how do I store a home defense gun?

[timbo]

Just curious how others approach this. If you keep a loaded gun in the house to protect against intruders, what do you do with it in anticipation of someone breaking in when you aren't home? I mean, if it's just in your drawer by your bed or something, it's going to get stolen. Do you lock it up whenever you leave, do you keep a cheap gun for home defense, or do you just write it off in the event that it does happen?

 

[duckfoot]

I keep mine with me all the time (CCW). But before that, I put in some bicycle hangers above the doorway on the inside of my closet and hung a Mossburg 590 loaded with double buck there. Never worried, wife was in and out of that closet for two months before she asked where the shotgun was, because it wasn't under the bed. (her side).

 

[foghornl]

My 1911-A1 is the "Bedside Table Companion" When I leave for the day, since I STILL can't carry in Ohio, the 1911-A1 hides in the safe untill I return.

Ohio CCW kicks in April 9. Whne that happens, it will go with me.

 

[Sportcat]

Timbo,

a LOT depends on if you have children in the house!

 

[DMK]

1) I carry my one of my CCWs around the house

2) Whenever I'm home, I unlock my gun safe and leave my keys in the safe so that I can't leave without forgetting to lock it.

Sometimes I remove one of the long guns and keep it handy, returning it to the safe before I leave or go outside.

I have no children and live in a small apartment.

 

[cameroneod]

a LOT depends on if you have children in the house!

Bingo. That would be the deciding factor for me. I dont have kids, so I leave my firearms readily accessable at all times. If I did have kids, my cary weapon would have to suffice.

 

[RTFM]

I have one of those speed safes. It has the palm print for your hand and the buttons are at the finger tips.

Good for day time security, and the door stay open at night. It just fits on the lower shelf on the night stand.

RTFM

 

[FPrice]

When I leave for work in the morning I unload my firearm and lock it up.

When I arrive home at night I unlock my firearm, load it, then either carry it or hide it in a place where I can rapidly retrieve it for use.

Unless you are 100% sure that no one can or will break into your house, neutralize your dog/cat/attack gerbil, and then locate your loaded firearm then I suggest a method simliar to mine. If for no other reason than the selfish reason of not wanting to lose a valuable asset.

 

[Tex Ram]

I keep mine in the night stand under some tee shirts. I leave my ccw gun in my truck in a hidden compartment and I park in my garage. I dont want too many guns laying around the house. I worry about a bad guy getting a hold of one of my guns if I have to many that are not in the safe. I have a 13 year old daughter who would never pick up a loader gun without me being there with her. She knows gun safety and she knows how to shoot. I take her to the range with me all the time. She also learns gun safety at camp (what a concept teach kids how to be safe with a gun and how to shoot).

Tex

 

[MrPink]

I have a few Gunvaults sprinkled around the house. One downstairs and one bedside. I leave an HKP7M8 loaded, pair of mags, surefire light and pepper spray in each. I don't worry about the day to day locking them up in the big safe. Just leave and forget.

While the Gunvaults are in generally obscure places not in plain sight, they are also handy and NOT bolted to a stud wall. The theory being if someone breaks into my house and is looking for more than the stereo & DVD player and looks around, I don't want them taking a crowbar to a bolted down gunvault and then having a loaded weapon in their hand (My Murphy's luck would have me coming home right about now).

Instead, IF they found the gunvault, just take it as is and break into it away from my house.

But again, the perp better be moving fast because the alarm system would be going off.

 

[TarpleyG]

I am with DMK--my safe is in my closet (out of view from the bedroom doorway) and as soon as I get home, I open it using a key and combination and put away either my full-size 1911 or my Kel-Tec P-32 depending on what I am carrying that day. I leave the safe unlocked but latched closed and I put the keys on top. With this set up I have easy, quick access to a loaded 12 ga., a .45, and a .32. When I leave, everything gets locked. Keys are on top so I don't forget to lock it up. Of course, when we have kids, this will need to change some.

GT

 

[geekWithA.45]

For me, with kids, it's simple:

The defense gun is either:

In holster, round chambered or
In speed safe, no round chambered.

The other guns are unloaded, in "deep storage", aka the Big Safe.

 

[FPrice]

MrPink...

"I have a few Gunvaults sprinkled around the house."

Good idea!

 

[MaterDei]

I use one of these

Locked during the day, unlocked at bed time, locked again in the morning. I have kids. My long guns are either stored with trigger locks or in a Mossberg Loc Box.

Good Luck.

