# Securing guns in a car



## PhotonGuy (Oct 14, 2014)

I've seen lots of discussion of methods for securing guns in the home but how about in the car? i would like to look into the possibilities of getting a gun safe installed in a car and having it not accessible by the vehicle's ignition key. Very useful for traveling with guns on the road.


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 14, 2014)

I secure my gun in the car by taking it with me when I get out.
I carry behind the right hip, so that's not terribly comfortable when I'm driving. The Jeep isn't too bad, but the Corvette...

I do have one of these under the dash in the Jeep.
In the Vette, this is not an option. Nor is there room to tuck the gun between the seat and console. My solution (which is less than ideal, but will do till something better comes up) is to place the gun between my leg and the console, pointed to the rear of the car, butt pointed up. It's convenient if I need it, and reasonably secure. 

If I do need to leave a gun in the car (extremely rare), I put it in the glove compartment or console and lock it. Then I lock the car and rely on the alarm. It's unlikely that anybody is going to break out a window and then pry their way into the glove box while the alarm is blaring.

If I did feel the need for a gun safe in the car...

There's this or this or this or this or this or this or countless others.


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## jks9199 (Oct 14, 2014)

There are a number of options on the market, ranging from simple lock boxes with chains (lock the linkage inside the box...) to complex safes hidden in the car _a la_ James Bond.  Honestly... simple options work best.  Unload it.  Secure the gun and ammo separately.  Consider field stripping it to some degree, or using a cable lock or other means to add an additional complication to loading and firing the gun.  Of course, you also have to consider why you're carrying it, and balance the need for access.  And -- don't neglect legal prep.  If you're carrying a gun hidden in your car, in way that it's easily accessible to you and is ready to fire (as opposed to secured in a gun box in the trunk), you just might find yourself under arrest for carrying a concealed weapon, depending on the specifics of the laws in your area.


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## Brian King (Oct 14, 2014)

The legalities do matter- especially when traveling between localities. Bolting or welding a safe to the vehicle can be seen differently than chaining or cabling it depending on the locality. Agree with keep it simple. If traveling - it is nice to be able to bring the whole case to the hotel room. 

Regards
Brian King


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 14, 2014)

If its bolted or welded into the trunk or back compartment I don't see why that would be a problem. As long as the weapons are unloaded. Now, traveling with loaded weapons might be a different story.


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## Rich Parsons (Oct 15, 2014)

Know your laws for your local area and state and also the federal laws for transporting a firearm. 

In my state, one can open carry. If you enter a vehicle, then it becomes concealed and unless one has a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) then one is in felony violation of a state law.


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 15, 2014)

In Colorado, open carry is legal. Concealed carry on/in property owned or controlled by you does not require a permit. Your car is owned/controlled by you, so no permit is needed.

It's also important to keep track of which states recognize my permit. Happily, most do. I find this very helpful when planning road trips.


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## jks9199 (Oct 15, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> If its bolted or welded into the trunk or back compartment I don't see why that would be a problem. As long as the weapons are unloaded. Now, traveling with loaded weapons might be a different story.



A built in compartment suggests a deep degree of planning.  Especially if it's concealed, it suggests that you might have things you want to hide, which leads to wondering why...  An obvious welded-safe advertises that there are valuables of some sort inside, making you a target.

If you're traveling a lot with your guns, you might want a permanently mounted safe.  Otherwise -- an appropriate lockbox or even simply gun locks are likely enough.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

jks9199 said:


> A built in compartment suggests a deep degree of planning.  Especially if it's concealed, it suggests that you might have things you want to hide, which leads to wondering why...  An obvious welded-safe advertises that there are valuables of some sort inside, making you a target.
> 
> If you're traveling a lot with your guns, you might want a permanently mounted safe.  Otherwise -- an appropriate lockbox or even simply gun locks are likely enough.



