Rifle in trunk

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kalash

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Now, I've been trying to figure out something that will "work for me" for some time. I want to keep a rifle in the trunk of my car but I do not like the idea of it being able to walk away if somebody decides to pop my lock.

I drive a BMW 330I and if you notice between the wheel wells there are two small "loops" you can make them out in the photo near the back. A AK sets perfectly between the wheel wells.

How "safe" do you think it would be to use a fairly thick (something that would need large bolt cutters or a torch) rubber coated chain and a quality padlock to secure the rifle in the trunk by running the chain through the mag well. Do you think the average thief in say a parkinglot somewhere would bother to even try to get at something like that if he got in to my trunk?

The car has a alarm so they would have to work fast.

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What is the purpose of having this gun? Do you want to be able to access it quickly? Or just have it handy in case you feel like pulling over and firing some rounds off?
 
Mostly because from time to time I like sneaking away to the range and sometimes when I have the urge I dont have any rifles with me.

Another reasion is because in the not to distant future I will be going on my honey moon and I do not fill comfortable being 800 miles from home with a beretta m9 and 2 mags. I would like to have something that I could get to incase we got stuck in a katrina type situation or who knows what. I am not expecting this to be a quick access gun. More of a "if something starts looking kinda bad, grab and hide in a hotel room" sorta rifle. The chances are 1 in a million that I would ever have to need it but it would be nice to have just incase.

under the trunk the spare tire cover will make a great place to stash ammo and any other stuff for the rifle.
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You might be able to bolt an electronic locking rack in there. Something like the police cars have. I've seen some with delay timers and key overrides. It would be secure and offer pretty quick acess.

Big sky racks makes good units.
 
Get a good hard gun case and a good cable lock, I would not just carry a rifle loose in the trunk, no matter how clean you keep your trunk. Just think of the little old lady driving by or walking by while you change a flat tire, omg a gun and police would be all over you.
 
Get a good hard gun case and a good cable lock, I would not just carry a rifle loose in the trunk, no matter how clean you keep your trunk. Just think of the little old lady driving by or walking by while you change a flat tire, omg a gun and police would be all over you.

It's a 330I not a SUV so a hard case is out of the question, besides, I want to secure the rifle so unless its a aluminum case with a locking bar (to big for the trunk) I would not feel safe with a pastic case. I'm not sure what you mean by "cable lock" but if you are refering to the cable locks that loops through the reciever thats not going to do anything to keep the rifle in my trunk. The thief would just pick up the nice gun case and deal with the cable lock later at his own time.

I like the idea of one of the clam shell type locks but I really dont want to spend a whole lot of $$$ or modify my car in any way.

I have no problem with getting the police called on me, in a situation like that. The only laws I would be breaking would be telling the old lady that she can go fly a kite if she stuck around.

Not really worried about damageing the rifle, it will probably be that AK I "tested" not to long ago. I've got "collector guns" and "work guns" Anything that I would put in the trunk would not be in the best of condition to start with.
 
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I don't know how stout those little metal loops in your trunk are, but I would bet that they are not very strong. You can put a naval anchor chain on your gun, but it will only be as secure as those wee little metal loops are.
 
I have the same car but a coupe (e46 Ci). I know what you mean about the hard case...I have only one (a small one) that I can barely wedge in the trunk.

A couple options...I also have an AK and I don't know if it's an option but have you tried to remove the spare and see if you can get it under the trunk floor? You could replace the full size spare with a doughnut. Might need to reinforce the trunk floor from underneath to hold luggage.

Also you could build/try to find a small box/covering that would fit in the trunk and hold the AK so it would be hidden from plain sight.

Another option would be to rig up a bracket/case that fits under the rear dash/deck. It would be in plain sight but only if you really got your head down low into the trunk and looked up.
 
I tried the spare tire, even with a folding stock theres not enough room.

I would love to mount it under the back window but I have the harman/kardon audio system option and there are two rather large speakers mounted back there.
 
I would love to mount it under the back window but I have the harman/kardon audio system option and there are two rather large speakers mounted back there.

Stick the gun to the magnets:rolleyes:
 
Something to think about is what the reaction of LEO's or others when they learn / find the AK in the trunk. Like it or lump it, preconceptions matter.
 
