521 Guns Stolen This Year, In One City
One of our goals as gun owners has to be safety. Pushing the envelope further than that, we need to make sure that any firearms we have are in our control at all times. What does this mean? It means that our self-defense tools should NOT fall into the hands of those who should not have firearms. I'm talking about kids, criminals, and anyone else who you don't want touching your guns.
What this means, for many of us, is that we need to lock our “extra” guns up when not in use–to include guns in your car.
As crazy as this sounds to me, an article was just published in Jacksonville, Florida showing that 521 guns have been stolen so far this year from unlocked cars, and those are just the ones that are reported. You can rest assured that not everyone is reporting to police that their guns are being stolen for whatever reason.
That's just one city.
A lot of these guns are being stolen from unlocked cars. These people are obviously not taking the necessary steps to ensure they are remaining in control of their guns at all times. So, let's figure out how we can fix this issue. And, if you are friends with someone who leaves his/her gun all by its lonesome in a car, share this article with them.
Lock your car:
This one is free, and really, should be a no-brainer. If you leave your firearm in your car, the doors should be locked. The windows should be up. The moonroof needs to be closed. Seriously, lock your crap. The fact that people think it's okay to leave their guns in their unlocked cars pisses me off. But, I digress and will move on.
Lock your crap. Okay, now I'm done. For real this time.
Buy a gun safe for your car:
If you absolutely need to leave your gun in your car because you can't bring it to work with you, or you're not dressed appropriately for concealed carry, then at least put a safe in your car that makes it damn near impossible for a criminal to break in and steal it. Is this an extra expense? Sure it is, but if you are going to be leaving your gun in your car, shouldn't you do all you can to make sure it doesn't get used to kill an innocent person? Here is the pictured safe, if you're interested.
Bring it with you:
I've had my car broken into before with valuables taken, and can say that there is a better chance of an Alaskan buying snow than me leaving a gun in my car unattended. These days, if someone breaks into my car all they're gonna get is a few gum wrappers and 37 cents. Seriously. I don't keep anything of value in there anymore.
Does this leave some interesting problems if I have to go to the post office? Or, into my kid's school? Yeah. In those cases, it gets locked up in the car gun safe. But, I limit my time as much as possible in those areas and get back out to my car as quickly as I can.
Trust me when I say that the last thing any of us need is to have our gun stolen and used in a crime.
Conclusion:
It's a simple fix, and there are plenty of ways you can secure your firearm. Wear it, leave it at home, lock it up in your car. The glove box is not a viable solution, even if there is a lock on it because they are easy to get into. Finally, don't think it can't happen to you, or believe that the area you live in is so safe that you don't need to lock your car. Criminals pass through cities all the time that they aren't from, and you could be next. So, I say again … lock your crap.
If you’re going to use a gun safe in the car, two things could be mentioned.
1) Gun safes…aren’t safe. The Def Con hacker conference and others have had numerous panels discussing how gun safes are not that hard to break into. Do your research to get a model which has been reviewed as better designed than most.
2) Whether you use a gun safe or not, the key is hiding the gun so that the thief pretty much has to strip the furniture – or even the car – to find it. Most car thieves are “break and enter” types that don’t spend much time in the vehicle. If they don’t find something in the usual places they search, they’re more likely to leave and miss the gun if well hidden.
Yes, it means you’ll have to move it every time you want it to be available, but that’s the price of security: inconvenience.
I never have anything left in the car and usually don’t lock it. The cheapest window to replace in $385.00 including labor and taxes. If they want to look the car is open and they can go on their merry way.; It can’t be started without the key with armored ignition.
A ‘Pac Safe’ is a Great alternative; easy to conceal; tuff to get into…..
I purchased a gun safe for my truck over a year ago.The company Console Vault is out in Las Vegas.This vault goes inside your console and is built strong enough to withstand a pry bar.The normal thug dosen;t carry a crow bar around with him.I also use it to secure money I have withdrawn from the bank until I get home.I would recommend this product to anyone serious about protecting their firearm.
No mention about weapons being stolen from a home? Sure, buy a safe, a good one, and bolt it to the wall, floor or ceiling. Are there reports lag owing how many guns are stolen from homes?
I have ConsoleVault.com in my SUV and a keyed safe, cabled to the seat frame, in case I need extra secured space. Console Vault bolts to the body thru the bottom and they have safes for almost every model vehicle with a console and they’re custom fit. So there’s no room for prying the lid or the entire vault out of your vehicle. Great product and service that I recommend.