Is it okay to leave your gun in the car or the glove compartment, to run into a store really quickly?

In situations like this, if you can, you should keep your gun on you. Never leave your gun in the car without securing it properly.

I’m here with Jeff Gonzales, who lives in Texas.  He says the answer is not that easy. Jeff Gonzales is a very well-known firearms instructor. Jeff is a former U.S. Navy Seal. He is also the president of TRICON and Trident Concepts, an awesome training institution.

Jeff is in Texas, where the Texas government passed a new law in 2016.

That law is an open carry law.

That passage is a victory for people in Texas. However, it also came with one unintended consequence for private business owners.

Business owners can now prohibit firearms on their property.

Because of this victory, many businesses no longer allow firearms in their business.

How does this affect both open carry and concealed carry?

For any person planning to patronize a business, entering that property with a firearm is criminal trespassing.

A patron’s only option who wants to enter the store and make a purchase is disarming him or herself to be within the law.  In this case, most patrons have decided to take their business elsewhere. However, there are still some places where patrons can’t simply opt to go elsewhere.

Some places, like the post office, are perfect examples.

People of all sorts have to use the post office for many reasons. The same people using the post office are not allowed to take a firearm on the local post office property because it’s a Federal crime.

My suggestion is, when a person in this situation is faced with disarming in a vehicle, to go to the post office, and the alternative is breaking the law, you should know how to safely leave your gun.

There is a difference between securing your firearm and hiding it. Hiding it does not do you any good.

Instead, secure the firearm so unauthorized access cannot be had.

That means you have to lock it up. If your glove box is lockable, that’s is an option.

You can also use some center consoles to secure firearms, if you have one that is large enough to you hold an actual lock box.

Using the substantial cargo space in your trunk, you can actually put a lock box in there.

You carry, so carry all the time. That means the best course of action is to not leave your gun in the car.

 For you to go to stores with this policy, you have to consider this:

Do you just run the gauntlet and get busted?

Or will you secure your firearm, so it can’t be stolen?

The number one way prohibited possessors, felons and criminals obtain firearms is through theft and robbery.

Don’t let your firearm fall into the wrong hands. Don’t leave your gun in car.