Keeping a gun at the ready?

Night Rider said:

"…I decided…"

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You decided to WHAT? Don't leave us hanging like that!

Blue Jays said:

You decided to WHAT? Don't leave us hanging like that!

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You caught me in the middle of an edit.

Ever see the episode of Psych where Detective Lassiter pulls out a gun from a bowl of nuts on his counter to shoot the bad guy, and then explains that it "wasn't the only one they missed"? Suffice it to say that I was inspired by that scene enough to invest in covert storage options for my home. Did you know that they make combination trigger locks with built-in security cable attachment?

B1gGr33n said:

Ever see the episode of Psych where Detective Lassiter pulls out a gun from a bowl of nuts on his counter to shoot the bad guy, and then explains that it "wasn't the only one they missed"? Suffice it to say that I was inspired by that scene enough to invest in covert storage options for my home. Did you know that they make combination trigger locks with built-in security cable attachment?

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I have bad news for you: Hollywood is fake.

357smallbore said:

Bedtime I have one in my nightstand. When I am outside doing chores or just being on my porch, I am carrying on my person.
I'm not weird, just wanting to be prepared for that unexpected.
Fellow gun enthusiast out there do the same?

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Pretty much the same. My EDC is generally with me, unless I'm sleeping, when it is on the stand next to me.

Good Ol' Boy said:

99% of the time I'm carrying at home.
Once I turn in for the night, get a shower and get into my "comfy clothes" (jeans and a t-shirt/ sweat shirt) then I'm generally not armed.

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Same here, but my EDC is still next to me if in my loungewear for the night.
I live in the sticks as well, but being from the Detroit area, I'll always be watching for trouble, even though I'm a bit more relaxed now.

357smallbore said:

I'm sure this has been discussed, cussed and chewed up before. When I am home in my house, I keep a handgun next to me when I watch TV, read or just relax. Bedtime I have one in my nightstand. When I am outside doing chores or just being on my porch, I am carrying on my person.
I'm not weird, just wanting to be prepared for that unexpected.
Fellow gun enthusiast out there do the

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357smallbore said:

I'm sure this has been discussed, cussed and chewed up before. When I am home in my house, I keep a handgun next to me when I watch TV, read or just relax. Bedtime I have one in my nightstand. When I am outside doing chores or just being on my porch, I am carrying on my person.
I'm not weird, just wanting to be prepared for that unexpected.
Fellow gun enthusiast out there do the same?

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Definitely not weird...you should always be prepared to prevent any predator from taking from you or your family.

Stays in my right pocket around the house and when I am away. I just add my G26 IWB when I leave.

Night Rider said:

I used to, then I retired.

About a year ago there were several home invasion robberies in my town. According to the news reports the common denominator in all of them was that the robbers either walked right through an unlocked (in one case standing open ) door or the home owner opened the door without verifying who was knocking. There's a lesson there if you look for it. I decided to put the effort into making my home difficult to enter.

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A Blink camera from Amazon is $30 or so and often cheaper on sale. I have one mounted where I can see who's at the front door before I answer. If I hear a knock or the doorbell I peek at my phone to see the camera.

My paw paw carried 24/7. So I do the same. Pocket carry m a Ruger lcp II. When at home. Out and about a Ruger LC9.

Right inside my bowl of oatmeal. Mini-22 revolver. I'm eating it now. No silly, eating the oatmeal.



Some of this is right on line, but some of it is teeter totter stuff.

I just carry all the time. 16 hours a day. I don’t like the thought of having to dig my gun out of the back of the freezer in a big rush, only to find that Jason Bourne already unloaded it.

357smallbore said:

I'm sure this has been discussed, cussed and chewed up before. When I am home in my house, I keep a handgun next to me when I watch TV, read or just relax. Bedtime I have one in my nightstand. When I am outside doing chores or just being on my porch, I am carrying on my person.
I'm not weird, just wanting to be prepared for that unexpected.
Fellow gun enthusiast out there do the same?

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Kleanbore said:

Yes indeed!

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I do about the same thing.

My home is configured such that nobody can ever see inside. Even with binoculars.
When in my easy chair or on the sofa I don't wish a handgun on my hip or in my pocket.
It is more easily accessible next to me on the coffee table. Nobody randomly visits.

Kleanbore said:

"…Do you pick it up and take it with you whenever you move from place to place?…"

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Yes. If I arise to go to the kitchen or bathroom, for example, it comes with me held in my hand.
If I hear the clothes washer downstairs in the basement buzz, the handgun similarly comes along with me.

If I go further away (like to garage/barn) a J-frame goes into pocket holster while semiautos get holstered.
When retiring for the evening the "on-duty" firearm is carried upstairs and placed atop nightstand next to my bed.

Kleanbore said:

Do you pick it up and take it with you whenever you move from place to place?

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Yes.

After reading through this discussion I decided to put on street clothes and sit on the couch with my gun on. I don't think I made it quite two hours before I went and put on my house clothes.

