It's been a while since I made a Pew post. Like many most of the other folks that own weapons, I'm a huge believer in safety. This doesn't just mean safety at the range, it includes safety at home and in other public places.
As a long term Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) license holder, that means I often carry in public. There are times however, when I don't want to carry the weapon on me, or where I may be going to one of the few places where it's prohibited.
This has become an even more frequent occurrence now that we are in Florida, and I want to go to the beach. I don't swim with my pistols on, and I also wanted a secure place to store my wallet or other valuables in the vehicle when swimming. Unfortunately, car break-ins are a fairly common thing here.
To remedy this, I decided to install a gun safe in the vehicle. There are many styles and options out there that range from a simple box with a lock on it, to key based systems, biometric systems, thin boxes for under the seat with a cable lock to make the box itself grab resistant, etc.
The Vehicle I'm installing in is a 2024 Chevy Blazer EV (more on that in a later post). This safe is marketed to fit 2019-2024 Blazers and others.
Here's a picture of the Console before the install (looks the same after). I did not want to disturb the cellphone charger in-between the console and cupholders, or interfere with the additional power plugs inside the console.
I chose this one. It's from a company called "Console Vault". As the name suggests, it goes inside the center console.
Here it is before install. I must say I was surprised that it did not have bottom, front or back. It seems to be by intent, as that allows for a lot more storage room than a full box insert would have.
The sides provide more protection and have pre-tapped holes for the two mounting screws that hold it in place.
Here Below is the Console Storage hole before adding the safe.
Below is the Safe inside the hole, waiting to tighten the mounting screws to secure it in place.
Below you can see it with Wallet, Pistol, Flashlight and plenty of room for more. I may add a magnet to the side to keep the handgun in place and from bouncing around. Yes, important to keep in holster with trigger covered! This is my Sig Sauer P365 9mm inside a Remora "sticky" holster, my most frequent carry weapon. I haven't tried the larger .45's or others yet, but I believe most will fit.
An unexpected benefit. There's actually enough room between the top of the safe and the underside of the console lid to carry the pistol there unlocked in a fast-ready position with the lid down. Still concealed, but quick to access. The safe can also be left unlocked for quick access until exiting the vehicle if desired.
It's actually more secure than I originally thought upon first glance. To break in would take some serious time and tools to cut the entire console away, which most criminals are not going to have available on a quick store run or beach trip. There are some different lock choices available, including a barrel key lock, an upgraded 4-digit combo lock and an "elite" 4 digit combo lock that has additional tamper proof features. The locks can be easily swapped out later if desired. I was ok with the simple 3 digit combo for my short term storage needs. Most of my trips are far shorter than the time it would take to crack the three digits.
Overall, I am more pleased than expected. I do wish the retaining screws didn't stick out quite so far, but I'm sure there's some reasoning behind that.
What about others? Has anyone else used these or similar in your vehicle? Were you happy with them?