Car carry?

[briandg]

I really don't like argument threads, but I have a question.

I only carry in my car. I have a pouch in the door that holds any pistol I own in a convenient position. I can draw and fire almost instantly, with either hand, conveniently, and the firearm remains concealed from any angle until then.

My thoughts are, why carry on my body? 99% of the time, I will have to discard the weapon before I leave the car. I don't have a compact that would fit a pocket. I don't use a shoulder holster under concealing clothing. Most importantly, I might be at a disadvantage with this piece in a less than accessible position, like an in the waistband holster, ankle holster, pocket, or even sitting on it. The only time I carry on my person, in my car, is in my leather jacket's inside breast pocket. it is just as simple as a shoulder holster, but part of my clothing, and not a foreign object.

Am I missing something here?

[chatman_55]

The only downfall I have ever had with car carry is "what if" cars get broken into and stolen all the time, with the gun on you it takes away that chance that someone happens to steal a car and get a fire arm at the same time.

[briandg]

that is true, and if we lived in an area where cars were stolen from parking lots in broad daylight, i'd worry about that scenario. If I lived in a gang ridden and dangerous community, I'd be carrying on my person, for that matter.

I never leave the gun in the car overnight, I carry it to and from the car when I leave the home.

we're just not in a terribly threatening situation. Our crime statistics are burglary, shoplifting, nonviolent stuff. If it was different, I'd move on to concealed carry, of course, right?

[oldkim]

The biggest argument I can give you is.... in a car - you can drive away. You have basically a 2 ton weapon.

99% of the time you have to discard... what?

Don't have one? Then go buy one that you can conceal.

There are only a few situations that involves a car - e.g. car jacking.

Basically you are only covering yourself for only a finite few situations where you would ever need and/or be able to use your firearm for self defense purposes. Unfortunately, life doesn't let you choose where and when things happen.

Hope you re-think the car only option. Your limiting yourself.

[Jimmy10mm]

I have a couple of carry guns to choose from that are easily concealable in my pocket and a default automobile gun. I keep a Glock 23 in the car all of the time. I don't carry with me 100% or the time but if I'm in or near the car I'm heeled.

[(BH)]

Yeah... What's with the whole discarding the gun thing?

Why would you do that? I'm confused...

[Skans]

I admit, I keep my gun in the car, more often than not. I just don't generally go walking around in areas that are known for crime. I do take my gun in every night. I park my car right in front of where I work (also very low crime area).

If I happen to be shopping at Sam's Club or some other huge parking lot retail store, I'll carry my gun with me. When I travel, I keep it in my glove box. If I'm going to an area that I'm not familiar with, or an area that can be considred "sketchy", I'll carry my gun. Or, if I'm carrying a lot of cash or valuables, I'll carry my gun.

But, many times I have less than $10 cash on me and nothing of value. I'm a good fighter and and a pretty good runner.

Some folks will say that you need to carry a gun on you at all times because there is no way to know when you are ever going to need it. And, that has some truth to it, I don't deny. But, there is a large number of folks like me, who pick and choose when they carry a gun on their person. We keep a gun in the car, which can be carried, but choose not to carry all the time. It really depends on a person's individual situation.

[briandg]

discard the gun means take it out of my pocket and leave it in the car, for various reasons, such as going past metal detectors in various buildings, visiting family, going into no gun facilities, not having concealable clothing on, and on, and on. In the real world, Non-LEO people can't carry unrestricted, so I'm not.

I know that having a gun on myself 100% of the time is the only way to know that it will be there when I need it, but logistically, that is an impossible situation. So, I am going to cover myself from road rage, and other threats that might occur either while driving, or in the immediate vicinity of my car.

When I carry a weapon, it is a fixed blade fighting knife of some sort, and they are kept sharp. I'd feel perfectly safe in a situation wherein I decapitated some poor fool who got within arms reach.

[matolman1]

Gun, on your body, in a holster at all times. Period.
You can buy a Kel-Tec .380 and slide it into your pocket, with a spare magazine in your other pocket for when you exit your vehicle. A gun on you allows you to be prepared to defend your life (or the life of someone else) at all times.

