HD shotgun with a kid around

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jamesbeat

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My wife (being the awesome understanding type) surprised me with a Maverick 88 for xmas. :D
It's going to be delivered to the gun store either today or tomorrow, so I'm trying to figure out a sensible storage plan.
We have an inquisitive 8 year old kid roaming around, and after discussion we've decided that it's best that he doesn't even know the gun exists until he's older.
The idea is to keep it in the closet in our bedroom. It doesn't have a lock yet, but I'll be fitting one before I bring the gun home.
Bearing in mind that the gun is for home defense, what type of lock would people recommend? Built into the doorknob type or padlock? If a padlock, should I use one with a key or a combination?
What condition should I store the gun in? Gun and ammo separate? Cruiser ready?

My instinct tells me to use a padlock with a key (key kept somewhere on my person) and store the gun with a full tube and an empty chamber, but I'd like some ideas from people with more experience in case I have failed to take something important into consideration.
 
jamesbeat said:
We have an inquisitive 8 year old kid roaming around, and after discussion we've decided that it's best that he doesn't even know the gun exists until he's older.
Click to expand...
Fail.

"Forbidden Fruit" is always perceived as the sweetest.

Get a 22 Cricket or some such and start his education now.
 
I agree entirely, but i'm not his dad. If his dad found out there was a gun in the same house as his kid, he'd be on the phone to his lawyer immediately.
If it was my decision to make, the boy would have his very own .22 rifle and know how to use it.
 
with my daughter she is 6, i sat down with her and tried to explain to her about my firearms and that they are not to be touched no matter what, and about the harm it can cause if she does. She is still very interested but has a firm understanding that she is not to touch them. I have always found that with her it works best to tell her and explain to her what its for and that she is not to touch it, because i know if i was young and came across something that looked so cool and i didnt know about it i would most deffinately want to play with it. Maybe it would be best to get him a nef 22 or something and teach responsibility and firearm control. I actually began shooting at the age of 6 and it really taught me alot of patience and responsibility as it may also do for your son hope my insight helps.


thanks
 
My guns are on a bike hooks higher over the inside of the closet door.

Keeps them out of reach of my 1 year old.... not sure about an 8 year old.

Honesltly, I would go for a lock. leave the gun next to the bed, with a chamber lock on it, and the key in a hidden place in the room.

Shouldnt be that hard.

Really, safety is pre-emminent. You will get a lot of cowboys tellin you otherwise, but keeping your children safe is important. If the gun isnt always with YOU, it needs to be secured.
 
My kids are pretty de-mystified. I keep my 870 in the closet with the magazine full, the chamber empty, and the slide locked.

My oldest is a step child as well. The good news is, among other things his dad might be, he is very pro-gun. He would be upset if we DIDN'T have guns in the house. You may u8ltimately be in a situation where you have to say that the gun is always locked up. Her ex can't take the kid for having a gun in your house, 40% of households in America have guns. He could TRY to make a stink if there is an UNSAFE gun in the house. You need to be able to say; "Your honor, my guns are secured and safe at all times." which means, under your control or under lock and key. I wouldn't put a lock on the closet, I would bolt in a Stack-On steel locker.
 
You're in between a rock and a hard place.
I would say your best bet is closet shelf with a trigger lock on the gun. Take the key to the trigger lock and secure it to a cover that fits your cell phone and keep the cell phone on the bedside table. Worse comes to worse you need the cell phone to make the 911 call and have the key there with the phone at all times.
As soon as it is time to teach him gun safety, Take him to a professional for the classes. Get the diploma and have a certified copy for your Wifes Attorney.
 
We have an inquisitive 8 year old kid roaming around, and after discussion we've decided that it's best that he doesn't even know the gun exists until he's older.
Click to expand...
Big mistake. Talk about guns with him. Show him the (unloaded) gun whenever he asks about it. Emphasize the 4 rules... especially keeping your finger off the trigger. If he puts his finger on the trigger, say the viewing session is over until next time, when he can remember to keep his finger off the trigger and point the gun in a safe direction. Always. And get one or more gun locks.

http://priority1pse.com/gun-locks/santa-cruz-shotgun-lock/prod_143.html

As for condition, I personally leave my Mossberg 590 chamber empty, mag full, slide locked, safety on. My wife can barely move the safety and none of my kids can yet.

