Keeping guns safe in the truck toolbox

[crabo]

I have a low profile pickup bed tool box like the one in the link. I want some more security so the theives have to work and make a lot of noise to get into it.

http://www.pickupspecialties.com/tool-box-Delta-reg-low-profile.htm

A friend suggested I have the local car alarm company add a switch and add it to my factory alarm. I was thinking about adding a hasp and padlock , as ugly as that would be, to give me some piece of mind. I would put it toward the middle, but where I can still reach it without climbing in.

Anyone have a good suggestion? Especially something that would look nice. I don't want to junk my toolbox up.

[hoosierlogger]

The only problem I can see with a padlock on the tool box is that it screams there is something worth stealing in here.

[ReloaderFred]

I've had two cross bed tool boxes stolen. One wasn't bolted in, and I mistakenly thought that because it weighed close to 300 pounds that it wouldn't be taken. It was in a Wal-Mart parking lot, right in front of one of their surviellance cameras, which their "security" people refused to review. I was only in the store for about 20 minutes and they walked the box right out the back of my truck for about a $1,600 loss.

The second box was stolen by a crooked tow company after a tree fell on my truck. This one was bolted in, inside a camper shell/canopy. The loss on that one was about $2,500.

The bottom line is to make sure it's as hard as possible for them to get the box off the truck. Padlocks take about 3 seconds to cut with a bolt cutter, but it will keep the kid down the street from trying to get inside quickly.

Anything is better than nothing, and I'd suggest buying "The Club" to keep them from stealing your whole truck.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[cheese1566]

Eeek! :holysheep

To each his own, but why take the risk?

I can understand for temporarily travelling to a hunting/shooting destination or an old shotgun or rifle in a rancher's pickup for stock protection.

[mroliver77]

I like the extra alarm switch for starters. I am thinking a dead bolt type setup would work well. Attach some angle pieces to the top and let them hang down inside. A long rod that goes through the box body and through the holes in the angles you put in. I have seen flush mounted locks for securing such a rod but I cannot point you to one this moment. Or possibly electric latches added and controlled by remote or inside the cab toggle.
Jay

[Wayne Smith]

I would check with the company and see what they offer for security. I'm sure you won't be the first to ask.

[cajun shooter]

After a little over 15 years as a cop, I have some advise.
If a thief wants anything you have he will get it. The best you can do is make it hard enough to where he goes down the road for a easier victim.
If you had called the police on the Wal -Mart theft there is a process that would have had them give up the tape.
Don't buy a good lock and a $3 hasp.
Buy a cheaper firearm that will not hurt you if stolen.
Bring any guns in your vehicle inside when staying at Motels as the thieves look for out of state plates. They know that if caught you will probably will not come back for trial.
Either bolt with class 8 bolts or weld box to frame.
Buy the car alarm type that has a pager for you. People no longer alert to alarms like they did when it was a new fad many years ago.
Buy the best your money will let you.
Thieves use aluninum pipe to put under house safes so that they can roll them around to load.

[ReloaderFred]

Cajun Shooter,

I'm a retired cop and the first thing I did was call the police, but they have a policy of not responding to property crimes, period. Without a police response, Wal-Mart security just folded their arms and said there was no way they were going to review the tape. I mailed in my own police report to the Eugene PD, but there was never any follow up or contact from them.

I agree that you have to make it as hard as possible to get your stuff so the casual thief will go find something easier. I do make it hard on them now.

Fred

[10 ga]

If I was told that the police "don't respond to property crimes". I'd have a 1/4 page ad in the next days paper to announce it to all interested parties, and if they won't sell the ad just start running it in the classified section and in the "Trading Post" type rags. Sorta like the notes I tape to the store windows where they announce "no firearms allowed" and I post, "note to felons, our customers disarmed for your convenience!" Information is power! loki

[Bullshop Junior]

My 45 is all the security I need.

[ReloaderFred]

10 ga.,

Eugene, OR, is the Berkeley of the Northwest, which means every hippie and transient within 1,000 miles calls it home. The city is good sized, and I only go there when forced to, due to needing something I can't get in my small town on the coast. They don't respond to property crimes, and many other large police departments have adopted the same policy. It's due to "feel good" city councils constantly cutting police budgets and building bike paths with the money so they can get written up in some tree hugger magazine as a "bike friendly" community. The streets are full of potholes big enough to swallow a small truck, but the bike paths are super smooth and well lighted. The tragedy is they think that's ok.

I guess that turns their crank, but the police there have a really tough job, and no backing from the leftist community leaders. If the city council had their way, they wouldn't have a police force, and that would probably serve them right. They wouldn't do well on their own........

That's enough rant on that subject.

