The dashboard is, indeed, a very good place for a weapon to be seen by an approaching LEO. The trouble is that an LEO will be on alert for movement within the vehicle while approaching and may notice the movement associated with placing the gun on the dashboard and take it the wrong way lol.
I was talking to a guy in a store the other day and he was telling me about his uncle who got pulled over. The uncle was doing just that- placing his gun on the dashboard when the cop came up to the window. The cop immediately drew his gun and eventually the uncle was placed in cuffs and brought to the station. The whole time, the uncle was telling the cop that he wast trying to place it up there so it would be in plain sight. In other words, he was trying to comply with the law, but the cop took the movement out of context and reacted to it.
From that, I simply confirmed my own plan- to have it in plain sight in the first place and leave it there. That way, there's no movement from me to observe and to be taken the wrong way.
Unless you happen to travel with a gun on the dashboard (which isn't too bright, imo), then there is going to be observable movement during the stop while you place it there. This can be taken the wrong way in certain circumstances. I'm not saying everyone will be treated like the uncle I was told about, but there's certainly a chance for it.
Uncle must be a mite slow.
When the lights light up and the siren sounds, you have a reasonable length of time to place the gun where you want it to be.
At 55 on the highway, it takes quite a distance to find a safe place to pull over and get stopped.
In the city, with parked cars, intersections, etc., you usually have to go a half block or so to get stopped.
Place the gun where you want it while still moving.
Most cars now have so much behind the driver that you can't see much from behind.
Just try it. Next time you are following a vehicle similar to your own, try counting the people in the other vehicle.
Try to determine whether they are male or female. Only in the very smallest cheapest vehicles is it possible.
But the main thing is to use common sense. If you are already parked and a cop pulls up beside you and it at your window before you know it, sit still. Be slow to open your window so it does not look like you are making an aggressive move.
Use common sense.