How about a fake subwoofer box? No speakers, just grills with something black and opaque behind them to hide the holes. The crappier the enclosure looks, the less likely a thief would want to take it (no carpet, scrap wood, lousy paint job, etc.).

edit: no holes, just paint black behind the grills (duh).
 
Well you can tell I've never tried to secure my AK in my trunk haha. I have the same HK audio system.

Now we are getting crazy but a determined and creative person could rig up some sort of false floor. Basically build a new floor that is a few inches higher than the original one. Covered with similar carpet, lined with foam with cutouts for rifle and mags. The execution would depend on your DIY skills and what the trunk would allow.
 
I actually thought about a false floor. My mustang has a false floor with two 12's inside, a 1000 watt amp and the nitrous setup on top.

The problem with the BMW is to make it look "right" you would have to find a way to raise those plastic trays on the sides, trim and fit the side carpets and you would have issues getting to the battery after the fact. I think it could be made to look "right" but were talking about alot of work.

The fake sub box is out of the question, its a BMW not a toyota camry.

You could just raise the center pannel but you would have a 1 inch or so gap around the whole bottom, somebody would spot that in a second.

I really dont care if you can see the rifle, I just want it secure.

Why are some of you so afraid of the police seeing you with a ak in the trunk? its NOT like you have done any thing wrong. The WORSE that will happin is you will get questioned. Big deal......
 
Think about a 3/8" eye bolt with a steel plate at the underside for strength. A heavy bike/hitch lock or chain to secure the AK to it. (Be careful where you drill).
 
Here's what I'm thinking. A 1/4" coated chain or a bicycle cable lock could be anchored to one or both of the loops with a shackle. Get one that the bolt is screwed in, not held in with a pin. Get that bolt tight and use some Loctite if you wish. I'd also get a soft case to cover the weapon, mostly to keep dust and crap out of it.

If you can, get a look under the carpet to see just how those loops are anchored to your trunk. If you're that worried about it getting stolen, run a dry test and see if you can rip it out, or at least if it moves. You don't go climbing with unproven rope, don't trust your firearm to unproven fasteners.
 
I think that they are obsessing about a case, or other hiding method because they, like myself, don't like guns being pointed at them and going into cuffs. When cops hear the word gun they go on edge, and that often results in more than just simple questioning, even if you are completely in the clear legally.
 
bolt an electronic locking rack in there

They beat up the firearm. We have weapons stored in a few trunks and they are contained in a Pelican case. Anything else really beats up the gun and maintenance requirements really soar. all in all it isn't a great method for long term storage.

Bolting anything to the interior of a vehicle is far from secure. Today the usual method for securing any firearm inside a vehicle is usually to the shield/roll bar. They are securely bolted to the floor. Some use racks bolted to the floor but they present many obstacles with today's consoles. We don't really concern ourselves with resale or cutting up the car to mount gear. don't know if someone would want to do that to their own personal car that will eventually be sold.
 
Another thought is change the firearm. If you want high capacity that's easy to hide then maybe consider something like the Kel-tec Sub2000 folding carbine (pistol caliber but can accept 30+ round mags).

That would fit in the spare tire well I would imagine. Swap out the full size spare for a doughnut and I bet the S2K would fit even inside a case.

If you just want the AK back there to do some occasional stopping off at the range I would store it in a soft case and and at least cover it under some blankets etc to avoid someone IDing it with the trunk open.

Being smart about who knows you have it, not allowing people to watch you put it in and out of the vehicle at home, etc could be just as important as bolting it to the car.
 
See the problem with the soft case is the gun cannot be secured.

The gun that I am going to be using will be that POS weld build AK that I torture tested a while back. I'm not worried about rust, scratches, dirt, or damage of any kind. I just do NOT want it to get out of that trunk.
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Those tie downs are secure, they are part of the cars sub frame. I used to work for BMW as a tech and we worked on a lowered 325 that somebody stole the wheels off of while the owner was on vacation. The thiefs dropped the car on the rotors. The owner used a spreader bar like you would use to pull a engine and a cherry picker to pick the car off the ground by those loops to put the factory wheels back on the rear of the car. If they can support the weight of the back half of the car I suspect that a thief is not going to be able to rip them off.

My plan so far is to run a chain through the mag well and use two pad locks, one on each loop to secure it. Toss a blanket over it and I should be fine unless somebody could come up with a better idea.
 
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