Advise on transition to conceal carry

[gallo]

How do you make the transition from being a keep the gun in the safe to a concealed carry gun owner? This question is specifically regarding the safety issues with young kids in the family. One of my main fears is being careless and leaving the gun on a counter or forgetting it in a non secure place. I have thought about perhaps carrying a plastic replica gun for a couple of months until I get used to carrying it safely and then carrying the real thing. Currently, I keep my gun in a safe and only take it out to go to the range and put it back in.

I'm not new to guns or their safe handling, but the thought of leaving a loaded gun by mistake in a place accessible to a kid scares the crap out of me.

Did any of you do a similar thing? Or how did you proceed in the transition?

Thanks for the advise.

 

[dayid]

I'll preface by saying I don't have children in my home. That said, if the gun "is out" it's in my holster that blocks the trigger. When it's in the holster it's in my pants and on my hip. No mistaking where it is at any point in this style.

I don't sleep with my firearm on, but it does stay on my nightstand (although still in a trigger-blocking holster). I can only imagine that having children would make no changes to my plans, as a child popping into my room at night while I'm there would certainly wake me.

The real thing here is: don't have the gun "about" - have it on you or next to you.

 

[bigfatdave]

1 - A gun on your hip is not accessible to the incompetent
2 - A gun in a quality holster is not "unsafe" regardless of the condition
3 - Kids (age will vary) can be taught about firearms, making them less susceptible to stupid gun accidents, a demonstration of what a hot HP round will do to a gourd or other flesh analogue is quite educational

CorneredCat has some good pages on guns and kids, read up:
http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx#Kids

 

[Snowdog]

Gallo, I'm currently in that boat now that my daughter is 16 months old, running around and grabbing things off tables. Currently I keep my K9 on me or in the master bedroom, where the shotgun and M1 carbine also reside,an area that's inaccessible to her. All other firearms are locked away.

Obviously this method won't hold as she gets older (and able to reach and operate door knobs). Firearm safety education is absolutely on the itinerary when she's old enough to understand.

 

[gearhead]

How old are your kids?

I realize that since I'm 52 I'm from a different era, and my father was born in 1911 so he was REALLY from a different era but my father slept with a revolver under his mattress all his life as far as I know. I surely can't remember there ever not being a gun under there, but I knew darn well not to mess with it.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Keep it on you body in a proper holster . I have raised 5 kids youngest now almost 16. All were raised with a loaded pistol in BR . Same as myself , brothers, and sister were raised. We didn't touch We were taught from early age .I started shooting at 6 I started my kids at 6 with 22 I also gave them their own BB guns at 7 my son is one of those high buck security guards overseas and all the girls shoot. Oldest carries others are waiting till can get their permits. Gun safety is your responsibility as a parent. Hide it and they will become curious, Teach them and they will leave alone

 

[gallo]

Gearhead,

My kids are 3.5 yrs. and 5 months, little girls so not as curious as a boy about guns. I too grew up in a house with rifles and guns that were not even kept under lock and key but somehow I knew not to touch them. I also began shooting at 6 under an excellent mentor, my grandpa.

 

[loneviking]

Develop good habits, and by habits I mean that you do the same thing over and over again until it's just automatic. If you have a safe, when you come home and are ready to go to bed, you put the gun in the safe. When you go to the bathroom, the gun is always stashed in the same place so that you automatically pick it back up on the way out. Figure out what will work for you and then practice it over and over.

And yes, you can raise kids around guns that aren't locked up. Satisfy their curiosity by showing the kids the gun. Make sure to always go over with them the four rules of gun safety as you show them the gun. When they get old enough, teach them to shoot. My wife and I have two daughters (20/22) that we raised around guns without any incidents. We also have a 12 y/o son that I'm teaching the same way as I did the girls. He can recite AND apply the four gun rules, so I'm betting that he'll make it to adulthood without incident as well.

