Securing a shotgun while camping?

D

Dr. Strangelove

New member
I'm going camping/trout fishing/turkey hunting in north GA on public land this coming weekend, and I need a way to secure my shotgun while I'm fishing or otherwise not in camp. I drive a Jeep Wrangler soft-top, so just locking it in there is out of the question. Other than the tried and true just hiding it under a bush, I've thought of getting a vinyl coated bike cable lock and running it through the action or barrel and action, then around the roll cage (whoops, sport cage according to Chrysler) of the jeep. I'm not looking for Fort Knox type security, just something to keep casual folks from being tempted, I know anyone who really wants it will just cut the lock.

Shotgun in question is a Mossberg 500a 12ga.

Thoughts about this plan, other low cost suggestions?
 
Most of my handguns came with a stupid cable lock that'll never be used how it was intended. If you've got one or 10 of those laying around, that oughta work. Otherwise I'd say your bike lock idea is as good as any. I'd also toss something over it so it doesn't draw attention. If you're going to be do a lot of this (leaving your shotgun behind in the jeep), I'd look at something like this: http://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-116-046-rear-cargo-security-lockbox.aspx

You'd have to break the shotgun down, but that's not a big deal. You're not looking for a quick-access solution anyway.
 
If someone wants what you have bad enough, it's going to be gone, including your Jeep. When I switched from a sedan to a Suburban, I faced similar dilemma. Without the sedan's trunk, where to put the guns?

The first thing is to keep the gun out of sight and securely locked. There are several custom gun "drawers" that are made for SUVs. They raise the rear floor about 4 inches and are carpeted to match the existing. With the tail gate closed, they aren't very noticeable. But they are an expensive "Ft. Knox" type answer. A home made version isn't that hard to do.

If you can't keep it out of sight, make it look like something else. For the suburban, I selected a large heavy duty chest made by Rubbermaid in a color that matched the interior. From the outside, the lockable chest looks looks like an OEM large food container. It replaces the second row seating and is anchored to the seat hold downs. You don't have the space in a Jeep for a huge chest, but you could have something like a metal cooler securely bolted-down and locked. At a casual glance, it'll look like an attempt to provide bear proof food storage. If it's little rusty and dented, so much the better.
 
Zoomie & Zippy - (How often do you get top type that?) - I've looked at those boxes a couple of times over the years (I've had this jeep since 1997), both the Tuffy one and the homemade kind, but you just lose too much of the versatility of the jeep. A box big enough to put anything in fills up the jeep.

Hirlau - I never thought of just putting it in the engine compartment! Good idea, I'd just have to hide my keys in there too so I didn't driive off with it in place.
 
Depending on the layout under the hood, maybe use ATV gun racks or similar to really secure it so you could drive with it there.......
 
I know I'm giving away my age a bit, but I used to have a Golden Eagle CJ7- bought new for use around the farm and on hunts. I made a custom tube that fastened under the horizontal member of the roll bar that my 30-30 would snugly fit in with no rattling around. I welded it on, padded the interior and exterior (to match the pad on the roll-cage), and hinged one end, lockable with a high-security padlock.
I thought about the under-hood option, but wanted a little more accessibility. At first glance, and especially when the soft top was up, you could hardly tell the extra tube was there. I'm not sure if I ever took any pics of it, but it's not too hard to visualize. Simple, effective solution.
 
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