That's just the thing, I would want a concealed safe because I might have things to hide in my car and Im not necessarily talking about just guns but other emergency supplies which can be very valuable if the need for them arises. As it is I sometimes do drive across the country and usually I bring some guns when I go on long road trips unless Im going to a place where they're heavily regulated or prohibited such as Maryland, Washington D.C. or Canada. I do have a carry permit that is valid in most states but usually I will be passing through a few states where its not valid and so usually I just keep the guns unloaded and cased in the back compartment when Im traveling. However, as I said I want something that's more secure. There are some places such as restaurants where they don't allow you to bring in guns whether or not you've got a carry permit so I would have to leave it in the car. Also, there are some places where they valet park your car and if I were to have my car valet parked and I was keeping guns in the car because I couldn't have them on my person at the time I would want them somewhere where the person valet parking my car couldn't get to them. That would mean a locked and concealed safe. Once, when I was driving to New Orleans I had to stop at a service station in Mississippi because one of my headlights had gone out and I needed to get a new bulb installed. In the back of the car I had a backpack that had a handgun in it. It was unloaded but I didn't want to leave it in the car while it was being serviced so I took the backpack into the waiting room with me. I would not have been able to do that, however, with a rifle. As it is, I don't see how I can install and conceal a secure safe that is large enough to hold a rifle in my Toyota Prius but I do know some places where I could possibly put in a hidden locked compartment that could hold handguns although it might have to be custom made. 

And besides, the Toyota Prius does not have a trunk that can only be accessed from outside the vehicle. It does though, have an area in the back designed for transporting luggage and it does have a cargo cover in the back that fits over any luggage or bags you might put back there, so in that sense you could say that anything you store back there, if you use the cargo rack that you're concealing it.

And as I said, while it might be smart to keep your gun or guns on your person provided that you're going somewhere where that's allowed and you've got any necessary permits for doing so, there are some places where you can't bring guns and there was a big problem about all these people trying to bring their guns into a Cracker Barrel.


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## elder999 (Oct 16, 2014)

It depends, on others have said, on the state one is in. 

In California, for example, despite having a concealed carry permit, all my firearms have to be unloaded, in a locked box, and locked in the trunk in order to be "legally transported."

That said, I can and do carry in Albuquerque and the rest of New Mexico. In Albuquerque, though, where car-jackings are pretty frequent, especially for pickup trucks, what I do is secure a holster to the hose clamp I've got wrapped around the steering column.

EDIT: It appears, though, that you're interested in stashing or _secreting_ firearms in a vehicle. If it has a trunk, a locked carrying case or box should be enough-Prius hatchback notwithstanding.



PhotonGuy said:


> As it is, I don't see how I can install and conceal a secure safe that is *large enough to hold a rifle in my Toyota Prius* but I do know some places where I could possibly put in a hidden locked compartment that could hold handguns although it might have to be custom made.
> 
> .



Gotta be the funniest thing I've ever seen you post....:lfao:

Seriously, though-if you can lay down _a set of golf clubs_ back there, and you can, you can make a way to secure a rifle or shotgun.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

elder999 said:


> Seriously, though-if you can lay down _a set of golf clubs_ back there, and you can, you can make a way to secure a rifle or shotgun.



Ever seen the back of a Toyota Prius?


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## elder999 (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> Ever seen the back of a Toyota Prius?



Well, now, no, but I don't have to-I'm an engineer. 

I looked up the dimensions of the cargo space for the Prius (also called "luggage compartment" ) on line. 

You...uh...do know how to use a tape measure, dontcha? :lfao:

Unless your Prius is Gen. 2, as in those manufactured prior to and including 2008, you can fit a rifle back there....and if you can fit a rifle back there, you can do so securely

You might just get a locking rifle case, secure it to the metal of the compartment with bolts, and raise the false-bottom carpet cover to cover. Or just weld a couple of u-bolts there, and lock the firearm to that-raising the false-bottom, etc. Or you could buy something from a company called TruckVault that also makes...._*trunk* vaults_...:lfao:


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

There are federal laws covering transporting guns. Federal law trumps state, of course.



> Code of Federal Regulations Title 18 - Part I - Chapter 44 - § 926a
> § 926A. Interstate Transportation of Firearms
> Release date: 2005-08-03  Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver&#8217;s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. 18 U.S. Code Â§ 926A - Interstate transportation of firearms | LII / Legal Information Institute



So if you follow this you're legal anywhere. Makes the gun useless for defense, but it does keep you within the law.

As I read this, in a car like my Corvette, I'd have to have a gun safe of some sort in the car. There is no separate trunk. The glove box is disallowed. There are some small compartments in the rear that are intended for securing packages so they don't bounce around, but they're not lockable. I'd be legal, though, if I took this off the bedside table, locked the gun in it and put the safe in one of those compartments under the hatch.

Fortunately, my permit is valid in most of the US, so as long as I am careful to check specific local laws for whatever states we are passing through, I'm golden. The only time I ever have any potential issue is when we drive to Indiana to see the In-Laws. Anything resembling a direct route requires us to clip the southern end of IL, with their draconian (and useless) gun control laws. In all honesty, I have to admit that I do not stop at the border, unload our guns, and lock them away somewhere.


