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Car gun choice?

1 by Deep13
I'm going on some long rides to remote areas this summer, and I thing a gun in the compartment between seats is warranted. Here are the choices I have on hand:
S&W 686+ 4" Hi-Viz front sight. 0.357 mag x7.
Ruger SR9c, 9x19, 10+1, 3", with light, laser, high contrast sights.

If I want to tolerate a bigger gun taking up most of the compartment:
Ruger GP100, 0.357 mag x6, 6", no underlug. Is has a trigger and spring job. Black sights with orange paint on the front.
Beretta 92 Brigadier, 9x19, 15+1. High contrast sights. No holster.

Thanks.
Last edited by Deep13 on Tue May 07, 2024 4:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants!

Re: Car gun choice?

6 by Deep13
senorgrand wrote: Mon May 06, 2024 9:09 pm I'd go 9mm laser. 357 inside a car is going to be insanely disorienting. Plus, you might be shooting from the hip in a carjack situation and sights might not be come into play.
You're probably right. I was thinking a .357 might be better against vehicles if some meth head tries to run me off the road. But it would be very loud.
Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants!

Re: Car gun choice?

7 by wings
Counterpoint - if you're shooting from inside a car, the difference in db between 9mm and .357 is not going to be a significant improvement. .38 special is also an option.

You do increase the odds of a jam due to slide obstruction or 'limp wrist' because you're shooting at a weird angle.

Do you plan of carrying concealed as well? If so, I suspect you're fine just packing whatever you normally would. If your car gets broken into, you don't need a gun theft complicating your life. In any event, I would pick a gun that you're confident in, good with, and don't mind too much if you lose it somehow.

Re: Car gun choice?

8 by papajim2jordan
I can't speak as to Ohio, but here in West Virginia just wear a MAGA hat and a crucifix and everyone will be your friend. Should you find yourself in Central WV, literally the middle of nowhere, you may run into the only one who isn't sporting such attire. That would be me.

Everyone here has a gun in the car, so you'll fit in fine.

Re: Car gun choice?

9 by sig230
Deep13 wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 2:38 am It's Ohio and WV, two permitless carry states.
Check just what Permitless Carry actually means in each state. In many cases the Permitless carry applies to residents of that state.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: Car gun choice?

10 by highdesert
sig230 wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 8:40 am
Deep13 wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 2:38 am It's Ohio and WV, two permitless carry states.
Check just what Permitless Carry actually means in each state. In many cases the Permitless carry applies to residents of that state.
Agree, some states have that exception. This site regularly updates when new laws and regs come out.
https://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/Per ... States.pdf
https://www.handgunlaw.us
Last edited by highdesert on Tue May 07, 2024 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Car gun choice?

12 by Deep13
highdesert wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 10:27 am
sig230 wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 8:40 am
Deep13 wrote: Tue May 07, 2024 2:38 am It's Ohio and WV, two permitless carry states.
Check just what Permitless Carry actually means in each state. In many cases the Permitless carry applies to residents of that state.
Agree, some states have that exception. This site regularly updates when new laws and regs come out.
https://www.handgunlaw.us/documents/Per ... States.pdf
https://www.handgunlaw.us
I checked their atty. general website pages. The rules are the same for nonresidents.
Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants!

Re: Car gun choice?

15 by INVICTVS138
My requirements is generally the one of the least expensive, yet reliable firearms I own for my “truck pistol.” For me that’s my M82 Taurus revolver (k-frame clone) mine is reliable, yet was purchased for under $300. Not “great” for concealment but good enough. I get brought on a lot of hikes etc, because it’s always along for the ride.


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Re: Car gun choice?

