There's been FD held hostage years after those classes. So it turns out they were correct.

My in the vehicle protection:

I used to keep mine riding up front when I was guiding. If you're scared of it getting stolen you could get a real long cable lock and run it through the trigger guard and around a seat mount to where you could still even shoulder it standing right by the truck if needed, or take a few seconds and unlock it if you need to move with it...

I see what you did there. Clever.

I keep a carbine length AR next to the center console on pax side of truck once I hit dirt roads and then it gets put back in the case after my trip. But that is primarily for seeing a target of opportunity in my travels. My pistol is always in easy reach for defensive purposes.

Yes. Religiously these days.

If I could figure out how to really secure it without making it hugely hard to get to, one would be in there all the time.

That is a pretty decent idea sir .

I keep a .22 in my truck most of the time.

During deer season I'll keep a .30-30 under the back seat

Just for my own curiosity: what type of situation would you be in where you need to shoot someone that far away? If you're in your truck or car, you can drive away. And if you're too far away for a handgun, you'd have a tough time convincing a jury that you felt an imminent threat for your life.

So, if you have a rifle in your vehicle you shouldn't use it in case of a gunfight? You are going with a handgun instead so the jury won't be mad at you?

No, I'm going with a handgun because I don't have to leave it in the car and risk losing it if a thief shows up.

It's much, much, much more likely that a thief steals a gun you leave in the car than you end up using a gun that never leaves your car to successfully defend your life.

My pistol is only for fighting my way to my rifle.

Say you're on a major highway during rush hour, and the cretins park their cars in tandem to create what would essentially be a parking lot. Then they just walk down between the cars and start blasting the innocent occupants. I'd rather shoot at them when they're beyond pistol range.

When was the last time that happened?

Supposedly a similar scenario was being planned by terrorists in California a while back.

Rifle in truck, yes. I won't argue against having one in the truck.
Practical wisdom might argue against grabbing a rifle for a defensive encounter if you are in town. Getting into your vehicle, grabbing rifle, and getting onto a target would take just as much time as it would to just get in the vehicle and vacate the area. This is a whole different scenario if you are a first responder of some sort.
A vehicle with a visible AR in it would be a definite target for thieves and personal injury lawyers. A Ruger mini 14/30 is a viable truck rifle that is less likely to get you sued if you are forced to use it in town or it gets stolen and used in a crime.

Still seems extremely unlikely that it would happen and infinitely less likely that I would be there for it.

Still - It's much, much, much more likely that a thief steals a gun you leave in the car than you end up using a gun that never leaves your car to successfully defend your life.

Agreed. But for regular folks, you're putting yourself at risk for no reason. Just drive away.

Victory loves preparedness.

When was the last time a Muzzie mass murdered people in a night club? Never has happened before, but is sure did a few days ago.

I want the high Mag capacity, and longer sight radius of a rifle.

Beat me to it, JG. If I just happen to find myself in/around a Muzzie attack, I would much rather have a rifle. Don't know if I could run away with people needing help. Just SHTF scenarios.

Pistol in the door, SBR or bolt gun in between the seat, shotgun under the back seat 24\7. Never had a problem. But I'm sure living in a town of 4500 is different than DFW area.

I have a Husky laptop bag that houses a Kel Tec Sub2000, modified to use CZ mags, a CZ75 clone, several magazines, and extra ammo that I generally take with me everywhere. It is doubly handy as I generally carry a CZ75 compact clone; so the magazines are interchangeable.

I hear what you're saying. But what I'm saying is that a rifle in the truck doesn't prepare you for any real scenario for self defense. You wouldn't have had it in the nightclub in Orlando, in the building at Virginia Tech, in the school at Sandy Hook, or anywhere else.

On the flip side, guns get stolen from cars ALL THE TIME. The risk isn't worth the reward, primarily because the possible reward really doesn't exist. I can't think of a single scenario that's actually happened where a rifle in your car would have saved you but a handgun on your person wouldn't have.

Back in the '80's and 90's when Suburbans dinnit have no overhead lights/sunglass/garage door remote holder yadda yadda crap above the front seat and behind the sun visors, you could buy an aftermarket color matched cloth covered panel that created a shelf all the way across the truck, that was held in place with little metal feet under the roof liner trim.

Perfect place for a flat sided 1911, a short barreled pump shotgun, snicker bars and peanut butter crackers...out of sight and out of mind and oh so very handy in those Pre CHL days for a travelling gun rep with a couple dozen soft cased long gun samples under the cargo areas 3/4" plywood covered shelf....I always had 20+ guns in the 'Burban.

As long as I parked the truck with the clam shell doors backed up to a solid wall or something similar, the old trick of pulling off the side window weather stripping to gain access inside the then vacant hole kept me from ever having a break in. FWIW the gun owning neighbors either side and across the street from me knew to "shoot" at car thieves on sight.

That front seat overhead shelf did make for some "spirited" conversations when the BH took my truck at the last minute to haul preteen soccer teams with instead of her lil Buick Station Wagon that always out of gas...and some other soccer mom rode along and Noticed!!! the Hidey Hole and felt around looking for candy bar's that were always stored there...and came up with my Lwt Commander that travelled cocked and locked when I forgot to pull my road toys out of the truck after a trip. That Shelf thingy was 98% invisible too from outside the vehicle's deep tinted windows.
Oh well that was then, back when life was Mo Simpler...
Ron

They couldn't possibly fly airliners into large building before and it would make no sense to have been prepared for it because that had never happened before. Right?