Responsible gun owners know the importance of keeping their firearms safe at all times. If you’re leaving it at home, it should have its own storage that the kids cannot access. If you’re going to bring it out with you, it’s very essential to have a car gun safe.

There are instances where you’ll have to leave your gun in your car so you need to have a storage space specifically made for your firearm so it won’t be stolen. If you’re in doubt, we will explain the importance of having one on your car, how to use it properly, and how to choose the best one in the market.

The Benefits of Having a Car Gun Safe

While it’s more convenient to just put your gun in your bag or place it in the compartments near the driver’s seat, it’s not perfectly secure. If you still think that buying a gun safe for your vehicle is not worth it, check out some of the positive aspects of having one.

1. Protects your Gun in the Vehicle

The purpose of having your gun with you at all times is for self-protection. The world is unsafe and you might encounter a few scenarios where the need to use it would present itself. However, it’s not always possible to bring it with you. Sometimes, you’ll have to leave it in your car because the establishment doesn’t allow firearms.

Most cars have poor security so you need to have a safety box where your guns won’t be stolen. You can go out and do what you need to do without being worried about the firearm in your car.

2. Small in Size

There are two types of car gun safes that you can get:

• Portable: Most of the gun safes for vehicles can be brought in and out of the car. These storage spaces are extremely versatile that you can even use them inside your house. If you bring it to your car, it is very easy to conceal because of its size. You can keep it under your seat or you can hide it in the compartment. It usually comes with anchoring to keep it safe from thieves.
• Fixed: Take note that there are models that are installed directly in your car. It means that you won’t be able to bring them out unless you completely remove them from the vehicle. This kind of storage provides the ultimate protection since burglars cannot carry them away. They would need to open the box and take the gun out, which would take a long time.

3. Faster Access

One of the most important things to remember when bringing a gun in your car is to make sure that you can access it immediately when needed. If someone tries to barge inside your car, getting the gun from the compartment or in your bag can easily alert the other party.

With gun storage, you can access your gun without anyone noticing. They are usually equipped with a fingerprint scanner so you just need to put your fingers and the vault will open automatically. You can place them on the side of your seat so no one would notice it.

4. Prevent Kids from Accessing your Gun

Kids are playful and they check almost anything that interests them. If you only place your firearms in the compartment or anywhere in your car that you can reach, your children may accidentally access them.

Accidents like this can happen when all of you are inside the car. If you plan to bring a gun with you, be sure to have a safety box protected by a password or biometric.

Traveling with a Gun Safe

If you’re planning a road trip, protection is one of the most important things that you need to consider. Bringing your gun with you is a must so you can protect yourself and your family in case of danger. However, do you have any idea if it's legal to bring it to certain places? Let’s find out how you can travel with firearms on your vehicle.

1. Know the Gun Laws of the States

Going to a different state is not as easy as you think, especially if you have a gun with you. Every state has a very specific set of rules about carrying guns. It’s best if you do your research on the state where you plan to go and check their laws to make sure that you are not carrying your guns illegally.

Remember that even if you have a gun safe in your vehicle, there’s a chance that police officers will check everything inside. To avoid any legal problems, read about the laws and make sure that you follow them.

2. Understanding your Concealed Carry Permit

Remember that every state has different laws when it comes to your concealed carry permit. They may or may not honor the permit that you’re carrying so you should do your research early on. If you’re traveling to New York, Delaware, and California, they have very strict laws about concealed carry.

However, even if a specific state does not recognize the permit you’re carrying, they will not easily apprehend you. As long as the gun is unloaded and it is locked and stored in a gun safe, you won’t have to deal with legal issues. The ammunition should be separate as well and it’s in a location that is inaccessible to the passengers.

3. Keep it Beyond the Reach of Children

If you have kids with you while traveling, make sure that the gun safe is beyond their reach. You can place it at the side of your seat. You can put it near the brakes as well. A lot of accidents can happen if your safe is accessible to your family members.

4. Always Check the Lock

One of the mistakes that most gun owners make is they always forget to lock the safe. This is very dangerous as it may harm or injure your family members, especially the kids. It’s important to keep them away from the reach of children, but you should also make sure that they are always locked.

