I apologize for bump an old topic...
I have strongly considered having some sort of lock box or hidden compartment in my Miata. Just can't get past the convertible "easy to break into" problem.
One of the few negatives that I have found to offset the fun factor of my car.
For that reason I don't even lock it or keep anything at all inside the passenger compartment or trunk. Some day I fully expect to have the cheap $50 stereo stolen while I am at WalMart.
My father had a convertible back in the 70's and two different times the top got cut with a knife so somebody could steal the 8 track tapes he kept sitting in plain sight. He finally figured out the most practical course was just to leave it unlocked because a few tapes were much cheaper than replacing the soft top.
With a lock box my worry is that somebody would see something that they think might be worth their time and trouble to cut an opening in the soft top to unlock the door and check it out. For them it is a 30 second decision that would cost me $1000 and hassle to fix even if they did not find anything worth stealing.
Oklahoma (and other states that allow it) have restrictions on where the weapon can and cannot be carried. To stay legal a concealed carry person does need to have a secure method to store the pistol at those times. To me, the trunk of my Miata does not feel particularly secure but is still more secure than a pickup truck.
For all you folks who live in places where owning and/or carrying a pistol for personal defense is not legal, all I can say is "It sucks to be you".
Having a choice on owning a firearm is good because each person can make an individual decision as to how much personal safety they want to take upon themselves and how much they want to depend on other people or law enforcement. My wife has nothing to do with firearms and that is her personal decision and I respect her for her choice to be passive. That said, the time she was scared for her safety she was real quick to get me to stand between her and the danger. Guess a husband is good for something even with a "liberated" woman.When I travel, that compartment is loaded with all kinds of stuff making it impractical to access a safe. Based on my personal needs, and fully understanding the limitations of cable safes and less expensive gun vaults, I opted for the Gunvault V500 Vehicle Gun Safe I was able to get it for $99 with free shipping. It attaches via cable to the driver's seat rails, is accessible from the front seat, is easy to unlock and has a secondary mechanical key lock, and offered the best value for the value of the gun stored within. I seldom have to use it, and I never leave anything in it overnight.