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> Ever seen the back of a _*Toyota Prius*_?



Well there's your problem...


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## elder999 (Oct 16, 2014)

Dirty Dog said:


> Well there's your problem...



I know, right? :lfao:


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## Blindside (Oct 16, 2014)

elder999 said:


> I know, right? :lfao:



Ultimate gray man vehicle.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

In the back of a Toyota Prius its easy to fit a rifle, Ive done it. Having a concealed safe for a rifle would be different. It would require some major custom work to be done.


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

Blindside said:


> Ultimate gray man vehicle.



I think there is a misspelling in your post...


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## elder999 (Oct 16, 2014)

Blindside said:


> Ultimate gray man vehicle.



Nah. The "ultimate gray man vehicle" would be one with some capability. A Nissan Altima, gray four door, with the 3.5 liter V-6, perhaps.......

*not* a granola-mobile....:lfao:


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## Blindside (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> In the back of a Toyota Prius its easy to fit a rifle, Ive done it. Having a concealed safe for a rifle would be different. It would require some major custom work to be done.



Do you have to go through the floor of the trunk to get to a spare tire or anything?  If not there are a number of trunk safes that would work.  If you are actually trying to create a hideaway safe in your trunk, then you are probably asking the really difficult.  The easiest solution would be to get a super sturdy lockable gun case and create some permanent anchors in the trunk to cable it to.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

Well, here's something.


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

Ummm... your question was about "securing" guns in a car. Is that your idea of secure? :rofl:


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

No but I do like the guy's setup. But I wouldn't want something like that myself.


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## Rich Parsons (Oct 16, 2014)

elder999 said:


> Well, now, no, but I don't have to-I'm an engineer.



What he said.  Specifications are written so people can design and plan without having a completed object in the possession. 
Being an Engineer is a good thing. I should know, as I am as well.


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## jks9199 (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> In the back of a Toyota Prius its easy to fit a rifle, Ive done it. Having a concealed safe for a rifle would be different. It would require some major custom work to be done.



So don't.  Get a decent, locking case.  Use a bike lock or similar chain lock to secure the locked gun case to a solid point in the vehicle, like attachment points for seats or anchor points for the LATCH system child seats.  Cover with a blanket so that nobody looks in the back, and decides that, with a pair of bolt cutters, they can steal your gun.  If you're traveling and staying overnight, easy to remove the gun case and put in your room.  Don't make things harder than they need to be.  (Actually, it occurs to me that you just might find that principle of wider utility...)


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> In the back of a Toyota Prius its easy to fit a rifle, Ive done it. Having a concealed safe for a rifle would be different. It would require some major custom work to be done.



The two phrases "major custom work" and "Toyota Prius" should never be used in the same sentence. 

Just buy a gun box (Pelican and Plano make excellent ones) and chain it to something. If it doesn't have a lock on it, drill a hole in it and put a padlock on it.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

So what do people have against the Toyota Prius?


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> So what do people have against the Toyota Prius?



If you don't already know, then I can only suggest you add it to the list of things you're never going to understand.


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## Blindside (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> So what do people have against the Toyota Prius?



Probably has to do something with the perceived manliness of the Prius, I am glad you are comfortable with your mascul.... er, fuel mileage.   

But there is also a reason why nobody makes a specialized gun safe for a Prius, the market isn't there, but you can get ready made custom console safes for every foreign and domestic truck, SUV, and many sedans.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

Dirty Dog said:


> If you don't already know, then I can only suggest you add it to the list of things you're never going to understand.


I can understand quite a bit if I put my mind to it.


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 16, 2014)

Blindside said:


> Probably has to do something with the perceived manliness of the Prius, I am glad you are comfortable with your mascul.... er, fuel mileage.



If anybody wants to pay more because they're insecure about a car affecting their manly image be my guest.


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 16, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> I can understand quite a bit if I put my mind to it.



:rofl:


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## PhotonGuy (Oct 17, 2014)

There's rules against making your kinds of messages.


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## jks9199 (Oct 20, 2014)

PhotonGuy said:


> There's rules against making your kinds of messages.



Which post?  If you've got a problem with a post, make use of the RTM button rather than responding in kind or complaining in the thread.  Don't RTM posts that you simply dislike, but if you feel that a post violates the rules, use the RTM button.  It really helps if you reference the specific rule you think is being violated.


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