Keeping Gun In Vehicle Long-term?

I live in Metro Atlanta and our heat and humidity isn't far off yours. My car gun has never shown the slightest issues for concern and it's in the car 24/7. I just make sure to go over it at least once a month checking for issues and lubricating as necessary. I also empty the mags (three of them) and reload them at that time. I carry another 50 rounds in an MTM Caseguard with the gun and spare mags in the center console. they appear to be no worse for the wear and get swapped out on a regular basis. I bought a small rug probably made for a .25 auto and have the zipper fixed part way down and use it as a sort of holster protecting the gun with the grip sticking out and the "holster" ready to be stripped off with one quick swipe.

The heat won't hurt the gun but will chemically change the powder in your cartridges over time. You'll need to rotate them out quarterly or so.

"Keeping Gun In Vechile Long Term"

Don't Do It ~!

Bypassing the question of heat and humidity, weapons left unattended
in a vechile make a good target for thieves; and I know that any large
metro area is full of 'em~!

It seems increasingly likely that guns stolen from residences or vehicles where the owner did not take reasonable precautions to secure them could lead to the owner being viewed as being partially responsible for any crimes committed.

I would definitely keep it in a vehicle safe that is rather secure, I have seen a few around on the net, something like a P2000 or smaller should fit ok. Usually they have some insulating foam as well which may keep heat down.

In my sports car I keep a Keltec 9mm with 3 magazines, locked in one of those steel lockboxes, cabled to the car.
In my pickup I have a Llama 1911, 3 mags, lockbox under the seat cabled to the seat frame.
Both are well oiled. I check them once a month, so far no issues even with all the rain we had.
I have not considered the ammunition deteriorating. Good excuse to stop by the range and rotate my stock

Ruger P95!!!!

I love mine

I am looking at a Ruger P95 9mm. I can get it for about $300 and it wouldn’t be a huge loss if it got stolen.

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Sorry dude, but your posting makes you sound like a very irresponsible gunowner. You may not care that you lose $300, but I care greatly if your gun gets stolen.

Spend less than $300 and install a gunsafe in your car.

I've kept a S&W 38 snubbie in the glove compartment or console of my car for about 20 years (since they changed the law a couple of years ago, it's even legal now.) St. Louis is not as hot as Texas in the summer, but it may be more humid, and in-car temperatures may come close parked in the sun.

The ONLY problem with my gun is some rust on the backstrap. The rest of the gun is pristine, even though there have been times when it was 5 years between range sessions with it, and I didn't touch it in the meantime. (Can't figure what caused the backstrap problem, and if I ever go back to the wooden grips instead of the rubber ones on it now I may look into having it reblued, but for the moment it's out of sight on a working tool.)

Ala Dan, I find it hard to believe that any metropolitan area is full of thieves who steal guns.

If that were true, state legislatures would not want "gun free zones." When a law abiding citizen with a concealed weapons permit is legally prohibitted from carrying in such places he or she must do something with the firearm. It can't be made to dematerialize when one enters a "gun free zone" and rematerialize when one leaves.

So the question is what a legal holder of a legal firearm should do with it when entering, for example, a restaurant that serves alcohol in a state that makes such places "gun free zones."

Among the alternatives is for the concealed weapons permit holder to hire a street person to hold the firearm during the meal. This option is attractive because many street people will perform this service at no charge, as a public service, although there have been reports of some difficulty in locating the person after the meal.

Another alternative is for the permit holder to place the firearm in a container of some kind and deposit it at the entrance to the "gun free zone" so that he or she can pick it up when the meal is concluded. It would be important to mark the container in some way so that it is not mistaken for trash: a label saying "firearm inside" might work.

A third alternative is for the permit holder to carry a fishing rod with a stout line, tie the firearm to the line, and play it out as he or she enters the restaurant and is escorted to the table. I have never tried this option so I can't report on its value.

The most frequently used alternative seems to be to leave the firearm in a locked vehicle. When the doors are locked, the ignition is locked, and the steering wheel is locked, the vehicle usually is considered secure, which is why there are no stolen cars in the United States. As for installing a gun safe in the car, that would make the car extra secure if the safe is bolted through the floor of the car and the bolts are buried in concrete about six feet below the surface of the road. Otherwise, if the car happens to be the one car in the United States that is stolen the thief drives off with the car, the safe, and its contents. Unless the car is stolen by an exceptionally dimwitted thief he might think that there is something of value in that safe and simply rip it out of the vehicle with the gun inside.

After all, it is not as if thieves know about "gun free zones" and have the wit to know that an excellent place to find guns to steal is in cars parked nearby, especially if they detect any signs of a gun safe in them. Thieves are stupid, which is why there is no theft in the United States either.

Legislators are smart, though, which is why I am sure no metropolitan area is full of thieves who steal guns. All guns in metropolitan areas, except guns carried by police officers, are illegal guns brought into those areas by criminals who buy them at gun shows or from gun shops, just as Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other mayors tell us. They are smart too. Thieves wouldn't think of stealing guns. That would be illegal.

When I keep my gun in the car I put it in a cheap walmart nylon holster and it keeps the gun considerably cooler.

That's why I keep a Star BM in my car, so I won't feel so bad if it gets stolen. Although I like it so much, I think it would be terrible.

Locking your gun in a lock box in your car makes little sense: "Pardon me while I unlock my lock box and retrieve my pistol. I trust you won't shoot me in the mean time. Thanks for your cooperation".

