Vehicle Carry

[TN_Hiker]

I can't carry at work and I don't keep a firearm in the car when I work. I have many reasons to be hesitant.... but this morning there was an incident that got me thinking.

I left work enjoying the beautiful morning and decided to fill the Jeep with gas. I get to the gas station and start filling up when I hear the sound of a gunshot. In all of about a second my brain is going from fear, dread, to a mild sense of relief as I remember that there's a pawn shop a short ways away in the direction of the shot. Probably just someone test firing a gun around back I think. Seconds turn to minutes, gas continues to fill the tank, the world keeps on spinning, and everything seems OK. Except for me left with the thought of "what if".

What if it were instead a botched attempted robbery and I'm stuck as the goober who left his firearm at home? Could end poorly for me or others.

Do you guys keep a firearm in your vehicle? If so, what's your method for access/concealment?

[robbiev]

I don't "keep" a firearm in my vehicle, but I wear a gun everywhere I go so I always have a gun with me.

[DaveS]

I don't keep one in my vehicle.....it's kept ON ME!

Dave

[JayC]

I can't carry at work and I don't keep a firearm in the car when I work. I have many reasons to be hesitant.... but this morning there was an incident that got me thinking.

I left work enjoying the beautiful morning and decided to fill the Jeep with gas. I get to the gas station and start filling up when I hear the sound of a gunshot. In all of about a second my brain is going from fear, dread, to a mild sense of relief as I remember that there's a pawn shop a short ways away in the direction of the shot. Probably just someone test firing a gun around back I think. Seconds turn to minutes, gas continues to fill the tank, the world keeps on spinning, and everything seems OK. Except for me left with the thought of "what if".

What if it were instead a botched attempted robbery and I'm stuck as the goober who left his firearm at home? Could end poorly for me or others.

Do you guys keep a firearm in your vehicle? If so, what's your method for access/concealment?

There are a number of good inexpensive vehicle gun safes... it's better than nothing... I guess... only time I use mine is when I have to enter a 'kill me zone'.

[Guest 270win]

I don't prefer to leave a gun in my car. If I do, I am in a fairly safe area where I am not worried about vehicle break ins. In Memphis, I never leave a gun in my car because car break ins are bad. I keep my gun on me.

Have you looked into a really small gun to keep on you? That is the best and safest approach. I'd rather have an NAA 22 revolver on me than a gun left in my car. People will never know about it.

[williamsburg]

I don't prefer to leave a gun in my car.

This is something I am not fond of doing. Unless I cannot take it somewhere that I would have to stop at.

Have you looked into a really small gun to keep on you? People will never know about it.

A few months ago there was some conflicts going on where I worked at and I carried my BodyGuard 380 with no problems. Nobody knew I did other than me and my wife. After the drama settled down I told my boss that I had. Turns out that he did the same with his LCP.

But ultimately I would rather bend the rules a little bit for my safety. I mean after all I am the one who is responsible for my own safety. If you can't carry at work there are alternatives. Depending on your vehicle and locking compartments or concealment. CC is your friend and usually your best kept secret.

Just my $.02

[chipperi]

I usually wear my gun everywhere. If I go into a carry no no place I have a lock box in my truck. The only exception is when I am on campus for classes. cant even have it your car there. I attend NorthEastState and a month or so ago a teacher ratted out someone for having a gun in his car. Security locked his butt up and handed him over to Sullivan County. I make no secret that I have a carry permit. I can't wait until security wants to search my truck, and they open that safe and its empty. I'm just going to stand there and say "Now don't you feel stupid? "

[kwe45919]

I have one on me at all times....however, there is a "spare" in the glove box. There have been a time or two when I all but completely forgot my gun and was thankfull I had a "spare" in the glove box. I'm not saying go buy a $1k 1911 and stick in there but something inexpensive could be worth it. A Kel-tec maybe or the likes of a Bersa. Sure, if someone breaks into your car, they now have a gun...unless you lock it in a lockbox in your vehicle of which some people do. I'm also not saying to keep it in there all the time as that is just as stupid...

There are pro's and con's......still think it's better to have one than to not. Besides, there has never been a vehicle broken into at my work so I have to issues with keeping one in my car while at work...your work may vary but not many people have their cars broken into at work.

[ShamGlock]

^{How do you secure the lockbox in the vehicle?}

[Clod Stomper]

I have a lockbox that included a steel cable. It can also be screwed to the floor or whatever else.

Will

[williamsburg]

You could get something like this and run the cable around your seat frame or I would think you could mount it some how

http://www.amazon.com/GunVault-NV300-NanoVault-Combination-Lock/dp/B003841ZBS/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1339125748&sr=1-1-catcorr

[ShamGlock]

Interesting. I carry to and from work everyday but I can't carry at work. I may be in 6 or 7 different facilities daily and some places are fairly restrictive. I have been looking around for a more secure way to store my gun while I'm working.

