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I noticed several folks cited the Taurus Judge as being an adequate defensive pistol and perhaps good for use in the OP's situation. Respectfully, I have to disagree. Unless you are going to shoot the .45 Long Colt round, the .410 is woefully inadequate for self-defense purposes - in any loading. Rather than present much data, let me just ask that you look at the testing done on this web site:
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot41.htm

And again, respectfully, a couple of myths:
The bore of a .410 is so big it will frighten away an attacker
A shotgun is so powerful you don't need to worry about accuracy

Now the most common response is "Well I wouldn't want to get shot with a .410." Neither would I. But then I wouldn't like getting shot with a .22 Short either. I need enough power in my defensive weapons to adequately stop the activity of the attacker. There is no evidence, either on the street or in the lab, that the .410 will do that. There are some good suggestions for car weapons here. Choose carefully.

Not picking on you Judge owners. It is a great fun gun. I just wouldn't trust my life with one.

The Annoyed Man wrote:For you Z3 and Miata drivers, have you considered a Safepacker by The Wilderness?

I have one, and it works as advertised. You carry the gun "concealed out in the open" and you can attach it to your seatbelt. If you have to leave the vehicle, you take the Safepacker with you, and your gun is still concealed.

I don't use it every day, and I don't drive a convertible, but I do use it with some degree of regularity, particularly when I need to leave the house in "house clothes" as stated above in a previous post, and want to carry without bothering with a holster and a belt.

Another possibility, of which I also have one, is the Versipack by Maxpedition. Both products are great for those times when you need to grab a gun and go without the need to "dress up."

That safe packer is really handy looking. I don't think it is for me personally but I know some folks that would be all over that. Thanks for the link. Its been forwarded.

marksiwel wrote:Well, a Rossi 38 is only 250 Bucks at Academy,

Try $199 on ad, I was there last night picking up an Uncle Buck size 15.

Embalmo

Guys,

I've never been a fan of a permanent "gun in the truck". I really don't think anyone would take the time and effort to cut the top of a convertible when tapping the window is a lot faster, easier, and requires fewer tools; and that top is one of the most valuable pieces if the vehicle gets chopped.

My wife had a $250 window smashed for a $30 CD player. Automobiles provide ZERO protection for one's valuables, my 8 year old could break safety glass; and if an alarm goes off, he ain't gonna' run off until he takes what he came for.

With that said, I don't think anyone would bother breaking into a vehicle if there is nothing in plain site to steal; unless they're stealing the entire vehicle.

Embalmo

For the price the cz-82 is a decent, small enough to hide pistol and holds enough rounds to fill any want. It's in Makarov 9x18 making it a bit better than a .380. Hard to beat for a beater truck gun that's plenty reliable.

I tend to agree with the guys who avoid keeping a permanent weapon in a vehicle. I feel like it would be too prone to theft, or if I let someone drive my vehicle, I would have to deal with clearing the vehicle first. I would recommend that you look at a paddle holster like the ones from Fobus. You can slip one on in a second, without dealing with a belt, or making major adjustments. If you are wearing shorts, or something too light to support a gun, a fanny pack would work. Maybe build a permanent fanny pack set-up that you just grab on your way out the door.

Now all that being said, if I were going to permanently "car carry" a handgun, I would go with a Ruger sp101. Not terribly cheap, but a quality gun for the money. However, if you are going to stay in the car, and don't need to take the gun with you, I would pack a full sized shotgun. I do this for all road trips or extended driving where I will be staying with the vehicle. Something like a mossberg 590 is really not that expensive, and if you have to get out of your truck and confront a problem, you will be prepared. You can get a permanent case like the ones from Cabalas, and if you have a garage, just keep it in your truck permanently. I keep an old tripod bag in the case under the gun in case I need to take it into my office or hotel. I just slip the shotgun into that and carry it right in. The down side is that you can't put it in your pocket and take it with you if you are heading into a restaurant, and you won't be able to access as fast as a handgun, but you will have some serious firepower should you come across a real problem.

The Annoyed Man wrote:For you Z3 and Miata drivers, have you considered a Safepacker by The Wilderness?

I have one, and it works as advertised. You carry the gun "concealed out in the open" and you can attach it to your seatbelt. If you have to leave the vehicle, you take the Safepacker with you, and your gun is still concealed.

