Would keeping a gun in the car damage it or be otherwise dangerous for any reason?

H

Hoss Delgado

New member
This may a dumb question, but I'm just wonder if leaving a gun in the car would be a bad idea. Due to weird state laws, I can legally have one in the car at my age without any permit, but I can't concealed carry. Particularly, would very hot or cold weather mess it up? Also, is there any chance of it going off or something crazy like that?
 
No the heat or cold shouldn't hurt most guns, unless you live in Tucson, or Fairbanks, anyway. :cool:

Will it go off unexpectedly? Why would it? Are we talking about a gun or a home made fertilizer bomb?
 
As long as you have controlled access to it..

when you not with the car. the only situation to worry is the car catching on fire to go off.

If temperature extremes during the summer may have to change out ammo.
 
I most generally have three handguns between the front seats,,and four rifles in the back seat....that are in my car everyday all day..they never come out unless im hunting.
 
I leave a Glock in my truck at all times. It gets over 150 degrees in the summer here in a closed truck. It has never hurt the gun or ammo. No, it cannot go off without the trigger being pulled. Hide it when you are out of the vehicle to reduce the chance of theft.
 
Your right, that's seems like a strange law to me. Are you sure of what the law says?
No matter how or where you store a gun, they all need some maintenence. High humidity isn't good. Cold damp weather isn't good either. You can keep a gun in any type of climate as long as you keep it maintained properly.
I have a handgun hidden in my damp basement, but I regularly wipe it down and keep it oiled.
Me personally, I would never leave a gun in a vehicle unattended for long periods of time.{like overnight} Somehow, someway, the wrong person will find out you keep a gun in your car and try to steal it. That's my thinking anyway.
 
The only thing I ever worry about is theft. Hide it and hope for the best.

Disco, seven guns in your vehicle at all times? That seems like maybe one too many to me. :D
 
Shoot, one too few....lol

PLease recite the following phrase until it is tattooed on your brain...
"When it comes to firearms, there is no such thing, as too many."
 
We shoot alot....I have a ruger redhawk, 5906, and taurus raging bull in 45LC between the front seats,,and moss 500 .410, ruger .223, savage .22-250 and howa 30-06 in the back seat...needless to say I cant carry passengers.:cool:
 
Very long term storage (years) in high temperature conditions can affect the primers, so I would change out the ammo every so often, fire the old rounds and load fresh.

DiscoRacing, the others are right; theft should be a concern. Some naughty folks would tear that car apart if they knew you had that many guns in there.

Jim
 
I have kept a gun in a holster in my center console for more than a year. I take it out once in a while to shoot it and it always works perfectly. The heat of Florida's summer and cold of winter don't seem to affect it.

If you are going to have kids in the car, make sure they can't get to the gun if you step out for a minute. Also, its not likely to go off but just the same make sure its pointed away from anyone.
 
Your two biggest threats to your gun that is left in the car are.
1 Theft. A lot of guns are stolen from cars. If you have a way to secure it in a manner that would discourage a thief from spending the time and energy to unsecure it that would be preferable.
2 Rust and corrosion from neglect. Those two are preventable with a touch of oil for the gun, and shooting up the ammo and replacing it every so often. (Besides it gives you an excuse to shoot.:D)
 
While the theft of a gun is never good, it's YOUR car. No one has the right to steal it. I refuse to see how some people think that if you leave YOUR gun in YOUR car it's irresponsible. It's really not. You are doing nothing illegal-the thief is. Lock your car, use a vehicle safe if possible, or hide the gun well when the car is unattended. These are your responsibilities.
If someone broke into your home and stole your gun would you blame yourself? I doubt it. Why would anyone think differently about a car?
 
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You guys sure are lucky. In my country, if you leave your firearm in your vehicle and the cops find it you will be found 'unfit to possess' which means you will never be able to own another gun for the rest of your life.

If your gun is stolen from your car, besides the above, you WILL be charged with criminal negligence.

Your guns can only be one of 2 places. In a safe thats bolted to a wall or floor, or on your person in a holster or bag.

I wish it could be different. It would be nice to have a gun in the car. That way i can be out and about with a pocket pistol and have something significant in the car.
 
One hazard of keeping a gun in your car, I would think, would to become not alert to it. By that I mean you could simply not think about it and drive into, or onto a, 'Gunfree Zone', such as school grounds, federal property, or other such restricted area.
 
There is no danger to keeping a gun in your car due to weather.

Theft and rust due to neglect are the only real possible dangers, both of which can be prevented with a little attention.

A well hidden gun and a locked vehicle without any valuables in sight will help with possible theft. As far as rust, as long as you maintain gun (oil and clean it) on a regular basis that should keep it rust free.
 
Due to weird state laws, I can legally have one in the car at my age without any permit, but I can't concealed carry.
Click to expand...

OP did not mention what state, but in Missouri anyone at least 21 years of age who can legally posses a firearm can carry concealed in a vehicle without a permit, but you have to be 23 to get a Missouri CCW permit. The loophole, Utah CCW permits are reciprocal, and you can get one by mail at the age of 21. Most CCW classes in Missouri will provide everything needed for the Utah permit with your training. If you are not in Missouri, check the laws in your state. You might be able to do the same there.

One word of caution about keeping a handgun in your car. Get one of these: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=274442
You don't want some scumbag breaking into your car and stealing your gun to use in a violent crime.
Lock it up when you leave your car parked.
 
I leave a Russian Makarov in my trucks console 24/7 loaded right up to its ears :)
I figure its every bit as safe as all the electronics that are more exposed than it is -
 
Amin Parker said:
You guys sure are lucky. In my country, if you leave your firearm in your vehicle and the cops find it you will be found 'unfit to possess' which means you will never be able to own another gun for the rest of your life.

If your gun is stolen from your car, besides the above, you WILL be charged with criminal negligence.

Your guns can only be one of 2 places. In a safe thats bolted to a wall or floor, or on your person in a holster or bag. . . . .
Click to expand...
I'm curious. Can you carry a pistol on your person if you're in the car?
 
Cold weather mess it up?
The one thing you want to watch for is in very cold weather when your gun sets in the car for hours at a time and gets down to the outside temperature, each time you warm it up its going to collect moisture. I make sure that when I bring it in to the house after setting for hours cold in a holster to remove it from the holster and once it has warmed up I use Silicone treatment and wipe down the outer surface and give it a good inspection.
To me moisture can be one of the worse things that can damage a gun due to temperature extremes. I have a friend that last year he sat an older Winchester lever action in 45 LC under some blankest in his closet.
He sat the gun flat on the floor on the carpeting in a corner closet. Then set a bunch of blankets no top. This was his home self defense gun that he thought was well hidden yet easy to get to.
He let set there for most of the winter.
He called me up asking for help. The guns finish was completely ruined. Surface rust covered over 50 % of the NIB gun. Some of the receiver had pits. The barrel was also damaged inside.
Very expensive lesion learned.
 
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