Purpose of The Car Gun?

[flyrodr]

So I'm a typical commuter (or was; retired now). Commuted from a suburban area, 10-20 miles to downtown work area, which was a totally NPE. Often, before or after work, commute was in the dark, or I'd need to travel (overnight at times) to various places, where I'd rather have been able to carry. Options then were to leave firearm at home, leave locked in vehicle all day in public parking deck, or carry into work in briefcase and risk immediate termination (and likely other penalties) if discovered.

So my dilemma (again, retired now), to me, came to securing handgun in hidden, locked box in car during work hours, or at home. I'm thinking that's a fairly typical situation.

Tomorrow, for instance, I have a one- or two-hour meeting in a downtown NPE government building ("Please open your briefcase and step through the scanner"). Same issue: have no firearm during commute and afterward, or secure in vehicle?

Y'all still advise not leaving gun in car, in cabled, hidden, locked box? Do without?

Thanks.

[El Cid]

So I'm a typical commuter (or was; retired now). Commuted from a suburban area, 10-20 miles to downtown work area, which was a totally NPE. Often, before or after work, commute was in the dark, or I'd need to travel (overnight at times) to various places, where I'd rather have been able to carry. Options then were to leave firearm at home, leave locked in vehicle all day in public parking deck, or carry into work in briefcase and risk immediate termination (and likely other penalties) if discovered.

So my dilemma (again, retired now), to me, came to securing handgun in hidden, locked box in car during work hours, or at home. I'm thinking that's a fairly typical situation.

Tomorrow, for instance, I have a one- or two-hour meeting in a downtown NPE government building ("Please open your briefcase and step through the scanner"). Same issue: have no firearm during commute and afterward, or secure in vehicle?

Y'all still advise not leaving gun in car, in cabled, hidden, locked box? Do without?

Thanks.

Only you can decide what level of security is acceptable at the risk of losing the weapon. And I get it - was in the military for a long time and wasn't allowed to even have it in the vehicle (they did random searches at the gates). I hated it but my guns stayed home. I tried to avoid making any stops going to or from the base. Always went home first and ran any errands later with the proper equipment. It helped that I couldn't wait to get out of that uniform.

[SLG]

So I'm a typical commuter (or was; retired now). Commuted from a suburban area, 10-20 miles to downtown work area, which was a totally NPE. Often, before or after work, commute was in the dark, or I'd need to travel (overnight at times) to various places, where I'd rather have been able to carry. Options then were to leave firearm at home, leave locked in vehicle all day in public parking deck, or carry into work in briefcase and risk immediate termination (and likely other penalties) if discovered.

So my dilemma (again, retired now), to me, came to securing handgun in hidden, locked box in car during work hours, or at home. I'm thinking that's a fairly typical situation.

Tomorrow, for instance, I have a one- or two-hour meeting in a downtown NPE government building ("Please open your briefcase and step through the scanner"). Same issue: have no firearm during commute and afterward, or secure in vehicle?

Y'all still advise not leaving gun in car, in cabled, hidden, locked box? Do without?

Thanks.

Just to be clear, my post was about people who leave a gun in the car as a car gun. What you describe is quite different, assuming you put it on when you can and take it off when you have to, but the risks of it being stolen sounds about the same.

If I had to leave my gun in the car at an NPE, I would likely get a solid box installed in a discrete location, and then lock my gun in it. The way to do that, imo, is to make a quick stop just before you arrive at your destination, so that no one sees you locking things in your vehicle when you arrive. Depending on your vehicle (blacked out minivan, for instance) you may not need to do that.

[Inebriated]

So I'm a typical commuter (or was; retired now). Commuted from a suburban area, 10-20 miles to downtown work area, which was a totally NPE. Often, before or after work, commute was in the dark, or I'd need to travel (overnight at times) to various places, where I'd rather have been able to carry. Options then were to leave firearm at home, leave locked in vehicle all day in public parking deck, or carry into work in briefcase and risk immediate termination (and likely other penalties) if discovered.