 

[mongo4567]

My dad always had loaded guns around, I never messed with them as a kid. My son is 10 and has been raised shooting. I'm not worried about him at all around loaded guns. I lock up carry guns for friends and kids of friends. I use a Gunvault (small safe with keypad) for my carry piece. I treat my gun just like my keys; put it in a certain spot by habit and never deviate.

 

[degunner]

I grew up in a house where the idea of locking a gun up made as much sense as not having ammo for it. My family taught me early on about firearms saftey and took me hunting from a very young age. The idea of touching the guns with out permission never occured to me. My childern shoot and have started shooting at the club we joined and are pretty good. Some of us (at least ME) feel that by introducing youngesters to firearms and saftey it removes the mystery of the gun and they are less likely to try or handle the firearm unsupervised. There are evenings when I get home and disarm by placing my weapon in a bedside multi retention holster mounted securely in my room.
Depending on how you carry and what type will also determine if youngsters will be able to figure out a multiretention holster, manual saftey, rack it?, aand apply enough pressure to the trigger, additions of grip safteys make it more difficult. But when you have rugrats and curtain climbers under 3' a dresser drawer higher than that may work if you choose to not put it in a safe. Have you looked into the small gunvaults that open by a combo input by fingertips or biometrics? very fast opening and very secure(depending on what you bolt it to).
However you choose to secure your weapon when you get home is for you to decide what is right based on more factors than could be coveredin a few minutes. I do not leave mine in any common area due to my kids friends and own children (things still happen) firearm ownership requires some small changes when you add children to the mix, thses changes are not dramatic but small things.
IF / when you cc or oc the reason given is typically for the protection of your family and self, this responsibility to protect yours dosent end when you get home it is mearly a different enviroment with different challenges...

 

[degunner]

To try and answer some of your questions directly. Take a gun saftey course for concealed carry--this maybe a permit requirement depending on where you live. Buy a quality holster and gunbelt, and magholder. Start carrying. YOU WILL FEEL LIKE EVERYONE KNOWS YOU HAVE A GUN ON YOU at first. After a while it becomes a part of you. Most people are creatures of habit, so devlop goods first and build on them!
When you say unsecure place do you mean the kitchen or a public bathroom, or your buddies house? When I put my holster on the weapon stays there unless I have to defend myself or untill I get home. When you get up it should go something like this..
get dressed, put on holster, with draw gun from storage, check and load weapon, holster weapon, continue with everything else as usual.
personally a plastic replica gun is a waste of time and money IMHO.
first the weight will not be the same so it will not carry or feel the same as alive weapon.
second the money spent on a quality analog could be spent to defray the cost of more training.

How I made the transition was got a permit, gun, holster and put them on and went shopping at the local store. like I said before I felt like everyone knew I had a gun on me as if I had a sign that said so. Talking with others this seems to be common.
I applaud your desire to be able to protect yourself and loved ones and also concern for their saftey while at home. Donnt be discouraged if you get snarky comments, and remember no matter what we all say its up to you to decide whats best for you and yours, it is an awesome responsibilty not to be taken lightly.

 

[Agostini]

Good advice all around.

You need to create your own protocols and procedures regarding safe storage of the guns, maintaining a safe home.

More important is gun-proofing your kids.

I brought up four children and never had a problem. They knew better than messing with my firearms. I taught them all to shoot early on, and they helped me out in cleaning the guns, reloading, and gunsmithing. It was fun to watch a seven-year old to take a 1911 apart and put it back together.

Only three of them, my daughter and two sons chose to own and carry as an adult. My daughter is currently gun proofing my grand kids.

The normal cycle of life continues.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[Avenger29]

Just carry the real thing, and make sure you don't leave it accessible. Get it out of the safe in the morning and Put the gun, and don't take it off till that night. If you have to run into a bank, courthouse, whatever, then lock the gun in a lockbox in your car.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Your gun remains in safe stowage until you put it on.

You immediately put your gun back into safe stowage when you take it off.

It's THAT simple.

I've CCW'd continuously since 1984 and this is my practice. It worked without incident with my two kids (now adults) and their many friends who visited the house.

