If you are so inclined, share with us your method of securing your firearm in your vehicle. I would love to see what and why and prices if you would. Add links if possible.
The comment section is yours to propagate.
Thank you!
By Miguel.GFZ
Semi-retired like Vito Corleone before the heart attack. Consiglieri to J.Kb and AWA. I lived in a Gun Control Paradise: It sucked and got people killed. I do believe that Freedom scares the political elites.
I bought 4 lockable(key lock) cable safes from Home Depot a couple years ago on sale for $9! Each. Made by Defiant, original price was $15. Has a cable you loop thru a seat mount. My TLE II Kimber 5 inch fits along with a 10 round mag ( but, but, a 1911 only hold 7 rounds!) and 2 spare 10 round mags. It is rarely used as I rarely go into places that are gun free zones… I do NOT like electronic gun safes, key lock never has battery issues and you don’t have to remember a “code”. Home safe is me, IF wifes gran kids are coming over my stuff is locked up. Homedepot.com..
I think I’ve got the same box. I also rarely use it since I rarely have to disarm.
https://tuffyproducts.com/?s=under+seat+lockbox
The under the rear seat boxes for trucks/SUVs work great. I have not tried the front seat boxes, but they look to be of similar quality.
I’d really like to get the lid locks for the Ram 2500 but those are $100 each. Their stuff is expensive.
At least you have that option. There’s nothing for my standard cab. I’m going to have to roll my own.
On the rare occasions when I need one, I use this Hornady. Like Curby noted, I don’t care for battery operated boxes.
https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-Lock-Box-X-Large-95210/dp/B001I15HSU/ref=asc_df_B001I15HSU?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79920869208764&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583520395627903&th=1
ConsoleVault in my former pickup, and I think their competitor made the one we put in Mrs B’s SUV.
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With the power seats and HVAC ducting under the seat of my new vehicle, I need to find a good solution, as a center console safe isn’t available yet and there’s not a lot of room under the seats.
Unlike some other commenters, I rather like the electronic boxes. I use Vaultek safes. In one of them, I use a Vaultek Slider, in the other vehicle we use a Lifepod.
https://vaulteksafe.com/products/vaultek-slider-series/
https://vaulteksafe.com/lifepod-20/
here’s a cheap and simple solution from Officer Greg I’ve used:
On my last vehicle (‘11 Ford Explorer), I was looking at getting an underseat drawer/vault from Tuffy:
https://tuffyproducts.com/products/ford-front-underseat-security-drawer-2011-18-explorer-exc-limited-sport-st-w-sufficient-mounting-space/
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Due to budget constraints at the time I ended up with a GunVault Nano Vault 200 (or at least that’s the closest to what I have that they make now):
https://gunvault.com/nanovault-200/
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After the Explorer, I had an Escape and now a Ranger and the little lockbox is about all I have space for under the seat. The alternative is a Console Vault for either the console or under the back seat, but that isn’t an option for me at this point with space constraints. Especially on road trips.
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The current way I’m securing guns in my car most days is having them back at the house in a big, heavy safe that’s lagged into the slab because the job is at a facility that is a hard NPE with some serious consequences for noncompliance.
Used to have a key-locking steel security box about 10″ X 7″ bolted to the floor of the truck under the driver’s seat so you had to move the seat fully forward to access it – if you can’t see it, you don’t know it’s there, so you can’t attack it. It fit a 5″ 1911 and 2 mags fine, but a very large screwdriver or tire iron could pry it open. When I went to a USP in 45 it became a very tight squeeze, and when I added a backup gun there was no room for it. So I took a 50 cal ammo can, cut a slot in the lid and installed a 2″ wide 1/4″ thick piece of steel held to the front of the can with four 1/4-28 X 1″ grade 8 button head allen bolts with locking nuts on the inside (turn the bolt head all you want, the nuts just spin, Pro Tip – the steel needs a shallow “S” bend to it, so it requires a oxy-acetylene torch to heat it for bending). I use the extra large American (now Master brand) padlocks in several places, all keyed alike, so I used one of those through a 3/8″ hole in the 1/4″ steel and a 6 ft 5/8″ diameter plastic coated steel cable around both of the driver’s seat rear mounting brackets to secure the box to the truck and lock it closed. I lined the inside of the box with 1/8″ thick self adhesive foam padding from the hobby store. Inside the ammo can are two cloth zipper cosmetic pouches from Amazon, one for the USP and one for the backup. The mags for both just sit on the padded box floor between the pouches.
All three of my cars have a Liberty HD-50 box cable locked to the seat frame.
It works, I demonstrated that a couple of years ago.
https://gunfreezone.net/it-happened-to-me-the-value-of-a-cable-gun-box/
I seldom have to leave my sidearm in the vehicle. But when I must, It goes into the spare tire well, which I had altered to have a recessed hinged steel lid at the top of the well with two locks twenty inches apart. It’s padded on the inside and has plenty of room. I also have a Wi-Fi camera mounted inside which I access from my phone. If the car shakes, I’ll know about it. I also have a very thick cable lock I made, which can create a headache for anyone attempting to take what’s secured to it under the drivers or passenger’s seat, which is secured to the frame.
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And finally, I am in the process of acclimating my Kangal shepherd toward falling in love with anything in the vehicle. However, this time of year he’s off duty from 11a.m. – 5 p.m. for vehicle protection duty—too hot. My boy’s just ten months old now. Trained already to identify many things, such as firearms, gun powder, and gun oils. He has naturally taken to being insanely hostile toward anyone coming anywhere near the vehicle. Camera activates when he becomes …. engaged
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I believe the spare tire alteration costs me a little over $225 with locks included. At this point in K-9 training I get $5000-7000 depending on the breed (16-month trained K-9 is $10-15,000 depending on the number of commands) Camera was $375 but I believe the price went up since I bought mine.
Damn, that’ll do!
I use one of the cheap key locking boxes with a cable. I think I bought it at Bass Pro when I was still earning rewards. Thinking about replacing it with one of these because it won’t fit my larger pistols.
https://www.consolevault.com/
Stack On combination safe cabled to seat mounts behind passenger, concealed by matched carpeting. Driver can open by feel without sight. Used only for very short term while in GFZ. Cable is the weak link, but allows transfer to other vehicles. Thus not bolted to floor.
I have a under-the-rear-seat lockbox for my zombie apocalypse/ happy George Floyd Day/2020-was-only-a-warmup-game load out. THAT is only if I cannot drive around the excitement. Like, into the next county.
For my every day carry, my employer is, well, “unwelcoming” to armed citizens, let alone staff. So, my EDC sidearm goes in a console safe, secured to the floor of the vehicle.
Once I’m outside again, and off duty, well, I can again be “dressed for success”.
Tuffy was the manufacturer.