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How To Properly Store Firearms In Your Vehicle
Properly storing firearms in your vehicle is not the most complex task, but it does require some thought and planning beforehand. There are many considerations to take into account when leaving a firearm in your vehicle.
How big is your vehicle? This will tell you how much space you have to store your firearm.
How quickly can you access the location where your firearm will be stored? You don’t want to fumble when the time comes, so you need access quickly.
Is the storage space in plain view? Criminals are more likely to break into a car if they see a safe in plain sight.
How big is the firearm you plan to store? This goes back to having the space and location to hide it from sight.
Storing a firearm largely depends on the size of the firearm. Source
There are also legalities regarding the firearm(s) you can store and potential penalties if they are stolen and used in a crime.
So, let’s dive in, and I’ll explain how to store a firearm safely and successfully in your vehicle.
Research Local Laws
Some states allow you to carry a rifle in your vehicle with no issue, and some states will throw you behind bars and throw away the key for having a pistol and ammo in the cabin. Knowing your area’s laws is imperative to ensure you don’t get caught up by the law.
For example, some states require you to store the firearm and the ammo separately. Some only allow you to have a loaded weapon in your car if you have a permit. Doing your research is essential to make sure where you fall.
These should be relatively easy to find with a quick Google search.
Once you find out which firearms you’re allowed to store and how they must be stored, this will answer a lot of your questions.
A quick Google search will answer a lot of questions. Source
Consider Your Vehicle
This goes without saying, but if you drive a big vehicle, like an SUV or truck, you’ll have more space than a sports car or sedan. SUVs have deep center consoles that can easily house a biometric safe or space under the seats to install a long safe. Some even come with safes already installed.
But those in smaller vehicles have to worry about smaller center consoles and minimal spacing.
If you have a smaller vehicle, look for spaces away from the eye and easy to get to. Under the seat or in the glove compartment are great places to start. The trunk is also a consideration if you don’t need immediate access to the firearm.
Look around, get creative, and don’t be afraid to sit in your car and imagine different scenarios of where a thief would look, where you can fit a safe, and how quickly you can access your firearm from this position.
It’s easier to store a firearm in a Tundra than a Prius. Source
Find A Safe
Safes come in many shapes and sizes, and some companies will even make you one custom for your vehicle. For example, Console Vaults makes safes for even the smallest cars that fit right into the center console.
Some safes can get right into your center console. Source
In the center console, bigger safes (like those for SUVs and trucks) can store AR-15 pistols and SBRs if you go that route. Smaller cars may have to stick with your Glocks and Sigs unless you get crafty.
A safe is the best way to store a firearm in your vehicle. The longer you can keep a thief away from it, the better.
Window Tints
This will cost you money if you don’t have some already, but window tint is a must-have for anyone who wants to hide anything in their vehicle. Thieves who can’t see inside your vehicle are far less likely to break in.
And that’s pretty much the whole point of this article: to ensure that you keep everything as hidden and out of sight as possible, right?
Tints also help you keep your eye on things while keeping your eyes off you. It’s always important to look around for danger before exiting your vehicle, and tints make it possible for you to spot issues before they spot you.
There are many benefits and very few drawbacks.
Of course, make sure that the tint isn’t so dark that you can’t see out of your vehicle at night or darker than the laws allow.
You don’t want to show what’s inside your car. Source
Get Rid of Your Stickers
I get brand pride and all, but if you’re one of those people who have a Glock and 2nd Amendment stickers all over your vehicle, then you’re making yourself a prime target for thieves.
I don’t know about you, but I’d look for a gun first in the lifted Tacoma in FDE with Sig Sauer stickers all over it. But that’s just me. And many others.
Please don’t be this person. Source
Keeping a low profile and having a car that doesn’t scream, “I HAVE A GUN IN HERE,” is paramount to successfully storing a firearm in your vehicle.
So get rid of your stickers, and don’t paint your vehicles like you have a GWOT appointment at three, and the eyes of bad guys will shift elsewhere.
Make Sure You Aren’t Screaming Tactical
Just like your vehicle, you don’t want to advertise that you have a gun, either. Not wearing an oversized Glock sweater and printing to high heaven is a great way to keep the eyes off of you and the vehicle you drive. And this goes back to stickers.
When you leave your car, you become a walking billboard. People will most likely be focused on you, and you will draw attention to yourself and your car.
And don’t be this guy. Source
I know, nobody wants to rob the guy that they know has a gun, but they might want to rob his car, and we don’t need that, my friend.
Tracking Devices
When I store my rifle in my car, I put a tracker in the case with it. A subscription-based tracker can allow you to track your firearm. If I leave any firearm in my vehicle, there is a tracker in the vehicle and in the safe where the firearm is stored.
A thief can break into your car and steal your safe, and like breadcrumbs, they will leave a trace of where they are with your firearm. What comes next is up to you, but it is better than not having any intel at all, right?
It’s worth the peace of mind. As I said, we all want to keep our prized possessions. Having a tracker lets you know where they are at all times.
Frequent Maintenance
Dust, dirt, heat, cold, and moisture all affect the life span of your firearm. Since your firearm will be exposed to many of these while in your car, inspect it often and make sure your gun cleaning schedule is on point.
Conclusion
Know the laws, know your vehicle, find a safe, reduce your vehicle’s visibility, and keep your firearm maintained. These are the keys to successfully storing your firearm in your vehicle and ensuring that a thief doesn’t break in and steal your Gucci Glock 19.
So, store your firearms responsibly, and take your time figuring it out. You’ll be fine.
And this goes without saying, but keep your vehicle locked, please.
Be good and take care.
