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I wouldn't recommend storing a gun in your trunk, for the reason that you gave to get out of the car to put it there. Anyone observing will know that you have a gun in your car.
If you're gonna be away from your vehicle for an extended time, especially a predictable time like work or a movie, secrecy is as important as security. Even if the thief can't manage to get the trunk safe open to steal the gun, you're still liable to find a smashed window or sprung trunk when you get back to your car.
And I can vouch for the weakness of the vault depicted in FAS1's first photo. I have that same vault, and the lower part of the latch is spot-welded on, you can flex it with your hands. The main reason I used the vault in my car is to prevent quick smash-and-grab jobs, and also to keep mischievous children and nosey friends from getting me charged with negligence. For a serious thief, it would delay them about the time it takes to grab their Leatherman.
I have a backpack now that has a holster compartment in it, if I have to go someplace where printing could cause trouble then I put the gun there (loaded or unloaded depending on circumstances). Then I carry the backpack with me. If someone wants to search the backpack I believe they need a warrant.
Around here, if you are carrying in a store that is posted and someone notices, they will simply inform you that weapons aren't allowed and tell you to leave. A lot of places have signs that are in really dumb spots and easy to miss when you're walking in.
I weigh the odds, and to me the risk of winding up with a $200 fine for carrying in a posted location is less than the chances of needing a weapon in a gun-free zone.
Of course, carrying in government buildings or schools is a different matter entirely, for the rare times when I have to go there I must rely on the Gunvault.
Ivan
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