Know how to store firearms in your vehicle? If not, beware – you might need to sooner rather than later.
For instance, when you get in your car to go the drug store or church, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is getting in a gunfight. All that’s on your mind are if you’re going to be late, what you’ll do later, and if you’ll see anyone you know.
Well, the unfortunate reality is that you might want to start think about gun fighting from your car. Recent studies from the Bureau Of Justice indicate carjackings are on the rise. Estimates are there as many as 50,000 carjackings a year.
That’s one reason you need to prepare for a gun fight. Here’s Another: If SHTF and you’re using your car as your survival vehicle you’ll need to carry weapons for security. And you’re going to need to know how to store them without the feds knowing what you’re up to.
Since these are both legitimate concerns, we’ve written an article showing you easy ways to arm your car and turn it into an arsenal.
Now keep in mind you can’t just throw your guns strewn about in the backseat. Stealth is the name of the game here. And, no, the glove box is NOT the only place (or even the best place) to safely store these. In fact, if you drive an SUV, Truck, or Sedan, your vehicle may already be equipped to stealthily carry a variety of different firearms. You just need to learn how to store them.
Many of these hiding locations are perfectly legal. However, you will still need to check with your local laws to make sure you can use these hiding spots in your area.
You need to see this to properly prepare for crime committed against you today, or a possible crisis tomorrow. That’s why we wrote this article on:
How To Store Firearms In Your Vehicle
First: The Things You’ll Need To Consider
Before we go jumping into where the best spots are to hide your guns, there are a few tips you’ll need to consider first:
- Consider the maintenance requirements for every firearm you plan on keeping in your vehicle long-term. You don’t want to get in the heat of action and have your favorite gun malfunction on you.
- DO NOT put any firearm-related decals on your vehicle. This is practically inviting carjackers to come and check out your gun collection.
- Have a long gun? Lock it in the trunk, and get a lock that bolts the body of it to your vehicle. This is crucial, since it will be spending much more time in your car than it will seeing action, and you don’t want to risk someone stealing it.
- Consider how safely you can realistically bring your gun into action, whether it’s unloaded or loaded. Practice this transition so you’re ready when the time comes.
- These can prove to be more of a risk than a help. For example, a SWAT vehicle and all its gear caught fire because something bumped the light on the weapon accidentally, causing it to turn on and set the whole vehicle and its contents ablaze. Do yourself a favor and get rid of the electronic devices on your firearm, or save them for your guns at home.
- Don’t store guns you care a lot about. Super expensive and irreplaceable guns have no business being stored in your car. It could get damaged or stolen fairly easily, and so it shouldn’t break your heart or your bank account if this happens. That’s why pump shotguns are great for this – they’re intimidating, reliable, and don’t cost near as much.
Sedan-Specific Ways To Store Firearms
Own a Sedan? You’re in luck! Your vehicle is likely built for strategically housing firearms. You just need to know exactly where to put them. Here’s some tips from Ask A Prepper:
Sedan
The modern sedan has plenty of places to hide weapons. I will start with the accessible places inside the vehicle.
Under the center console. The center console is held to the floor in most sedans by a series of plastic clips or a few Phillip’s screws. Remove those and the console lifts up exposing a compartment that will house a rather large pistol and a couple boxes of ammo.
Seat Backs. The modern car has bucket seats. The back of the seats has a cover that simply snaps onto the seat and covers the springs. This area will conceal a pistol, ammo, and a short barrel long gun like an MP5 or Uzi. Snap the seat back in place and no one will know it is there. This is also very fast to access if needed. No tools required.
Under seats. I’m not talking about just on the floor under the seat. What we are talking about here is attached to the underside of the seat by tape, zip ties or something else. This keeps it out of sight if someone looks under the seat but it is still there if you just know where to look. Here are other 26 practical survival uses of duct tape.
Other examples:
Inside door panels. You can hide a shotgun with a folding stock or a short rifle here. Clips and a couple of screws hold the door panels in place. You could remove the screws and leave them out but a sharp eye will notice something is amiss. My advice is to always put everything back the way it was so there will be no “giveaways” that there could be something behind the panel that is worth hiding.
