Bedside Vault/Safe

[wyocarp]

2) The bedside vault is good for when your are asleep.

That is the advice of one of the moderators. I'm not picking on him or anyone else that does so, but I'm curious about how many do this.

Personally, when I open my eyes at night, I want to see my night sights glowing.

What condition and where are your home defense guns when you sleep.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

I keep a number of guns loaded and dispersed, mostly hidden, around my dwelling. But the closest one would be a .38 Special Model 10-7 loaded on the nightstand. A few steps away, secreted in a cabinet, is a .44 Magnum Model 29-3.

 

[geronimo509]

I keep my Para Gun Rights on the nightstand. Also have a loaded pistol grip shotgun under my bed.

 

[Trustin]

keep an 870 sitting beside my bed, chambered and safetied in a soft case with enough opening for me to slip my hand through and grab the butt pad. I ain't fumbling for keys or coded locks when seconds count. No kids either.

 

[jakemccoy]

A gun in a safe near your bed substantially reduces the likelihood of protecting yourself if the intruder is already in your room. However, if you have kids running around, the safe near the bed may be a compromise you have to take.

I sleep with a shotgun propped up and ready in the corner that's about 4 feet from my bed. I guess that's near my hand, but not reaching distance. I have to step out of bed to get the shotgun. I've thought about keeping the gun within reaching distance, but decided against the idea.

It's practically impossible for an intruder to get into my room without at least 20 seconds of advanced warning (alarm, dog, lock on bedroom door). That's if the intruder is going fast and knows the house.

 

[expvideo]

Under my pillow. Next to the bed if my girlfriend is staying the night, as a courtesy.

Her gun is in the nightstand, and my long guns are all in the closet next to the bed. I'm pretty well armed in my sleep. Oddly enough, I'm never well armed in my dreams. Go figure.

 

[Byron Quick]

I move around a good bit when I'm sleeping but I've learned to stay away from where the guns are at on the mattress.

If there were children in the house, I'd have gun vaults of some nature.

I actually flail around and hit stuff on the nightstand but not the gun's section of the mattress.

 

[Kind of Blued]

If kids are around, or ever will be, I'd say that's the only way to go.

 

[Sato Ord]

I have a hanging rifle rack next to my bed where I keep an auto-loading 12 gauge loaded with the safety on. I've practiced getting up and getting, thumbing the safety, and aiming enough to put it into muscle memory. My back up is my S&W .40 cal, fully loaded, sets on the nightstand.

I have no intention of having to fumble with any kind of lock in the dark, in the middle of the night. If the dog barks like there is someone coming in and that isn't enough to deter the intruder, I want to be ready immediately, not fifteen to thirty seconds from now.

 

[rbernie]

I have small children. They have proven very safe and gun-aware around unloaded firearms of all types, but I still will not leave a loaded gun laying about while I'm asleep. I have several bookshelf vaults located around the house with HD weapons inside.

 

[jqbagley]

I just picked up a gunvault minivault and put it on the night stand.

 

[tyler500e]

I have a cheap holster screwed into the bottom of my headboard, so my XD45 is definitely within easy reach

*Edit* There's no kids at my place. Once my old lady and I have kids, I'll rethink my home defense options.

 

[sqlbullet]

I have a 10mm in a gunvault immediately beside my bed. If it were not used immediately (ie, heard a noise, identified it isn't the neighbors cat, called 911, now going to secure my children) then the AR-15 hidden behind the night stand would be unlocked, loaded and called into action.

 

[saltydog452]

DAO semi or Revolver. Nite sights on the DAO Kahr. Nothing within arms reach at home. Gotta sit up and put feet on the floor. Home or Motel, the glow of tritium vial at mid-night-dark-thirty kinda centers my perception of just exactly where I am in relation to my pistol.

I'm told that Motels with keyless entry doors are more secure now...I dunno. We still got a pistol or revolver close to hand though.

I think that circumstances that called for a 1911, condition one, under the pillow, would be kinda rare and would not produce much sleep. I'd just as soon sleep under the truck.

salty

 

[muddywatters]

I sleep with a gun in accessible safe near the bed.

This is really my only option with a 2 year old in the house and a spouse with night terrors -- not uncommon to wake up with her hands at my throat or other random weird behavior. Would be a shame to have her wake up after putting a couple of rounds in me and me never wake up again.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Are the GunVaults pretty quality? I already searched THR and some people said it drains batteries pretty fast. Worth buying?

 

[moi_self26]

Long barrells and ammo all go in the big safe. Then we have a smaller safe in the drawer of the nightstand that has two pistols, slides locked back, magazines out (but loaded and ready to pop in). I wish I could keep one of the shotty's more accessible, but with a toddler and a baby on the way..... just doesn't seem possible.

 

[theotherwaldo]

The Glock goes in the headboard, the bolo machete slips in between the box spring and the headboard, the shotgun leans against the headboard, and the rifle sits just inside the closet. Everything else is variable.

 

[hlq]

I have a loaded 45 in the night stand beside me and a 12 ga in the corner of the bedroom.

 

[a1abdj]

My nightstand is a safe. Gun goes on top while I'm in bed. I also use a safe as an end table in my family room, and another one for a printer stand.

 

[Otis]

I have never understood the under the pillow trick. So much can go wrong with that. I remember reading a story a while back where a woman got her head shot off in the middle of the night by the gun that was stowed under her husbands pillow.

As for being ready if there is ever someone actually in your room, well if there is someone in your room and you are dead asleep then you are already f-ed any way.

I don’t see any reason not to have a bed side safe with a simple combo that will allow you easy access with in 3 seconds. I see a lot of reasons to not safely lock up your firearms.

I do have a gunvalut and think it was worth every penny. I got the one without the light or alarm and seams to hold battery charge quite well. It has lasted about 1.5 years on the same set.

 

[Rockwell1]

My daily carry is holstered on the night stand. I never understood the concept of stashing guns all over the house I carry one and keep it with me. Kids all grown and gone.

 

[ByAnyMeans]

I have no one in my house but me and my fiance who are both proficient with the 12.gauge on hooks under the bed. I would go to a pistol in a quick access safe when I have children.

 

[akodo]

I don't have kids. I have two gunvaults. One is on my nightstand. When I lay down to go to sleep I make sure my alarm clock is on and I open up the vault.

When my alarm goes off I get up, and close the vault.

I don't have any gun in the shower!!!

When I come home from work I pop open the lockbox on my computer, which is located at the transition point from kitchen to living room so it is always close except when I am doing laundry, in the bathroom, or in one of the bedrooms (I don't hang out in the bedrooms...)

Night time ritual is brush the teeth, close the gunbox, double check door lock, pee, go to bed (see above)

 

[AlaskaErik]

I keep my Glock 23 in the nightstand drawer in the same condition that I wear it during the day...loaded magazine in the weapon and one in the pipe. Otherwise, it's just an expensive piece of metal and plastic.