Fred

[Firebricker]

I think they make a gun safe that bolts on behind your truck seat. Not exactly what your wanting but may be worth looking in to. Unfortunely Cajun nailed it right on the head if a thief wants it there going to get it. On a side note a GPS will get your vehicle broke into faster than anything. Two night ago my better half had her window smashed for the GPS car alarm on her car only goes off if you mess with the door's. That's the second break in at her workplace in a month. When I called for replacement glass the guy said they have had several call's lately for side glass and people saying their GPS was stolen. FB

[PatMarlin]

I've had two cross bed tool boxes stolen. One wasn't bolted in, and I mistakenly thought that because it weighed close to 300 pounds that it wouldn't be taken. It was in a Wal-Mart parking lot, right in front of one of their surviellance cameras, which their "security" people refused to review. I was only in the store for about 20 minutes and they walked the box right out the back of my truck for about a $1,600 loss.

Fred

Hmm... does that mean they were "in on it" Fred? I would like to ask them that question. What is the lawdog term used back in your LEO days... "Aiding and abetting?"

[PatMarlin]

10 ga.,

Eugene, OR, is the Berkeley of the Northwest, which means every hippie and transient within 1,000 miles calls it home. The city is good sized, and I only go there when forced to, due to needing something I can't get in my small town on the coast. They don't respond to property crimes, and many other large police departments have adopted the same policy. It's due to "feel good" city councils constantly cutting police budgets and building bike paths with the money so they can get written up in some tree hugger magazine as a "bike friendly" community. The streets are full of potholes big enough to swallow a small truck, but the bike paths are super smooth and well lighted. The tragedy is they think that's ok.

I guess that turns their crank, but the police there have a really tough job, and no backing from the leftist community leaders. If the city council had their way, they wouldn't have a police force, and that would probably serve them right. They wouldn't do well on their own........

That's enough rant on that subject.

Fred

Isn't liberalism so progressive?

[cajun shooter]

Reloader Fred, I am also a retired cop and I don't know of a city that has a police dept that is not paid by city funds and under the direction of the mayor or city council. I bet if the people would start laying off some of those non responders they would do different. I have never in my life heard of such a thing as not responding to a felony theft when firearms are involved. I would have to take this much futher like calling the Govenor's Office.Those police are paid with your taxes!!

[ReloaderFred]

The county I live in encompasses 4,620 square miles, and it's long and narrow. At times there are only two patrol Deputies on duty to cover the entire county. In 16 years, I've never seen a Deputy on my street, and I live in the county area, at the extreme west end of it. The county line ends at the Pacific Ocean.

Now don't get me wrong, as I'm friends with both the current Sheriff and District Attorney, both of whom are great guys. They're also two of the most frustrated administrators I know. They do what they can with what they've got, but their hands are tied by the County Commissioners who keep cutting their budgets. Here on the coast we used to have a substation with a Sergeant and four Deputies. Now we might get a response from Eugene, 60 miles away, if the call is a serious one.

Since I'm a retired cop, I'm listed as the first responder on three of my neighbors' burglar alarm systems. Out of about a dozen calls over the years, I've yet to have an LEO respond to any of them, either a Deputy Sheriff or State Trooper. I'm hoping they get some help pretty soon, as I'm getting too old to be searching buildings for burglars by myself at 2:00 AM......

Protesting to the mayor, city council, etc. in Eugene is like howling into the wind. Protests there are a daily thing, just like Berkeley, CA. The standard joke is you could stand on a street corner with a cardboard sign that says, "I protest", and within a few minutes have 50 hippies standing with you, telling you, "I'm with you, brother"! Their priorities are all screwed up, probably due to their dope backing up on them.

As for my original post on the loss of the first tool box, I'm as mad at Wal-Mart for their "devil may care" attitude as I am at the thieves. The surveillance camera was pointing right at my truck and it was only a 20 minute span of time, but they adamantely refused to even look at the tape. They probably did review it after we left, and had a good laugh over watching my tool box get stolen, but they were zero help, and could have possibly helped to get my stuff back, but refused.

The department I retired from was a Sheriff's Office in an 8,026 square mile county in another state. Our policy was to respond to a call, no matter what it was, but when I retired 16 years ago, I could see that budget restraints were going to cause a curtailing of some of that policy. I understand that they've had to cut back on some of what they respond to now, but I don't know the particulars of the new policy, since I only go back there when I can't get out of it.