I'm not prepared to live like that anymore and I don't see any reason to. I want to have some space to just relax and be turned off in my life. If I have to live my life in DEFCON 2 it's not worth it to me

There's another discussion in this subform about doors and locks being more important than a gun. That's a thing Bro.

I'm not going into extensive detail but you aren't just going to kick in my doors (no sliders here) and walk in. I won't say my windows are impervious but they are shatter proof and high enough off the ground that it's going to take effort for you to get in and I will have ample time to reach over to my end table and grab my gun.

I put the effort into hardening my perimeter so I could sit on the couch in pajama bottoms and sweats and feel perfectly safe.

I also put effort into not presenting myself or my home as a high enough value target to be worth the effort it would take to get in.

Kleanbore said:

"Yes indeed" referred to carrying the gun.

I would not want to have an exposed gun next to me where it can be seen while watching TV, reading, or any other waking activity.

Let me start with my requirements analysis.

• I want the gun secure and in my control.
• I want it instantly accessible.
• I do not want to have to walk anywhere to access it.
• I do not want it to be where anyone can get between my and it.

My strong preference is to not have to put it on when leaving the house or to take it off when I return.

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We all have specific conditions that we choose or are exposed to. While my conditions don't relate to hundreds of accesable arms, there are no minors in the abode and access to firearms at the ready are available throughout the home...every room.

Several layers of animals provide for awareness in times of rest and have proven to be very effective. Not everyone is so fortunate and able in these applications and I consider myself very fortunate in that regard.

I respect and appreciate greatly not wanting non residents access to the family arsenal...these dynamics are very important and a true responsibility to those that choose to maintain arms.

Logic and awereness should always be your priority.

Pistol on nightstand goes to robe pocket after arising. After breakfast and shower, pistol is in a comfortable appendix IWB holster - anytime or anywhere at home or not. If wearing sweat pants without a belt, a bellyband holster is used. Required a lot of trials to get holsters and guns comfortable enough for all day carry. Now that I am used to this routine, I do not consider it inconvenient or uncomfortable.

FL-NC said:

I have several guns ready for use (hidden but quickly accessible) in my house, garage, and barn. I don't want to wear a gun 24/7, and if something happens where I need a gun immediately, it doesn't matter where I am located in my house regarding access to a gun.

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I agree, generally at home I'm not carrying, but there are several guns in my bedroom, and if children not in the house, one in my living room if I'm in there.

Anchorite said:

I read where many do this, but with grand children now in the picture I can’t do such a thing. Not a criticism of your situation, just not for me right now.

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Yup, kids change things.

old lady new shooter said:

Rather than leaving the gun on the nightstand, I use a bed holster:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00POOTWYW/
(Mine is actually an earlier version without the flashlight and mag loops. In my old house I slept with the flashlight lanyarded to my weak-side wrist, it was that kind of neighborhood.) The reason I wanted a bed holster was that I was concerned that maybe in the stress of the moment I would end up knocking the gun off the nightstand, like this that's impossible and it's exactly positioned ready to go.

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Bed holsters are great. I highly recommend the Crossbreed Bedside Backup. It's kydex formed to various gun models. Have to order it by gun make/model. It can be used for a couch, maybe book shelf too. I have a Glock 19 with laser/light combo (had to order the specific bed holster for that) in that holster.

CrossBreed® Holsters Bedside Backup (crossbreedholsters.com)

bdickens said:

That's a great idea.

Until that biometric lock fails.

And it will.

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This has always been my hesitation with electronic safes, not just for guns but generally. For self defense though, I don't want something failing when I need it most.

GEM said:

I don't trust any electronic device and I go along with the the discussion of how long does it take you to get to the gun from boxes, drawers, under your underwear. Again, I offered a test of those concepts. For example, we have kitchen that opens to the 'great run'. Do I have a gun on the kitchen island and one of the coffee table. If I have to get from the kitchen to the great room coffee table and open some electronic vault - time that. You might be able for the noise in the yard but we are talking about the rare, hi-speed, door kick in or window shatters.

We mock safe guns because we think their electronics will fail in a crisis, so why think that your 'safe' is guaranteed. Anyone remember when Uncle Mike's proposed a biometric holster for cops? That seems to not have made it.

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I have four loaded around the house, one 9mm, three .45's. Son, DIL and grand son are 800 miles away. Neighbor across the street is State Trooper.

Can’t have my EDC easily accessible in the house, Daughters and Granddaughters in and out of the house all the time.
My XD-45 is loaded in a lock box in the bedroom. Outside I carry 100% excepting in prohibited areas.

I live alone. A Glock 34 is at hand wherever I go on my property. The Glock 26 travels with me on errands.

Jim Rockford used to leave his smith snub nose in the cookie jar.

starnbar said:

Jim Rockford used to leave his smith snub nose in the cookie jar.

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Was it Shaft that kept a snubby in the freezer?