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I am going through the process to get my CHL. I travel to customer sites throughout the day & there are some sites that prohibit conceal carry. I would need to leave my handgun in my vehicle. I just dont like the idea of leaving it in the car but need to follow the rules. What are the options? Get an in car lock area that is better than the glove box? Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

I saw some nice ones cheap at Academy, then figured I never store in my car anyway. I know some here have car gun safes, I Googled car gun safe and see lots of them, I don't have one as there's almost nowhere I go that I can't carry, so I'll let others chime in.

By the way, WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Thanks for the welcome. I am looking at gun safes for my vehicle. I am curious to see what has worked well for others for a truck or min-van without a trunk.

houston2458 wrote:Thanks for the welcome. I am looking at gun safes for my vehicle. I am curious to see what has worked well for others for a truck or min-van without a trunk.

I have a Console Vault in my pickup and think it's the best thing since sliced bread. It's built like a tank & has a nice, durable, crinkle finish.

They also have a "universal" version (and a drink holder/cover for it) for vehicles that they don't make a custom one for.

I use a Nano Vault that I picked up from Academy. It has a steel cable that can be looped around the frame of the seat and slides under the seat to stay out of sight.

USA1 wrote:I use a Nano Vault that I picked up from Academy. It has a steel cable that can be looped around the frame of the seat and slides under the seat to stay out of sight.

Did the foam smell like sulfur/gasoline when it was new? Just wondering if that is normal, the scent has since faded from mine.

USA1 wrote:I use a Nano Vault that I picked up from Academy. It has a steel cable that can be looped around the frame of the seat and slides under the seat to stay out of sight.

I have one of these that I bought at Academy... I put the cable around my seat base, and the vault itself actually fits well under my oversized floor mat. The mat keeps it from rattling around, as it did when I had it under my seat. There's planty of room between my feet and the seat, I've not had any problems with the nano getting in the way while I'm getting in/out or while driving.. YMMV.

Be aware that several folks (including me) have reported a terrible chemical odor coming from the new nano. For me, I washed the foam with dish soap and water, then rinsed with fabric softener and water and the smell went away. No apparent damage caused to the foam from this washing..

If you drive a pickup, there are a bunch of options for a vault that fits in the center console...

Pawpaw wrote:

houston2458 wrote:Thanks for the welcome. I am looking at gun safes for my vehicle. I am curious to see what has worked well for others for a truck or min-van without a trunk.

I have a Console Vault in my pickup and think it's the best thing since sliced bread. It's built like a tank & has a nice, durable, crinkle finish.

They also have a "universal" version (and a drink holder/cover for it) for vehicles that they don't make a custom one for.

THIS +1

USA1 wrote:I use a Nano Vault that I picked up from Academy. It has a steel cable that can be looped around the frame of the seat and slides under the seat to stay out of sight.

+1

Lonest4r wrote:

USA1 wrote:I use a Nano Vault that I picked up from Academy. It has a steel cable that can be looped around the frame of the seat and slides under the seat to stay out of sight.

Did the foam smell like sulfur/gasoline when it was new? Just wondering if that is normal, the scent has since faded from mine.

I threw mine in the washing machine and two cycles later the smell was gone.

Thanks for the replies. What is the best option the combo lock or a key lock? I would think the combo may take longer to open or issues with opening it in the dark?

houston2458 wrote:Thanks for the replies. What is the best option the combo lock or a key lock? I would think the combo may take longer to open or issues with opening it in the dark?

Personal preference... I like keys... Already have too many combinations and passwords to remember..
Key... on ring.. done.. YMMV

Go with whatever you like the best. You'll be more likely to use it.

houston2458 wrote:Thanks for the replies. What is the best option the combo lock or a key lock? I would think the combo may take longer to open or issues with opening it in the dark?

With the key lock, I can open my console vault without looking, including in total darkness. You couldn't do that with the combo lock.

I'm looking for car safe, too. A good friend of mine has a SafeBOX. He loves it because it's bolted to his car, as opposed to flopping around at the end of a security cable. I'd have one myself, but at least three of the guns on my to-get list won't fit because they made it too short to fit a 5" barreled Sig or 1911.

Other than that, it's exactly what I want.

I use this:

Center of Mass - In-Car Safe

Ryan