I have kept one in a lockbox under the seat when I'm somewhere that's off limits for carry (even though it's illegal to even have a gun in the parking lots at most off limits places in Georgia). But I take it out of the lockbox and reholster it when I get back to the car.

have kept one in a lockbox under the seat when I'm somewhere that's off limits for carry (even though it's illegal to even have a gun in the parking lots at most off limits places in Georgia).

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You may want to look at the Georgia Peaceable Journey Statute.

One claim of the anti-gunners is that many "law abiding gun owners" don't do enough to keep their firearms out of the hands of thieves and children.

And I can't argue their point. And obviously, neither can some of the posters in just this thread alone.

At home, many gunowners leave their firearms in an unlocked drawer or in an unprotected closet when they leave the premises.

In a vehicle, many gunowners leave them between or under the seats, or in an unlocked glove box, when they can't carried away from the vehicle and into their destination.

For myself, I believe that I have a responsibility to ensure that my firearms are reasonably protected from theft, from both the snatch and grab types who prey on our homes and those who would burglarize our vehicles (including street wise 16 year olds with a tire iron and a watchful eye on my car window).

And so I do, for in addition to a gun safe in the home, $30 plus shipping is all it took to keep my handgun out of the hands of those who shouldn't have it when I left it in my vehicle.

See http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0045006228564a.shtml

If I am out of that vehicle, my firearm is nearly always on my person. But for those isolated instances where I have to leave it behind, and my firearm has to remain in the vehicle, it goes into that box. When I return, one quick turn of a key makes it accessible once more.

$30 and I know my handgun is not out there on the street, tucked in some punks waistband.

The Brady Bunch would be proud.

www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0045006228564a.shtml

Okay, so after I put the gun in the locked box and cable it to the seat rail, then what do I do? The box won't fit under any of the seats(no way, measured them) and will be out in plain view. I never leave anything in plain sight in a car.

I know I can throw a newspaper over it on the seat or floor, but the box will be found when the crook goes through the car and those things aren't that hard to break into or remove intact if given enough time in, say, a parking deck.

Locating it in the trunk isn't practical. It's a terrible idea to park your car and then let someone see you stow something in the trunk whether it's a computer, handbag, briefcase or gun.

What to do? What to do? I guess I'll just have to trust the alarm system and glove box lock. Life is a compromise sometimes.

John

Public Gatherings Georgia Code 16-11-127 includes, but is not limited to:

Caselaw shows that courts believe the parking lot is a part of the whole gathering

Wynne Vs. The State 123 Ga. 566 (1905) says that a 4th of July BBQ, at which the public is assembled in considerable numbers (400-500), constitutes a public gathering

churches or church functions political rallies or functions
athletic or sporting events publicly owned or operated buildings
establishments at which alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises

Publicly owned or operated buildings in your town include:

Sheriff's Department City/County Police Department City/County Mental Health Facility
State Patrol Office/DMV Fire Station Court House
Library City Auditorium Highway Rest Stop Building
Tag Office State Historic Site buildings (12-3-10) County Extension Office
US Post Office Voter Registration Office City/County Water/Sewer Department
State Park buildings (12-3-10) City/County Health Department Tax office
Jail and prison (42-4-13 may include parking lot) Polling location County Hospital
City Bus Depot and covered stops including the adjacent parking lots (16-12-122 - 16-12-127) Department of Labor/Unemployment Office Airport including the adjacent parking lots (16-12-122 - 16-12-127)
Public and Private College, University, or Institution of Postsecondary Education includes parking lot except when picking up/dropping off a student (16.11.127.1) Subway or Railroad station including the adjacent parking lots (16-12-122 - 16-12-127) Public and Private Elementary, Middle, and High Schools includes parking lot except when picking up/dropping off a student (16.11.127.1)




Please note all the times that this says "includes parking lots". It's not a peacable journey issue. If you read deeper into actual case law for the state of GA, most parking lotes of off limits places are also off limits for possesion of firearms.

A rundown of GA carry laws and related case law can be found at http://www.georgiapacking.org.

There is a grassroots organization that is working legislatively to try and get most restrictions removed in GA. http://www.georgiacarry.org is making great strides at getting GA carry laws fixed, so they are reasonable and make sense. We have also gotten several cities and counties to repeal their illegal ban on carrying firearms in city/county parks.

Please note all the times that this says "includes parking lots". It's not a peacable journey issue.

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Actually, it is. But, you have made your choice.

I should add that The Peaceable journey Statute is especially relevant to school yards becasue the exception allowing for dropping off a child only applies if the gun is locked or if the person has a permit. Many people carry in their cars in Georgia unaware that the same limitations that permitted carriers have apply to them as well. It is very much an issue for Peaceable Journey.

And yes, sorry about the hijack but this is a thread about carrying in the car and some states do not require a concealed carry permit. but there are still very important limitations.

StraightShooter7,

Sorry about hijacking your thread for minute.

It should be a peacable journey issue, but if you read the related case law, there have been several times that GA courts have have ruled that parking lotes of off limits places are off limits.

I'm in agreement with you. I am only pointing out that the same limitations apply to those carrying in their motor vehicles pursuant to the Peaceable Journey Statute. Such parties have the same and even greater limitations than those with licensed carry. While the statute states that the provisions will be construed heavily in favor of the party possessing the firearm, there are still great concerns when it comes to school yards and public/government property. and carry into the safe zone of a school yard can only be done by those with a license (if the gun remains locked in the car) and/or others with the gun locked away in a locked compartment.

Back on topic, one shop did recommend to me that any firearm that will be kept in a car long term would benefit with the application of Gun Butter. I have a tube of the stuff but have not used it. Has anyone here used it?

I've never heard of Gun Butter. I sit an internal lube or an exterior surface protectant?