Holster/? for the car

[firebirdude]

I'm thinking about keeping a gun permanently in the car. I don't always carry... and I also imagined the outcome of being car jacked or victim of road rage or anything like that. So I kicked around the idea of keeping a gun within reach of the driver's seat. Other than the glove box or the center console, any other ideas? I thought about having a holster wedged between the seat and center console too. Ideas on that?

 

[ColbyBruce]

I have wrapped ankle holsters around the steering column of several pick-up trucks.

 

[The Big D]

Guns properly belong on one's person. Myriad problems are associated with guns left unsecured in vehicles; particularly when left in the vehicle whilst it is unoccupied.

If you are contemplating carriage in a vehicle do consider on body carry. A shoulder holster works well if you spend lotsa time driving.

Be safe.

 

[russp1]

I've been thinking about this myself since getting to my OWB holster (3:30 position) would be impossible with a seat belt on. I've thought about a pocket holster between my seat and the center console; maybe with a little velcro added. Haven't had a chance to play with it yet. Also need to a way to make sure I don't forget it's there.

 

[cshoff]

A couple of quick points on storing/transporting a gun in the glove box:

1. In just about any vehicle, it takes at least a few seconds to reach across the car, pop open the glove box, access the pistol, acquire a proper firing grip, and actually bring it into action. If you find yourself in a situation in which your attacker has a hold of you and is trying to drag you out the drivers side door, or you are perhaps using your left arm to try to keep an attacker at bay, you can pretty much forget about reaching over and accessing that pistol. Worse yet is if your attacker actually enters through your passenger door before you can stop him, he is now in a better position to take control of your gun than you are.

Now I know you're thinking, "I ALWAYS have my doors locked". Well, I would say that even the most religious door locker screws up every now and then. In addition, a car jacker may walk up and smash your window in with a tire iron before you have time to react anyway. And in the worse case scenario, the car jacker will come up with the gun already pointed at your head. Do you think you'd be able to access that gun in the glove box in time to save your bacon in such a scenario?

2. The glove box is typically where we keep our insurance cards and our vehicle registration. Having the gun in there with those papers only serves to complicate traffic stops.

IMO, the gun should be immediately accessible to you when you are in the vehicle, and it should also be accessible to you if for some reason you are drug out of the vehicle. A gun in your car won't do you much good when you are lying in the street getting the stuffing kicked out of you by some thug. If you have it on your person in some kind of a holster, it's likely to stay with you in that situation.

 

[OKFC05]

Point of law on states without legal open carry, like FL, TX, and OK:
Sticking a loaded handgun in the seat with the grip sticking out is NOT considered adequately concealed.

As a practical matter, sticking a gun between the seats until it is completely concealed makes it difficult to draw.

I much prefer to keep the gun on my person.

 

[photoman]

Other than getting real creative and having a retention holster under the seat, there is no way of truly concealing a gun in a car and having it readily accessable. All other methods I've seen (steering column, in between seat and console, in door pocket, under dash, etc.) do not really conceal the gun and are not an acceptable option in my opinion.

Leaving an unlocked gun in a car is bad enough. Leaving an unlocked and unconcealed gun in a car is plain foolish.

 

[firebirdude]

Point of law on states without legal open carry, like FL, TX, and OK:

Couldn't help but notice we all live in these states.

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Back at the beginning of time, Jimmy was slim, trim,single and drove a English Sport Car. I carried a Colt Combat Commander .45acp (condition 1) between the driver's seat and the center gear shift with an old whinkled brown paper bag covering the Colt. For me this worked out great as the weapon was out of sight but instantly available.

 

[Drail]

I would never have a gun loose in a car simply because in an accident that gun can become an airborne chunk of steel that could seriously injure or kill you or a passenger. I believe it should be firmly attatched to your body at all times. I drive limousines and the best rig I have found is a simple crossdraw worn at 10:00. It is out of the way but easily accessible in and out of the car. If I have to step out of the car for even a few seconds I want my gun on me. Some parts of the city I work in can be pretty scary after dark. Leaving a gun in a car will result in it being stolen eventually. Trust me. I have had several vehicles broken into and I won't leave anything of value in a car ever again. Even locked cars doors are ridiculously easy to pick. While you might be thinking that you never go into "bad" areas the bad guys like to shop in the "good' areas if they believe they can get in and out quickly without being noticed.

 

[RufusG]

If I have a handgun in the car with me it's either on my body somewhere or stuffed between the seat and console (no holster). Both my vehicles hold it there pretty tight.

I just got one of these to secure the gun if I have to leave it in the car, and if I like it I am considering leaving a gun in there most or all of the time. It's cabled to my driver's seat frame and sits tucked in under the lip of the front seat out of the way under my legs.

Secure-It Large Long Hinge Pistol Security Box 9-1/2" x 6-1/2" x 1-3/4" Steel Black - MidwayUSA

 

[USAF385]

You mentioned intending to keep the gun in the car at all times. Do you plan to leave it in the holster? Personally, I hate leaving a loaded gun in my truck... and when I have to it's in a locked safe bolted to the frame under the passenger seat. That's for the rare occasions I'm out and have to go into places I cannot carry. I'd hate for some junkie to smash a window and stumble upon a gun that's simply hidden from sight.

