I drive a lot. I deliver packages. I deliver people. I also take long driving trips. Think 32+ hours travel time. Each of those is a slightly different challenge. And maybe you do none of those things: you’re just driving to work, school, doing errands, or any of the other normal things people do in their cars.
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Normal car use
Let’s start with how most people use their cars. You drive to work. You drive to the store, post office, church, gym, or anywhere else you need to be that’s not within walking distance. For the most part, there’s nothing special here for you. How you normally carry is how you’re going to carry in your car.
Any method that is compromised by sitting will obviously be compromised in a car. And some methods have some special considerations.
- Pocket carry. That’s going to be tough because of your seat belt. You’ll have to undo the belt to get to your weapon. Then the angle of your pocket could also be a problem. Overall, I think this method is problematic.
- IWB. This is how I normally carry in my car. Some experimentation is useful to find the right “clock” number to carry at. I know the right place for me. My gun’s grip is between the seat belt and the seat back. It’s not between me and the seat or me and the seat belt. I can get to it without contorting and nothing is blocking it. If your car has wide bolsters that wrap around you that could be a problem.
- Ankle. This is actually better in a car. The gun is down in a spot where no one normally looks. It’s not far from your hand. You don’t have to drop to a knee to get it out; just bend slightly.
Unless you have some sort of system in your car that you can move your gun from your pocket to the car itself and then back to your pocket when you get out. I once had a 2003 Crown Vic Police Interceptor. The front seats had pockets all along the front edge. I’d sometimes use a pocket holster for my Shield and put it in that seat pocket between my legs. When I got out I just transferred the gun to my IWB. With a little practice it’s a natural action that doesn’t attract attention.
Car mount holster
There are a number of options available for putting a gun in your car. Your specific vehicle and needs will determine what’s the best idea for you.
- Inside the console. Obviously completely concealed from both within and without the vehicle. Opening the console lid is an extra step to draw it, obviously.
- Strapped to your seat. DeSantis and several other manufacturers make holsters that will strap to your seat. In the DeSantis, the holster attaches to the belt. When you get out you can take the holster off the strap and it becomes IWB. If you’re driving for long distances or don’t have to get out of the car a lot then this is a good option. It doesn’t work well for me since it’s possible for a passenger to see the gun.
- Under steering column. I like this one. I can’t use it due to the passenger seeing it thing but for most people this seems a good option: easy to get to and invisible to someone outside the car.
- Magnet mount. This is a good one, with one caveat.. A little experimentation would be required before you actually mounted it since you’re putting screws into your car’s interior. You can balance concealment with easy access to personal taste and needs. I like that it’s universal. Whatever kind of gun you have, it works. If you get a new gun you don’t have to change your car’s holster. The caveat: what happens in an accident? Does it go flying?
What about when I get out of my car?
If you can take your gun with you then I’d say you should do that. As I said before, with a little practice moving a gun from a car holster to one on your body can be smooth and discreet. But what if you have a dedicated gun for your car? Or you may be going into a place you cannot legally carry your gun.
A holster that conceals from someone several feet away from your car may not conceal from a criminal type sticking their face up against the window and looking for something to steal. You need to allow for that. For that matter, a visible holster could also be a problem. A thief who sees a holster may think there’s a gun in there and break in. Even if you’ve taken the gun you now have a damaged car.
First, and I really shouldn’t have to say this, lock your damn car if there’s a gun in it. I don’t care how long you’re going to be away from it there’s no excuse for leaving a gun in an unlocked vehicle. I don’t care how well the gun is hidden.
Yet, I read an article in the local paper a couple weeks ago about how many guns were stolen from unlocked cars last year. I didn’t bookmark the page so I’m not sure of the exact number. It wasn’t huge: 20 or so. That’s not zero, which is what the number should be.
Time matters here. When I go into the post office to check my PO box I’m away from the car for about a minute. My Shield goes into the center console and my pocket gun goes on the floor between the driver’s seat and the door; it’s completely concealed. And I lock the car. For that brief time I’m comfortable with that level of securing the gun.
I’m going to be out of my car for a while and can’t take my gun
Two or three times a month I go to a bar and have a couple drinks. I cannot take my gun in. I suppose there are jurisdictions where you may be able to but I’ve never lived in one. So now what do I do?
I bought a lockbox. It’s small and relatively inexpensive. It is attached via steel cable to the body and concealed in the trunk. It comfortably holds my Shield, spare mag in a carrier, and my NAA mini revolver. I once put the Shield and a 1911 in it. Mine is key lock but there are biometric and combination types available.
Is it super-duper high security? No. A decent pair of bolt cutters will deal with the cable and then the box can be opened at the thief’s leisure. That requires that the criminal both knows something is in the trunk and has tools available. It is, in other words, secure enough.
A full review is here.
Final words
Carrying in your car has one thing in common with all other types of concealed carry: it’s all about your particular situation. Or different situations. You may do things differently if you’re going on a long road trip than if you’re going to work or running errands. Look at your needs for the day and plan accordingly. If you’re like me, you’ll end up with several methods and use them when appropriate.
