First full day of CC. & How do you secure your pistols when left in your vehicle?

Lock box. If you don't have a lot of money to spend you can get one in the 20-30 dollar range at most truck stops. I wouldn't store the crown jewels in there, but it will deter most thieves who lack time and tools.

...knowing that it was legal calmed my nerves.

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Eventually...

...knowing that it was there calmed my nerves.

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I use an under the seat mounted "safe". Has keyless entry and a paded liner. You can pick one up at any gun show for about 60-100 bucks.

Very seldom leave any guns in a vehicle and then only for a very short time (5-10 min maybe). When I do, they are out of sight and kept company by two very large dogs.

In a pinch, use a brief case. It's not great, but better than nothing. I prefer to never keep a gun in the car.

I use a lock box riveted to the rear wall of the cab behind the passenger seat of my pickup.

It's invisible from outside and easy to access from the driver's seat.

In a sedan, I'd choose an inconspicuous but easily accessible spot such as under the driver's seat.

How to secure the box itself so that it stays in its place and to keep it from being taken without limiting its accessibility too much is the main problem, IMO.

There are a lot of products out there designed for your purposes. That's kind of a "good news/bad news" situation, in a way. A lot of how well suited for your particular needs any of them might prove to be depends on how the interior of your vehicle is set up, IMO.

Another factor could be the what the recommended methods are and the relative ease of installation for a particular product, with whether you need or want to be able to switch it between different vehicles easily taken into consideration.

No matter what solution you come up with in the end, it's gonna involve some compromises. EG: Placement in the trunk of your vehicle gives you greatly increased security, but crimps the Whee! out of quick and convenient accessibility.

Having a unit that you can slide under a seat or in a console compartment is very convenient, but a whole lot less "secure", relatively speaking, particularly if it can be removed from its place without having to use tools to cut or break something first.

IIWY, I'd go surfing via Google, Ask.com or whatever and get an idea of what's out there and what the range of options might be in your price range. That'll give you the data you need to decide what looks to be the best solution for your personal needs and particular situation.

I don't leave my sidearm in the car. What sort of places in OH don't allow concealed carry? Here in WA I (openly) carried to the courthouse when renewing my CPL and let them store it.

What sort of places in OH don't allow concealed carry?

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Like many states, Ohio prohibits concealed carry in quite a number of places; bars, any restaurant serving alcohol (which is pretty much every one I go to), schools, Federal buildings, Courthouses, the Post Office, arenas & public events/concerts/gatherings where it is posted or where alcohol is served, etc, etc, etc.
As for leaving it in the vehicle. It's generally a safer bet than leaving it hanging on the restaurant door-knob.

I did notice that I was more aware of my surroundings and made sure I was following all the traffic laws.

I think many people have the same results.
Proving that an armed society is a polite society.

I'll usually have a lockable pistol box or zipper pouch. Either will have a padlock on them. Of course someone could just steal the whole thing, but I don't leave my pistol in my vehicle very often at all. I feel more comfortable with it on me.

Like many states, Ohio prohibits concealed carry in quite a number of places; bars, any restaurant serving alcohol (which is pretty much every one I go to), schools, Federal buildings, Courthouses, the Post Office, arenas & public events/concerts/gatherings where it is posted or where alcohol is served, etc, etc, etc.

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Washington is a bit different. Restaurants, whether serving alcohol or not, are OK as long as you stay out of the bar area. Taverns and bars are prohibited areas, in other words, if they ban people under 21, they ban your gun as well. Schools are OK as long as you’re only dropping a student off and not going inside. Public gatherings, whether they are serving alcohol or not, are OK, however we have a prohibition on carrying at a narrowly defined “music festival” if the festival has a certain expected attendance. Like I mentioned, while we cannot carry in the courthouse, we can carry to the courthouse and the law requires they provide secure storage while you’re there. (After all, the risk isn’t as great in your car where you can lock the door as it is going six blocks from the parking area to the courthouse door.) City, county, and state parks are OK.

I was a bit self-conscious when I first carried concealed, and took great pains to ensure it was invisible. Then I discovered that open carry is legal (without a license even) and now I’m much more relaxed when concealing. Now (weather permitting) I carry openly probably 90% of the time.

I got one of these for each vehicle:

http://shop.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=282585

As a previous poster said, don't trust the Crown Jewels to it, but a smash & grab theif would be denied an easy opportunity. They're really flat and slide under the seats. I looped the cable around the seat frame.

lock box too i bought one from wall mart and cabled it in to my car.

I drilled two holes in the glove compartment, and put through a cable lock. You have to get a little bit of a longer one though as it's easier to lock in place. I string the lock through the open slide down the mag well.

The glove box is hard plastic, and they will have a hell of a time trying to get it out in time for someone to notice.

ONLY LEAVE IN THE CAR IF YOU MUST. Not many times does this happen.

I either put it in my center console and key-lock that and then lock/alarm the car. Or i do keep the manufacturers case in my trunk and place the unloaded gun into the case, use and RAC gunlock on the weapon, then close the guncase and masterlock that, and then close and lock/alarm the trunk. Gun and case are both for the Glock 27

Any business that posts those signs is telling you that THEY will protect you while you are on their premises....

Except that they are all clueless clucks that couldn't dial 9-1-1 if their life depended on it, much less YOURS.

In my state, if someone sees your gun (which means you're not paying attention) then they can ask you to leave. If you do NOT leave, they call the cops, as you're now trespassing. If they see your gun and ask you to leave, then LEAVE.

The badguys ignore those signs. Prudent armed "good guys" should, too.

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David E has it right.

Just "lock it" on your person. I personally know of a close friend who had his firearm in the trunk of his car, while being robbed & beat down into critical condition by two men, one of them armed with a baseball bat. His car was twenty five feet away, while he was taking a beating in the side yard.

This is a person who won't hesitate to drop a hammer on ya, but this time...the gun was in the trunk.

you could always take the slide with you and leave the frame in the car.

Small town living does have it's advantages, I generally leave it in the gun rack in the back window. Occasionally with the windows down.

I used to do something similar with a S&W Model 29 .44 Mag. Would carry the S&W screwdriver in my watch pocket and when leaving the gun in a hotel room, would pull the cyl/crane assy and take it with me. This was when traveling in CA where nobody can carry concealed legally.


Paul

I hate having to secure my weapon in my vehicle that's for sure. Right now I hide it but I'm not telling where because it's not in a lock box.

I can't give away all my secrets now can I?

I am in the process of making a car mounted holster in that secret place so it doesn't slide around on the rare occasions I forget to put it back on my person.

You might want to rethink that gun safe in the trunk idea. Why? So, you're going to walk around to your trunk, lift up the lid, pull a weapon out (which can be observed by any observant felon) and lock it in the trunk? Not me...

I found a holster that straps to the seat in my car. I have the holster on the left side of the drivers seat (I'm left handed), and I just tuck the gun into the holster before exiting the car. The gun/holster can't be seen from outside the car, and my removing the weapon also can't be seen unless someone is right next to me, which I'm always watching for.

A set of handcuffs one side, to the seat frame. Choice of locking behind the trigger or infront of it.