Do you hide your guns? Keep them secret?

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I have two old family guns (that I would NOT shoot) on display. However if anyone asks me if I have guns, I just say a .22 in the safe by my bed. (Yes I do have a safe by the bed with a .22) but the rest are in a few hidie holes and safes throughout my home known only to me.
 
I don't advertise my guns, outside a few select forums, BUT I do let my FaceBook friends know I shoot by posting match pictures and results. I will broach the subject of shooting with strangers. I want anti-gunners out there to know (politely) that we're among them and we're regular everyday people they meet on the street.

[War Story]
This week I was standing in line at the post office. Down South we're friendly and it's not unusual to start a conversation with strangers in line. Nice lady in front was mailing a box the same size as mine, but I was using a Priority box. I mentioned how wonderful the Priority boxes were for small, but heavy items like bullets for reloading. She responded positively and asked questions about how much money I saved and what other benefits my be. She wasn't a gun owner but now possesses factual information about why people reload. People around us were obviously listening in. While I may not have converted any anti-gunners, those around us hopefully saw a pretty normal guy and gal just pleasantly chatting about shooting and reloading.
[/WS]
 
I don't have guns out in the open at home.
However, they're in a locked steel cabinet in the bedroom, so it's pretty obvious what's inside.
And it doesn't take a lot of discernment to know what's in the bedside biometric safe.

I don't mind that folks know I'm a gun owner, but I don't talk about how many or things like that.
Heck here in the South, you are the exception if you don't own firearms.
 
Gotta be careful in the workplace. Not that talking about them is bad but for instance the other day a co-worker and I were talking about going to the range and another co-worker a warehouse guy heard and started up with "oh you like guns?,,what do have?" I replied "meh I got a couple" next thing you know all the guys in the back is saying " hey so and so has a arsenal when the zombie apocalypse comes I'm going to his house".

Which is fine in joking but you never know how far rumor goes and the next thing you know someone is casing your house for when you aren't home. Then there is the chance that a co=worker could be a anti-gun activist and just creates tension at work.
 
Usually my crap is in the safe.
But sometimes projects get scattered about.
Had my 700 torn apart on kitchen island for a couple days.

The ol lady didn't say crap about it.
Hell her rifle was in the front room.

My youngest kid (still at home) is 20.

She might ask with actual interest, what mod is being done (she shoots once in a while).
The others just think I'm getting crap ready for hunting and ignore me.
 
I try to be guarded on my discussions.
But sometimes somebody will hear something.
Or somebody you spoke with in confidence (another shooter/hunter) will be a dipstick and talk later.
Hate it when somebody asks "how many?"

I used to just say "couple", give them the look of death and then ignore them.
Now I am more direct about the social faux pas...........and gruffly tell them NOYFB.
 
Anything indicating the presents of guns gets stashed out of sight, with the exception of some books in the book case.
I will go shooting with friends and I'll talk 2A with anyone who has an open mind, but what firearms I own (at least the ones that didn't go down with the ship) I figure is nobody's business but my own.
 
I don't advertise, don't show, and like some, back up to the garage to load for a range or hunting trip. When asked "how many guns do you have?" I answer, "Three, my trap gun, my squirrel rifle and my carry gun."
 
I lost all mine in the flood.

Seriously, I know a guy who has his guns displayed on various hangers on this wall,, some are in a rack like the olde time sheriffs used with a chain through the trigger guards. the one’s that aren’t in that rack, are in the darndest hangers I have ever seen..Look like you could just take one off the wall,, huh unh,, don’t work that way, requires special tool to get them off.
 
In real life, except for people i worked with, i dont tell anyone that i am carrying or about what guns i have.
 
Guns? What guns? Who said anything about guns? My neighbors just think I play a lot of guitar (which I do) as that's what they see going to and from the car. Funny story, i went to a gun show with a shotgun I was selling in my guitar case, it's a bass guitar soft sided gig bag with shoulder straps. Anyway, I was stopped more times with people wondering if I was selling a guitar, just to see their disappoint when I produced from that bag a 16ga Ithaca 37. Figure next time...I may just bring a guitar for trade, but not for a gun, who has guns?...just for some jerky or something:D
 
post # 8
Caribou:
based on your picture and location, you are the only one here that is allowed to use otherwise corny, worn-out and unfunny 'tragic boating accident" verbiage
:)
 
IME, people don't try to steal things they don't know about.

Limiting who knows about your firearms is as important as securely locking
them up.
 
I live on a dead end road, have dogs and a retired neighbor who drive up with a gun when I closed on the place. I'm not too worried about thieves.
A lot of my coworkers are friends and have been out to my house shooting.
I use it as a way to introduce them and their kids to firearms in a positive environment.
You would be amazed at what 30 dollars of ammo and tannerite does to get people hooked on shooting.
 
I don`t advertise that i have guns in the house. I do not have any guns out for display and almost everyone that knows I have guns is a gun person too.
 
I practice different levels of OPSEC depending on who I'm dealing with. I try really hard to keep my private life private. People I don’t know well don’t need to know the details of my life; there just isn’t any reason for it.

I don't advertise my gun ownership to the general public on any level. When I first joined the NRA I wore that hat everywhere and I noticed that it drew a lot more attention than I'm comfortable with so I quit wearing it. I make it a habit not to wear clothing with logos of any kind (except a couple of hats that say Alaska or Estes Park). Nothing political or firearms related and no bumper stickers on my car. I don’t give strangers any reason to assume I might be armed.

I've had a couple of bad experiences at work where I've been having a conversation with a coworker that was overheard by a third party who was offended and reported it to HR and I actually worked for a company that had a written company policy that there were to be no unnecessary conversations with either coworkers or client employees and I've seen them write people up for it. As a result I try to avoid discussing any controversial topics at work. I don’t discuss politics, I don’t discuss religion and I don’t start conversations about guns at work and if people around me do I don’t participate.

To make a long story short I'm careful about who I let know that I own guns even among my friends. I've learned the hard way that it really only takes one wrong person to find out and the information is out there. I've told this story before but I had a "friend" who found out I had a permit because he "Made" me. He then proceeded to tell everyone he knew even after I asked him to keep his mouth shut because he thought it was "cool" . I ended up having to drop him because he wouldn't shut up about it.
 
I had a complete ransacked home burglary 20 years ago. Fortunately the cash was well hidden and 10 premium handguns were hidden in the space below the pull out bottom drawers in the kitchen. It was an inside job that one of two (or both) employees arranged or actually did. Couldn't prove it and insurance completely covered my loss.

On the other hand, a friend had a giant safe full of guns and they stole it! I think secrecy is the way to go unless you have a massive collection that includes long guns. IMHO, if you have a 2,000 lb safe you better bolt it down and/or have an alarm system.
 
Bfh_auto said:
I live on a dead end road
Click to expand...

As do I. Most of my rifles, one shottie, and two handguns are in a glass-fronted wooden gun cabinet. Another rifle, shottie, and handgun are on a wall rack in the bedroom. Four other handguns are discretely hidden for easy access - JIC. And ALL are loaded with the exception of two revolvers that are either mechanically unsafe (cyl. doesn't lock anymore) or is too valuable to wear out anymore.
 
Probably 15 years ago we had a beautiful day & I decided to clean guns just outside the garage. I did not see anyone or hear anyone. Later my next door neighbor said" you had half the neighborhood ready to call the cops" No one ever did. That was the last time a neighbor ever saw one of my guns---I should have stuck to my rule of "NEVER TRUST ANYONE" IT HAS KEPT ME SAFE.
 
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