashing. Might put you in a pickle if you go into water. Or another thought is have a junky car. Thieves will see all the junk and pass by. But then you have to ride around in a junky car. Wife's truck is full. I'll say that, leaves her purse on seat. Never been broken into. Yes I told her it is a BAD idea. She doesn't listen. Been together 12 years and not a single busted window. We live in northern tip of Atlanta.

I wrestled with this too. Although it’s never a good idea to leave a gun in a car, but when you have no choice, all you can do is take measures. I drive a car. I drilled a hole in the floor of my trunk and put a large eye bolt through it. I use a large diameter cable to lock it there. With time and effort, you could get it, but unless they’re prepared it’s gonna be really difficult.

You might want to consider a few things:

Do you wish to live in fear of being fired? Or would you rather retain the ability to protect yourself should you need to?

If you're unloading it and locking it up, you might as well take it in to work with you. Your company should not be searching your personal belongings, such as a bag, coat pocket, or whatever else. Don't draw attention to yourself, and you won't get searched, right?

If you do want to keep it in the car, how about keeping a bulky old coat in your vehicle (for emergencies), and just wrap your gun in that or stick it in one of the internal pockets. I can't imagine a thief caring about some nasty looking old coat. Scattering some trash on the floorboard doesn't hurt either.

How many break-ins does your company's parking lot actually see anyway?

I guess my point is not wether or not it should be done, but if a firearm is left in a vehicle what is the best way to secure it.

Click to expand...

Well, how else are you going to if you cannot bring it into your workplace?

I have occasion to leave my EDC in the car. Like others I wondered about a method to secure it in case of break in to my car. Like most things I did some research about car break-ins. Here is what I discerned.

Car break-ins are done by individuals who are looking to find valuable items and find them quickly. Consequently. They look in the obvious places for valuables for things like phones, wallets, medications, purses, etc. They go for the glove compartment, console, a deck compartment in a SUV or hatchback, and on t floor under the seats. So those are places you should not leave the gun. So what is left? The two more difficult areas for a grab and run thief to probe are under the dashboard and under the seats off the floor. The thief is going to work fast, so they do not go to extremes to find loot. Like muggers they are looking for easy pickings. Searching under the dash or seats is laborious and requires that they position themselves in such a way that it is hard to jump,out and run.

Now many newer cars have little access to under the dash, but most have some place you can get a gun into. Almost any car with an adjustable seat will have a metal superstructure which supports the seat and on which it moves. Those areas are not visible by a quick look under the seat. So I decided to hide the gun under the seat. I purchases a magnetic gun holder that I keep in the console. When I have to leave the gun I put it on the slide of my gun and attach it under the seat in a place where it cannot be easily seen if at all. You can find the magnetic holders on Amazon, and I suspect in many other places.

Jbird45 said:

Is having a small safe in the back seat and somehow attaching the safe to the vehicle so it can't be taken away a better idea?

Click to expand...

I don't think it's a good idea to have a safe (screams, "there are valuable items here!") placed somewhere, like the back seat, where it's easily visible from outside the vehicle.

I have to leave mine in my vehicle at times. Gun Vault bolted to the floor under a seat. In my case under the back seat i can reach the blind keypad from the front and retrieve it. Pair of LE hand cuffs works as well locked to the seat frame and through the trigger guard under the seat...

bearcreek said:

I don't think it's a good idea to have a safe (screams, "there are valuable items here!") placed somewhere, like the back seat, where it's easily visible from outside the vehicle.

Click to expand...

Yes assuming no tint so people can look in it's a good idea to not have anything that "looks" like a temptation. A crap load of broken windows are due to people leaving something on the seat that looks like a laptop bag. Often the bag has nothing of value but, it gets the attention of the thief to break the window. When I had a gun box on the floor of one vehicle it had a folded blanket on top of it. To a causal look they could not see anything that looked like anything worth stealing.

Jbird45 said:

Believe it or not we had a guy get in my coworkers SUV in broad daylight once. She did not have it locked and it was like -20 outside so I'm sure he was trying to get out of the cold.

We had a few catalytic converters cut off the vans too.

My truck is parked outside a busy street though and is in plain view of my office. So if the car alarm goes off I will know right away.

I am going to have to find a new hiding spot though. I always think that if I keep a clean vehicle with no junk or valuables in sight a thief may pass by because their is nothing in plain sight, but maybe I will have to find a spot under the dash to hide it. Obviously the center console will be one of the first places they look through though. What about making a false bottom for the center console though?

.

Click to expand...

Check into the places that make a locking safe that is made to fit inside the console. Last time I looked they were not cheap but looked well made. The false bottom could be a good idea and could be done at home. Keep a few odds and ends in there so if the scum looks he thinks nothing there and moves on.