You should never put a trigger lock on a chambered gun BTW but you probably knew that.
 
They make wall-mounted lockable devices to hold a shotgun, but that does nothing to prevent an 8 y.o. from seeing the gun. I taught my kids to shoot with a .22 when they were 6 and by "de-mystifying" (like that term, mlj!) guns, I have never had an issue. While most of my guns were locked up while they were growing up, there was a handgun that was not. They knoew it was loaded, they had fired it to understand how powerful a 3547 is, and they never went near it - they knew they wouldn't go shooting again if they did.

If the boy's father is THAT adamant, that does put a crimp in things, but if this is for HD, any locked-up storage makes it hard to quickly retrieve and use for said purpose. That being said, if you are using due diligence in the area of safety and following any pertinent local laws regarding same, I'm not so sure the father could have much to say. It depends on where you live.
 
The key attached to the cellphone is an excellent idea.
It will take a while for me to sort out the necessary electronics, but I plan to go one better than that eventually.
This may weird some of you out, but I have an RFID tag implanted in my wrist. You may be familiar with RFID tags as they are often used as electronic keys, usually in the form of a plastic key fob that is touched to a sensor to unlock a door.
Well mine is under the skin in my right wrist where I can't lose it :D
In my former residence, I had an electronic door strike hooked up to an RFID reader so I simply had to touch my wrist to a sensor to unlock my door.
I plan on doing something similar for gun storage.
If anyone is interested in this idea, I'd be more than happy to explain it in greater detail, and for the faint of heart there are plastic keyfobs that you can use instead of an implant :D
Tags come in many shapes and sizes, and it would be simplicity itself to incorporate one into your cellphone (or pretty much any other item) thus turning it into a 'key'.

Soooo, back on the subject, what condition should I store it in? Unloaded with ammo in a separate place, or fully loaded with the safety on? (somewhere in the middle presumably...)
 
His dad is really weird, there's no point trying to reason with him.
My wife was pretty much anti gun when I met her, and she just bought me a shotgun for xmas. Give me time.... :D
 
Most people deal with the same issue and its not an easy one to balance having a gun that you can get too within a few seconds if there is a intruder and having it 100% safe from kids. I keep a handgun in a really good hiding place but I'm not going to kid myself into thinking its 100% safe. I think in your case you need to lock it and hide the key, and live with the fact that your not going to be able to get to it super fast if you need it. Boyscouts may be a way to get them involved with guns with your hands clean, I think at that age they are shooting, they are at my range and look to be ~8yrs?
 
...I started teaching my boys guns hands on at 5...all are very careful, good shots, and well qualified to handle the defense of the family and home...and don't play with the loaded guns kept throughout the home...that's 17 years experience on one...15 on another, and 11 on the third...it's all been good...they follow the rules....
...me, on the other hand...my dad never talked to me about guns, never took me shooting...and from the age of ten, my greatest joy was when Mom was gone and he was mowing...I'd take his loaded .22 pump down from the kitchen cabinet and pump shells through it...I knew that gun better than he did.....they will find a way to handle 'em unless they're locked up tight...I'd much rather have 'em accessible and the boys and girls trained...quite often, the American Rifleman runs a story where a child 8 or older saved his mama's life with a gun he had access to...worth considering....

...my wife hates guns, and has no clue that her boys have been armed in their own rooms since 12 and well able and ready to protect her and home...discretion is a trait all men need to learn...my 16-year-old has a P90 and a Rossi 38, a 10/22 with back-to-back 25-rd clips, and knows where his Mini-14 sits loaded if he has time to go there...and I'd trust him more than most men I know who casually hunt to back me up and make good decisions...fathers...teach your children and the benefits are many.
 
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I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old, also have the maverick88. I keep the mag full and the safety on,also out of reach. They know about the gun, gone over all the rules.

As far as the rfid tag in your wrist?:uhoh::scrutiny:
 
Well I guess the best I can do is keep it under lock and key so he never finds out it even exists until he knows about firearms safety. So far, his only education has been through movies and video games, so I have a steep climb ahead of me.
I think that for the time being, I'll put a lock on the closet and put the gun on the shelf inside.
The shelf is high enough that I can't see what's on it (I'm 6') so if he's ever around when I open the door, he won't see it. I'll keep the gun with the tube loaded, chamber empty, hammer cocked so the slide is locked.
Would putting an additional lock on the gun itself be overkill?
 
