A Handgun In a Vehicle

NCFubar

NCFubar

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While running a few errands late this afternoon I witnessed a fairly rough traffic accident and truck pretty much t-boned a woman who backed out in front of him. Everyone was okay but will be sore tomorrow because the safety devices but there was one scary thing I did see.

The guy driving the truck had a pistol, a S&W Shield, muzzle down in the console cup holder. When we got to him he was fine and air bags, both the steering wheel and side curtain had deployed. I went in the passenger side since he was alone and checked on him ... he was stunned but okay. I told him not to move and wait for the VFD’s Rescue Squad to check him out. As I was getting ready to get out to make sure there was no danger from other things I saw a pistol IN the winshield. I asked him if it was his and had it hit him. He said it was his and he had placed in in his cup holder (he did have a CHP and the Trooper was the one who secured it from the windshield). We kinda figured out the impact launched it hard enough to hit the windshield hard enough for the upper rear part of the slide and rear sight to imbed partially thru the windshield.

The gun was loaded with one in the chamber. It took a little force for the Trooper to remove it but he had no problem popping the mag out and clearing the chamber. I don’t think the Shield was damaged at all (except I’d check the sight alignment if it where me). Kinda shows how good a Shield is.

Now the Public Service Announcement for this is ... SECURE YOU PISTOL or other objects that can take flight in the event you are involved in a vehicle accident. The Shield has some decent mass as do most handguns and they need to be secured better than laying on the console or seat, stuck down in a cup holder or such. Also think about other items and even if you stash them on the floorboard behind the front seat it might prevent them from turning into a projectile in an accident.
 
NCFubar said:
While running a few errands late this afternoon I witnessed a fairly rough traffic accident and truck pretty much t-boned a woman who backed out in front of him. Everyone was okay but will be sore tomorrow because the safety devices but there was one scary thing I did see.

The guy driving the truck had a pistol, a S&W Shield, muzzle down in the console cup holder. When we got to him he was fine and air bags, both the steering wheel and side curtain had deployed. I went in the passenger side since he was alone and checked on him ... he was stunned but okay. I told him not to move and wait for the VFD’s Rescue Squad to check him out. As I was getting ready to get out to make sure there was no danger from other things I saw a pistol IN the winshield. I asked him if it was his and had it hit him. He said it was his and he had placed in in his cup holder (he did have a CHP and the Trooper was the one who secured it from the windshield). We kinda figured out the impact launched it hard enough to hit the windshield hard enough for the upper rear part of the slide and rear sight to imbed partially thru the windshield.

The gun was loaded with one in the chamber. It took a little force for the Trooper to remove it but he had no problem popping the mag out and clearing the chamber. I don’t think the Shield was damaged at all (except I’d check the sight alignment if it where me). Kinda shows how good a Shield is.

Now the Public Service Announcement for this is ... SECURE YOU PISTOL or other objects that can take flight in the event you are involved in a vehicle accident. The Shield has some decent mass as do most handguns and they need to be secured better than laying on the console or seat, stuck down in a cup holder or such. Also think about other items and even if you stash them on the floorboard behind the front seat it might prevent them from turning into a projectile in an accident.
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Good thinking about securing stuff in general. I'm rethinking some of my "stuff" right now....mostly a decent sized box of CDs that usually rides in the space between front seats. Might want to put that in the rear footwell! Other stuff might be happier in the trunk! My gun is on my person, and if it can get loose, then it deserves its freedom. Lol.
 
NCFubar said:
While running a few errands late this afternoon I witnessed a fairly rough traffic accident and truck pretty much t-boned a woman who backed out in front of him. Everyone was okay but will be sore tomorrow because the safety devices but there was one scary thing I did see.

The guy driving the truck had a pistol, a S&W Shield, muzzle down in the console cup holder. When we got to him he was fine and air bags, both the steering wheel and side curtain had deployed. I went in the passenger side since he was alone and checked on him ... he was stunned but okay. I told him not to move and wait for the VFD’s Rescue Squad to check him out. As I was getting ready to get out to make sure there was no danger from other things I saw a pistol IN the winshield. I asked him if it was his and had it hit him. He said it was his and he had placed in in his cup holder (he did have a CHP and the Trooper was the one who secured it from the windshield). We kinda figured out the impact launched it hard enough to hit the windshield hard enough for the upper rear part of the slide and rear sight to imbed partially thru the windshield.

The gun was loaded with one in the chamber. It took a little force for the Trooper to remove it but he had no problem popping the mag out and clearing the chamber. I don’t think the Shield was damaged at all (except I’d check the sight alignment if it where me). Kinda shows how good a Shield is.