 

[Zach S]

I keep mine in a cheap holster mounted under the bed (two holsters actually, I sleep next to the wall when I've got comapny). While I'm asleep, the kids are at school, and although I'm still asleep when they get home, they know I'm a real a****** if they wake me up, and they cant open my bedroom door while I'm alseep anyway. When I leave for work it goes in the safe.

 

[K-Man]

We have no children living at our home, so I keep a Winchester 1300 next to the bed, and a KT P3AT or Kahr PM9 on the table at the front door (when I'm not actually carrying it).

My collection is growing so I have a large gun safe in the walk-in closet where the rest of the collection is stored. I've been actively looking for a Coca-Cola soda machine that I can put out in the garage. I'm going to gut/modify the interior, and keep the exterior with the look of being a soda machine. Don't think your average person will figure it to be a gun safe. Those machines are very, very heavy and very durable (I currently have an older model coca-cola machine, too). Imagine their surprise when I offer them a soda and deliver a double-barreled shotgun instead.

 

[keyhole]

Sprinkled throughout the house is a good idea. Always keep something close, old boy scout motto.

And good to remember the kiddies. I tought mine young, and never have had a problem. Of course, they have their own in their rooms. Does that make me a bad parent?

Nope.

 

[tommytrauma]

As a rule, my guns are either on my person, or under lock and key. The exception to this is at night, when the lock box in the bedroom is unlocked. I put my keys in next to the gun. That way, I can't leave the house without remembering to lock the box.

 

[Heraclitus]

Storing a gun -- any gun -- should bear all the hallmarks of an ancient Aztec ceremonial dance, commanding deep respect for its underlying purpose and zero tolerance for the slightest mistake (Yes, gods were pretty fussy back in those days, and missing a beat conveyed the death penalty).

1. First and foremost, your gun should NEVER be in a place where a child can reach it. Second, it should NEVER be in a condition that would allow it to be readily discharged in the event that one did. That said, ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded, and yours is ready to go off if you breath on it. All the time. No exceptions. It is your responsibility to make sure no one does.

2. Keep it locked when not in use, whether in a strongbox or with the help of some sort of restrictive trigger device. Preferably both. The gun hasn't fired yet that was first made inaccesible and inoperable. Read "inoperable" with rule #1 in mind.

3. Make sure that the gun is always in a state of "constant alert"; meaning impeccably clean, lubricated, and ready to recieve ammunition on a very short notice.

4. DO NOT... repeat, DO NOT... reveal its location to anyone outside those you wholeheartedly trust. And even then, think twice before you do it. What goes around comes around; sometimes unintentionally; and with this in mind your next thought should be geared to the task of THWARTING the cesspool muck that is casing your house for an easy plunder -- not providing him with a roadmap!

Best regards,

Heraclitus

 

[OlBoyFrye]

4. DO NOT... repeat, DO NOT... reveal its location to anyone outside those you wholeheartedly trust. And even then, think twice before you do it. What goes around comes around; sometimes unintentionally; and with this in mind your next thought should be geared to the task of THWARTING the cesspool muck that is casing your house for an easy plunder -- not providing him with a roadmap!

When I move out, I'm planning on having several locations where I can hide a firearm around the house. That way even a good friend does know where I keep it, the spot I show them may only me one of 6 or 7. Have maybe 2 or 3 places in my bedroom to hide a shotgun and then a couple of differnt places around the living room to hide something.
Just make sure you don't get too many and forget where they are or which one the gun is hidden in.

 

[MeekandMild]

Mrs. Meek says it should go in the bathroom.

But I say she can take three steps out the bathroom door and get it from its place at the bedside.

Who is right?

 

[Standing Wolf]

I have at least one gun in every room in the house, including the laundry room and bath room. They're all stashed, but all are immediately accessible to me.

 

[OlBoyFrye]

A friend of mine's grandfather died several years ago and they found over 50 handguns hidden throughout the house. They said there was a handgun within an arms reach no matter where you were in the house.

Brings a tear to my eye...maybe one day, I'll have that many extra pistols to hide!!!

 

[FPrice]

Does anyone remember...

a Christopher Walken movie from about the late's 70's where he plays a mercenary? Early in the movie he returns home to his apartment, goes to the refridgerator, opens it, moves a small handgun to the side and pulls out some food? That's one place I suppose....

 

[Bob F.]

IWB; most others in the safe. One stashed where I can get to it quickly but no one else would likely find it.

BUT, what I really want is to rig some woodwork, like a door frame, where I could open it to reveal a shotty! Could be near a main (outside) door, or bedroom. Gotta work on that!

Stay safe.
Bob