So my dilemma (again, retired now), to me, came to securing handgun in hidden, locked box in car during work hours, or at home. I'm thinking that's a fairly typical situation.

Tomorrow, for instance, I have a one- or two-hour meeting in a downtown NPE government building ("Please open your briefcase and step through the scanner"). Same issue: have no firearm during commute and afterward, or secure in vehicle?

Y'all still advise not leaving gun in car, in cabled, hidden, locked box? Do without?

Thanks.

When I was going to college, it was much the same scenario. A few hours where I couldn't keep the gun on me, and a commute to and from. Since I refuse to mess with holsters and loaded guns in the car, the solution I opted for was keeping a holstered gun in a cabled and hidden lock box when parked, and mounting it to the console (had a velcro patch on the holster and the console, worked great) while driving. I avoided stops in between, but if I needed to, back in the box it went. Also worth noting, I locked it up before parking at my destination. Nothing screams "I'm hiding something valuable" like a guy clearly rummaging around under his seat with his face squished against the steering wheel.

Having stuff stolen from a vehicle is a risk no matter how well something is tethered or hidden... You can try to slow people down, but if they want it and no one stops them, they'll get it. Morally, I'm at reasonable peace with the notion of my gun being stolen and a crime happening with it. I didn't make the rules saying I can't carry somewhere, I didn't commit the crime that put the gun in someone else's hands, and I did all I could, within reason, to keep it out of someone else's hands. And financially, I couldn't really care less. It's a $700 gun, in my case. My tires are worth $800, my dash cam is worth $150, the driver's side window alone is worth $200... so I don't get wrapped up in the value of the gun being lost.

So as long as you know that it's a risk no matter what you do, I think a tethered, locked, and hidden box is fine given the circumstances.

[Joe in PNG]

One of the lessons of the Third World is that cars make lousy places to leave goods.
In the US, the chance your stuff will get yanked from your car is pretty low. Here, pretty much anything unattended in a parked car will get yanked, and there's a good chance they'll grab it from an attended car if they can.

[HCM]

So I'm a typical commuter (or was; retired now). Commuted from a suburban area, 10-20 miles to downtown work area, which was a totally NPE. Often, before or after work, commute was in the dark, or I'd need to travel (overnight at times) to various places, where I'd rather have been able to carry. Options then were to leave firearm at home, leave locked in vehicle all day in public parking deck, or carry into work in briefcase and risk immediate termination (and likely other penalties) if discovered.

So my dilemma (again, retired now), to me, came to securing handgun in hidden, locked box in car during work hours, or at home. I'm thinking that's a fairly typical situation.

Tomorrow, for instance, I have a one- or two-hour meeting in a downtown NPE government building ("Please open your briefcase and step through the scanner"). Same issue: have no firearm during commute and afterward, or secure in vehicle?

Y'all still advise not leaving gun in car, in cabled, hidden, locked box? Do without?

Thanks.

Cabled hidden lock box is the best S olution fir NPE's.

Hiding plus lock and Cable add time which most smash and grab car burglars won't have.

Not at all the same as leaving a gun unsecured in a vehicle full time.

[Mr. Goodtimes]

I don't currently have a "car gun." However, I don't have a way to secure it and after having two firearms stolen from my vehicle, I no longer leave guns unsecured in the vehicle.

Eventually I would like to have a way to secure the firearm in the vehicle as I do see some relevance in having a long gun in certain applications.

I think it's irresponsible, however, to leave firearms of any kind unsecured in a vehicle. I have no stickers or indicators of any kind on my vehicle and my truck was broken into twice on two separate occasions in two separate locations resulting in a firearm being stolen.

I see limited applications for long guns to kept in vehicles for some folks in certain situations, however, I think it's ridiculous to leave a handgun in a vehicle. It's better all around to have the gun physically on your person.




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[HCM]

Alright, the point is taken. I'll remove the car guns and try to develop a more comfortable, consistent carry scheme. My brother is a police officer and I'd rather not contribute a well-maintained and stocked firearm to the bad guys.

