We ran a post a couple of weeks ago when the Headrest Safe Company announced their vehicle storage product. That provoked all kinds of heated comments and criticisms from people who had never seen one. This is, of course, the internet.

Before passing judgement, I stopped by their SHOT Show booth last week to take a look at them for myself, up close and personal like. The Alabama company’s downstairs SHOT Show booth was hopping. Lots of show-goers were interested in taking a look for themselves.

The headrests look very well made and HSC offers them in a both leather and cloth styles in a range of colors to fit just about any car interior without looking out of place. The locks can be quickly opened biometrically (that small round sensor below the keypad) or by entering a code on the keypad.

Some were concerned that if a thief figures out there’s a safe in the headrest, they can just take the whole thing. The headrest safe, however, uses a molley bolt attachment system that requires the safe to be opened before removing the headrest (and the removal process isn’t fast). You really have to want to take it off and it will take time.

HSC actually makes two models. There’s the standard version (above) and a yet to be released version (which they’re calling the California model, if I remember correctly) with a removable safe compartment.

This, they tell me, is for states where the law mandates transporting your gun from the car to your home or the range in a locked compartment.

Like the original version, the lockable compartment is made of steel with an integrated handle. It’s big enough to hold a 5-inch 1911 or other duty-sized handgun.

A flange ensures the safe can’t be removed from the headrest unless it’s opened first.

There’s even a shoulder strap that attaches by a couple of QD pegs. The HSC folks tell us the removable model will run about $80 more than their standard model (which has an MSRP of $489) and should be available for sale at the end of March.

 

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

31 COMMENTS

  1. I have the drivers side headrest turned around so I can wear my cowboy hat. Wonder if it do that?

  2. “Some were concerned that if a thief figures out there’s a safe in the headrest, they can just take the whole thing.”

    As in car…

    • yes the whole car

      they just take the whole seat out too. we had that happen here to someone. they broke into the car and removed the front seats.

  3. I’ll let others debate the standard merits/pros/cons/whatnot. My question would be around exposure to the elements. Convertibles, Jeep Wrangler, etc. I would like to know how well these work/hold up if I installed them on a Wrangler, ended up leaving the top down while shopping at a mall, and walk out 3 hours later to see 3 inches of rain has poured down.

    • Glock.

      Near impervious to water, goes Bang when asked, and you won’t care (much) if it gets stolen…

      • In my request above, I’m not inquiring about the firearm. I’m concerned about the actual headrest. I’m taking my ‘safety device’ with me regardless of signs on a mall’s doors/windows or most other business’ locations. A Post Office/Fed building…maybe I leave my ‘gat’ behind. I just want to know how well the headrest holds up exposed to the elements.

    • My main concern is the high visibility of the headrest’s location. If I choose to remove my gat from the holster and place it in a secure location down in the footrest or center console area, the entire action will take place well below the window sill level, and therefore out of sight of passersby. But lemme open up that headrest and place/extract a gun, and I’m gonna have some very interested people calling the po-po.

      I give this product an ‘A’ for innovation, but it’s a hard pass for me.

      • 99% of people won’t be paying attention to what you’re doing. If Karen calls the police, you weren’t doing anything illegal. At least it isn’t illegal in most free states. I’m not sure about Cali.

        • Behind the iron curtain of NY, CA, etc. accidently showing a pistol while stowing it could probably be charged as “brandishing.” Even printing can be called brandishing in NY. This is reason number three-million that the CCIA in NY has to go. It effectively requires gun owners to “brandish” every time they stop at a public establishment and stow their carry firearm per the law.

  4. Seems like the real problem is parked in front of the post office/federal building, stepping out of your car, unholstering your weapon, placing it in the safe then expecting to walk into the gun-free building without issue.

    As if nobody is going to see you doing that and have a conniption.

    Putting it in the passengers headrest might alleviate that a bit. Just don’t muzzle your passenger.

    • The whole post office – federal building / facility ‘thing’ is gonna have to be dealt with via legislation, sadly…

  5. This is a solution in search of a problem. And I’ve got to believe that degrades the safety of your headrest. I bought a $10 lockbox with cable from Academy that does the trick.

    • I use a simple cable and padlock looped around a seat mounting point.

      Dirt-cheap low-level security…

  6. Many headrests for years are part of your active restraint system. I don’t think they thought this one out well…

    • Exactly… This is a personal injury lawsuit waiting to happen. Automobile headrests have a certain mass, elasticity, and damping effect to protect from concussions and other head injuries in the event of a collision. Having several extra pounds of mass and little to no cushion seems like a TERRIBLE idea. A pistol safe under the seat, in the console, or in the trunk / cargo area is a way safer approach from the crashworthiness standpoint.

      • Some headrest/seat combinations are designed in a manner that pressure on the upper portion of the seat back (such as a torso would exert during a rear impact accident) causes the headrest to cantilever forward, actively catching the head before significant rearward motion/inertia of the head happens.
        Both of my vehicles have this seat/headrest design.
        Changing the shape/size/mass/firmness of the headrest will inevitably modify the dynamics of this feature, possibly exceeding the parameters engineers intended the system to perform within.

      • I would think that the likelyhood of getting in an accident and needing a properly padded headrest far exceeds the likelyhood of needing your gat.
        YNMV (Your Neighborhood May Vary)

      • compartment under rear seat of Toyota Tacoma extra cab. room enough for a reasonably sized scope or reflex sight.
        I don’t start gun fights. I just finish them.

  8. Sounds like a good place to hid a gun. Unfortunately this would be illegal in Kentucky. It’s one of the laws left over from the days of prohibition. When the rum runners would build hidden compartments inside of cars. Only Factory made storage compartments, at the time the car was built, are authorized storage places for firearms.
    Warning Check your own State’s laws.

  9. I wouldn’t want to be in that seat when the car get rear-ended and that safe and my head met at high speed.

  10. My oh my, some states say you cant pack your gunm from your car to the range unless it’s in a locked box.
    Wow.
    The older I get the more this country sucks.
    WTF happened? Used to be kids riding their bikes with a gunm across the handle bars. Used to be you could get a drink out of the creek and not die.
    Used to be only the pricks put up Private Property No Hunting signs.
    Used to be you could get a decent cup of coffee and a slice of pie for $1.25.
    Used to be a man’s word was better then a contract.
    Used to be we knew what a man was.
    I bet that headrest idea come up on account of some cop telling a story about where they found some dope stashed.

    • utb might be the longest list ever.
      or at least, it used to be. now it’s pronouns.
      my ol’ ridin’ pal rick wants to be called tina. met him halfway, call him tweena. we don’t talk much.

      • “now it’s pronouns.”

        Simple. – Male. Female. Other (or Alternative).

        Covers all bases. Bummer about your old buddy… 🙁

  11. Actually the rich jerk just stole the idea blowing past others like me that registered with a utility patent and had actual locking mechanisms that were cross bolt and genius in working to really secure it, not a hardware store Molly dry wall bolt. And his storage is a firearm bouncing around in a box? Just stupid, mine had actual securing on a snap in holder with spare mags, what a pitiful joke by a rich asshat. Ruined the idea

Comments are closed.