Vehicle Carry

[The Annoyed Man]

For me, it's not about the cost of the gun. I could replace most of the pistols I have fairly easily. They're nothing that special. But I hate like heck the idea of arming a thief.

THAT's why I won't leave a gun in a car parked where the gun (or the vehicle with the gun in it) could be stolen.

I never really looked at it from the perspective of arming a thief. However, if you think about it, is anywhere really safe from a thief? I mean, there are home burglaries all the time, unless you have all of your weapons stored in a locked safe; are they safe in your home? It's just as easy to break the glass on your home as it is to break the glass on your vehicle. I guess that's just a risk that i'm willing to take to be sure that no matter where I go I have a weapon with me even while I may not be carrying on my person.

I realize that this doesn't work for everybody...... but when I was working, I was self employed and worked from home - seldom leaving except for the occasional client meeting, and even then, my wife was home. Now I'm retired, so nothing has changed. Also, I have an 850 lb safe, bolted to the floor. Sure, a safe can be defeated, but they'd have to work at it for a while......longer than they'd want to spend inside my house. I have a monitored burglar alarm system. I have a dog. Etc.

Leaving a gun in the car is MUCH riskier than keeping a gun in my house.

You've been a member since Nov of last year, so maybe you haven't seen any of these threads......but once or twice a year, a member here posts about having his gun stolen out of his vehicle, or having a friend who had a gun stolen out of his vehicle. It has happened to a friend of mine.......at church, no less......because he just never got around to actually finishing the CHL process and couldn't bring his pistol inside the building. Meanwhile, I was wearing mine on stage, at the same church......so there was no reason to not carry the gun inside other than laziness in getting his license.

I totally get the idea of having a gun in the car, but this is the world we live in, and I won't arm a thief. Not even with a long gun as a truck gun. I have several long guns that would be ideal truck guns, but I don't want them stolen. So my long truck gun is a folding 9mm carbine in a briefcase I can bring inside with me wherever I go - even if posted 30.06. But most of the time, I only have the gun I'm carrying, and it stays on my person.

[Abraham]

Many us (me for one) also use lock boxes especially designed to hold a pistol inside our vehicle (they come in different sizes) cabled to something like seat frames.

Could a thief defeat it?

Sure, but they'd have to have the right tools, time and circumstance. Just like a gun safe in one's home.

About the only time I leave my Glock in my truck is when going to a doctors visit. In days gone by, I didn't have to do that as my doctors clinic had no 30.06 sign and he'd greet me with a smile and ask: You packing?
Ah, those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end...

[jweg84]

Many us (me for one) also use lock boxes especially designed to hold a pistol inside our vehicle (they come in different sizes) cabled to something like seat frames.

Could a thief defeat it?

Sure, but they'd have to have the right tools, time and circumstance. Just like a gun safe in one's home.

About the only time I leave my Glock in my truck is when going to a doctors visit. In days gone by, I didn't have to do that as my doctors clinic had no 30.06 sign and he'd greet me with a smile and ask: You packing?
Ah, those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end...

My fear with using a lock box in my vehicle is how easy would it be to access in a time of need? What kind of gun safe do you guys recommend? I would certainly want one that's quick to get into in the event I need to get to my gun in a hurry. I truly value the opinion and recommendations of you long time CHL/LTC holders. As TAM pointed out, I've only recently joined the forum (November) and I joined just after applying for my LTC so i'm still a rookie.

I'm actually going to start a new topic for suggestions on gun safe's/lock boxes so as not to hijack this thread looking for recommendations on a truck safe.

[ninjabread]

My vehicle is old but it's still worth more than the gun inside.

[oljames3]

Many us (me for one) also use lock boxes especially designed to hold a pistol inside our vehicle (they come in different sizes) cabled to something like seat frames.

Could a thief defeat it?

Sure, but they'd have to have the right tools, time and circumstance. Just like a gun safe in one's home.

About the only time I leave my Glock in my truck is when going to a doctors visit. In days gone by, I didn't have to do that as my doctors clinic had no 30.06 sign and he'd greet me with a smile and ask: You packing?
Ah, those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end...

