Tips To Safely Keep Guns In Your Vehicle

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

Whether we are headed out for a hunting trip or feel safer with our gun by our side, as gun owners we know that bringing a firearm on the road is not only risky it can be dangerous, especially if it gets into the hands of the wrong person.

Your responsibility and need to put safety first is what brought you here, to our blog. We own guns for the safety value and many of us would feel safer if we brought our piece out and about with us. Here are some tips on how to keep your gun, or guns, in your vehicle safely.

Get It A Home

You may have seen guns in the glove compartments of many of your favorite television and movie characters. It seems like the smartest and most convenient place to store your gun when you have it in the car. The thing is, it’s also the most obvious place for anyone who might be interested in stealing your gun.

Just like investing in good replacement tires is a good idea, purchasing a lockbox to keep your gun in while in your car is just as important. There are tons of options but, for the most part, you want that box easy to reach in a hurry and something that isn’t too complicated to open on the fly. But, you don’t want access to be too easy either.

Keep It Out Of Sight

This might seem obvious to some of our readers but we think it’s worth pointing out that leaving your gun or its box out in the open for anyone who passes by to see isn’t a great idea. Not only will you bring more attention upon yourself than expected you’ll be tempting any possible thieves to bust into your vehicle to steal it.

You may be tempted to keep the box you purchase on the floor next to you but a firearm lockbox is just as tempting to smash-and-grab robbers as a gun itself. Spend the extra money to conceal that case, which will hide your gun.

Lock It Up Before Driving Away

While it is much cooler and easier to keep your gun on your side there is no telling when you might find yourself in a no-gun zone. Avoid the annoyance and put it in the box you have before you drive away. Not only is a gun on your side uncomfortable when you drive, you are risking an accident that could be avoidable.

Know The Laws

Gun laws in the United States vary from State to State and Federal Firearm laws as well. And that just covers one country. If you are legally allowed to carry a gun in Canada can you bring it to the States or Mexico?

We get that few people are planning on driving from Canada to Mexico but that’s not the point. Know what the laws are in the areas you plan on driving with your gun. Abide by those regulations so that you will not have any problems. Prepare and be lawful like all responsible gun owners.

Have Your Paperwork Handy

When carrying your gun you should have your firearms identification card on you so you can show it to the authorities if asked. This rule is no different when you plan on bringing your gun on the road with you. Know what is expected of you as a gun owner and make sure all the documents you need are handy. The glove compartment will serve you well here.

Consider Accessibility

The trunk is a great place to store a lockbox out of plain sight but if you need your gun in a pinch it’s going to take some time to get it out of the back. So you have to consider where you want to keep your lockbox that is hidden and easy to access. Luckily, there are many options and ideas on the market.

Secure That Storage

Even if the box you purchase is bulletproof it’s not a good idea for a gun box to be bouncing around your truck while you hit the dirt roads or any highway for that matter. Guns have safety switches and all but a gun jumping around is enough to scare anyone. There are many ways to secure that lockbox out of sight of potential thieves.

Do Your Research

While we put together a few tips, when it comes to gun safety and storage there is a ton of information out there so it wouldn’t hurt to start scouring the internet for ideas. No matter what it is we want to do, odds are, there is someone who has already done it and has written about it on the internet. Like us.

Keep It A Secret

This may be one of those tips that should go without saying but it never hurts to put a little reminder out there. There is no denying that there are people in this world who we tell things to and others who we keep our secrets from. There are tons of reasons why we make these decisions but, instinctually, we know who to keep information from.

There’s no reason why everyone, or anyone for that matter, needs to know that you have a gun in your vehicle. The less they know the better off everyone is in the long run. As long as you are following the legal regulations, it’s your secret to keep.

Conclusion

Guns are not toys and should be handled with care and a sense of responsibility. This goes for when we carry our piece in our holster or when we are storing our firearm in our car. We hope these tips have been helpful. Our goal is to help gun owners get useful information like tips for reloading ammo to safe storage for your guns.