Leaving Guns In the Car

[MachIVshooter]

Leaving a firearm in the vehicle is a personal decision, and one that should be largely based on demographics. I live in a very rural area, and work in a semi-rural location, and daytime vehicle break-ins or thefts are virtually non-existent. Sometimes during the night, little hoodlums will make there way from the city and steal. I carry my pistol on me at all times, but I also keep a Rifle in my trunk during the day. Where I work, I can keep tabs on my vehicle at virtually all times (it is visible from anywhere in the shop except the bathroom). There are also 7 other guys in the shop who would let me know if there were a problem, plus the car has a factory alarm that sounds if the door locks are disengaged without the key or remote. Why keep a rifle? Where I live, there is every chance of a wounded deer or antelope on the roadside. They may be mortaly woundde, but still have enough coherence to not allow you a point-blank shot. Here, you call it in to the sheriff's dept. and they will give you the go-ahead to put it down. I would much rather terminate a wounded deer with a .30-06 than my Compact 10mm, especially if it hobbles 30 or 40 yards out. Here in CO., you can have firearms in the vehicle at any location (only with a CCW in school parking lots), so long as they are locked in and not visible when the vehicle is unoccupied. Long guns must have an empty chamber, and it is wise to keep a long gun completely unloaded (These are DOW laws). It's also a bit of an "I'd rather have it and not need it.........." kind of thing.

 

[GRB]

What you just described maybe leaving a firearm inside a vehicle but not leaving a firearm inside an unattended vehicle. The latter is somewhat unwise in todays world.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

I have a valid concealed weapns license but it is NOT ALL INCLUSIVE...

As far as I know, if the law says you leave the gun in the car, you're supposed to leave the gun in the car :banghead: ...

But we are just arguing semantics as I ass-umed(there's that word again ) we were already talking about a LOCKED CAR which I equate the same as a LOCKED HOUSE You do your part(securing the car and firearm and take your chances. Are you suggesting that if I am going to a bar, club, party, the post office, or other Federal building that I should leave the firearm at home because I can never leave a firearm in a lcked car without being negligent ?

 

[gbran]

I carry a smal ccw gun, which as stated elsewhere, has to be left in the vehicle when entering certain prohibitted places. Can't get out of this. Once I got used to the idea, I decided I'd also have a vehicle gun, so in addition to my daily carry, I now keep a big bore revolver in the truck for more firepower if needed. I can pop a .454 Casull right thru the door and still give a carjacker a real uplifting experience.

 

[klover]

A completely loaded magazine in the mosin

but the bolt goes with me. We all know how much of a pain it is to find another bolt that headspaces properly. Lots of bang for $79.95 (thanks again Big 5).
So for SHTF, you all take time to pack a long gun into your vehicle before departure?

I guarantee the doors are always locked.

 

[JohnKSa]

gbran,

I shudder to think about letting off a .454 while you're in a vehicle... I picture bleeding from the nose and ears as the result.

 

[MikeIsaj]

Too Many Choices:

Mike, now my feelings are hurt lol....

Sorry, the sarcasm went right over my head too. My response was confrontational because I didn't realise you were being sarcastic.

My original question was just a curiosity. I've heard many on this forum talk about "car guns" and was curious about what others thought of it. I live in a free state where, just about the only limitation on my carry is a private property owners prohibition on their property. That rarely comes up because I don't ask. I've only had one person ever ask me not to carry on their property and I respect their wishes. I'm not saying it's wrong, it's just not something I am comfortable with.

 

[patfar]

There is an in-car gun safe available out there

First off, I need to disclose that I own the company that I am referring you to so there is some bias on my part for this safe. However that does not take away that it is a really great product.

Short and sweet, there are two sizes available. The safes are attached to your car using either a metal braded cable to the vehical or using pre drilled mounting holes. You place your gun in the safe and hide it under your seat. You can fit a full frame 1911 in the Large safes.

For pictures and more details go to www.center-of-mass.com


If you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected].

Thanks.

 

[ckyllo]

I picked one of these up at a local gunshow

http://aacfi.com/products/secureit.shtml

says it is airline approved, has a securing cable and padded interior.

 

[Geno]

Mike, you're right on target...no pun.