I keep mine in an inexpensive metal gun cabinet (~$100) next to my bed. It's not enough to keep a determined burglar out, but enough to keep a kid out, or a snooping relative or cleaning lady. My son is a teenager now and knows about my guns, but isn't interested in them. I made them known at an early age to take the mystery out of them. He has shot a few of them, but doesn't like the noise and recoil. Oh well, it's his decision, but at least they're not some mysterious forbidden object. We have little nieces at the house often, plus his friends are over sometimes, so although I trust him, I can't always control other peoples' kids, hence the gun cabinet.

I put the key in (attached to my car and house keys) at night for quick access, but the key comes with me when I leave in the morning.

guncabinet.png
 
+1 on getting a real gun cabinet. Putting a lock on a closet door is lame.

If you want a gun instantly available, and you've got kids, then I recommend a "MiniVault" for a pistol.

Bimmer
 
Would putting an additional lock on the gun itself be overkill?
Click to expand...

I think so. If you can get a door lock that is activated/deactivated by using your 'mark of the beast' implant, you could keep it in condition 1 and be fine. That implant sounds like a foolproof setup. Sure beats a keyed or combo lock. Probably even better than a biometric.
 
How about an "in the wall" steel gun cabinet...It is advertised as a safe but it is nothing more than a steel cabinet with a lock. It is manufactured by Homak...Here is the link to the cabinet. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017KL254/ref=asc_df_B0017KL254993271?smid=A19XE0CFLN81HP&tag=shopzilla_mp_1214-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0017KL254#moreAboutThisProduct

I am soon to be in the same boat as you...My wife is not pro-gun and we have three small children (5,3,1). I do have handguns in my closet under lock and key as well as in other areas of the house. I would like to introduce them to an air rifle first, 22 second, then a small gauge shotgun third...Handguns will come later as the law allows. I agree that the forbidden fruit is the sweetest but my father had his Ithaca Deer Slayer in his closet from my earliest memories...My sister and I just knew not to touch it and it was never an issue. He did not teach me gun safety. I learned that on my own when I was older. I wish he had taught me but I had plenty of good friends and one ex-girlfriend's father who gave me pointers with a handgun as well as long guns.
 
Start teaching him about guns, take him out and show him what it can do. My brother recently took his 8 year old out and shot his shotgun. Fear and respect. Also lock it up.
 
It will be more expensive but this will work. Contact a police supply dealer and get a police shotgun lock mount. Some operate off of 12 volt DC and some operate on a handcuff key. Mount the shotgun rack to a wall stud in the closet and when needed you could use a handcuff key to unlock it. We have several Mossberg shotguns at work in our police command center set up similar to this. Find out what the Maverick is compared to and go with that make when oredering the rack. I think the Maverick is a brand of Mossberg.
 
The way I feel about this question is how I feel about hunting with someone else and their dog. I will NEVER say a word to a dog I'm hunting with that does not belong to me, unless the owner tells me to call it over to me or something like that. Same goes with people and their children, it's not my place to say anything, but since you asked...

If it were me, I would start that kid shooting. I was raised around firearms and to be honest, I have no idea when I shot my first gun, or even what it was. Guns to me have always been something that I've always been around. I can distinctly remember my dad telling me numerous times that if I wanted to see/shoot any of his guns, to just ask. If you son sees it as no big deal that the shotgun is in the closet, he's less likely to mess with it.....just my .02.
 
Look for a Long Gun Vault. No longer made, but it should fit your Maverick 88 if it's the same as a Mossberg 500 as I suspect.

Congrats on a nice new shotgun and a great wife!

With kids, it's not necessarily just the kids in your house, it's their friends. Believe me, kids know a gun is mounted over the closet door. Sooner than you expect.
 
In the meantime, if you cannot find a Long GunVault, how about in a case, on a high shelf with a combination trigger lock?

Not always accessable, but you could put bike hooks over the closet door or a hanger on the back of the headboard for when you are in the bedroom. Empty chamber, full magazine.
 
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