Whether you’re an avid hunter, or just getting started on your hunting journey, a gun rack in your vehicle can be a valuable tool. These racks keep your firearms accessible while ensuring that they’re secure throughout your trip.
If you’re thinking about adding a gun rack to your BMW, here are a few things that you should remember.
1. Understand the Legality
It’s important to understand the legality of using a mounted gun rack in your vehicle. In most cases, gun racks are legal but you may run into some state-specific caveats. In California, for example, you can only store your rifle or shotgun in a mounted rack if it’s unloaded.
Everything else has to be both unloaded and stored in a locked container, defeating the purpose of the gun rack. If you bring home an AR-15, it too has to be carried unloaded and in a locked container. AR-15s have other regulations to consider, so it’s important to take a holistic view of things if you’re planning to make a joint purchase of a rack and firearm.
In Florida, it’s only legal to carry a gun in your car as long as it’s in plain sight unless you have a concealed carry permit. Take the time to study the firearm carry and transportation laws in your state to ensure that it is legal to use a gun rack before you start drilling holes in your BMW.
2. Measure Twice, Drill Once
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when you’re installing any aftermarket equipment on your vehicle is to measure more frequently.
When you’re working on a carpentry project, the old rule of thumb is to measure twice before you cut once. In this case, you’ll likely be doing more drilling than cutting, but you still want to measure twice to ensure that your installation is even and secure.
You will be drilling into steel or aluminum, depending on the year and model of your BMW. This is necessary to anchor the gun rack. Make sure you use bits designed specifically for drilling into metal. That way, you’ll have a clean hole to work with and you don’t need to worry about damaging your tools in the process.
3. Choose the Right Rack
As with most gun accessories, there are so many options to choose from that you may find yourself overwhelmed. Unless you’re planning to stick with one gun for the entire life of your vehicle, it’s not a good idea to purchase a rack that only fits a single model. Instead, opt for a gun rack that will fit in your BMW and will be flexible enough to fit any firearm that you want to carry with you.
If you are planning on bringing home your first gun, but want to have somewhere to transport it, a flexible rack is going to be your best choice. Say you want to buy a larger gun for hunting or home defense. Having a gun rack that only fits handguns won’t do you much good, will it?
4. Hang Your Gun
Once your rack is installed, the last thing you need to do is hang your gun to ensure that it’s secure and won’t be in your way while you’re driving. Do this before you start moving, if only because the last thing you want to worry about while you’re tooling down the highway is your gun falling out of the rack.
If you are going to leave your gun in your vehicle while you’re not driving, it’s a good idea to invest in a rack that offers a locking mechanism as well. It will make removing the firearm more challenging if you have to do so in a hurry, but it will prevent casual thieves from making off with your expensive toys.
5. Show Off Safely
A few decades ago, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a gun rack hanging in the back of a truck or the back window of a car. While it wasn’t the best option — especially if you consider the kind of damage extended exposure to sunlight can do to stocks and leather accessories — it was useful for anyone who spent a lot of time out hunting or needed a secure way to transport their guns.
Today, with changes in legislation, you won’t see them as often but they are still valuable tools for anyone who spends a lot of time transporting their rifles or shotguns.
Before you break out your tools and start shopping for a rack for your BMW, make sure it’s legal to transport your guns that way in your state.