The reality is that in some areas, you have to rely on yourself and your own methods to protect yourself. I get a kick out of "stats" on police response, measuring the times in minutes. In our area, the response time is measured in hours, or days, if at all, and this may come to an area near you in the future. There's less money available for law enforcement, and there are many reasons for that, but that would be another subject entirely. I was an administrator when I retired, and I could see the handwriting on the wall for the future of law enforcement, and it's not pretty.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones, since personal safety really does boil down to being a personal responsibility, despite what the liberals would have you believe.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[uncle joe]

Cajun Shooter,

I'm a retired cop and the first thing I did was call the police, but they have a policy of not responding to property crimes, period. Without a police response, Wal-Mart security just folded their arms and said there was no way they were going to review the tape. I mailed in my own police report to the Eugene PD, but there was never any follow up or contact from them.

I agree that you have to make it as hard as possible to get your stuff so the casual thief will go find something easier. I do make it hard on them now.

Fred

You should have asked them if they would review the D*** tape if some of their crappy Chinese junk had been part of what was taken. Or if an underaged girl had been raped in their parking lot.
I would have told them that I thought I saw them loading up one of their lawn mowers they had out front.
In a case like this I think if they weren't willing to help reach the solution then they are part of the problem.

[uncle joe]

Crabo, forget the extra locks, like cajun shooter said locks are for honest folks.
Put yourself two of these in the back of your truck and you won't have to worry about them guns

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=21&pictureid=2772

[crabo]

One of the real reasons I am thinking about it is because I am a high school teacher. My truck is parked right outside my shop door and in 18 years no one has messed with it. I would like to put my guns in my toolbox so I could go to the range from school. With daylight saving time coming on, it adds 50+ minutes to go home and get my guns.

I don't see any problem, but I want some extra insurance.

[S.R.Custom]

The only problem I can see with a padlock on the tool box is that it screams there is something worth stealing in here.

Yep, nothing like a well worn, 25 year old F150 for low profile.

[Bullshop Junior]

I think if you had to lock it, it would have to be something like the old mack dump trucks had to lock the tailgate, from the inside of the tool box.

I think the dump truck latch ran of of air though, but I imagine you can get something similar that is 12 volt.

[Geraldo]

Anyone have a good suggestion?

Don't keep anything in the box you aren't willing to lose. You're talking about securing/alarming something that is held to the truck with four bolts. Around here no one pays any attention to car alarms, and if you use a hasp and lock it's a toss up which is quicker to defeat.

[Papa Jack]

What ever you do, if you have a box that is used daily for what ever, keep an inventory list of the items and if you can take pics of the items and list serial numbers if you have em.
My son had his PU broken into here in the driveway , I called the sheriff, they wouldn't respond.. I got a little upset at the yo-yo on the phone and his reply was "Well, YOU DO HAVE INSURANCE, DON'T YOU ?????"
Yes I had insurance, but it would have made it easyer with a list of what was there...
They took his hunting back pack, complete with his knifes and tools, ammo, all his music tapes. The good thing was the next door neighbor found the music cassettes In his hedge a few weeks later...( yea, I know, I said Cassettes it was a while ago..... "PJ"

[wills]

What ever you do, if you have a box that is used daily for what ever, keep an inventory list of the items and if you can take pics of the items and list serial numbers if you have em.
"PJ"


You might want to consider e mailing that inventory to yourself if you have hotmail or Gmail or yahoo or one of those web based services. That way you can always get a copy of the inventory.

[Papa Jack]

One of the real reasons I am thinking about it is because I am a high school teacher. My truck is parked right outside my shop door and in 18 years no one has messed with it. I would like to put my guns in my toolbox so I could go to the range from school. With daylight saving time coming on, it adds 50+ minutes to go home and get my guns.

I don't see any problem, but I want some extra insurance.


Mannnnn, around here you get caught with firearms anywhere near a school and you go to prison !!!

I recall back when I was in HS, we took shot guns and rifles to school, some of us hunted ducks BEFORE school and Deer afterwards to.... PJ

[uncle joe]

Mannnnn, around here you get caught with firearms anywhere near a school and you go to prison !!!

I recall back when I was in HS, we took shot guns and rifles to school, some of us hunted ducks BEFORE school and Deer afterwards to.... PJ

yep
when I was in high school there was a parking lot full of pickups most with guns in the back window for a quick afternoon hunt.
o how times change, saw the other day where a little kid got expelled for having a TOY gun at school.
0 tolerance at work.

[home in oz]

Crabo,

Isnt it considered a felony to have guns on school property?

They expell kids for it, for plastic guns even.

[crabo]

Not for the teachers. Locked in the car is supposed to be okay. That is information given to me second hand. I am going to check this out, but the situation has come up before. I sure won't do it, if it is illegal.

We have a police office in our school and I am going to check with him. I am still struggling with the idea if I want to do it or not, even if it is legal.