My compromise measure will likely be off-body carry. I know that's frowned upon as well, but frankly I simply cannot, or will not, in terms of comfort, dress around a decently sized firearm, barely even my PPS, in the suits I wear. There is also too high a risk that I'd forget it before going into a prohibited place, which happens a lot in my job. I frequently have a leather messenger bag with me, I can try to start carrying that whenever possible and keep it locked in my office or home when not. Not ideal, but not a car gun.

Just brought the PX4 and G23 back inside with me when I got home.

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That's good to hear.

I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I was waiting for Chuck Haggard to do that when he came along and told you about how one if his officers, Cpl. Jason Harwood, was killed by a POS armed with a gun stolen in a burglary.

http://www.odmp.org/officer/22176-co...eugene-harwood

[SLG]

When I was going to college, it was much the same scenario. A few hours where I couldn't keep the gun on me, and a commute to and from. Since I refuse to mess with holsters and loaded guns in the car, the solution I opted for was keeping a holstered gun in a cabled and hidden lock box when parked, and mounting it to the console (had a velcro patch on the holster and the console, worked great) while driving. I avoided stops in between, but if I needed to, back in the box it went. Also worth noting, I locked it up before parking at my destination. Nothing screams "I'm hiding something valuable" like a guy clearly rummaging around under his seat with his face squished against the steering wheel.

Having stuff stolen from a vehicle is a risk no matter how well something is tethered or hidden... You can try to slow people down, but if they want it and no one stops them, they'll get it. Morally, I'm at reasonable peace with the notion of my gun being stolen and a crime happening with it. I didn't make the rules saying I can't carry somewhere, I didn't commit the crime that put the gun in someone else's hands, and I did all I could, within reason, to keep it out of someone else's hands. And financially, I couldn't really care less. It's a $700 gun, in my case. My tires are worth $800, my dash cam is worth $150, the driver's side window alone is worth $200... so I don't get wrapped up in the value of the gun being lost.

So as long as you know that it's a risk no matter what you do, I think a tethered, locked, and hidden box is fine given the circumstances.

So you choose to risk having a gun stolen, so that you can drive around and not make stops with a gun velcro'd to your dash. Seems like a fair trade to me. Your commute must be much worse than most in America.

Not trying to be a jerk to you, but your logic is exactly why I have issues with people having car guns. Of course, college kids aren't always known for making the best decisions, and hopefully I am wiser now than when I was in college. As I assume and hope you are. (No offense to BT91. Even he will be wiser as he ages, he just has a head start on it compared to his current peers.)

Either the gun is on me, or it is at home. If I was like flyrodr and was normally carrying a gun, but might have to remove it for a period of time before I was able to put it back on, I might consider the lockbox idea. Leaving it in the car all the time, so that I can drive to and from home with a gun on my dash...not sure what else to say.

When I was in college, I carried a fixed blade on me concealed all the time, plus pepper spray. When I was not going to campus, I carried a pistol. The rest of the time it stayed locked up in my apt.

[Lester Polfus]

When I have left a gun in a car for any considerable time, like the time I unexpectedly had to get on a plane without driving home first, I leave it in a locked box that is as well attached to the vehicle as I can make it, in the trunk, or rear compartment of an SUV, hidden. In the past I've kept a lockbox in the car for other valuables that might be left in the vehicle.

Also, time and circumstances permitting, when I was a 1911 guy, I'd pull the slidestop out and stash it somewhere else in the car. You could do the same with the slide lock (not the slide release) on a Glock.

Paranoid? I took many, many theft from vehicle reports when my job was to drive a police car all day. A fair number of those involved a firearm. To be fair, it was rare for car thieves to get into the trunk (despite the trunk release lever) or really root around to find hidden stuff.

For those of you who do stash guns in the glove box, under the seat or in the center console, for goodness sake take the NRA, Moldy Labia, and Professional Baseball Logos with the guy holding a M-4 off your fucking car.