Yale, I'll answer some of your questions, although maybe not in order. I hadn't even noticed you had added your text to the big quote when I read it last night. My bad!
I bought a new G26 Gen 4, and had many reasons for my final choice, but that's for another thread, another day. I'm not carrying the gun on me in the house because my holster hasn't come yet. it should be here today. I got a very good one (Blackhawk CQC), but will probably come back with a holster thread at some point.
I also have real questions about carrying it on me in my home vs. having it available. But THAT'S another thread too. You brought up a lot of stuff! The gun is unloaded now because I don't have anywhere to lock it up, beyond putting the cable lock on it, or a little Sentry fire safe with a carry handle.
To keep it loaded at my bedside, I'd have to clear room for it in the nightstand drawer, and I'm not sure that's a great/safe idea. I understand an unloaded gun will do me no good, but I'm trying to figure out the kid situation, and it's been made pretty darn clear I need a quick-access safe. So that's on my list of things to do.
As for carrying it with me outside of the house, NC's rules for keeping it in a car without a CCL are as clear as mud. One officer's opinion on whether it's "concealed" or not can be totally different from another officer's opinion. Officer A might arrest you if he feels you have it concealed, even though you had no intent to conceal or make it accessible. Officer B may have no problem with the way you have it in your car, and send you on your way. I won't get issued my CCL until possibly up to the end of July. Then it's a non-issue. But now it's a huge issue. I'm very careful in how I transport it to the range and my classes. Alternatively, I could leave it out in the open in my car......where everyone can see it, and break into the car and steal it......
I asked my daughter last night how she would feel about taking the NRA class on the 30th with me, and she said she didn't want to. Okay, until or unless she's willing to go through the training, the gun has to be locked away so she has zero access to it. Period.
50% of the time she lives with her father; switching days during the week on a regular schedule. On the days and nights I don't have her, it can be loaded. When I have her it needs to be locked in a safe, at least even the little one I have right now.
Sorry to get off topic a bit, but you asked a lot of questions and I wanted to answer them. I've gotten a
tremendous amount of good, solid, educated advice. What I need to do is much clearer now than it was before. I appreciate it.