CCW in vehicle

[drake2828]

I am trying to find a better way to store my gun in the cab of my truck. I have a new ford explorer.

I have been looking online for a box to fit under the seat, but I don't want something with a key. What is ideal is that it would have a small electronic key pad that I could activate.

My other option is maybe creating some sort of false side to the center console (on the inside) so that I can store my pistol in there. Maybe just cutting some similar looking plastic and a holster to hold it in place.

I figure if someone breaks in, they go for the easiest things to grab and likely could pry open the jockey box so locking my gun in there is not my favorite thing.

Suggestions or other ideas...

[dogman]

Some odd thoughts. First condolences on buying Ford Explorer. Second, gunfights are usually less than 7 yards and last less than 15 seconds. How long does it take to work a lock box under your seat electronic or not. how cool are you going to be trying to remember and work the combination while bullets are flying. Third, what has more knock down and fight stopping power, your Ford Explorer or any 9mm, 40S&W, 45 ACP or 454 Casull for that matter that you have locked in your vehicle.

["DoubleAction"]

drake; I'm not a big fan of storing firearms in vehicles because I've known of many to loose their firearms to thieves while doing this. Traveling to and from a workplace where firearms are prohibited outside that of a private owned vehicle, is probably the most common form of storing firearms in vehicles. Hospital parking lots, Doctor offices, Restaurants serving poured drinks, Airport parking lots, Sporting events, Concerts, Courthouses, and Government buildings are just a few more places where people might store their firearms in vehicles.
If I cannot wear my carry piece on my person, I leave it at home in my safe. Until better laws are created, which provides respect to the carry permits, I'll continue to avoid leaving my firearm in my vehicle.

For the sake of possibilites; If I did have to secure a firearm in my automobile I think I would choose to run a chain or cable ( the type used for bikes) through the trigger guard to an eye bolt mounted through the interior to the firewall. I would also take the slide and barrel with me when leaving the vehicle. Upon entering the vehicle, I would unlock the frame and put the slide assembly back on. The cable might retain the frame under the dash enough to conceal it, especially if the frame can be tucked under a piece of the vehicle's carpet or matting, where the carpet ends under the dash.

[TBT]

I prefer to have the firearm on me while in a car/truck.

[MLB]

I've done something similar to DA when I can't carry my firearm into a building. I've hid the frame and carried the slide/magazine.

I have an Explorer myself and have considered the enclosed area between the driver's feet and passenger's feet as a good location for hidden storage. I haven't acted on making it secure though.

[drake2828]

So, let me explain why I want to be able to lock my pistol away in my vehicle. First, I work as a prosecutor and don't like taking my pistol into the courthouse which is why I want a secure place to store it when I can't wear it. Second, we visit my in-laws out of state often and they are very anti-gun, anti-law enforcement and anti-me. (My wife fell really far from the tree given she is a succesful immigration attorney and not one of her 5 brothers or parents finshed high school. ) Anyways, they live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. There are lots of kids around so I can't take the gun inside in my bag and locking the truck alone is still not enough what with the uncles and cousins who are around. Also, my wife tends to take the truck to town with kiddos in it when we are there and is usually clueless where the gun is stored.

So, at this point, I am trying to decide which safe to install in my truck. I actually got rid of the explorer (my parents took it) and I bought an 07 honda ridgeline. I can either place the safe in the back under the rear drivers side seat or under the actual drivers seat. I am also looking for a console safe such as the one in the links below.

I am going to bolt the safe in wherever I put it cause if someone takes my truck I want them to at least spend a couple hours trying to get this thing open. Under either seat, it will be nicely concealed, but still accesible.

Anyone have experience with either of these safes or the company that makes them?

www.gunvault.com/handgunsafesminivaultstandard/

www.consolevault.com/auto_vault.html

[TMan]

I've seen the gunvault, but never bought one. My concern with having one in a vehicle is the heat the builds up inside the vehicle when it is parked in the sun. It can easily hit 130⁰F in a dark colored vehicle. Since the gunvault contains a computer...

Also, I would definitely not go with the mini-deluxe model because of the motion detector. That wouldn't work well in a moving vehicle.