Having your gun in your car doesnt cut it. What if you have to bail out of your car? What if your car door gets smashed in by a lunatic with road rage (and your gun becomes inaccessable)?

I know...I know...You can "what if" till you turn blue. My point is that in our society, even though you live in a relatively safe area, you truly never know where the threat will come from.

Also, the point of you being in the vehicle and the vehicle itself being your best form of protection is quite valid.

Just my 2 cents worth of advice...

[MilProAkron]

Although I agree with matolman1 that the firearm should be on your person at all times, I do also see your situation. Here in Ohio there are a lot of places we aren't allowed to carry, permit or not. So I often find myself in a similar situation to yours. The solution I use is a small backpack. I have an army bookbag that I carry with me to work every day. It has my laptop, some first aid and small survival stuff, and a gun. If at all possible, the gun goes on my hip. When it can't, it stays in the bag.

Ohio is another one of those states that wanted to do the right thing and give people the right to carry, but just didn't think it through enough. They were also highly influenced by the anti-gun lobby, which is idiotic when you are passing a pro-gun legislation. Essentially, there is no real list of places you cant carry. Any person or business can simply put a sign on their door that says no concealed weapons and BINGO, its against the law for you to carry there. Really stupid. Hopefully we will keep working on it to make it a more intelligent system.

[indykappa]

i'm not quite sure i understand what you meant when you said "...in the real world"

there are people on this forum who have fought for this country in wars, protected their communties as LEOs, as well as folks who have defended themselves and friends/family/strangers...ALL IN THE REAL WORLD.

the fact of the matter is that S can HTF anytime/anywhere! you seem to think that you would only need a gun in your car, and that is your choice. but i really think you are setting yourself up for catastrophic failure by realizing the amount of time you are actually "exposed" outside of your vehicle. by your own description, you live in a super-safe area, so why would you even feel the need to carry in your car? if i am attacked while in my car, my first defense would be to use the 2 ton FMJ that i'm driving to end the threat (LOL)

if i owned more guns, i might consider leaving one in the car. but i cannot recall the last time i got in the car without a gun on my hip, so...

[markj]

Hard to get at the gun when needed if you are say 15 ft or more away unless you stay in it all day.

A gun in the truck is OK, but the truck has to stay out in the parking lot while I am in the store, gas station, bank, places where a bad guy might be....

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Dr. Gratia-Hupp had her gun in the car and watched her parents die. Thus, the TX CHL push had one of its strongest advocates.

That incident washes away all folks who only want to carry in the car.

Get training and figure out how to carry.

If your state bans carry in many places, lobby the legislature to remove such ban. If some business bans carry, get in the managers face if you can.

Write letters about it.

So if you have the gun off you in the car, you may tend to leave it there. It is also possible that in an accident related to an incident, you get separated from the gun or it goes flying. Happened in the Miami Shootout.

Thus, I'm not a fun of not having the gun on you in the car. There are ways to train to get the gun from common holsters.

[DiscoRacing]

My concern then would be that if i had to..in an emergency or by force..get from the car without having the time to draw the weapon... I could get out of the car with all others present being under the impression that I am unarmed...which I would consider an advantage at that point, that I AM in fact armed.

[Mr. James]

Keep the gun on your person as much as you possibly can within the constraints of local law. A gun in the door pocket won't do you any good when trouble comes calling.

If you're forced to "discard" your gun during the day, purchase a lock-box or small gun safe you can use to secure your weapon. You can get a lock box that is held to your seat frame with a small cable for about $30 or so. These won't discourage a determined thief, by any means, but will keep the joy-rider or smash-and-grab artist from gaining access to a loaded firearm. Or, if your firearm is unattended quite a bit, as it sounds from your original post, consider a more substantial pistol safe that can mount directly through the floor board.

ETA: Excellent points, all, Mr. Meyer.

[Straightshooter629]

The only time my daily carry weapon (Rossi 462) comes off of my hip is while I'm at work and that's only because I work in a city building and they have been posted as "no carry zones". Other than that, I either carry OWB or in a ankle rig, and I always carry two reloads. The unfortunate thing is a lot of conflicts can happen after you leave the confines of your vehicle, and now what good does the gun do you? IMHO, you make whatever sacrifices and wardrobe modifications you have to in order to make daily carry possible. In the words of Clint Smith, "carrying a handgun should not be comfortable, but carrying a handgun should be comforting". When it comes to businesses that have no carry signs posted, I take my meager business elsewhere.

