[jupiter7]

no offense, but I'm totally within my rights to keep a gun in the car, occupied or not. It needs to be reasonably secured as to not invite theft. I'd wager more guns are stolen from residences than vehicles. With that reasoning, I shouldn't keep a gun in my nightstand as my house could be broken into and the gun "filtered" into the criminal world.

I believe that there is a big difference between inexpensive and cheap. Im not keeping a $3k custom gun in my car but I might keep a old s&w revolver or a kel tec and be just as well protected as when I'm carrying on person. Peoples needs/wants are different, some want to be prepared at all times and some don't carry on person at all. I can't carry at work, yet while working there are 2 guns in my truck while I am, 1 when I'm not....

 

[Jaykellogg]

Any rig I would carry with is pretty much blocked when I am in the car. I drive a Nissan 350Z. I bought an ankle holster and that would be immediately available in the car. NC allows open carry, so I could pull the gun and lay it on the seat as I get in the car.

Cars aren't very secure and I would sure hate to arm someone bent on petty larceny. You would not only be giving him the gun, but the ammo too.

For gun selection, Rock Island makes a lot of inexpensive firearms I would trust my life to. Also the S&W Sigma series has stainless slide and polymer frame. Ir is available in .40 cal. Almost any stainless large frame revolver in .357 mag, .41mag, or .44 mag.

They make fanny packs designed to conceal firearms. This way you could take the gun in at night if you don't have a secure garage. when leaving the gun in the car while you are out you could lock it in the trunk where it would be a bit more secure.

If you have a revelation, share it with us, I would like to do this, but my soft top 350Z isn't secure in the pass compartment at all. I would like to have a gun close at hand more. There are a lot of places you cannot legally carry. (Banks, schools, govt buildings, events where tickets are sold, restaurants that sell alcohol, etc.) In NC the law allows business to prohibit guns. My CCW instructor's response was "what part of concealed don't you understand". He added that at worst it was a misdemeanor.

 

[doc540]

improvements coming: 20 round mag and larger golf umbrella

 

[HybridLycan]

This pretty much sums it up = Personal Responsibility. Afford your guns the same high level of protection at all times. Above and beyond that, I've never understood why anyone would want a lesser quality gun to defend themselves with while in a vehicle. If you carry a quality reliable firearm on your person, then it stands to reason that you shouldn’t want anything less to save your life while you're in your vehicle either.

What I am thinking of is more along the lines of a locking mount in the rear of my SUV for a rifle. Something hard mounted that is easy enough to get out with a key but difficult otherwise. There was a post a while back where someone here built a rig like that. Very secure yet still available. I always carry my 1911 on me, even at home. I wouldn't leave an unsecured firearm in my car for very long.

I also believe (call me paranoid) that at some point in the near future there will be an event natural or otherwise that will damage the local and state governments. It could be as simple as an earthquake on a fault line that has been inactive or a massive hurricane. In that event I would like to be prepared, even if I am in my car. The folks in Japan had little warning and many could not go back to their homes after the earthquake recently. I have a kit and ammo prepared for that kind of scenario. I want to include a firearm in it that would remain in a fixed location, a rifle in the car hard mounted and secured fits the bill well.

 

[parallax]

I'm always bewildered by people who want to leave a loaded gun in their car. It's just like people who hide loaded guns all over their house.

Personally, I think its a bad idea! Just more chances that someone will find it and steal it or use it against your or someone else, (possible a child shooting themself.)

The only loaded gun I have is the one that is strapped to my hip. The rest are locked up.

 

[doc540]

Only the pistol is unlocked.

And it's a Sigma so no thief would ever use it in a crime due to the terrible trigger.

 

[wildfire45]

generally my truck gun is my ccw which is on my body all the time, however ive been known to carry an 870 under the back seat with a sidesaddle mount full of defense loads and a box of shells beside it, its completely invisible from outside the truck if anyone could see in my windows anyway (lifted silverado) :biglaugh:

 

[WobbleZone]

I have settled on a Marlin lever action in .44 Magnum, stainless steel, as the gun that rides behind my truck seat constantly. It is stored with 10 rounds of .44 Special in the tube, empty chamber, and eight .44 Mag rounds in an ammo sleeve on the stock. It is not only for self defense, but also the occasional coyote, hog, or for the sudden, unexpected deer hunting invitations that might crop up around here. A .30-30 would serve as well, but my only .30-30 is a pristine older Winchester 94 that is just too nice for a knock-about gun.

I see no point in having a handgun as a dedicated vehicle gun, since I bring one with me every time I go to the vehicle, anyway.

I once found myself in an empty parking lot with a thug pointing a revolver at me over the top of a car at about 50 yards. He never fired and I was able to get in my truck and drive away. However, if I had been under fire and my egress had been blocked, the rfle would have been very comforting.