The console vault sounds like a good idea, but since your make/model isn't listed, you would have to go with the Universal model and then you would need "The Cloak" so it isn't visible.

If you are able to take a handgun into the courtroom, I would encourage it. You are most vulnerable in the trip from your vehicle to the courtroom and back. Based on your profession, you know that there are people in this world that are not going to love you.

Concerning your in-law comments: it would probably not be a good idea to take a gun when you visit them. You might be tempted to use it. ;D

["DoubleAction"]

I agree with TMan about taking your piece into the courthouse. A man is currently on trial in Atlanta who allegedly overpowered a guard while being transported to the courthouse, took the guards weapon, entered the courthouse , and shot and killed a Judge and court reporter. On his way out, he allegedly shot and killed a deputy, allegedly shot and killed another, severely beat a newspaper reporter during an attempted hostage incident, and remained at large for several days before surrendering to police.
Convicting this guy is taking all the financial resources out of the county where his trial is taking place.Courthouses are no longer the safe havens they were once thought to be.

There is really no compromise in carrying a gun, intended for carry, in a place other than on your person. Little good will such a method of carry do one in the event it should be needed. I have faced up to the fact that we still live in a world where many still continue to rely on law enforcement for their personal protection. There are also many who deplore idea of carrying firearms on one's person. As much as I respect the rights of others to place themselves at risk, I also stand firm on exercising my own rights. If someone respects me, they must also respect my rights. If your in laws are so dead set against you, you should have a family council with your wife on this issue. You can always secure the frame in the vehicle and take the slide/barrel/magazine with you.
I'm just dead set against leaving firearms unattended in vehicles; I have known of far too many instances of guns being stolen that way.

[drake2828]

While I agree that carrying all the time is the best policy and while I am legally allowed to carry in the courtroom as most prosecutors are, my office has the policy that we will not have guns in the office or court. Apparently there was an incident several years ago that of course ruined it forever. At this point, that policy is not going to change so compromise is where I am at.

The mini gunvault (not the deluxe) is the most likely candidate because it is going to be able to fit under the front driver seat of my truck and not be exposed to anyone unless they really crank their head to look under it. It also has the key pad rather than a lock to manipulate. I have contacted the console vault people and am waiting to hear if they make or have in the works a ridgeline model. I don't think the universal in the cloak would work very well as it would look clearly out of place.

As for my father in-law, he thinks all lawyers and police are worthless (mostly because of his civil and criminal legal run-ins) and unfortunately I count as both. He is civil to me (we've said less than 100 words to each other in 7 years) but it is clear I am an outsider and my wife is too for the most part since he thinks her getting her education on her own makes her better than him. However, my wife and I both think family is important and unfortunately you don't get to pick yours. We visit only because my wife does not want to hurt her mother's feelings just becuase her dad is an a**h*le, so we keep the trips short and usually leave with my wife being the one saying it will be a long time before we return. I think my father in law was raised in a world where insulting your wife and being a racist was funny and drinking till you passout was how you got to sleep.

I have no idea what made my wife turn out so different from the rest of her family, but I thank god for it constantly.

As my sons get older, visiting there will help demonstrate that there are two ways to be a man in this world -- you either treat others and yourself with respect and honor and therefore deserve it when you have both or you don't.

Anyways... sorry for the soapboxing and preaching to the choir...thanks for the advice.

["DoubleAction"]

Drake; I had to work side by side with one a--hole who believed in nothing for which the bill of rights stood for. He did not believe in the second amendment, the right to vote, the right to trial, the right to free speech, nothing. Everytime any subject outside that of drinking beer or the job came up he got upset and threw a temper tantrum. I still managed to get along with him on his level, as I often do with many down here.
I had a father in law who liked to cheat at cards and any game he played. He once put in a pool table and after loosing so many times he had busted every cue stick in the house. I caught him in so many lies about his checkered past, I found he would had to be three times his age to have done all he had said. I learned from him that a liar has a hard time telling the same story twice.

Your father in law might seem to be a hard nut to crack but I've found many of these guys to have their own place to hide, you just have to find it. My own father claims to be the right hand of god after living most of his life as a tyrant while holding court on the receiving end of a beer bottle. I don't know of many normal people down here like Larry the Cable Guy ;D