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Portable safes laws

frgntsmtn

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Sep 20, 2008
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leesburg, Virginia, USA
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im thinking about but this safe for my car because im not always able to carry , i have been looking in the codes to see if it is legal to have it attached under my drivers seat without a conceal weapon permit and if it can be loaded or does it have to be unloaded but i havent been able to find any thing can some one help me please.
 

SaltH2OHokie

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Can't have it loaded and hidden. Locked in the glove box or in a case makes no difference (as far as I know, I'm not a lawyer).

Also, let me add that if I'm looking at the picture correctly, I had one of those 'safes' and after two weeks I lost the key one day (had my wallet in it) and it took all of 5 minutes to get into. Wouldn't trust that any more (or less) than I'd trust locking the door on my vehicle.

Unless age is holding you back, the CHP has plenty of merit even if you try to carry openly 100% of the time, just for situations like that.
 

rspiess

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Springfield, VA
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As far as the case, I have one in each of my vehicles and they work well. The cable is not very thick so it could be cut if a thief is determined to get the contents of the box but for short term storage you are in good shape. I also use the case to secure my gun in checked luggage for air travel.
 

mobeewan

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There was recently a case in virginia in which a person was in a traffic accident. He had a firearm on the seat of the vehicle. After the accident he secured the firearm in the vehicle in the center console when he had to seek treatment for injuries in the ambulance. While in the ambulance the police officer asked for the keys to his vehicle. He gave the officer the keys. The officer found the firearm inthe console and charged him with a concealed weapon. He was found guilty of a second offense of CW which is a felony. On appeal the court found that since the firearm was locked in the console and the he had left the vehicle it was no longer "on or about his person" since he no longer had direct access to the firearm, so the conviction was over turned on appeal. I do not remember the case, but VCDL posted info on it this past year in the Virginia Alert.

Based on this if the firearm is securely lockedup in the vehicle and you are not in the vehicle and it is no longer"on or about yuor person" then you should be okay with the safe you are inquiring about. Just make sure you remember toremove the firearm from the container prior to operating the vehicle again. If I were you Iwould make sure to keep a copy of the appeal court ruling in the vehicle just in case.
 

TFred

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mobeewan wrote:
There was recently a case in virginia in which a person was in a traffic accident. He had a firearm on the seat of the vehicle. After the accident he secured the firearm in the vehicle in the center console when he had to seek treatment for injuries in the ambulance. While in the ambulance the police officer asked for the keys to his vehicle. He gave the officer the keys. The officer found the firearm inthe console and charged him with a concealed weapon. He was found guilty of a second offense of CW which is a felony. On appeal the court found that since the firearm was locked in the console and the he had left the vehicle it was no longer "on or about his person" since he no longer had direct access to the firearm, so the conviction was over turned on appeal. I do not remember the case, but VCDL posted info on it this past year in the Virginia Alert.

Based on this if the firearm is securely lockedup in the vehicle and you are not in the vehicle and it is no longer"on or about yuor person" then you should be okay with the safe you are inquiring about. Just make sure you remember toremove the firearm from the container prior to operating the vehicle again. If I were you Iwould make sure to keep a copy of the appeal court ruling in the vehicle just in case.
This was before I started reading here... but wow, considering the facts - that the guy was in a traffic accident, and chose to secure his weapon, rather than leave it out in the open for someone to steal - it sounds like the arresting officer was a real tool! Theft from wrecked cars at accident scenes does happen, as petty and disgusting as that is. I knew a guy who had his wallet stolen out of his car at a scene as he was transported to the hospital.

Am I missing something?

TFred
 

eyesopened

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NOVA, Virginia, USA
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SaltH2OHokie wrote:
Can't have it loaded and hidden. Locked in the glove box or in a case makes no difference (as far as I know, I'm not a lawyer).

Also, let me add that if I'm looking at the picture correctly, I had one of those 'safes' and after two weeks I lost the key one day (had my wallet in it) and it took all of 5 minutes to get into. Wouldn't trust that any more (or less) than I'd trust locking the door on my vehicle.

Unless age is holding you back, the CHP has plenty of merit even if you try to carry openly 100% of the time, just for situations like that.
No safe is going to be 100% secure, otherwise how would we get into it ourselves :). What Ilike about this safe, is that it will stop the casual smash and grab oppurtunity. I have one of these safes and instead of using the cheapo cable, I bolted it to my vehicle. Where it's located it is hard to get at with tools, so it's a little harder to pry into the safe.
 