 

[HybridLycan]

this is what I am thinking about and is my idea of a "truck" gun. Pistols for portability its always with me. IMO a truck gun is one that takes the game up a notch when needed.

 

[US1911]

What I am thinking of is more along the lines of a locking mount in the rear of my SUV for a rifle. Something hard mounted that is easy enough to get out with a key but difficult otherwise. Very secure yet still available. I always carry my 1911 on me, even at home. I wouldn't leave an unsecured firearm in my car for very long. In that event I would like to be prepared, even if I am in my car. I want to include a firearm in it that would remain in a fixed location, a rifle in the car hard mounted and secured fits the bill well.

HybridLycan, far be it for me to criticize anyone who wants to take additional measures to responsibly protect themselves. Just know what you’re up against. We live in a society based largely on case-law, often times decided by jury’s comprised of ignorance (it only takes 1). The armed citizen is scrutinized by the general population, by LE and by the courts; so it's a risk vs. reward scenario that often times needs to be part of the equation. For me personally, even with my firearms in my safe, if I'm away from my house for any length of time, a break-in is always a concern, but I'm satisfied that the security measures I've implemented will stand up in a court of law (risk vs. reward).

If I choose to store firearms in my vehicle, then I've added another risk and need to take the proper safeguards; easier for me to just CCW on my person while I'm in my vehicle. In FL, the Castle Doctrine applies to personal vehicles too, so it stands to reason that the courts would measure your vehicle safeguards commensurate with home protection, relatively speaking of course. Whatever you decide, please do so responsibly.

 

[Professorkx]

HybridLycan, Agree. My thought of a "truck gun" is to step the fight up a notch. Since I always have my 1911 on my side, having another pistol in the vehicle doesn't make much sense for me. Since my primary driver is a cargo van customized for motorcycle racing, I am working on a concealed compartment that will store three rifles and well in excess of 1000 rounds of ammo (might even be done this weekend). I should have my .45 caliber rifle the first of next week, and even though it's in pistol caliber, I still get better range than with the 1911, and can deal with the 4" drop at 100 yards. If we need to step up to the 308 with variable scope to 25 power, then things have really gotten out of hand, but I am still prepared.

If someone breaks in, they will want my bikes, as they have the most value. All windows are blacked out, the rig is alarmed, and never very far from my location. Since weapons are concealed in the wall, there isn't going to be much time to explore with the alarm blasting away...

 

[GKC]

As I mentioned in my original post, I am not talking about leaving a gun in my vehicle 24/7. Even though I park my truck (Ford Expedition) in a locked garage at night, I don't leave valuables in it...I bring them in the house.

During the course of the day, while I or we are out and about running errands, going to dinner, etc, there are many occasions when I have to leave my gun in the car. For example, my wife is disabled, and has to go to frequent doctor's appointments, physical therapy, etc, and you cannot legally carry a gun in a hospital. Since I have an Expedition, there is no trunk...but I am thinking about either a console safe, or a lock box that I can put under a seat, chained to the seat support post. When we stop, I could transfer the gun from "accessible" to the locked storage. Then, when we get back to the car, I could move the gun back to "accessible."

I had actually given some thought to a Taurus, something like a PT111, but I don't have any confidence in Taurus products in general...I want to have the most reliable gun I can in case I need it. Maybe I am wanting to have my cake and eat it too, in that I don't want to risk losing one of my "better" guns...but I want to have the best gun I own if the time ever comes to actually use it. I would hate to have ANY gun stolen, because I just can't abide a thief in general, but to lose a gun to a thief is beyond offensive! I could live with losing a good gun to the police if I had to use it to defend myself or my wife...I'd rather be alive and minus one gun, than dead with great guns to leave to my heirs.

Still, what is that optimal truck gun? That is what I am puzzling over.

 

[WP54]

I plan on buying a Kel Tec PLR-16 within the next couple months as my truck gun. It's primary targets will be coyotes and groundhogs I see on the farm as I drive by. But if the crap ever did hit the fan, 30 rounds of 223 tucked under the back seat of my truck would be a pretty decent insurance policy.

I honestly can't think of many guns that would better serve this purpose. It's compact, powerful, everyone seems to like them (even though they're Kel Tec), and reasonably priced. It wouldn't stay in my truck over night though because it fits conveniently in a laptop case, so I could carry it into the house without looking like Rambo.

 

[HybridLycan]

HybridLycan, far be it for me to criticize anyone who wants to take additional measures to responsibly protect themselves. Just know what you’re up against. We live in a society based largely on case-law, often times decided by jury’s comprised of ignorance (it only takes 1). The armed citizen is scrutinized by the general population, by LE and by the courts; so it's a risk vs. reward scenario that often times needs to be part of the equation. For me personally, even with my firearms in my safe, if I'm away from my house for any length of time, a break-in is always a concern, but I'm satisfied that the security measures I've implemented will stand up in a court of law (risk vs. reward).