Good luck!

 

[JoeMal]

I see a growing trend here....EDUCATION AT A YOUNG AGE


I, too, grew up in a home with several unlocked guns at all times. My first gun was a 12 gauge when I was probably 10 or 11. I took safety classes, went to the range, and understood guns. This left no 'curiosity' factor. I knew what guns were and what they were capable of. Most kids just want to look at it and hold it; I had done all of those things before so it really didn't seem like a 'big deal'. In addition to this, I felt proud that my parents trusted me with guns in the house at a young age (and even enough to buy me one). This also aided in my willingness to respect guns and safety

So even if you DO leave the gun out, your child will be less likely to handle it or interact with it. Hell, your son/daughter may even come find you and say "Daddy you forgot your gun on the table" and you can go grab it.

Good luck.

 

[357mag.]

Firearm education/safety is very important and should be started at an early age but can not be counted on 100% imo.The only guns kept loaded in my house are carry guns (wife and me)they are kept on our person at all times except at night when they are kept on our night-stands while we sleep.Our room is off-limits to the kids for any reason.It is the way I was raised,and a very good way to go about it imo.

 

[Ala Dan]

When The Firearm Is Worn-

Rule #1:

"Have your BRAIN in gear; and your FINGER OFF of the BOOM SWITCH~!"

 

[leadcounsel]

1. Quality holster and belt
2. Carry 100% of the time you legally can - a common mistake is occassional carry.
3. Try a lot of different holsters and, if you have them, guns. Everyone has a different build and what works for some doesn't for others
4. Tell only those you really trust. Once the cat is out of the bag you cannot get it back in. Don't brag about it or make it common knowledge. It can be used against you (others could claim you threatened them, brandished, or you could be targeted, etc.).

 

[Mad Chemist]

If you have young children around, you do not take off your gun. You do not set it on counters or in drawers. You carry it on your person or you lock it up. If securing it by means other than a safe, do not underestimate the persistence and intrepidness of curious young minds.

Older children can be taught gun safety and respect for firearms but the little ones (toddlers) can't.

 

[gallo]

a common mistake is occassional carry

Carrying 100% of the time is not an option for me. Work place does not allow it. The gun will have to stay in the car from 8-5, m-f.

 

[bigfatdave]

Do you leave your kids in the car while at work?
If not, not really germane to your OP regarding keeping your firearm out of kid's hands.

By the way ... If you must leave your pistol in a car, lock it up well. Cars are one of the most stolen items, and you don't want to be arming some wannabe thug or his friends. That's why I avoid leaving a gun in the car whenever possible. For the record I don't pack on my way to work, because I work in an effective gun-free zone with metal detectors and armed security ... if I worked in a pretend GFZ it might be a different story.

 

[metalman8600]

They make safes the size of small gloveboxes that open with a 4 digit number. You can easily place one under your bed or nightstand. Just enter your pin number and bam.... gun.

That will make it easier than one of those large safes that you would keep in a nonaccesable area.

 

[gallo]

Folks,

Thanks for all the great advice. It seems the overwhelming consensus is that the safest practice is to keep the gun on your person as much as possible. This is consistent with what I have read in other places during the course of my research. Thank you for addressing my concern.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Fear will teach you to not have bad habits
a plastic "dummy" gun will just alleviate your rightful fear
and you will learn bad habits and become complacent
best just carry the gun and get used to it
After all, a mugger will look at you rather funny when the blue gun comes out of the holster...

 

[oldbear]

Degunner

grew up in a house where the idea of locking a gun up made as much sense as not having ammo for it. My family taught me early on about firearms saftey and took me hunting from a very young age. The idea of touching the guns with out permission never occured to me. My childern shoot and have started shooting at the club we joined and are pretty good. Some of us (at least ME) feel that by introducing youngesters to firearms and saftey it removes the mystery of the gun and they are less likely to try or handle the firearm unsupervised.

Degunner A/A +1!

Your family and the one I grew up with must have been related.