Glock27Bill

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Mar 6, 2008
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Louisa County, Virginia, USA
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eyesopened wrote:
SaltH2OHokie wrote:
Can't have it loaded and hidden. Locked in the glove box or in a case makes no difference (as far as I know, I'm not a lawyer).

Also, let me add that if I'm looking at the picture correctly, I had one of those 'safes' and after two weeks I lost the key one day (had my wallet in it) and it took all of 5 minutes to get into. Wouldn't trust that any more (or less) than I'd trust locking the door on my vehicle.

Unless age is holding you back, the CHP has plenty of merit even if you try to carry openly 100% of the time, just for situations like that.
No safe is going to be 100% secure, otherwise how would we get into it ourselves :). What Ilike about this safe, is that it will stop the casual smash and grab oppurtunity. I have one of these safes and instead of using the cheapo cable, I bolted it to my vehicle. Where it's located it is hard to get at with tools, so it's a little harder to pry into the safe.
I have one of these safe exactly for the smash 'n grab guy.

A casual parking lot thief will not be carrying around bolt/cable cutters, and has to know that the safe is there.

Unfortunately, I hav no accessable place to bolt a safe in my truck.
 

SaltH2OHokie

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Apr 26, 2008
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Bottom of Suffolk, VA
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eyesopened wrote:
SaltH2OHokie wrote:
Can't have it loaded and hidden. Locked in the glove box or in a case makes no difference (as far as I know, I'm not a lawyer).

Also, let me add that if I'm looking at the picture correctly, I had one of those 'safes' and after two weeks I lost the key one day (had my wallet in it) and it took all of 5 minutes to get into. Wouldn't trust that any more (or less) than I'd trust locking the door on my vehicle.

Unless age is holding you back, the CHP has plenty of merit even if you try to carry openly 100% of the time, just for situations like that.
No safe is going to be 100% secure, otherwise how would we get into it ourselves :). What Ilike about this safe, is that it will stop the casual smash and grab oppurtunity. I have one of these safes and instead of using the cheapo cable, I bolted it to my vehicle. Where it's located it is hard to get at with tools, so it's a little harder to pry into the safe.

I may have had a different one. The one I had just had a piano hinge across the back and a little lock on the front like a cabinet in your garage has. Similar sized though. I may have exaggerated the time it took me to get into it. I just twisted the lid one way and the bottom the other way. The hinge was really weak. If I'm forced into leaving my gun in the car, I lock it in the glovebox. Similar level (low) of security, but built into the car.
 

kle

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Jan 10, 2007
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348
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, Virginia, USA
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SaltH2OHokie wrote:
Also, let me add that if I'm looking at the picture correctly, I had one of those 'safes' and after two weeks I lost the key one day (had my wallet in it) and it took all of 5 minutes to get into. Wouldn't trust that any more (or less) than I'd trust locking the door on my vehicle.
Center Of Mass (who sells these safes) is now selling one with a combo lock. No keys to mess with. Though the shells are probably just as (un)sturdy (yay for stamped steel).

It's a lockable box, nothing more--not meant as a safe.
 

SaltH2OHokie

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Bottom of Suffolk, VA
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kle wrote:
SaltH2OHokie wrote:
Also, let me add that if I'm looking at the picture correctly, I had one of those 'safes' and after two weeks I lost the key one day (had my wallet in it) and it took all of 5 minutes to get into. Wouldn't trust that any more (or less) than I'd trust locking the door on my vehicle.
Center Of Mass (who sells these safes) is now selling one with a combo lock. No keys to mess with. Though the shells are probably just as (un)sturdy (yay for stamped steel).

It's a lockable box, nothing more--not meant as a safe.
Mine came from wallie world and was made by the same folks who make file cabinets and such. Looked very similar, probably different.

My gun is ironically locked in my car right now, not even in the glove box, but under my seat w/out a holster due to a last minute decision on whether or not I should carry w/only a t-shirt as a cover garment. Wouldn't have been illegal, just against the rules...give you three guesses where I am and the first two don't count...I am wearing a really nice empty holster, though. If poop really hits the fan I'll diffuse the situation with my air gun (think air guitar).
 
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