When I first started to carry, I tried a few different off-body setups for driving. I didn't like any of them. Now I just reposition the holster before I buckle up. Ankle carry is great for driving, but I don't do it very often.

 

[Larry from Bend]

I think about this often. The Chevy truck I drive mostly has a locked compartment under the console that provides good security but sure isn't very handy - especially when I forget to unlock it!

I used to drive a car that had a horizontial piece of metal trim on the front of the driver's seat (near the bottom/front) that was just right for clipping a cordura IWB holster on. It was totally out of sight and I'd simply grab and gun and holster it (in the holster I was already wearing) as I was exiting the car. The IWB holster stayed clipped onto the seat -- I'm left handed and so a RH holster worked perfectly for me. I guess any driver's seat could be altered to accept a holster in this manner.

 

[silvercn]

I am agreeing with the consensus...
The firearm should be secured on your person.

However, for long trips a seat holster may be acceptable.
I never really looked into it... I CC with an IWB (crossbreed).
It works for me... but I can understand that may be uncomfortable for some.

Check this out.. it might help in your research.
Kingston Car Seat Holster — Desantis Gunhide

it can be found cheaper... but this was just the first thing I found.

 

[sheepdawg]

In my old beater 2003 Taurus my SP 101 snubbie fits perfect on the floor, handle up in a cheap Blackhawk # 9 holster between the bracket that holds the seat and the console. I can pull it and the holster stays in place. I don't leave it there when i get out, it's on me.

 

[signsrup]

Personally, I do both. Getting to a pocket or appendix carried from a driving position can be difficult. If i'm going to be driving a bunch, i'll slide a k frame in an old service holster between the seat and the console. The fit is tight enough, that the seat grabs the holster allowing the gun to be drawn.
If I get out, the gun goes in the console, and i've still got mine on my person.
I've got a contractor type console in my van, and it's very difficult to get to from the passenger side.

 

[no dash]

Back when I had my Yukon, I had a fobus holster permanantly attached inside my center console. Fobus at the time (not sure if they still do)had a rig that you could mount one of their holsters to a hard object on a swivel type thing. I carried a Para Ordnance P14 limited in there for a long time. When I got out, I would lock the console and the truck. If I was out for an extended period or when I got home, I would take the gun out with me. I had a little Beretta Jetfire in my pocket when I left the .45 in the truck. Figured the .25 would keep their heads down long enough for me to get to the truck, and then they were IN TROUBLE!

 

[chief38]

I would NEVER leave a gun in the vehicle, and if one is hidden or strapped on somewhere, you know it's going to be left there unattended! Absolutely NFG IMHO!!

While I am certainly not a cross draw holster fan, for someone who spends many hours in a vehicle, an easy on- easy off type cross draw might just be the solution.

Chief38

 

[OK Hog Shooter]

I got my CCW in OK because I very rarely travel without a gun in my suburban and wanted to be legal. I never leave a loaded firearm in it overnight - the 4006 is with me when I'm out of the 'burb. I've looked at a number of in-vehicle carry options, including on person, a secured holster of some type, and between the driver's seat and the console. A gun in the console or glove box is not very accessible to my thinking. There was a kydex thread on here a few months ago and I looked into having a kydex holster made to permanently attach somewhere near the driver's seat. As was pointed out above, in OK the firearm MUST be completely concealed. Being left handed has some complications for me, but I either have my pistol on my person or use a flat rectangle shaped gun bag fitted between my seat and console, closed but not zipped. It's completely concealed but relatively easy to access. All I have to do is pull the bag forward, reach into it and change hands. Not the best solution but it's at least a legal "carry". On person has it's drawbacks being left handed. Trying to draw while in the vehicle finds my bumping the door. Oh well....

 

[MotorCityGun]

To summarize the OP topic of in-vehicle holster, the issues are:
- Concealment
- Feasibility/Accessibility
- Pistol locked/left in vehicle
- Alternatives to holstering/concealing pistol
- CCW on person while in vehicle
- Commercial in-vehicle holster(s)
It's obvious there isn't a one-size fits all/perfect solution, similar to the plethora of holster options. It appears that personal preference and type of vehicle are the two over-riding factors. If you take into account the "what if" scenarios, factor in a heavy dose of well-thought out common sense AND (unloaded) practice, you should be able to come up with the option that works best for your unique set of cirumstances. Although, I'm not a proponent of or against commercial in-vehicle holsters; as I CCW on my person whether I'm driving or not (with the exception of "gun free zones"), here is another "commercial" in-vehicle holster source (similar to Desantis) that I came across at a local gun show. Welcome to CarSeatHolster.com

One last thing, IF I were to equip my vehicle with one of these seat holsters, I would not leave it installed on the seat in plain view whenever I left the vehicle, even though my interior is black leather.