[Don P]

I would have to add that state law would also play a roll as to how car carry is done. What is legal and what is not. A cross draw belt holster would be a nice close at hand car carry method.

[QuarterHorse]

I have to admit, I never thought about car carrying until I ran across a thread on another forum. Some folks have to go to the court house for work, or work at a government building preventing them to obey the law and CC. There are other places that by law you are unable to CC. In this case I totally understand and have seen pics of holsters attatched various places in vehicles that work well. Also, it's a little difficult to draw from your pocket in a hurry while your stopped in traffic (possible car jacking scenario) or other (insert scenario here). That being said, I'm looking at places in my truck and wifes car to attach a holster, via permanent, or by hook and loop tape etc...

Just some food for though.

[doc540]

my choice

I'll live with the consequences

[QuarterHorse]

Yup, I've got some ideas in my head.

Doc540 - Do you get questions asked from your dealership when you take your car into service about the empty holster in your car?

I work for an Audi and VW store and hadn't seen any roll through the shop, but thought I'd ask.

[artilum]

Doc540... I have to say that is a nice lookin' rig you got there. I've been thinking of adopting something along those lines myself. Thanks for the pictures.

Here's my two cents in regards to the original question...

Almost everyone is going to have a different answer. Some people spend a lot of time outside of their car... some don't. I, for instance, usually don't go a lot of places socially. I go to work, the store and visit family. I can't carry my gun into work and I'm not really worried about when I'm visiting family because they have their own guns should someone bust into the house or something. There are others that are much more social and go to more public places. Obviously, the more time you spend at public places outside of your car, the more often you're vulnerable if you leave your gun in your car.

My opinion... if you have a concealed handgun license, why not carry everywhere you can? I have a CHL license and even with the little bit of time I spend outside of my car, I carry EVERYWHERE I can. If the gun is awkward or hard to conceal, get one that is easier to conceal and/or carry. If you don't already have a license to carry, it is an understandable question. You have to consider how much time you spend outside of your vehicle and determine if you want to be able to protect yourself during that time or not.

[doc540]

"Doc540 - Do you get questions asked from your dealership when you take your car into service about the empty holster in your car?

I work for an Audi and VW store and hadn't seen any roll through the shop, but thought I'd ask."

That's known as a "Texas Cupholder".

Simple setup for about $20.

[seeker_two]

My opinion... if you have a concealed handgun license, why not carry everywhere you can?

That tends to be the problem....some of us work in places where carrying is not only prohibited, but also a bad idea (I work at a mental health facility). That's where you have to be far more creative with your SD plans....

[bikerbill]

I have to say the OP is one of the strangest I've seen in many moons on this forum. I keep a gun in my car when I'm going to places where I can't carry -- my volunteer job at the local library, for instance. That said, your car is the least likely place you'll need a gun in most cases. Get out of your car and your likely need goes up dramatically. If you don't have a gun you can carry, get one!! For a few hundred dollars, you can get a good used semi or revolver; add a crossdraw holster and you have solved the access-in-the-car problem as well as set it up so you can carry your gun away from your vehicle. You don't say where you live or if you have a license to carry concealed -- but if you care enough about your own safety to carry in the car, figure out a way to carry away from it ... just leaves me slapping my forehead in wonder ...

[old bear]

The only downfall I have ever had with car carry is "what if" cars get broken into and stolen all the time

Sadly so true, but people also get hit in the head from behind and robbed.

The biggest argument I can give you is.... in a car - you can drive away. You have basically a 2 ton weapon.

With today’s traffic congestion you can’t always drive away, which IMHO is almost always the best option. I can attest through personal experience how effective an open car door, at 15 MPH, can be in breaking up a bar fight that spilled into the street can be.

There is a time and a place for car carry just as there are for any other carry option. I believe it’s incumbent on the person caring a weapon to decide on the appropriate weapon and method of carry for varying situations.