5. Don’t Bring Out your Gun Unless It’s Necessary

Most people brag about having a gun, but this is not something that you should do for safety purposes. It’s better if no one knew that you had a firearm in your car. There is a permit for concealed carry, but if you hold it and show it to the public, you need to have a legitimate license.

Your gun is used for protection and not to intimidate other people. If you’re not in immediate danger, it’s better not to use the gun at all.

6. The Ammunition Should Be Stored in a Different Box

You cannot put the ammunition and the gun inside the safe. It is usually very small and can only accommodate a single firearm so putting the Ammos inside will not be a smart thing. Keep in mind that you are doing this for safety purposes as well and to prevent legal charges if the authorities search your car.

How to Choose the Best Storage for your Guns

Just like buying your very first gun, getting your first car gun safe should be done meticulously as well. These safety boxes offer protection to make sure that your firearms will not be stolen or damaged while you’re driving. We listed down a few simple tips on how you can choose the best car safe for your gun.

1. Size

Before you buy a safety box for your vehicle, you need to know what size you’re going to buy. There are a few questions that you need to answer if you want to choose the right size:

• What type of gun are you going to keep? – You need to consider the size of your firearm before you can buy a safe. It should fit perfectly in the storage space and it should not move around too much when placed inside.
• How big is your car? – Even if you want to buy a safe intended for bigger guns, it doesn’t mean that you can just get one without looking at the size of your car. Well, bigger cars can accommodate bigger safety boxes.
• Where are you planning to put the safe? – You need to figure out where you’ll install the storage box. Do you plan to put it in the compartment? On the side or under your seat? This will also help you determine the size of safe that you need. Check the internal dimension of the safe and the space where you plan to install it.

2. Weight

Weight is not really an issue, but it would depend on how you plan to use the safe. If you don’t mind leaving it inside your car, then you won’t care if the item is too heavy. However, if you want to bring it out of your vehicle, make sure that you only buy storage that is very light.

You can find a wide range of items that are both light and sturdy. They are usually more expensive, but it’s totally worth it if you want to carry the safe with you when you go out.

3. Look for Anti-Theft Features

One of the things that you need to consider when buying a safe for your gun is its anti-theft features. A normal safe can prevent your children from opening it without your consent. However, these storage spaces are susceptible to burglary. The thief can easily break it and get the gun. If you buy cheap storage, you can expect that the thief can remove it from your car and take the box itself.

A high-quality safe comes with a toughened steel outer casing. This will prevent the thief from breaking the outer case of the storage. It should come with concealed hinges as well, which will make it hard for thieves to open it. The interior security brackets and anti-pry bars should also be considered since most of these thieves will use force to open the gun storage.

4. Anchoring

You need to look for a gun safe with a high-quality anchor. Some of you might choose the storage that is usually attached to the vehicle itself, but it’s not always the best choice. This is true if you don’t want to make any modifications to your car.

Look for a safety box that comes with steel security cables. They are extremely durable and they will not easily get damaged. You can look for items with cables included or you can buy them separately. The cheaper models have steel anchors as well, but they are not too sturdy and can easily be snapped by burglars.

5. Lock Type

The locking mechanism is the most important part of the safe. You need to be very meticulous on the lock that you want for your storage space as it would serve as the primary defense against burglars.

So, what are the locks that you can choose from?

• Keyed Locks: This is the traditional locking mechanism used by old safes. Just like traditional storage, you just need to use the key included to open and lock the safety box. It’s still a good choice, but if you need faster access to your gun, there are other options available.
• Password Lock: In this kind of locking mechanism, you will need to input a series of numbers to open the box. This is faster compared with keyed locks since you won’t need to bring a key to open your storage. You only need to remember the password combination. However, this is also the downside of this particular locking mechanism. If you forgot the combination, you will have a hard time opening it.
• Biometric: This is the fastest way to access your gun safely. You just need to record your fingerprints and it will easily recognize you. If you need to access your gun for emergency purposes, put your finger on the biometric scanner and the box will automatically open.
• Combination: This is the type of locking mechanism that you can get from high-end safes. They come with passwords and biometric locks. It means that you can either input the password or use the biometric to open the box just like a mobile phone.