I don't use it every day, and I don't drive a convertible, but I do use it with some degree of regularity, particularly when I need to leave the house in "house clothes" as stated above in a previous post, and want to carry without bothering with a holster and a belt.

Another possibility, of which I also have one, is the Versipack by Maxpedition. Both products are great for those times when you need to grab a gun and go without the need to "dress up."

The Daytimer holsters do the same thing for me. $30 at any gun show.
I also liked the CD storage case. It was about 5"x10", and with the CD pages cut out, it fit a 1911 perfectly. $6 at Wally World, or even better use the gimmee version from your friendly vendor. A CD case on a car seat looks pretty much at home, but you sure don't want to leave it in view when you park.

I also use a manicure case from a convention a few years ago. It fits my P32 and 1 mag perfectly, fits in a jacket pocket or a door pocket.

Embalmo wrote:Guys,

I've never been a fan of a permanent "gun in the truck". I really don't think anyone would take the time and effort to cut the top of a convertible when tapping the window is a lot faster, easier, and requires fewer tools; and that top is one of the most valuable pieces if the vehicle gets chopped.

My wife had a $250 window smashed for a $30 CD player. Automobiles provide ZERO protection for one's valuables, my 8 year old could break safety glass; and if an alarm goes off, he ain't gonna' run off until he takes what he came for.

With that said, I don't think anyone would bother breaking into a vehicle if there is nothing in plain site to steal; unless they're stealing the entire vehicle.

Embalmo

Thanks for the suggestions so far

I've been on the fence about leaving a gun in the Miata. A convertible doesn't seem to be as secure as a hardtop vehicle, but in reality you can break into any vehicle fairly easily. As I stated in my original post, the main reason I wanted to consider this is because of short trips that don't require me to leave the vehicle but don't take long enough to really bother setting up my whole rig. I neglected to mention that the Miata rarely takes any downtown trips or anything that requires me to leave it for more than a few minutes... for the most part, it goes to work (gated building, I'm a security guard and not too worried about it there) and stays at home either by the garage behind my van or in the garage (once I finish cleaning it out again). I'm not REALLY concerned about it being broken in to, but then, few of us expect it.

I usually even leave the top down when I'm stopped. The general concurrence in the DFWMiata club is that leaving it down seems to be a bigger deterrent than a locked door... they can see if there's anything they want, and a vehicle that opened up makes the BG suspicious

That being said, I do have a locking glovebox and center console, plus I can disconnect the console-mounted trunk release so the trunk can only be opened with a key (granted, a trunk gun wouldn't be very accessible).

I dunno.


As for the other suggestions, I had no idea the Sigma was that cheap at Academy, but as stated I don't know how I would feel about a plastic gun in my car in DFW heat 24/7. As for the Judge... I never really was a fan of it.

The Rossi .38 seems like a bargain though! And I really like the Safepacker idea. It seems better than my Jack Pack (which needs some adjustment to be quick).

How would a Makarov be? They seem like solid little guns and can be had for a decent price (sub-$200 often). They'd probably require a little more maintenance but...

And Purplehood, you'd be surprised what you can carry in a Miata. I fit my full size golf bag in the trunk with only the driver removed

MadMonkey wrote: And Purplehood, you'd be surprised what you can carry in a Miata. I fit my full size golf bag in the trunk with only the driver removed

So then who is driving???

My Z4 has a big trunk for a small car. Not a lot of good putting my gun in the trunk though!

Rex B wrote:

MadMonkey wrote: And Purplehood, you'd be surprised what you can carry in a Miata. I fit my full size golf bag in the trunk with only the driver removed

So then who is driving???

I have a 93 miata that i carry a glock 23 in a ballistic nylon holster velcroed to center console right next to shifter on passenger side. Easy for me grab in split second. But i am 6'5" and have a few inches of reach. Interior, gun and holster are black and very hard to see unless you know its there. When top is down i just throw a small black shop rag over it, and if it is needed the thin rag does not hinder gripping and firing with it still covered.

You folks are simply too creative.

I just bought some 5.11 jeans from LAPG. One pair has a lower thigh zip-up pocket. It will hold my LCP just fine, and it's in easy reach when I'm seated and belted in the car.
can't wear those all the time, but I find myself wearing them a lot, will order more

I keep a SIGMA 9mm in my car for several reasons, not the least of which is if someone steals it and tries to commit a crime with it, they'll give up when they feel the trigger.