Several years ago, I was looking for a "truck gun". I had to travel through some rough areas to get to a hospital, when two of my brother-in-laws were both there with cancer. Yes, both at the same time! Not a good time for any and all involved.
Anyway, being that you can't take a gun in, and not wanting to leave it (especially my EDC, a G19 at that time) in the car/truck in any location, let alone that particular area, I did both. What's that, you ask? I bought a S&W Sigma for $250, brand new. 14 + one rd of 40 S&W, won out over a police trade in M&P 10, or similar. The reason that I went with the Sigma was that I could very easily take it apart and take the slide assembly and mag into the hospital and leave the frame locked up in the car/truck. If someone broke in, they may be stupid enough to take the frame. If not, all the better. But back then, it was all but impossible to get a complete slide assembly for that pistol, anywhere. If they did take it, I was planning on buying the same pistol in 9mm and I'd then have two guns in one. Once back at the car, the pistol could be reassembled in less than 30 seconds.
I didn't break any laws, and I didn't leave a weapon for someone to steal and possibly cause harm to someone else.
So, that was my answer to the same question.