[DaveTN]

I have a gun in my car. My vehicle is locked at all times. If a criminal breaks into my car I would rather they steal my gun than my laptop. I’ve taken reasonable precautions to secure it; I see no reason to add a safe to my car.

But I don’t drive to any facilities where guns are banned.

[wcsc12]

I can't carry at work and I don't keep a firearm in the car when I work. I have many reasons to be hesitant.... but this morning there was an incident that got me thinking.

I left work enjoying the beautiful morning and decided to fill the Jeep with gas. I get to the gas station and start filling up when I hear the sound of a gunshot. In all of about a second my brain is going from fear, dread, to a mild sense of relief as I remember that there's a pawn shop a short ways away in the direction of the shot. Probably just someone test firing a gun around back I think. Seconds turn to minutes, gas continues to fill the tank, the world keeps on spinning, and everything seems OK. Except for me left with the thought of "what if".

What if it were instead a botched attempted robbery and I'm stuck as the goober who left his firearm at home? Could end poorly for me or others.

Do you guys keep a firearm in your vehicle? If so, what's your method for access/concealment?

Unfortunately, I can't keep my firearm in my vehicle but on the days that I'm off, I carry it with me everywhere I go.

[tnhawk]

I prefer to keep my pistol with me, but use a lockbox for the places where I can't carry.

[Patton]

If I were you guys that can't carry at work I would have a LCP velcrowed under the dash or clipped up under the seat. Regardless I would have a deeply stashed firearm somewhere.

[hornett22]

I always have a gun but I,m self employed. When I wasn't still had one on me in the car. Just because it's a law doesn't mean it's right and my life is worth more than political correctness,someone elses ego,or their emotions.

[TN_Hiker]

Thanks for the opinions guys. I still don't think I'll be carrying at work. Working in a retail environment one slip up would be the end. I'll definitely be looking into some of the options for the vehicle though.

[Chucktshoes]

Spank, I too work retail and have employers rules in place to prevent carrying of a firearm on company property. A LCP in a pocket holster and keeping my mouth shut about it is my preferred solution. If things go south, I can find a new job, my family doesn't find me so easily replaceable.

[TN_Hiker]

I did honestly play with the idea of possibly ankle carry and maybe getting an LCP. It feels whole lot lighter than the P238. I didn't think pocket carry would be for me, since I have my EDC items and work items shoved in there.

[jeepbus]

The way I look at it it's not anybodys buisness where I keep my weapon if any at all. I prefer to keep the public guess'n!

[JPS]

I'm working in a (government) facility that does not allow any weapons, and don't worry about incidents once I'm at work since it's pretty secure. Of course, the rules also state that I can't even keep a weapon locked in a lockbox secured with a steel cable to the frame under the left side of my rear seat completely out of sight for the commute to and from work, so I don't.

[Guest Inertia]

I have a safe in my truck cable locked to the seat frame. Typically it's never used because I always have my gun with me and avoide places that I can not carry. But just for piece of mind.

[chipperi]

This whole topic would be moot if Ramsey hadn't stalled the vote on the vehicle carry bill. I live in his home district...one less vote.

[zapfbroad]

To the OP I've worked retail that had no weapons policy in store & on premises. I've also seen new district managers come into stores & term 10-15+ yr managers/supervisors for 'performance/store conditions'. Which actually means they gave into the pressure from their boss to cut payroll and the quickest way after cutting hours is churning high rate management/cashiers. We had a mgr meeting once where the admin asst of the dm prepared a big binder (bout 125pgs) for each mgr. She accidentally included the emp id/payrate/# of vac weeks allocated for every full time emp in each store in the district. The admin asst was only supposed to include this set of pages in dm binder for after meeting reviews. Admin asst was fired within 1 month. Incidentally, it was like clockwork over the next 3 years that those highest paid mgrs/supervisors were termed as well. Two mgrs did file suit and received settlement. The point is retail CHAIN companies don't care about you one iota. You're just a numerical expense. If the shtf in the pipeline or new upper mgrs roll through you are the scapegoat. You have a greater likelihood of being afforded dignity & consideration with an independent pfft if you can find one that can afford to pay you though ;(

All that being said trying for deep concealment & doing planograms or stocking shelves can be a very bad idea. The choice to try to carry in that environment is fraught with a very high risk of discovery. It depends on the exact nature of your position and the amount of physical contortion you are doing that might reveal your policy breach.

There isn't a retail job I could have where I would pay attention to any policy about having it in your vehicle. I would recommend a vehicle safe with locking cable & numeric keypad. Biometric is awesome for at home sure. with a keypad you can't remember the combination to show the LP guy the contents, you'll probably be fired sure, only pg 87 of all the small print you probably agreed in your hire paperwork to comply with personal and vehicle inspections. you do have some legal grey area regarding being forced to input the combination etc (whole side issue there).

Really though, if you got fired from your retail job how hard would it be to get another retail job? Easier than being reborn from a carjacking two miles from work on the way home because your retail job made you work until the store closed at 10pm & you are there another 30 min on a friday night?