Gun storage for the car

Even in our gun-friendly state of Arizona, there are places where firearms are prohibited. but what if you're carrying concealed and need to make an unexpected stop at a school, post office or doctor's office? Or what if you're going out with friends and decide to stop in at a bar and have a drink? You could just stash your gun in your glove box, or under the seat, and say a prayer that no one will choose that day to break into your car. You could choose to keep the gun on you and hope no one notices it, but wouldn't you feel better knowing that your firearm was safely locked away and you weren't breaking any laws?

There are quite a few options available, from simple lock boxes, to small gun safe drawers that bolt to the underside of your car seat or are custom built for your center console, to lockable holsters that mount to the dash.

I wanted something discreet and completely hidden, since I didn't want anyone to see a gun safe or holster through the window. We would need one for each car, so price was a consideration. After quite a bit of shopping around, here's what I settled on.

For the car: SnapSafe Keyed Alike Lock Box $20

These are very basic lock boxes, but since they are just to store the guns in the car if we have to go in somewhere that doesn't allow guns, that's just fine. They have a cable that can be attached to the bottom of a car seat or trunk, and have a simple key entry.

They're also small enough to fit into most center consoles and glove boxes, but they have a nice weight to them and don't feel cheap. Since my gun is small, I got the smallest size, but my husband was surprised to be able to (just) fit his 1911 in there if he placed it just right :)

It would also work as a carrying case for putting your gun in checked luggage when flying, so that's a nice bonus. Eventually I may get something that's more built in to the car console, but for now, this fits the bill nicely.

How do you store your gun when you're in the car and can't take the gun with you? Do you have a plan in place for safely storing it? Or do you just choose to leave the gun at home if you know you're going into a gun-free zone?