Safe Gun storage laws to protect children - not so fast!

I think this is great, and I have read of another case or two similar to this. That being said I think it is FAR more likely that an irresponsible party, maybe not even a child gets a hold of a gun and does something stupid/dangerous.

I personally, and again you make the judgement calls for your life, but I personally believe we should secure our firearms when they are not in use/on person/under our direct control etc. When folks ask me about buying a gun for the first time I always tell them to budget for some kind of secure storage. Doesn't have to be a 10,000 dollar safe hell a locking document safe for 60 bucks. If they are going to use it for defense I point them in the direction of a quick access type system. Invariably some will say, but I don't have kids. My reply is yes......but you have stupid friends, we all do, and we have parties and get together's etc. A little effort spent could keep that stupid and or drunk friend from hurting themselves or others.

99% of people immediately get that look of "Holy Cow, he's right.....I forgot about Dave." The other 1% I just say if you don't have any stupid friends.........you might be the stupid friend.

Point is I think safe storage is our responsibility not just because of children. What safe storage is........is a personal evaluation.

YES I KNOW.......there are a bunch of you who will say they have no kids, never have parties, never drink and have responsible gunny friends. In that case have at it. Your locked house is your safe storage. I am just saying you are not the norm.

Also this isn't about theft for the most part. Its about putting a minor barrier between the dangerous object that not many folks understand and the idjits or children we all encounter.

Nothing in the story says that the gun was NOT locked up, and the children deemed responsible enough to know how to access it.

Safe storage of firearms is responsibility of every gun owner.

First of all, bravo to the parents for training their children what to do in such a case, and bravo to the girl for doing it.

Secondly: I used to live in Los Angeles. The law there (not sure if this is city or state but whatever) is you have to lock up your gun unless it is within arm's distance for you to use for self-defense. Given the crime and homeless issues there, I had it within arm's length (in a makeshift gun purse) at all times when I was home, and because normal people do not get a carry permit there, locked it in the safe when I left. So I got in the habit of locking it up when I left the house. Now I thankfully live in Arizona. I live in a very low-crime area and this house is well-secured, so I leave the house gun in the bed holster when I'm home. I could still get to it in time in case of an attempted break-in. It's too big to conceal carry, so I got a smaller one for that purpose, but I still lock up the house gun when I leave the house. I would probably lock it up if I were getting a visit from folks with children. If a worker is coming over to do something not in my bedroom, I don't lock it up. IMO the best reason to lock up your guns when you're not home is to prevent theft. Besides the fact that you would not want to have to re-create your collection, I'm sure no one here would want their guns used by BGs to commit crimes, which is the inevitable result of theft.

Tangent: If anyone is interested, I did a lot of research on gun safes when I became a gun owner, and concluded that the Fort Knox ones were the best of the ones on the California list. (Yes, not only your gun, but also your safe have to be on a state DOJ approved list. I think it's just a way for the state to get money because a lot of the ones on the list were featured in the video a few years ago of gun safes being easily opened by 3-year olds.) The FAS-1 appears to be made the same way as the Fort Knox ones but wasn't on the Cali list so I couldn't legally have used it to lock up the gun when I wasn't home. However a person with small children could have one bolted to their bed frame for night time if they have a listed one for storage when they are not home.

The best "safe storage" of a firearm is in a holster, on your hip. Best and fastest access also.

If you own a gun, you need a safe.

If I owned ONE gun, and I kept it with me at all times, I would NOT need a safe.

"I dont even own A gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack"
- Waynes world

RETG said:

If I owned ONE gun, and I kept it with me at all times, I would NOT need a safe.

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Yeah, you would.

We're all going to take one ride in an aid car.

Mousegun said:

The best "safe storage" of a firearm is in a holster, on your hip. Best and fastest access also.

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Do you only have one gun, Mousegun?

RETG said:

If I owned ONE gun, and I kept it with me at all times, I would NOT need a safe.

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Safe gun storage laws; to protect children?

I thought that's what parents were for. To protect their children.

You know, it’s funny. When I was probably 11 or 12 I had a single shot .410 in my bedroom. Within a year or two i added a Remington.243 and a 12ga 1100 they were stored on gun racks.

The entire time my parents kept a 357 in the top of moms bedroom closet, I never touched that gun I’m 40 years old I’m still afraid of that thing.

My dad seemed to view pistols as especially dangerous, long guns were viewed more like tools that you had to respect and use properly, but that Ruger in their bed room was way off limits.


Me, I keep most of my guns in my safe, but I will never keep them all in there.

Jammersix said:

Yeah, you would.

We're all going to take one ride in an aid car.

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I don't know what an "aid car" is, but I doubt it has anything to do with whether or not I need a gun safe.