My fear with using a lock box in my vehicle is how easy would it be to access in a time of need? What kind of gun safe do you guys recommend? I would certainly want one that's quick to get into in the event I need to get to my gun in a hurry. I truly value the opinion and recommendations of you long time CHL/LTC holders. As TAM pointed out, I've only recently joined the forum (November) and I joined just after applying for my LTC so i'm still a rookie.

I'm actually going to start a new topic for suggestions on gun safe's/lock boxes so as not to hijack this thread looking for recommendations on a truck safe.

My pistol is on my hip when I am in my vehicle. It is easily accessible to me. I only secure it in my vehicle if I must leave it there when I am away from home. For example, if I am visiting my mother in the hospital.

[Matt78665]

I do not keep a gun overnight in my truck; I do have easy access devices I can mount my Glock on to while driving for quick aquisition

[Soccerdad1995]

I do not keep a gun overnight in my truck; I do have easy access devices I can mount my Glock on to while driving for quick aquisition

Come on now, don't tease us like that. You know a lot of here are suckers for random gun gear. Are you talking about under dash magnets and the like?

[Matt78665]

Yes under dash magnet.........sorry did not mean to tease :)

[Soccerdad1995]

Yes under dash magnet.........sorry did not mean to tease :)

I've been wanting to try out one of those, but I don't have a lot of room under the dash, and I'm also afraid that the gun (or mount) could fall if I hit a hard bump, etc.

[MeMelYup]

Yes under dash magnet.........sorry did not mean to tease :)

I've been wanting to try out one of those, but I don't have a lot of room under the dash, and I'm also afraid that the gun (or mount) could fall if I hit a hard bump, etc.

If a person doesn't drive like the Duke's of Hazard there shouldn't be that problem.

[RicoTX]

I have a spare pistol in my console safe...although it's just a hi point...has always been a truck gun...even before I had a console safe. I got the console safe to hold my carry gun if I had to disarm. I also have an AR, which is locked under the rear seat using a special lock I paid about 80 bucks for. I sometimes also carry a 22 rifle, that sits loose in the backseat.

I always figured losing the hi point was worth the risk. I never worried about a criminal getting a gun...there is a lot easier ways for criminals to steal guns that trying to guess what vehicle may have one. Also, although I am a life member of NRA, there are no stickers gun wise or otherwise on my truck.

I don't live in a big city though...not saying crime doesn't happen in smaller towns, but I worry about it less.

[Easyasmc]

Unfortunately I cannot carry my firearm except after work when I get home. My employer frowns upon firearms on the property. Hell, you cant even mistakenly have a loose round that you accidentally dropped in your vehicle from a weekend shoot. The punishment is severe and you have to go to court to plead your case. So, between the hours of 5:30 am and 3:30 pm, M-F, I am a helpless victim hahahaha!!!!!!

[Abraham]

They'd really freak out if in my back yard as it's full of spent casings of every imaginable caliber...kinda like a gun range...ah, yeah, I shoot in my back yard.

[GreenMan0352]

I always keep a Rossi .357 magnum in my glove compartment as well as extra ammo. I'm not worried about it being stolen as I live in a small town but I do keep the glove compartment locked and my vehicle locked at all times regardless of how small it is here. I use to carry a Scorpion Evo pistol under the back seat but got tired of loading it on and off the vehicle every day. I have been wanting to carry my Mossberg Shockwave but I need to see where I would store it first so I could easily access it if needed.

I keep that revolver at all times there though day or night because I paid $200 for it about 11 years ago so if it were stolen it wouldn't be as big a loss as say a Wilson Combat. Granted I would still be mad if it were stolen but the loss wouldn't be as big. For me the added security is worth it.

[GreenMan0352]

Unfortunately I cannot carry my firearm except after work when I get home. My employer frowns upon firearms on the property. heck, you cant even mistakenly have a loose round that you accidentally dropped in your vehicle from a weekend shoot. The punishment is severe and you have to go to court to plead your case. So, between the hours of 5:30 am and 3:30 pm, M-F, I am a helpless victim hahahaha!!!!!!

Where do you work? I thought employers weren't allowed to do anything concerning your personal vehicle if you have a LTC. I read it in the TX labor code section 52.061