Now the Public Service Announcement for this is ... SECURE YOU PISTOL or other objects that can take flight in the event you are involved in a vehicle accident. The Shield has some decent mass as do most handguns and they need to be secured better than laying on the console or seat, stuck down in a cup holder or such. Also think about other items and even if you stash them on the floorboard behind the front seat it might prevent them from turning into a projectile in an accident.
Click to expand...

Would have really sucked for him had it somehow gone live and killed him. If my gun is not directly on me in my car it is in a kydex holster velcro'd inside a bag. Zipped up. Hopefully that will be enough should I get unlucky.
 
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I've given this very scenario some thought. I very rarely defang when getting in my truck, but when I do, it goes in the console. Hopefully that keeps it contained if an accident happens.
Another concern is that I carry appendix and the lap belt naturally sits across my waist with the gun trapped between the belt and me.
That would hurt...pretty badly...in an accident, so I take an extra two seconds when I buckle in to pull up my shirt tail and move the belt behind the grip so the gun is no longer trapped.
Also makes access easier in an emergency situation.
 
Watch out for the air bags if you are helping at a crash until the
Pros arrive, they can deploy at anytime and you can get injured.
 
fishgutzy said:
Must be an older car if it has a CD slot and not Auxiliary audio input. :D
I don't think the CD player in my car has ever had a CD in it. :D
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It's 10 years old. My last car had a cassette player, so the CD was really nice!!
 
My heater sits in exactly the same location, cup holder in a polymer holster usually with a baseball cap over it. I have a CHP. Lease my vehicles so no permanent or semi permanent install allowed unless I want to pay for "damages" at the end of the lease. I have found this works best for me. Its not ideal and I guess the same thing could happen to me but I'll just have to take my chances to have immediate access to my PDW. With the way people drive around my city/county, a wreck is an eventuality not a possibility. In 40 years my wife's been in 2 where she got rear ended (no jokes please) by drivers following to close and not paying attention. I got hit by an unmanned vehicle rolling out of a parking lot.
 
fishgutzy said:
Must be an older car if it has a CD slot and not Auxiliary audio input. :D
I don't think the CD player in my car has ever had a CD in it. :D
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Coworker is looking for a new car. He was finding that they don’t put CD players in anymore. The radio has a USB port and Bluetooth, but no CD.

My commute vehicle has a small closed compartment above the traditional glove box that holds a gun and it’s easily accessible.
 
My old Dodge Caravan had a CD player that could hold five CDs at once AND a cassette player. I had a number of good cassettes that I had made to listen to while driving and really liked. It also had a DVD player and screen so the kids could watch DVDs while on trips. Then the old car started falling apart - Literally! So I went to find a new car and found a reasonably priced one year old Chrysler Town and Country with all the bells and whistles. The CD player holds ONE Cd and there is NO cassette player. When I asked the salesman where they were he looked at me like I was an old dinosauer fossil (which I am). Oh Well, At least I'll be gone before this car wears out.
 
I'm not too bright but doesn't North Carolina law say you have to have your weapon sitting out in plain sight, on the seat, or dash, in the launch position? I leave the house with mine in the console in SC and throw it on the seat when I cross the line into "First in Freedom but have to get a permit to buy a handgunolina."
 
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Goofyfoot2001 said:
I'm not too bright but doesn't North Carolina law say you have to have your weapon sitting out in plain sight, on the seat, or dash, in the launch position? I leave the house with mine in the console in SC and throw it on the seat when I cross the line into "First in Freedom but have to get a permit to buy a handgunolina."
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Unless you have a concealed handgun permit, and even then only handguns are covered. California of the South as they say.
 
I remember reading a story several years ago about the tissue boxes some people put in the back of their car above the seats killing people during accidents. It doesn't take much mass to cause harm in an accident.
 
fishgutzy said:
You can get a blue tooth to RF transmitter so you can use your radio to play digital media from your phone. [emoji3][emoji16]

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
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Don't have music on my phone. That's what my CDs/CD player are for! Lol. I could use a way to play stuff from mp3 player through car speakers though...
 
Sevenshot said:
I remember reading a story several years ago about the tissue boxes some people put in the back of their car above the seats killing people during accidents. It doesn't take much mass to cause harm in an accident.
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Didn't the MythBusters do a segment on the flying tissue box? Can't recall what their conclusion was on that.
 
Guy fell asleep and hit a culvert with a newer Tahoe in front of my house awhile back. Vehicle landed on its top in the center of the highway after a violent impact. Guy was beat up a little but in ok shape. I found his phone about 100' down the road laying on the yellow line. He had a Glock laying on the console with his phone. I was unable to locate the handgun and told the trooper. He then had the local fire dept page out additional help and searched both sides of the road and the vehicle. They never did recover it. I did find the front wheel and tire still bolted to the hub and A-arm the next time I Bush hogged though!
 
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