Concealment #7

Let’s face it, as Americans, we spend more time in our cars than most of us might like. Although our love affair with the automobile is still alive, it’s way past the heady rush of a first encounter and more akin to that of an older couple who’ll bicker a lot, but put up with one another for the sake of familiarity. Like birthdays and holidays, there are a few bright spots, but as anyone who’s spent time in L.A. traffic will tell you, the honeymoon is over. Because so many of us spend so many hours trapped in our vehicles, in this edition of CONCEALMENT, we examine the concept of the modern coach gun, and test one product that might just fit the role.

While four-wheeled transport has its drawbacks, it’s still usually better than resorting to the Greyhound of the skies. So until someone comes up with a superior alternative, I’ll continue packing a carbine in the trunk on cross-country trips. As contributor Matt Jacques points out, it’s worthwhile investing the effort to make your vehicular armament as secure, unobtrusive, low-key, and unappealing as possible. Quite apart from the frustration of having your personal property stolen by some dirtbag, there’s a moral dimension as well. Do you really want it on your conscience that you inadvertently armed a member of the criminal fraternity?

There are a number of ways to delay the theft of your firearm (like all physical security, it’s there to slow down, rather than stop a thief), and we’ll take a look at some of them in upcoming issues. In the meantime, should you choose to augment your personal security with some heavier ordnance in your vehicle, once you’ve picked a potential long-gun, cast a critical eye over your setup. Will it conceal within the confines of your trunk, bed, or cab? Can you make it harder to carry off? Are there any decoy items you can place between an entry point and the gun itself, so a thief will grab those and not your carbine?

Packing a long-gun, or a rifle-caliber pistol, might not be for everyone, but then neither is a CCW. Both require thought, consideration, and the assumption of responsibilities over and above the minimum required to function in today’s society. Which sums up the CONCEALMENT mindset nicely.

To preview the issue click here: Concealment 7