I understand you wanted to be ready, but this is probably not a good idea. If you have an accident, or even just have to stop quickly, your handgun could end up on the floorboard, under the seat or brake pedal, or somewhere even more inaccessible. Better to keep it in your normal carry place, so you know exactly where it is and can get to it.knotquiteawake wrote:At this point my gun was out of its holster and in my lap.
Look up the 1986 FBI Miami firefight, in which agents attempted to apprehend two bank robbers. The first agents on the scene (in three cars) had placed their service weapons on the car seat in anticipation of a gunfight. However, they had to ram the suspects' vehicle to force it off the road, and at least two handguns went flying upon impact. Those agents had to use their backup snubnose .38s, when they normally carried .357s. The bad guys were armed with at least one .357 revolver, a shotgun, and a Mini-14; the FBI entered the fight with two .38 Specials, three .357s, three 9mm autos, and a shotgun. The rifle turned out to be an enormous combat multiplier. It's unclear whether the lack of firepower contributed to the heavy casualties among the FBI, but early loss of two powerful service weapons surely disrupted their efforts. Interestingly, it was an FBI agent who finally ended the fight with his S&W .357 revolver.
Wikipedia isn't always a reliable source, but I think it'll serve in this case: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_FBI_Miami_shootout