Gun safes for cars: here’s what you need to know
Keeping your gun secure when you're travelling is a key part of being a responsible gun owner
Guns should also be secure when in cars
We’re frequently asked about gun safes for cars and how to keep a gun secure when the owner is at a shoot lunch or staying somewhere overnight without a gun cabinet.
If you have a lockable gun safe in your vehicle you will be solving a lot of potential problems.
Derek Wetter of the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association advises: “Gun safes for cars are essential when travelling and carrying guns as they provide a locked and secure space and keep guns from being on view. They add another layer of security within a locked and alarmed vehicle. Having a gun safe in your car demonstrates to the police that you have taken reasonable steps to secure your shotgun.
“It depends on the vehicle but most safes allow for the guns to be broken down and the safe can be secured within the car. When you arrive at your destination you can ensure your gun or guns can be made as secure as possible, for example in the hotel or host’s gun safe.” (Read our list of the best gun safes here.)
The Home Office Firearms Security Handbook is a comprehensive read and shows what the police are likely to consider sufficient.
Mark Heath of the West London Shooting School says: “I have a steel case in my Subaru Estate with a locking rod that I bought in America which I secure with a cable but if I had a bigger vehicle I would definitely have one of the drawer systems with a dog box. Combination locks are always a good option to avoid the risk of key loss at the start of the day which would be frustrating. From a practical and secure point of view steel must be the preferred option. The mahogany ones with a secure inner steel case would also work.”
“I always use a hard case when travelling, both for security and to prevent damage – especially to the stock. In the car, I keep the fore-end separate and secure the locked case with a security cable, so it can’t be easily removed if the car is broken into. I also ensure that it’s out of sight in the vehicle. When staying overnight, my first choice is secure gun storage if it’s available. If not, I use the security cable to secure the gun in its case in my room, and leave the fore-end in the car.”
Rob Fenwick of EJ Churchill advises: “I use a gun box which has various drawers for clothing, cartridges, drinks, and my guns. All the drawers are locked and secure. My gun box is split into levels, so you can have one set of drawers and then another set of drawers on top.
“I prefer the boxes where you can put your gun in whole in the slip. I appreciate that many cars are not big enough for this to happen, so I had one designed where you put the gun in corner to corner in the box so that this could happen. It was a feature we came up with and works very well.”
Read more on gun security in your car and your responsibilities here.
