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Research shows that guns are stolen every 15 minutes, and most of those that are stolen are from vehicles. There’s been a 225% rise in gun thefts from cars and trucks.  More guns are now stolen from vehicles than anywhere else according to a recent report. So if you carry your gun with you in your vehicle, there are options for you to keep it safe, from manufacturer-built safes to aftermarket safes. Though many of these are made for guns, you can of course keep any valuables in the safes away from thieves’ prying eyes. It’s a lot better than just hiding your gun.

Why would you want a gun safe?

A truck gun safe protects more than just your gun during a break in.
An illustration of a thief breaking into a vehicle | Andia Group via Getty Images)

You don’t want to carry your giant gun safe with you when you’re driving around. And, while gun racks used to be a common sight in the back window of a pickup truck, it’s an invitation for a criminal to break in and steal your gun today. Trucks are notoriously easy to break into. Smash and grab break-ins are common. Many trucks don’t have locking consoles, and even those that do aren’t fire safe so a hidden gun safe is a good idea. And, if you leave your ear protection, ammo boxes, or other telltale signs you’re coming back from the range inside the truck, a thief may ransack your pickup just to find your pistol.

Manufacturers offer locking consoles

Chevrolet and other OEMs offer a locking console box. While it's not sold as a truck gun safe, it's a good start.
Chevrolet sells a locking console box for its SUVs and trucks | Chevrolet

A hidden gun safe is best. After all, you don’t want to advertise that you have a firearm. Many trucks do offer locking consoles that may be enough to deter a thief. The major manufacturers offer locking console vaults that are great for firearms, and any other valuables you may want to lock down. The OEM boxes often don’t require drilling and they allow you to use the armrest.

Ram owners can find a factory-built console safe from the Mopar catalog for $230.40. Ford, too, offers a factory vault that fits F-150 trucks, Expedition SUVs and Super Duty trucks with the floor-mounted console. Chevy, too, makes one for $195 that fits a variety of its vehicles

The best gun safes should mount to your truck or car

There are dozens of manufacturers that make a hidden gun safes for vehicles. Some brands include:

Lock’Er Down makes a console safe that can be fitted to F-150s, Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 350, Hyundai Telluride, Toyota Tacoma and others. Each is a drop-in model that has either a tumbler, electronic, or combination lock.

Console Vault, too, makes a variety of console cases that are designed for trucks with full-floor consoles and under-seat consoles for a wide variety of trucks and SUVs.  Console Vault also makes a locking gun safe that fits Harley-Davidson bagger motorcycles hard bags. The company also offers a variety of lock options.

You can bolt the Fort Knox Auto Pistol Box and Original Piston Box to your truck, SUV, or trailer. It has a 10-gauge steel body and a mechanical lock. It’s smaller than console boxes, so it’s a better for a handgun, but it comes pre-drilled with bolt-down holes. It’s slim enough that you can mount it under a seat or in the trunk of many vehicles.

Related

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.