16 by BearPaws
INVICTVS138 wrote: Wed May 08, 2024 5:30 pm My requirements is generally the one of the least expensive, yet reliable firearms I own for my “truck pistol.” For me that’s my M82 Taurus revolver (k-frame clone) mine is reliable, yet was purchased for under $300. Not “great” for concealment but good enough. I get brought on a lot of hikes etc, because it’s always along for the ride.
Reliable, inexpensive, and flashy. Pick two. :whistle:

I haven't been much of a revolver guy, coming to handguns late in life as I have. I have a Ruger Wrangler, but that hardly counts, since I bought in primarily for plinking. Sure, I'd rather be missed by someone shooting a .45ACP than hit with a .22, but still. I've recently read about .32 H&R Magnum revolvers (and the various rounds that will go through them), and have considered that if I buy any more guns I might try such a thing.

My body shape and size makes it hard for me to find a good place to holster a car gun in either my car or my wife's car. I've seen the "headrest safe" things, and I'm not excited about them (I'd have to buy a match for the left seat to make it look less odd). My console is pretty small, and is dedicated to other stuff.

A couple years ago, I was at a gun store, and a guy was talking about getting a self-defense gun for his car--he drove Uber or Lyft or both, and had some concerns. I suggested that he get comfortable with the mechanics of shooting with his left hand, as any assailant would probably be in his back seat or in his left seat, and that his best bet for getting to a handgun would be from somewhere closer to his left knee than his center console. I don't know whether he took my suggestion seriously. I'm not even certain it was a good suggestion.
Eventually I'll figure out this signature thing and decide what I want to put here.

Re: Car gun choice?

18 by wings
It wouldn't be a gun forum if we didn't push buying a new gun, now would it? :lol:

It's been a while since I've been to Ensenada, but I would I would easily rate parts of southern Ohio as sketchier than Baja in my personal experience. I've seen people open carry duty sized pistols down in the Hocking Hills, which isn't the one national park in the state but probably should be. There's enough back woods drug issues that I would carry concealed rather than leave a gun in the car, but the specific scenarios for a "car gun" run a little differently than for carry. Defending against a carjacking probably doesn't need 15 rounds or long range precision. It does require accessibility, safe storage, the ability to work in close quarters, point shoot if necessary, and not set your clothing on fire.

Of the original 4 listed, I think the SR9c is the best option, preferably IAWB. It's not in production anymore so replacing it would be a little harder, but it has a fan base. The S&W would be my runner up, loaded with .38 Special for at least the first couple rounds. Wadcutters even. A speed loader for .357 wouldn't hurt. The Beretta is a great all purpose option but needs a holster.

Re: Car gun choice?

19 by CDFingers
It's very good that so many mentioned a gun safe for the car, and that carrying it on the person solves the problem of accidentally leaving it in the car to get stolen.

In appropriate news:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The rate of guns stolen from cars in the U.S. has tripled over the last decade, making them the largest source of stolen guns in the country, an analysis of FBI data by the gun safety group Everytown found.

The rate of stolen guns from cars climbed nearly every year and spiked during the coronavirus pandemic along with a major surge in weapons purchases in the U.S., according to the report, which analyzes FBI data from 337 cities in 44 states and was provided to The Associated Press.

The stolen weapons have, in some cases, turned up at crime scenes. In July 2021, a gun taken from an unlocked car in Riverside, Florida, was used to kill a 27-year-old Coast Guard member as she tried to stop a car burglary in her neighborhood.

The alarming trend underscores the need for Americans to safely secure their firearms to prevent them from getting into the hands of dangerous people, said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Steve Dettelbach, whose agency has separately found links between stolen guns and violent crimes.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/gun ... wn%20found.

CDF
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eye Jack

Re: Car gun choice?

20 by highdesert
Bloomberg's Everytown is out with an "analysis" that is getting a lot of play in the media.
The rate of guns stolen from cars in the U.S. has tripled over the last decade, making them the largest source of stolen guns in the country, an analysis of FBI data by the gun safety group Everytown found. The rate of stolen guns from cars climbed nearly every year and spiked during the coronavirus pandemic along with a major surge in weapons purchases in the U.S., according to the report, which analyzes FBI data from 337 cities in 44 states and was provided to The Associated Press.
Nearly 112,000 guns were reported stolen in 2022, and just over half of those were from cars — most often when they were parked in driveways or outside people’s homes, the Everytown report found. That’s up from about one-quarter of all thefts in 2013, when homes were the leading spot for firearm thefts, the report says. Stolen guns have also been linked to tragic accidents, such as when a 14-year-old boy in St. Petersburg, Florida, killed his 11-year-old brother after finding in an alley a gun that had been stolen from an unlocked car a few days before.

