Home Handgun Safety

[Parrothead-G23]

We are first time handgun owners. Interested in any comments on how to best secure our Glock 23 in our bedside table. We are empty nesters - both 63 years old - but we do have seven grandchildren who visit. Although the grandchildren are obviously our main concern, we would like to be sure that the handgun is secure at all times it is inside our home. We'd like to do the job right at the lowest cost possible. We've read about drawer safes that would fit in our bedside table like the VALUEGUARD Pistol/Drawer Safe which is available online for about $70 delivered. Comments anyone?

 

[Doggy Daddy]

I'm sure somebody will be by with personal experience about the pistol safe you're interested in... I'm not familiar with it myself. I just wanted to say "good for you" for taking both the initiative to provide for your own protection, and to safely secure your handgun.

Welcome to the fold.

 

[distra]

Welcome to the High Road! GunVault (now owned by Cannon) makes a nice bed side safe. Keep it load and on you during the day and in the safe at night. I've got kids running around and I keep my safe guns all unloaded. 90+ lbs of fur and teeth should hold off the BG long enough for me load one and quickly dispatch them to the after life.

 

[kludge]

First off, welcome and you made a good choice in choosing the firearm you did.

Second, if you have not received training yet, please do - both of you; since you are first-time pistol owners I recommend the NRA FAST START Course or the Basic Pistol Course.

Now on to the pistol box... yes that will work well.

I have an XD-40 that I keep loaded all the time.

I have a $25 Honeywell push button lock box from WalMart that does the same thing, but does not fit in my bedside table drawer.

Another way to secure the handgun while the grandkids are there is to wear the gun on your hip.

My children (five of them) are accustomed to me wearing my gun whenever we go out as a family, and many times I just leave it on when we get home. I carry concealed, and out of sight out of mind works to a point with kids, but don't ever try to "hide" a gun from a kid - they will eventually "find" everything in your house. I would also not keep it a secret. Kids need to know what guns are and what to do when they see one. This is best learned at home

My rule is that if I'm not wearing my gun, it's locked in the lock box, not even for a moment do I lay it down anywhere... I perform the ritual every time.

 

[luzyfuerza]

I had bad luck with a GunVault. It ate batteries quickly, and getting the darn thing to accept a new combination was always a struggle, even after I called the factory for support.

I ended up using the "backup" keylock all the time. Now, it just sits on a shelf in my shop...unused.

I decided that a simple keylock device like the box the OP mentioned is a better fit for me. No buttons, no batteries, and I always know where the key is: hanging like dogtags around my neck.

Glad the OP is starting out the right way.

The next step: get some good training. First, an NRA course on safe gun handling and basic marksmanship, and then a basic class on the use of a concealed firearm in self-defense situations.

AND...welcome to the HighRoad!

 

[Hungry Seagull]

Hello and welcome.

We keep it in a floor safe somewhere in the house should gun be secured. Otherwise it's on the belt and within arms reach 24/7.

We are one rack away from party time. Keeping the chamber empty at home is best defense against Accidential Discharge that can and will be very serious if not death.

Once the back door blew open in the wind unexpectedly and I like to have jumped 4 feet when that click and creak of the door swinging. By time I came down I had all three dots aiming through and racked too.

Took a bit of dirt and dropped mag, racked again to unload.

Due to another forum suggestion I keep a 5 gallon bucket of sand in a corner where I clean weapons. I might replace with a dedicated bullet catcher.

 

[snorky18]

First of all, many thanks to you for being responsible about keeping it away from your grandchildren. My first time to pick up a handgun was in my grandparents house, and they weren't in the room, and I was curious. It was sitting in a drawer. Loaded.

I was always really careful, even as a kid\teenager, so I knew better than to put my finger anywhere near the trigger, or point it at anything. Everything turned out OK, but plenty of bad could have happened. Most of the other grandkids are a lot less cautious, and have a lot less respect for firearms.

I have a DAC Sportsafe that I like a lot. I got mine from WalMart online for ~$60. WalMart no longer sells them online, but Midway has them for $80.

Favorable reviews here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=316630
and here:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=46688

If you are set on mounting it in a drawer of the bedside table that will limit your choices somewhat, the sportsafe is a little big for that, it's something you'd be more likely to mount in the bedroom closet.

 

[thesolidus]

no-batteries required!

http://www.titangunvault.com/

Got one of these. Can bolt to a standard bed frame, wall, headboard. Even has a separate mount (check local laws) for vehicle. Simple push button, no batteries. When you open the door the 'holster' levers the gun out for easy grab. (not spring loaded)
Passed California DOJ, even has a little handle so you can carry it like a purse...

Paid just over $100 bucks at a gun show but that was a year or two ago.

If you need to go cheap...
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7801927

Honeywell safe, bolt it down and it's okay. Battery issues too but cheap. Got one in vehicle for paperwork etc.

 

[bababooey32]

Winchester EV600

ParrotHead -

I am also a first time gun owner. We have a 3 year old and a 5 year old running around, and I keep a loaded XDm 9mm in a Winchester EV600 Personal Electronic Safe (http://www.gunsafes.com/EV600-Personal-Electronic-Pistol-Safe.html). The safe is mounted vertically to the back of my nightstand. This way the safe is out of plain view (from kids, or anyone else), but is easily accessible to me without having to look at the keypad, and with the firearm presented vertically (as if from a holster) for rapid deployment.