Behind the radio. The radio will have four holes in the corners. Look at yours and you will see them. Most folks don’t realize all you have to do is insert metal rods, about the size of a wire coat hanger in these holes and the entire stereo slides out, leaving a very large cavity to hide weapons and ammo behind.
Now for the outside of the vehicle
Outside. The bumpers, front and rear have cavities under them that will hold a shotgun or rifle. Duct tape is a wonderful thing and you will be using it.
Open the hood. Inside the fender wells, you will see several places to hide your firearms. Inside the air cleaner box is a good place for a pistol.
In the trunk. I don’t really suggest this area as it is very easy to detect but in a pinch, it may do. Pull the carpet away from the sides of the trunk. It will be attached to a cardboard backing. Place your weapons behind this, in the cavity that is in the lower part of the rear fender, and replace the trunk lining. If you have done this carefully, it will be undetectable to the untrained eye. I also suggest throwing some old rags or a little dirt in the area to make it look as if it has not been disturbed.
Other examples:
Truck & SUV-Specific Ways To Store Firearms
Have a Truck or SUV? Good news – you’re already well on your way to turning your vehicle into an arsenal. Here’s some smart tips from Ask A Prepper on how to store your favorite firearms:
SUV or Truck
You have many more places to work with here. Count all of the same places mentioned for the inside of the sedan above. Those hiding places are common to just about all vehicles.
Starting at the front
The Front Bumper. Under the front bumper is a very large area to store weapons. Tape them in a secure place. You can hide a lot of stuff here.
Front Fenders. From under the hood you have access to a very large area to place a rifle bag full of goodies. It will fit in behind the fender well and be very hard to see without knowing it is there.
Air Box System. This is a common place for pistols and ammo. Placing a weapon here will not affect the operation of the vehicle.
Under the vehicle. The modern SUV/Truck frame is an I Beam type structure. This is a natural shelf for all sorts of things. A few large black Zip Ties will hold a rifle, shotgun, and a lot more. These will not be visible from just bending down and looking under the vehicle. A person would have to get under the vehicle and really look for them to find your hidden arsenal.
Roof. The roof of all modern SUVs and Trucks is actually hollow. Remove the third stop light that is at the top and rear of the cab. Pull that out and you will see a vast area to hide magazines, ammo, and other items. The way to do this is to tape a string to each item with duct tape and string them together. Replace the stop light after you have hidden your items in the roof section. Make sure you tape the end of the string to the back of the light or to an area that is concealed but you can reach again. Then to retrieve, all you do is take out the light, pull the string and the items come out one after another.
Tailgate. This is hollow. The inside can be accessed through the latch assembly OR by splitting the tailgate by removing the screws and bolts that hold it together. I have seen tailgates that were split and then resealed with silicone. To open you just cut the silicone with a razor-blade and pull the two halves apart. Not all tailgates are the same, so you may have to adapt to your situation.
Rear Bumper. Like the front of the truck, there is a vast amount of storage space.
Spare Tires. Placing something inside a tire is a real pain in the rear, but hiding an item on top of the tire is easy. Lower the spare tire; most are cranked down to the ground with the jack handle. Once on the ground you can place your items inside the rim and crank the tire back into place. This is a simple and readily available storage area.
Depending on your ingenuity, time you want to spend, if you want to modify the vehicle or not, it is not hard to make your vehicle a rolling arsenal and no one would ever suspect was holding weapons and ammo in every corner.
End thoughts
If you really feel this may be something that you have to deal with, I suggest throwing your roving horde of scavengers off the trail. If you have to abandon your vehicle and you are pretty sure it will get at least looked at, give them something to go after. Leave a useless (as in not functioning) pistol or something in plain sight. Let them take that and stop searching. Basically, throw them a bone. The whole point about concealing your weapons so that the looters won’t find them is just that: concealment. Make sure you leave no signs, no pointers that say “Hey, Look Here!”. Do this and when you return to your vehicle from something as simple as a walk into the woods to take care of bodily functions, you can rest assure when you get back your stuff with be safe and secure.