At least one firearm was stolen from a car every nine minutes on average in 2022, the most recent year for which data was available. That’s almost certainly an undercount, though, since there’s no federal law requiring people to report stolen guns and only one-third of states require a report. “Every gun stolen from a car increases the chances it’ll be used in a violent crime,” said Sarah Burd-Sharp, senior director of research at Everytown, which advocates for gun control policies. It’s unclear what’s driving the trend. The report found higher theft rates in states with looser gun laws, which also tend to have higher rates of gun ownership. The report analyzed crime data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, which includes details about what was stolen and where it came from. Guns stolen from cars bucked car theft trends overall — the rate of other things stolen from cars has dropped 11% over the last 10 years, even as the rate of gun thefts from cars grew 200%, Everytown found in its analysis of FBI data.
https://apnews.com/article/stolen-guns- ... 3fca377775

I question their "data" because they are a major anti-gun advocacy group.

However, I wouldn't leave a gun in a car for an extended period unless it was secured, I'd put it in a holster and carry it when I leave the vehicle. Looks like the SR9c is already kitted out, you just need an IWB or OWB holster to accommodate it.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: Car gun choice?

21 by CDFingers
One quote from the PBS article above, is this:

"according to the report, which analyzes FBI data from 337 cities in 44 states and was provided to The Associated Press."

So, guns do get stolen from cars, and the number of guns so-stolen is increasing. It's up to the gun owner to secure the firearm. It's part of the responsibility of owning guns.

CDF
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eye Jack

Re: Car gun choice?

22 by papajim2jordan
Just about any vehicle is a good target for theft. They steel your stuff inside and out. Your gun is gone, your fuel is drained, your catalytic contraption is sawn off. If the right model and year, they take the whole damn thing. Leaving any valuables in a car is risky. There is no lock a thief cannot overcome, or hiding place they don't know.

Re: Car gun choice?

23 by INVICTVS138
Like anything else it’s an operational risk management exercise. Each individual will have to weigh all the pros and cons and the various variables. The small risk that my secured firearm might be stolen is TO ME far out weighed by not having access to a pistol when I might need to use one .
I personally live in a very safe suburban area. If I was parking my truck in Cincinnati every night I’d have a different calculation. Is it still possible that someone might break into the secure compartment and steal it? Sure. It’s my responsibility to secure it; but if a law breaker breaks into my car and steals it; they are the criminal, not me.


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Re: Car gun choice?

24 by featureless
Securing a gun in a car is difficult. I used one of those clamshell lock boxes for a while until it stopped working with my gun in it. A few minutes later with a screwdriver and gun was out. The attachment cable.can.be defeated pretty easily as well. In other words, without significant effort, expense and modifications to your car, you're not securing it from theft from anyone but the laziest of thieves. Then, CA passed a law rendering everywhere a sensitive place, so guns will always be in cars ("secure" storage is legally required. The correct place for a gun for a licensed carrier is in your person, not the car. But CA is gonna CA.

By the way, I have a substantial lockbox in the trunk locked up with a bike cable. Someday I'll get around to welding up a mount for it. It's super fun arming and disarmed at the trunk.

Re: Car gun choice?

25 by papajim2jordan
I guess it depends on what "remote areas" means. Woods, with lions, tigers, bears? I can remember what a pain it was to be chained to an M-16 when afield. The windscreen arm mechanism on a deuce made a good place to hang it from by the carry handle. Probably not a good idea for most situations, but we were young.
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