Some of you may have noticed the "bastards trashed my Tundra" thread which
mutated into a discussion about storing guns in vehicles.  In short, I had a
handgun stolen from a locked glove box in my locked Tundra.  This called my
attention to the fact that unless I want to risk that happening again, I
needed to do something MORE to prevent it.

Problem is, there is literally NO small gun safe that works!  I googled till
my googler done googled it's bad self out... I went to every gun shop,
X-Mart, sporting goods store, and safe store in town.  Everything they had
was always at least 12x8x4 inches, and there just is not anywhere in a
Tundra Access cap to accomodate something like that, not in any reasonable
way.  The ones I did see looked like I could get into them anyway in 5 or 10
minutes with the right tools.  So I was getting bummed...

But I think I found it!  I went to a building supply store after work today
and they had electrical boxes, like you'd see on the outside of a building
for the breakers etc, that were perfect for the job.  Heavy-gauge
sheetmetal, a padlockable lid with lips that go over the sides to prevent
prying, cheap, and the right size!  For $20 I got one a little smaller than
a Kleenex box, removed the guts (terminal strips etc), drilled out an
existing hole, removed one of the mounting bolts of my center console, and
then bolted it into the center console.   So you can't tell it's there,
whereas any of the other safes were going to be in plain sight, and  I still
have plenty of room for all my crap in the center console, from binoculours
to water.

While not impregnable, you would have to destroy the center console to open
it, because you can't get an angle on it otherwise, it's down inside it.
You'd have to have a prybar with a serious hook on the end and I'm not sure
even that would be enough.  Don't get me wrong- I could get into this box in
5 or 10 minutes with proper tools, but I'd have to destroy the center
console to do it, and i mean destroy it, and 5 or 10 minutes gets you well
out of the smash-and-grab parameters.

I'll need to line the box with felt or foam.  I may put a L-bracket over to
the other console mounting bolt just to make it even sturdier.  If I wanted
to get real nuts I'd put a long bolt across the box for a hinge instead of
how they have it.  But even just as it sits out there now, which cost $20
and took about 15 minutes, it would have prevented my ex-pistol from being
stolen.  

If anyone wants more specific "plans", let me know.

-jeff