Real-World Testing Reveals Critical Safety Issues with Car Holsters

A Comprehensive Crash Test Exposes the Dangers of Vehicle-Mounted Firearm Storage

When it comes to carrying firearms in vehicles, convenience often overshadows safety considerations. A recent comprehensive test conducted by PHLster Holsters in collaboration with Netgear57 from Collector Car Feed has provided eye-opening evidence about the real dangers of car holsters – and the results should make every responsible gun owner reconsider their vehicle carry methods.

If you have ever been in a serious collision, you know that anything that can become a projectile does. Your cell phone, if you find it at all, is unlikely to be more you stash it when driving and your firearm is the last thing you want thrown through a window and down the highway or jostled anywhere you can no longer access it in an emergency. Read down below about our own Riley Bowman's experience with an accident he experienced, and the result of that.

The Testing Protocol: Beyond Basic Evaluation

The team purchased popular car holsters from Amazon's first page of results, including magnetic mounts, cup holder designs, and various clip-on systems. To ensure safety during testing, all firearms were rendered inert using BarrelBloks and loaded with true-weight dummy rounds to accurately simulate real-world conditions.

Using a salvage Ford Fiesta rigged with remote airbag deployment capabilities, they subjected these holsters to three increasingly severe tests:

1. Rally driving through rough terrain – simulating potholes and minor collisions
2. Airbag deployment – demonstrating the 200 mph force of safety systems
3. Vehicle rollover – testing retention in a worst-case scenario

The Car Holster Results

Rally Course Failures

Within seconds of launching the car over rough terrain—impacts far less severe than even a minor collision—three holsters failed immediately. The magnetic designs that promise “quick access” proved they couldn't even handle aggressive driving, let alone an accident.

Airbag Deployment Disaster

The knee airbag test was particularly revealing. When deployed, the airbag launched a weighted training pistol over 150 feet from the vehicle. Every single holster either ejected its firearm or had its mounting system destroyed. One pistol's magazine was ejected completely outside the vehicle.

Consider this: that gun would have been launched directly into your knee at 200 mph. Beyond the obvious injury risk, several firearms had their magazines partially ejected, rendering them useless for self-defense even if you could find them.

Complete Rollover Failure

Not a single product survived the rollover test. Guns ended up under seats, on floorboards, and scattered throughout the vehicle interior. In a real emergency  your gun would be anywhere but where you left it.

The Seat Belt Reality Check

One of the most valuable demonstrations addressed a common concern among carriers: would a holstered firearm on your body cause injury during seat belt pre-tensioner activation? The test definitively showed that proper appendix carry with a correctly worn seat belt poses no additional injury risk during pre-tensioner deployment. The force is distributed across the hips and pelvis, not the holster area.

Watch the Video

The Clear Conclusion

After subjecting these products to real-world testing conditions – all of which were less severe than actual vehicle accidents – the evidence is overwhelming: car holsters present unacceptable safety risks. They transform firearms into dangerous projectiles during accidents, potentially injuring occupants or making the firearm inaccessible when needed most.

The Safe Alternative

The safest and most reliable method for carrying in a vehicle remains on-body carry in a proper holster. As we've previously discussed in our article “Your Car is Not a Holster,” treating your vehicle as a storage location for firearms introduces unnecessary risks and complications.

Quality appendix or hip carry holsters keep your firearm:

• Secure during any vehicle dynamics
• Immediately accessible
• Under your direct control
• Away from airbag deployment zones
• Consistent with safe handling practices

Additional Evidence

As further demonstration of all of the above, here is a quote from ConcealedCarry.com Director of Training, Riley Bowman, about the accident that solidified his own opinions on this topic:

A few years ago, I was on my way to a firearms class I was teaching. I was traveling in my F-350 on a major interstate when I was rear ended by a Toyota Tundra drunk driver traveling about 30 mph above the speed limit. I was lucky to have not lost control of my pickup at nearly 80 mph because I did get a little sideways, but managed to make the right corrections to keep it together.

I pulled over to the shoulder as soon as it was safe to do so and was going to call 9-1-1 immediately, but I could not find my phone anywhere! In fact, everything inside my pickup was tossed everywhere. I remember being surprised by this fact, thinking the impact wasn't that severe (it was worse than I realized). My seat belt was even locked up and took some effort to remove. I had to spend several minutes digging around for my phone which had been in a fairly secure RAM mount, and I eventually found it well underneath my seat. ‘How did it get there?!'

During accidents, including seemingly mild ones, objects inside the car get tossed around like confetti, even objects you think are secure. Car holster solutions simply do not exist that I would trust even in the slightest.

And about the gun I was carrying in the appendix position in an AIWB holster? I hardly noticed it was there. I experienced zero injury, bruising, or even discomfort from the impact or the belt tightening across it and my hips. I believe this is the best and safest way to carry a gun–in a holster, on your person.

Final Thoughts

While car holsters may seem convenient, this testing demonstrates they fail at their primary purpose – safely securing a firearm. In an actual accident, when stress is high and every second counts, finding your firearm somewhere under a seat with its magazine ejected could have serious consequences.

The message is clear: invest in a comfortable, quality holster for on-body carry. Learn proper drawing techniques from a seated position. Your safety – and the safety of others – depends on maintaining positive control of your firearm at all times, especially in the dynamic environment of a vehicle.

Remember, responsible firearm ownership means making decisions based on evidence and safety, not convenience. This testing provides that evidence in dramatic fashion.