Locking Console

john1233 · January 22, 2010

Iam looking for the best way to secure a firearm in my 2004 silverado. I am considering a locking console but havent really decided. Any tips,suggestions or experiences on this subject would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

izack98 · January 22, 2010

Have a look at this site. I havent seen any trucks with them installed but they look pretty rugged.

http://www.truckstuffusa.com/consolevaults.html

You can get them for a variety of differnet manufacturers and a variety of models of GMC/Chev trucks

Good luck.

texasblueline · January 22, 2010

Let me get on my soapbox for a moment: do not regularly leave a firearm in your vehicle, or at least do not half-ass it when it comes to securing it. This should just be for those occasions when you can't carry it in the place that you're going to and need somewhere to secure the gun temporarily, not some place to keep it every night when your truck's sitting in your driveway. I just see too many handguns getting stolen from people who regularly leave them in vehicles and either barely secure them or even leave them completely unsecured in unlocked vehicles. Last thing we need is any more criminals arming themselves so easily, yet it happens daily. In fact the last night I worked this week we had some car burglars that were seen brandishing a gun while breaking into a car, and later found out that a .45 had been taken out of another unlocked car not too far away from there earlier in the night....chances are that's where the gun that was being brandished came from. Think what could have happened to some other resident if they had seen their car being broken into and had tried to confront the burglars who were likely emboldened with their newly acquired handgun.

Okay, that said, best thing I recommend is a multi-layered approach:

First, don't advertise. Don't have any stickers or decals on the truck that are firearm related (ie, "Protected by Smith & Wesson", "NRA for Life", hunting stickers, etc). It just advertises that there's a better chance for the burglar to find a gun in your truck rather than some other vehicle with no such stickers. I'm all for advocating for gun rights, but never like this when it makes your property more of a potential target.

Second, concealment. Do not secure the gun in any type of case, safe, or vault that is visible from outside the vehicle. That is another sign to a burglar that there's likely a firearm in there (since people rarely have vaults for anything else in a vehicle), and seeing it before they break in gives them the ability to do a quick survey and determine what tool they may need to go grab to defeat it. Also, if at all possible, choose a location that's not in a common storage area (glove box, center console, etc) so a burglar doesn't happen upon the safe/vault/case while looking in those areas for other things to steal. Most trucks have at least one semi-hidden area that can hold a small handgun vault. It doesn't have to be some secret compartment, just somewhere that isn't a typical location for storing things (under the front seats depending on space, the forward portion of a center console, etc).

Third, strength of the safe/vault/case. Don't rely on the factory locking console or a locking glovebox, they're plastic and can be pried open easily with a screwdriver. Go with something that's made to secure a firearm, most of them are similar quality and will offer adequate protection from a typical quick attempt at entry, although they are not going to be able to withstand an educated or prolonged attack.

Fourth, a secure mount. I've seen decent vaults mounted to the side of a plastic console with the basic mounting hardware they came with, and all it would take is a quick pry by the burglar and the vault would be free to take and work on opening later away from the vehicle. Make sure your mounting surface is adequate, or reinforce it somehow. Security cables are an option, but they can be cut. You may need to go a little above and beyond the mounting hardware that your safe/vault/case comes with in order to get a secure mount in a vehicle. Even better may be using the mounting hardware combined with a security cable depending on where you are installing it.

So, there are my recommendations. As far as specific products, something along the lines of these would probably suffice: Versa Mount Pistol Safe, Titan Gun Vault, Aries Security Lock Box, Fas1 Safe, V-Line Hide-Away Pistol Safe, Secure-It Handgun Storage Safe, Console Vault (they also have "universal" styles that you could mount elsewhere other than the console). I don't have any personal experience with any of those (the one I have is no longer being made), but they all look adequate. I'd avoid any electronic locks, especially given that this for a vehicle-mounted application and the varying temperatures it'll be put through would undoubtedly drain the batteries more quickly than normal and probably render the safe/vault/case useless one of those times when you need to unlock it.

KMGZ400 · January 22, 2010

i have kept weapons in the crack under the backseat in my 01 silvy. its a great spot.

Visegrip117 · January 22, 2010

there is 2 ways to look at this. . . number 1 . i applaud you for concern about gun safety.

number 2 . . it kinda defeats the purpose of carrying a gun for protection. .

because when you need it it will be locked away. and not easily accessible. .

im not saying a lock box is a bad idea, but be selective of the times that you lock it away.

C. Charles Hahn · January 22, 2010

there is 2 ways to look at this. . . number 1 . i applaud you for concern about gun safety.

number 2 . . it kinda defeats the purpose of carrying a gun for protection. .

because when you need it it will be locked away. and not easily accessible. .

im not saying a lock box is a bad idea, but be selective of the times that you lock it away.

As txasblueline points out, there are some times where it would be ILLEGAL to NOT lock away your firearm. In many states it is illegal to carry into a bar, school, hospital, church, or other types of facilities.

Ideally if you are planning to go into such a place you would simply leave your weapon at home, however there are times when you may need to make an unexpected trip or desire having the firearm with you for another stop you're making. Hence the need for a secure location for a firearm within one's vehicle.

Visegrip117 · January 22, 2010

there is 2 ways to look at this. . . number 1 . i applaud you for concern about gun safety.

number 2 . . it kinda defeats the purpose of carrying a gun for protection. .

because when you need it it will be locked away. and not easily accessible. .

im not saying a lock box is a bad idea, but be selective of the times that you lock it away.

As txasblueline points out, there are some times where it would be ILLEGAL to NOT lock away your firearm. In many states it is illegal to carry into a bar, school, hospital, church, or other types of facilities.

Ideally if you are planning to go into such a place you would simply leave your weapon at home, however there are times when you may need to make an unexpected trip or desire having the firearm with you for another stop you're making. Hence the need for a secure location for a firearm within one's vehicle.

Agreed!

100% correct

I have the lock box below my center console, and I have locked my pistol away for certain reasons.

Such as a carwarsh, or vallet parking etc...

I only mentioned it cause a guy I work with was car jacked, and had his wallet and all his valuables taken.

He saw the guy coming but he had his gun locked away, and guess where the key was? On the key ring in the ignition.

Thankfully he was alright, but not only did he lose his truck, his wallet, and his valuables. But also the gun he bought to protect himself and his family with.