I carried rifles and shotguns in vehicles for many years as a LEO. In most vehicles my rifle and or shotgun spent the majority of their time locked in the trunk. My 870's carried four rounds in the mag tube and when I was issued a Ithica it carried six or seven in the magazine tube. My Mini 14 or AR-15's were carried bolt down on an empty chamber with a loaded magazine in the mag well or in the gun case with the rifle.
If I was involved in a high risk situation the long gun was very close at hand. Depending on the vehicle dictated the location of the long gun in the passenger compartment. Sometimes there were two Officers in the car which might dictate the passenger hold the long gun. Some police vehicles back in the late 70's and early 80's had shotguns in locks mounted to the dash or in a scabbard in front of the front bench seat.
As more electronic gear was added bucket seats became the norm and the addition of air bags relegated the long gun to overhead mounts, mounts on prisoner partitions/cages, standup mounts between the bucket seat or cargo areas of vehicles.
After the 911 terrorist attacks the rifles became a common fixture close at hand especially if you were the only person on duty patrolling vast sections of interstate highways.
Since retiring I routinely have a Tavor or AR-15 in my vehicle if I travel very far from home. My concern when traveling on the highways is an active shooter on a closed access highway. Fortunately this is not a common occurrence but I prefer to have a weapon capable of engaging targets further than the handgun is suitable. Another concern is civil disorder in a metro area. Look at the problems around St Louis where rioters stopped traffic on the highways. Things can go bad very quickly in such situations and you can't always escape by driving away from the trouble.
I generally will not leave a rifle in a gun case visible in a vehicle and generally do not leave a rifle over night in a vehicle. I do not have any decals, stickers or any other means of identifying me as a gun owner or LEO which might indicate the pressence of a weapon in my vehicle. To me most pistol AR-15’s are not that much smaller in size as to be easily concealed and have a significant size if in a bag or gun case. I would tend to treat the AR-15 pistol in the same manner as I do my Tavor. The Tavor gun case takes up noticeably less space than a 16” in my gun case. I believe the AR-15 pistols in rifle calibers do extend the useable range to warrant their use. For carrying in a vehicle where absolute size is not a factor I still like my Tavor bullpup.
It seems strange but I've carried firearms for so many years it seems unnatural not to have them on my person or in my vehicle.
If I was involved in a high risk situation the long gun was very close at hand. Depending on the vehicle dictated the location of the long gun in the passenger compartment. Sometimes there were two Officers in the car which might dictate the passenger hold the long gun. Some police vehicles back in the late 70's and early 80's had shotguns in locks mounted to the dash or in a scabbard in front of the front bench seat.
As more electronic gear was added bucket seats became the norm and the addition of air bags relegated the long gun to overhead mounts, mounts on prisoner partitions/cages, standup mounts between the bucket seat or cargo areas of vehicles.
After the 911 terrorist attacks the rifles became a common fixture close at hand especially if you were the only person on duty patrolling vast sections of interstate highways.
Since retiring I routinely have a Tavor or AR-15 in my vehicle if I travel very far from home. My concern when traveling on the highways is an active shooter on a closed access highway. Fortunately this is not a common occurrence but I prefer to have a weapon capable of engaging targets further than the handgun is suitable. Another concern is civil disorder in a metro area. Look at the problems around St Louis where rioters stopped traffic on the highways. Things can go bad very quickly in such situations and you can't always escape by driving away from the trouble.
I generally will not leave a rifle in a gun case visible in a vehicle and generally do not leave a rifle over night in a vehicle. I do not have any decals, stickers or any other means of identifying me as a gun owner or LEO which might indicate the pressence of a weapon in my vehicle. To me most pistol AR-15’s are not that much smaller in size as to be easily concealed and have a significant size if in a bag or gun case. I would tend to treat the AR-15 pistol in the same manner as I do my Tavor. The Tavor gun case takes up noticeably less space than a 16” in my gun case. I believe the AR-15 pistols in rifle calibers do extend the useable range to warrant their use. For carrying in a vehicle where absolute size is not a factor I still like my Tavor bullpup.
It seems strange but I've carried firearms for so many years it seems unnatural not to have them on my person or in my vehicle.