The safe is easy enough to manipulate for me while nearly impossible for a child to successfully open. The safe automatically locks down after three unsuccesful attempts to open, and sounds an audible alarm. The location (kids cannot see the keypad) combined with the safety features makes us comfortable with the gun being stored there.

EDIT - No prblems so far with batteries, the unit comes with AC adapter so batteries serve only as backup. I plan to replace once a year along with smoke detectors, flashlights, toys......uggghh.

 

[jfh]

Parrothead-G23: I think you have two factors here to consider--

1. Securing your G23 when only you guys are home, and

2. Securing it when the grandchildren are present.

Needs for the former arguably include uncomplicated access to it for immediate self-defense use, while that possibly is not the scenario when the kids are present.

Personally, I decided that I wanted no boxes 'enhanced' with special locks requiring batteries; luzyfuerza's experiences covers the bases well.

So, based on your comments to date, either 1) get the cheaper lockbox with a key, or consider a lockbox that mechanical lock that is easily used--the one I selected requires finger-pushes in a certain sequence on four different buttons.

You can set the combination yourself--and I found that with some practice, I quickly developed the 'muscle memory' to open it quickly.

Jim H.

 

[mbt2001]

My Advice,

Keep the glock in Condition three, with a loaded magazine in the gun but nothing in the chamber. Talk with your Wife and make sure she knows how to "make safe" the weapon. That means load and unload the gun, how to clear the gun (get a round out of the chamber) and what not. I would also have a talk with your kids and tell them that there is a gun in the house and teach them how to make safe the gun.

The Grandkids, the NRA has an Eddie the Eagle program (http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/), I would check that out for sure. By the way, the program works. It has worked over and over again. You would think if the anti gunners were honest, they would help the NRA get it into every school... They might also have some literature that touches some of the issues that you might be interested in being a first timer (http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/index.asp)...

A simple cash lock box can work for this purpose. The main point is that you want the kids not to be able to get into it. Get a pistol rug and holster and get a simple cash lock box.

Kids a curious, especially grand kids, but despite what the head doctors say, boys need to be taken out shooting and hunting. It is a developmental issue that I believe will receive more and more attention in the future. Don't neglect it because of PC peer pressure.

http://www.discountofficeitems.com/...utm_source=froogle&source=froogle&ref=froogle

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FBKN1U

 

[stana]

I believe a SD hand gun should be hot and on your person, that way you know no one is fooling with it.

I share everyone's concern about grand kids. I raised 6 kids in a house where there were several hot handguns all the time, but they were well trained by the time they could reach the guns. We had no problems, but my grand kids haven't had the same training.

We keep the handguns high and out of sight, but I know it's not perfect. I work with the grand kids when I can, training is always the best answer.

 

[RobertCohn]

My wife and I have small children as well.

First of all: there is a difference between a "round in the chamber" and "magazine in."

I keep my weapon magazine in but not engaged, safety on, no round in chamber. The condition of the handgun is such that I can put it in battery in 1 second, yet a child could not figure it out.

Our kids are never alone without our supervision in places where we keep our guns (in our room, basement, etc.) so we have very little concern. We are always with them engaged in some activity. They also know I have guns and know clearly their boundaries. So it's not just about "safeties" or safes, it's a whole system of knowledge and training.

Even if the kids found the gun and were alone without us for a sufficient time, they are unlikely to be able to figure out how to insert the magazine and certainly don't have the knowledge or strength to rack the slide. Revolvers are kept unloaded with stacked speed loader nearby and ready to insert.

In your situation I would suggest this:
(1) Get training as others have suggested and make absolutely sure you are comfortable and understand the various conditions of a parked weapon, knowing the difference between a round in the chamber and one that is not.
(2) When it's just you at home, keep the weapon in the drawer or wherever easily accessible with magazine in, slide not racked, no round in chamber
(3) When kids are visiting, remove magazine and put in place that is separate from weapon where kids are unlikely to find, yet still easily accessible for you.
(4) Bottom line: know your weapon, its conditions and its whereabouts at all times to the point where you are comfortable.

 

[Stirling XD]

I use a locking brief case when I need to secure a pistol. You can get them with combination locks or keyed locks. You might be able to find one cheap at a thrift store or Craig's list. If you get one with a combination lock, make sure the combo is not "000".

Also, when the kids are old enough, give them some gun safety training. Make sure the parents approve. I'm not suggesting you rely soley on that by any means. But it's something that every kid needs to know. Kind of like learning to swim.

Welcome to the site and feel free to ask more questions.

 

[christcorp]

Definitely some great advice. I bought 2 safes (Needed them anyway for other things like important paper, silver, money, etc...). They are about 24 inches high and wide. They sit one on each side of our bed with a table cloth type cover over them. They double as our "Night Stand". Unless you knew they were a safe, you'd never know. If we aren't home and a criminal breaks in, they might determine that it's a safe, but they aren't going to be able to open them or carry them out of the house. They're bolted to the wall and the floor. Nice night stands and both my wife and I can open them 1 handed with push buttons. Even in the dark. And we have a gun in each safe. Magazine in, but NONE in the chamber.

 

[ByAnyMeans]

Good for you taking your safety into your own hands. I agree with many who have advised you so far. I keep my handgun on me at all times unless going to sleep when it's locked in a bedside safe. It's one of the ones mentioned above with the finger grooved push buttons. I forget the name and am at work right now. I also agree with a ccw permit and teaching your grandchildren abut guns and shooting if acceptable to their parents. At the very least the lesson of the four rules should be drilled into them.