Speaking as a parent, you protect your child by making sure they can't get to a loaded weapon. Not they won't, not they shouldn't, not they've been taught not to. By making sure they can't.

We re-visit the issue later, we teach, we set examples.

Meanwhile, we make sure they can't.

Jammersix said:

Speaking as a parent, you protect your child by making sure they can't get to a loaded weapon. Not they won't, not they shouldn't, not they've been taught not to. By making sure they can't.

We re-visit the issue later, we teach, we set examples.

Meanwhile, we make sure they can't

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My youngest grandchild graduated from high school a couple of months back, and he'll be deer hunting with us come October. But yeah, I generally agree with you. Except that I, for one am glad the 14-year-old girl in the original post in this thread was able to get to a gun.

Jammersix said:

Yeah, you would.

We're all going to take one ride in an aid car.

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What's the ride in an aid car mean. Exactly what is an aid car? Is that an ambulance or a hearse?

But even if I am taken away in an ambulance, the gun can remain as safe inside my house as in a house with a safe. My house is my safe and as secure as any wall mounted or large floor safe. I have an extensive alarm and extensive security cams. I have no kids, all those who come to my house, who I let past the front door are also carrying a handgun and those people I have known for many years and trust them. And so far, my dogs have shown no propensity to pick up a gun and shoot me. And Idaho does not require me to have a gun safe for my guns.

If I am taken out in a hearse, do I care what happens to my guns? NOT!

In reality, I actually have more than one gun but have NO need for a safe.

So saying if I have a gun (or even guns) does not mean I need a safe. Now if I had kids, or lived in a house that was not as secure as this one is when I am not home, or had strangers walking through I did not trust or it was a requirement by state law, I would agree and say I need a safe. But a safe is not required in ALL cases.

EDIT:
Also note, I have no grand kids that I know of; therefore, none will ever visit. One of my closest friends who does visit at times, and his son (my god son for some strange reason); is not a concern since he is a Federal agent. So....NO reason for a safe.

.308 Norma said:

My youngest grandchild graduated from high school a couple of months back, and he'll be deer hunting with us come October. But yeah, I generally agree with you. Except that I, for one am glad the 14-year-old girl in the original post in this thread was able to get to a gun.

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My youngest granddaughter is in college. She's starting to get expensive, now that "spoiled" has replaced "well adjusted" as the basic objectives for our contributions.

.308 Norma said:

I don't know what an "aid car" is, but I doubt it has anything to do with whether or not I need a gun safe.

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I didn't know either, google says it means "ambulance". I had guessed hearse.

I'm glad that turned out the way it did, but sadly that's probably the exception these days. I don't like mandatory storage laws, but I am in favor of liability laws if a child injures themselves or someone else with your gun. You as a parent decide what's right for you.

I keep my home defense gun (handgun) in a quick access safe all the time. It's bolted to my bed frame. My kids are grown and gone, but I don't have to worry if I have guns laying around if someone visits or I call the cable or A/C guy. I always pocket carry especially around the home.

old lady new shooter said:

I had guessed hearse.

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I guessed ambulance. Hearses aren't exactly known for giving aid.

My state does have a "guns kept away from unintended minors" paper we sign. Never bothered me. One of my three kids knows my combinations.

old lady new shooter said:

I didn't know either, google says it means "ambulance". I had guessed hearse.

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Thanks! I was guessing hearse too.

RETG said:

If I owned ONE gun, and I kept it with me at all times, I would NOT need a safe.

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Jammersix said:

Yeah, you would.
We're all going to take one ride in an aid car.

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Not everyone takes a ride in an ambulance though, or even a hearse for that matter, and I still don't know what that has to do with whether or not I need a gun safe.

.308 Norma said:

I still don't know what that has to do with whether or not I need a gun safe.

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Me niether really. 3 of my 4 grandparents died having never ridden in an ambulance, the fourth practically lived in one for 20 years. Niether parent has either. When you live 45 minutes from a hospital there is little use in waiting 20-40 more for the ambulance to get there unless you have no one to drive.. Which is the same argument for teaching kids to defend themselves and siblings. Best case scenario a 911 call will get help to us in 30 minutes, likely more. I know and love more than one on the department but I know I'm SOL if I depend on them to do more than tag our bodies.

With that said My parents never had a safe. Only guns in a rack and in closets. I most certainly did "borrow" them to hunt with instead of my trusty red rider or crossman co2 pistol (the ones that favored a colt python) . When dad finally decided to teach me to shoot, I was a much better shot than he was. So yes some kids are dumb and do irresponsible things like I did, luckily I never had any accident. So I wont argue for or against protection acts really. It never bothers me but I doubt it ever actually helped anything either

This reminds me of a question I ask when I see that a child found a firearm and mayhem ensued.
Was the firearm's owner a legal gun owner? I'm sure many are not persons that the NICS would pass to buy a gun.