I agree with your statement about too casual. Even if I lock up my gun, and I actually tested this premise last month. I wanted too see, just how difficult is it to access, "remove" and make ready for use a pistol stored in my Ranger or Wrangler. Access to the vehicle...simple...a brick if need. If they want the vehicle or contents, they don't care about broken glass. From the time I removed my locked-up pistol to cutting the cable, loading it was only about 3 minutes away.

I destroyed 5 different locks to see which are most resistant. Bare cable locks were easy to cut even with a simple Leatherman tool. The metal shrouded cable locks required using my Craftsman wire cutters. The elongated padlock required using my Demmel tool, that took about 10 minutes. The simple fact that I learned from destroying these extra locks was that for all these years I have lived with a false sense of security with regard to leaving my firearms in a vehicle.

Where I work, car-theft, assault and even murder are not only common, they are VERY common. I can not take my firearms in to where I teach, but I have concerns of driving home unarmed at 10:00 p.m. through an area where within the past year, there have been appx. 6 murders within a 1 miles radius. So, do I leave my gun? How to lock it SECURELY? The answer...I cannot. If they want it, they can get it. Given time, opportunity and tools, there is NOTHING we can go to keep a bad guy from getting our weapons. The best we can hope for is to discourage, prevent by not leaving in the vehicle, or delay them for a half hour and pray they get caught.

It's a difficult decision!

Doc2005

 

[longtooth]

In the vehicle

I have a lock box between the seats in my truck. It is bolted to the floor. Truck or box are not gun safe secure. The box is for the occasion that I have to, & I said "have to, must, am required to" go somewhere I must disarm. For a thief after a truck who comes w/ the tools he needs to steal it, mine will not offer much of a challenge I admit. He can then get in the box latter. For the guy who wants to break a window & snatch & grab, the box would definately take way too much of his time. It is not conspicuious so the "box" is not a draw. If I lived in a place like you describe then I would be as apprehensive as you are. You are not off track & definately not missing anything. Better too cautious & never sorry than too careless & really sorry.

 

[Janitor]

I can pop a .454 Casull right thru the door

Man. That is going to be LOUD inside a truck!

 

[MikeIsaj]

I destroyed 5 different locks to see which are most resistant.

You could have just asked a locksmith. They could have given you the manufacturers ratings of the locks. Locks are rated by how long it takes to defeat them.

Don't know where you teach but, are you sure you can't carry at work? There are many false assumptions about handgun law out there. I would want to see the law that says you can't. In Pa. handguns cannot be brought on school grounds. One exception is "for other lawful purpose." When confronted with the actual law, my local Police Chief had to admit that a weapons permit, and an intent of self defense fulfills the "other lawful purpose" requirement. You would still need to deal with the blissninnies that would freak out if they saw a gun.

Another question is employee rules and school policy. It is private property and they are free to set a standard.

 

[thatguy]

This discussion has come up several times on various forums, recently. Some people are aghast at the very idea of leaving guns unattended but for me I have no choice. I can't carry in the building at work. So if I want to be armed at all I have to leave my defensive pistol locked in the car at times.

I take the mag with me and run a steel cable lock through the gun and secure it to the metal seat frame under the seat. Crook must bring big bolt cutters to take it or steal the whole car. It could happen. I wouldn't be happy about it but you do what you can.

 

[ckyllo]

The elongated padlock required using my Demmel tool, that took about 10 minutes.

most padlocks can be snapped in 5 seconds with 2 12"-14" cresent wrenches. one on the lock body one on the end loop they snap with minimal effort. the only pad locks that are harder are the ones with shrouds around them. and they can be broke easy if you can clamp on the end of the lock.

if you do plan on keeping a firearm in a car find a good unusual hiding spot. maybe some black plastic that looks like part of the car mounted under the dash. be clever!

 

[iiibdsiil]

Bolt cutters go right through the Masterlocks. I think the ones that would be the biggest pain would be the round locks like you use on a storage unit. Where there is a sleeve over most of the loop, that is part of the body.

 

[White Horseradish]

The elongated padlock required using my Demmel tool, that took about 10 minutes.

The same can be done with a pair of large bolt cutters in .5 of a second.