If I choose to store firearms in my vehicle, then I've added another risk and need to take the proper safeguards; easier for me to just CCW on my person while I'm in my vehicle. In FL, the Castle Doctrine applies to personal vehicles too, so it stands to reason that the courts would measure your vehicle safeguards commensurate with home protection, relatively speaking of course. Whatever you decide, please do so responsibly.

I get it. I would not risk leaving any gun in my car all of the time. Generally they go where I go. I would also ensure proper security in my SUV. I live in GA and our rights as outlined by the state are top notch. Cars are extensions of the home and civil suits can't be brought against someone in a shooting that has been ruled self-defense. As I see it many more criminals and crazies are armed, if they bring a pistol I want a rifle. My ideal set up would include a lock that covered the trigger and magazine like the one I posted. It would be concealed from plain view and would be bolted to the car.

Back to the OP, is there a reason you have to leave your gun in your car? Here in GA we can carry just about every where but schools, churches and gov't buildings. I keep my side arm with me at all times. If you have to leave your gun an under the seat box with a nice and cheap RIA 1911 is the way I would go, in fact in a month or so it will the option I use a lot when school starts and I can't carry on campus and have to leave my gun in the car while at school. I would not leave it in a console or the Glove box even though the campus is patrolled.

 

[Michael B]

You could bolt a small biometric pistol safe under the driver's seat.
It would take a little more work, but you could make a secure 1 or two gun rifle/shotgun case under a bench back seat.

 

[GKC]

Back to the OP, is there a reason you have to leave your gun in your car?

Yes, there is...as I mentioned, there are frequent occasions when we go to my wife's doctors, or the hospital for her physical therapy, and I cannot legally carry. There are some restaurants where I cannot legally carry (either their policy, or based on alcohol sales.) There are some malls that prohibit firearms. There are some movie theaters that prohibit firearms.

 

[US1911]

My ideal set up would include a lock that covered the trigger and magazine like the one I posted. It would be concealed from plain view and would be bolted to the car.

The rifle vault in your pic looks very much secure. But I do think that "WobbleZone's" Marlin lever rifle would be a better alternative and suffice for the intended purpose, while not being subjected to as much scrutiny in a court of law as the AR. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge AR fan (got a couple), but I'd rather not take the risk of defending myself (in a court of law) with it outside of my home, especially suppressed; again, risk vs. reward.

 

[ddparker]

Don't ever leave a firearm inside a vehicle unless you absolutely have to. I'm one of the most careful people out there regarding personal security and have always lived in relatively safe areas, yet I've been victimized by car prowlers no less than three times over the past 20 years. I no longer leave anything of value inside a car if I can help it. I also take offense to the notion that you can just leave a cheap gun inside your vehicle and not care if it gets stolen. As "law-abiding" gun owners we get scrutinized enough as it is, and carelessly allowing guns to be filtered into the criminal supply chain only makes us look worse.

I agree with DSK...leaving a gun in an unattended car unless absolutley
necessary is not a resonsible thing to do.

 

[Professorkx]

Yes, there is...as I mentioned, there are frequent occasions when we go to my wife's doctors, or the hospital for her physical therapy, and I cannot legally carry. There are some restaurants where I cannot legally carry (either their policy, or based on alcohol sales.) There are some malls that prohibit firearms. There are some movie theaters that prohibit firearms.

Not sure about the law in your area, but if there is a posting on private property that no weapons allowed, often the worst that will happen is you will be asked to leave...IF your gun is discovered...and someone wants to deal with asking you to leave? In most areas, it's not a crime unless you refuse to leave. If your weapon is concealed, why not carry and just leave on the remote chance your weapon is discovered and you are asked to leave?

Again, laws are different by State, so may not be an option, so just a thought.

 

[GKC]

Not sure about the law in your area, but if there is a posting on private property that no weapons allowed, often the worst that will happen is you will be asked to leave...IF your gun is discovered...and someone wants to deal with asking you to leave? In most areas, it's not a crime unless you refuse to leave. If your weapon is concealed, why not carry and just leave on the remote chance your weapon is discovered and you are asked to leave?

Again, laws are different by State, so may not be an option, so just a thought.

In Texas, it is a misdemeanor if you enter or remain in the premise, if you have notice, as well as remaining once you have been asked to leave. In a premise where alcohol is served (51% of sales), it is a felony. You also can't carry in schools and churches.

Personally, I'd rather not knowingly violate the law...I think that is part of being responsible (my personal opinion, not a comment on anyone else.) I'd rather not patronize businesses that prohibit firearms, but that isn't always possible or practical. Heck, even a couple of my local gun shops prohibit loaded guns and/or magazines!