I have same exact mount in my truck.
Uncle is in las enforcement ...he said not a problem to store it like that in vehicle
That being said, I normally take mine out at night regardless.
It is pretty concealed...how do I know? I was fortunate enough to have a couple “brothers” break into my truck in the front row of the Westin parking lot at The Galleria in Dallas (at 9:30am) and they stole luggage, my work laptop and my wife’s luggage and 12” ipad, but they never saw the gun magnet under the steering wheel....thank goodness!

One of the 2-3 times I have ever left it in the truck and just a blessing the hood rats didn’t end up with it....that would have bothered me for a long time.

Wife wanted to put luggage in the car and go back in to grab breakfast before leaving or none of the stuff would have been in the truck.

Fish Chaser, sorry — I overlooked your question. If you own or lease the vehicle, if the handgun is concealed, if you are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a handgun, if you are not committing an offense other than a Class C traffic offense, and you are not a member of a criminal organization, you may carry a handgun in your vehicle without a LTC.

Has there been a unanimous decision yet?

Keep it n your console.

Yes. Derek sucks.

Iggy.

Ummm Hop, I've owned weapons of all types since I was a kid in New Orleans and have hunted and fished all my life. When I was in the USMC I fired many types of weapons including a 105mm recoiless rifle. But I wanted to know from a legal standpoint whether I could keep a weapon in my car. Jim Ford knew the answer because he is a detective.

He’s a detective. He’s a sergeant. He’s a firearms instructor. He’s a LTC instructor. He’s a lifelong shooter and Second Amendment supporter. He’s many other things, but those things may not be stated on this forum.

Txmasterpo is absolutely correct that that magnet, if visible from the outside of the car is illegal. It’s really no debate and if people would just read the penal code it’s very clear. It can only be in plain view if a person has an LTC and is carried in a shoulder or belt holster.
This doesn’t mean you’re going to be arrested. But you definitely could be.

Texas PC 46.02

(a-1) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries on or about his or her person a handgun in a motor vehicle or watercraft that is owned by the person or under the person's control at any time in which:

(1) the handgun is in plain view, unless the person is licensed to carry a handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, AND the handgun is carried in a shoulder or belt holster

Jim Ford beat me to it.

as stated, the law is very specific and in plain english, no, you can not have a weapon visible if you do not have a ltc. if you do have an ltc you must have it in a holster.

under dash, visible. under seat concealed (but not a good place to carry if you want it accessible imo).

nothin personal but it is posted on here a few times before you asked.

That's correct, Hop, several people have posted different things. But I don't trust several people, I do trust Jim and wanted to make sure that I knew the LEGAL answer to a very specific question, not the opinions of some. Have a nice day.

I just wanted views and actual "habits" of those NON-licensed gun owners, and vehicles.

Much appreciated.

Keep'em coming if you have a view.

...------

understand, but, different jurisdictions may have different views on what is visible vs. what is concealed. I respect jim and his knowledge a lot but if you are in a different area what he says may not be what they think. go by what the law says verbatim and you will be fine.

My first suggestion would be to record the serial numbers on your guns and take a few pictures of them and keep them in a fireproof box separate from your guns. You should do this anyway, but especially so if you are storing guns in an unoccupied vehicle.

Second suggestion would be to remove any NRA or pro 2nd stickers you may have on your car. They might just as well say 'guns are stored here.' Even a Trump/Pence bumper sticker would suggest a gun is likely, as would a fishing sticker. Instead get a 26.2 sticker and everyone will understand you to be a granola eating hippy communist.

Third suggestion is to use a two barrier philosophy. Your closed window and locked door is barrier 1, so get a second lock. A locked glove box or console is okay, but less secure than a gun vault. Remember you are securing it from an opportunist. A crack head or thug that can only spare about 30 seconds to sift through your empty fast food boxes and snatch up whatever valuable can be had. They will smash your window for the change in your ashtray. But they understand they will get caught if they take the time to pry open the locked console.


Addendum: Now that I think about it, the 26.2 sticker may serve as a deterrent. No crackhead wants to smash a window only to grab a bag of kale chips and some raisins.