Want it to unlock w/ ignition, and lock when ignition (Aux) is turned off.  For wife, may eventually install it in all the VICs.

Let me get this straight - you want an electronic safe that would lock/unlock with the ignition?  I'm not aware that any such product exists.  So if someone defeats your ignition lock, like with a screwdriver, the vault is now open too?

Why not a straight Console Vault, or similar product?

What's a VIC? A Crown Vic?

Yes, that's exactly what I want.

If I wanted a straight console vault, I would have already bought 87 of them and not had to ask questions in Tech.

VIC is abbreviation for vehicle.

So you need to start the car to free the weapon ?

That's what an ignition interlock implies, yes.

Maybe a Santa Cruz police lock-style solenoid could be wired to do such a thing?

Only thing that comes to mind.

All it would take is a 12 VDC solenoid and drilling a hole in the lockbox to allow the plunger to protrude, then a fuse tap into a circuit that is tied to the ignition like the radio or lights.
A little bit of work but not too bad, I would use a plastic grommet on the hole to prevent the plunger from sticking.

That sounds doable.  I'll have to look at some lock boxes and some solenoids, see what I can figger out.  I've wanted one for a long time, it's becoming a necessity.

I get why you want to do this. Gun is locked when car is parked but you want wife to have access while driving (without remembering to unlock/lock each time) right?

You got it.  I've wanted it for me, too.  I figgered there'd be a commercial  product by now, I wanted one a decade ago.

Would kill the battery.  Want a solenoid when powered on unlocks, when car is powered off it's locked.  Really thought the industry would've come up w/ something by now.

Assuming you can find a safe with such a feature, wiring it to the ignition switch shouldn't be hard. I recently installed a new stereo head unit and backup camera in an old car, and one of the wires going to the radio is hot on ignition, so that the radio knows when to turn off when the vehicle shuts off. I assume all vehicles have such a wire going to the radio. If you splice that wire, and run it to the safe, you will have the necessary power supply.

That's what I was thinking.

I haven’t seen anything like that already made. I would guess the liability of anyone in the vehicle having access isn’t desirable from the manufacturers.

Kind of a few good reasons, tactically, security, and mechanically/battery, why these dont exist already....

I would recommend something simpler- a Gun Vault, the kind that has a hand print on it to line up your fingers by feel.  It has some knockout holes to bolt/chain it into the car.  Uses a battery but can also be connected fairly easily into the electrical DC system.  And u locks in a couple seconds.  

Short of that, modify one of the police style locks like Santa Cruz and carry an AR pistol...  Typically powered when car is on, with a wired button release.

I was told that Blac Rack systems can also be used to secure a pistol, have never used them, but from what I can see they are primarily for long guns.  They squeeze together so I guess maybe a pistol could just clamp inside it?  Not something I would do but just throwing it out there to look into.


Nobody makes something like you are describing.  But one that could be activated by a button switch would be very easy to make from something like a Gun Vault setup, just rip out all the electronics and hard wire to a powered switch instead.  

Personally, I want something that I can unlock when the key is not in the ignition.  Pain in the neck to have to get a key out when grabbing a rifle out of a police vehicle rack, (while you already have a pistol available), so I can’t imagine screwing around trying to do that to get your only available weapon...

Just my two cents, I used various police racks for decades and have used several different pistol systems in my personal vehicles.

Also- you want it secure in some manner when driving.  A couple lb pistol can go flying in a crash and clobber someone in the head.  I have seen crashes where similar items caused pretty serious injuries.  A loaded pistol isn’t something I want flying around...