6. Price

The price of the safe will determine its quality. This is a fact so if you need the ultimate protection for your guns, you need to be ready to spend. You can find cheap models on the market worth a few hundred dollars. Are you willing to put your gun inside and let this inexpensive and low-quality storage hold it?

Your gun is very expensive as well so you need to make sure that it is kept in a high-quality safe. It’s not only for the protection of your gun but also to protect your family.

How to Install a Car Gun Safe

Once you’ve decided to get a gun safe for your car, the next step is to know how to install it. As we’ve mentioned before, there are two types of safes that you can use so read on to know how to install both of these storage spaces.

1. Install by Cable

This is the most straightforward method to install a gun safe.

• Bring out the cable from the storage space. It is usually attached to the safe so there won’t be any problems. There are some models that would require you to connect it to the storage space. It's best to read the instruction manual to know how it works.
• Once you’ve seen the cable, the next step is to go to your car and start searching for a place where you can install it. Don’t worry because nothing will be damaged on your car.
• After picking the location where you will install it, the last step is to lock the storage in place. You only need to secure the cable on the bar and you’re done. You can remove it and transfer it to another location anytime you want.

2. Install Permanently

If you want to install it permanently on your car, you will need a few tools:

• Knife
• Measuring tape
• Socket wrench
• Drill
• Level
• Pencil
• Anchor kit with bolts

Once you’ve prepared all of these tools, you can now proceed to the actual installation. Here is the simple process that you can follow:

• Choose the location where you want to install the safe. It will depend on how you plan to use it. If you need the safe to be accessible anytime, especially during emergencies, it should be placed beside the driver’s seat. You can place it anywhere else if you only need storage for your firearm.
• After choosing the area, you need to draw lines on the perimeter of the safe. This will allow you to see the lines that you need to cut on the material underneath. Once you’ve placed the lines, start using your utility knife to cut them away.
• After cutting the carpeted material, the next step is to draw a line on the anchor holes. They have to be measured accurately if you want the holes to fall in place perfectly. You can check if it’s good to go by putting the safe back into the area and checking the holes.
• Now that the measurement is finished, the next steps are pretty straightforward already. To attach the safe to your car, you need to start inserting the bolts into the holes. You can use your socket wrench to secure them.

Gun Safe Maintenance

Whether it’s a home safe or a car safe, you need to make sure that it’s properly maintained so it can do its job – protect your firearms. Remember that these storage boxes deteriorate over time and they will do so at a faster rate if you will not maintain them. Here are a few tips on how you can extend the life of your storage space.

1. Clean it Once a Month

You don’t need to clean your safe regularly. At least once a month is enough. You just need to remove the accumulated dust and dirt from the outside. Make sure that you also check the inside. Use a wet and dry cloth to clean it.

If you bolt the safe in the car, you don’t have to remove it for cleaning purposes. You can just remove the gun inside and clean it.

2. Oil the Lock Bolts

The lock is the most important part of a gun safe so if it suddenly breaks or deteriorates, you will have to replace the whole item. To prevent this from happening, you need to oil the lock bolts at least once or twice a year.

Apply grease at the bottom and front part of the lock so it would operate flawlessly. Check all the moving parts that are visible to you and put grease on them as well.

3. Get the Locks Serviced

The locking mechanism will not operate continuously without any issues. You can expect that the locks will start to deteriorate over time. Even if you don’t encounter any problem, it is better to get it serviced at least once every year.

Professional locksmiths can easily find anything that can cause a problem to the locking mechanism and they can fix it as soon as possible. This will help you save a lot of money because repairs are more expensive than routine maintenance.

Conclusion

Your car gun safe is more than just a tool to protect your firearms as it is meant to protect you and your family as well. You will never be called a responsible gun owner if you leave your firearm unprotected inside your car. Your self-defense plan should always include gun storage. The peace of mind that it can offer is worth the investment.

If you need a high-quality gun safe to keep your firearms safe from burglars, there are tons of amazing brands and models to choose from. Make sure that you only consider the top brands for better safety features.