Do you store your long guns loaded?

[Krenn]

Are your long guns stored with round in chamber, chamber empty but magazine loaded, completely empty, or stripped?

I imagine I would store a (secured) emergency rifle in my vehicle with loaded magazine and empty chamber, but I'm not certain about how I'd store other long guns long-term in the house, ones which were NOT meant as short-notice backup of choice.

 

[dakotasin]

long guns are stored chamber empty, action closed, firing pin down.
handguns are stored chamber loaded, gun fully loaded.

 

[Mulliga]

House gun is an AR with full 30-round mag and empty chamber. I don't trust having a round in the chamber for most rifles since there's no other safety - with handguns you have firing pin safety, grip safety, etc. Additonally, with proper technique (especially with lever actions, but also with other types), you can charge the rifle/shotgun while bringing it to your shoulder anyway.

Long term guns are stored empty for me. If they're in a safe/gun cabinet, it's not gonna make much difference in terms of response time whether they're full or not.

 

[DMK]

House gun is an AR with full 30-round mag and empty chamber. I don't trust having a round in the chamber for most rifles since there's no other safety...

Same here. My "go guns" are an AR and a FAL. The safeties on those would be way too easy to accidently bump to the fire position in a gun safe.

 

[El Rojo]

By magazine what do we mean? A detachable magazine is worthless if it isn't loaded. My internal magazines are usually unloaded with the exception of my K-31, but most of my rifles have detachable magazines or stripper clips in the same case or near by where they are stored.

By the way, does anyone else suspect this is the goverment checking on our storage conditions thread?

 

[browningguy]

The SU16 and 50 Beowulf have an empty chamber and a full magazine (two with the SU16). Everything else is stored completely empty.

 

[NCP24]

Backup long gun: chamber empty, action closed, firing pin down, magazine loaded and inserted.

 

[stevelyn]

The only gun I have that isn't loaded is my .54 Lyman GPR.

Everything else is in various states of readiness.

 

[Krenn]

by "loaded magazine" I mean that that the rifle itself has immediate access to a round that CAN be chambered... not that the a loaded clip is laying NEXT to the rifle.

 

[rammie]

I keep an AK ready in the house but here's a thought for using these type of rifles (and ARs etc.). I have heard from a firearms instructor that these rounds can penetrate walls and have very negative consequences when off target or over-penetrating, and therefore should be last on the home defense list. I have found that due to higher capacity and tactical ability (optics/lights, etc.) these are a popular choice. Any thoughts?

 

[Nimitz]

thers a 870 loaded with #4 buck full tube, safety off, chamber open. ie. "crusier ready"

all other longarms are kept unloaded chamber open.

Chad

 

[Outlaw21V]

rifle completely empty, but my shotgun is full magazine, one in the chamber and safety on. Don't need that kind of penetration in a hurry. Of course I have a 45-70.

 

[benEzra]

I keep an AK ready in the house but here's a thought for using these type of rifles (and ARs etc.). I have heard from a firearms instructor that these rounds can penetrate walls and have very negative consequences when off target or over-penetrating, and therefore should be last on the home defense list. I have found that due to higher capacity and tactical ability (optics/lights, etc.) these are a popular choice. Any thoughts?

Actually, .223 hollowpoint and softpoint loads penetrate less than 9mm JHP's, which is one reason (among many) why many SWAT teams have been trading their MP5's and such for M4's.

7.62x39 probably penetrates more than 9mm FMJ with Wolf loads, but with more fragile bullets would quite possibly penetrate less (I'm thinking the Cor-Bon 125-gr JHP or the 125-grain VMAX load I've seen discussed around here). I live in a brick house, so it's less of an issue for me as long as I've got an exterior wall as a backstop (and even a .22 or a shotgun blast will go right out a window).

My primary HD firearm is a S&W 9mm for convenience of access, but in a hypothetical situation where I thought we were at high risk of a home invasion or something, I'd definitely have the mini-14 or SAR-1 locked and loaded instead.

Back to the original poll, when I'm home, one of the carbines in the safe (mini-14 or SAR-1) will generally have a magazine inserted, but when we're not home everything in the safe is completely unloaded.

 

[DMK]

By the way, does anyone else suspect this is the goverment checking on our storage conditions thread?

Who cares? There's nothing illegal about keeping a gun or few loaded for home defense or critter dispatch. At least there's no federal law against it. I suppose it's not beyond the realm of posibility that there may be local ordanances against it in some places. Not where I live though.

 

[geekWithA.45]

I keep the mags handy. If I have time to go for a long gun, I have the 2.5 seconds needed to load an AR. I would also have time to don armor, which would go on first.

Otherwise, it's me, the nearest handgun, and my skivvies.

 

[Feanaro]

All my rifles are unloaded and with the hammer(or striker, as the case may be) down. There is a magazine or stripper clip sitting beside each.

 

[MartinS]

An Ak. Chamber empty, hammer down and magazine loaded with 30 Ulyanovsk Hollow Points. These Uly's seem to be the only Russian HP that DO expand.

 

[Mannlicher]

I keep the 'designated hitter' ready. That means chamber loaded, magazine topped off. All the other defense long guns are stored in a safe, chamber empty, no magazine inserted. I do keep loaded mags in the safe also, for ready use.
Hunting rifles are always stored totally empty.