Loaded guns in the house; too much or prudent?

[Mr.Davis]

I have determined that a holstered gun on my hip is the best way to guarantee I'll have a gun when I need it.

I don't have a large enough collection to spread guns around the house. Even if I did, I wouldn't do it, because by having a holstered XD on my side I'm already armed with a 100% reliable weapon in every room. I don't like having loaded guns out of my immediate control.

Now, if something goes really bad, my wife and I can retreat to the bedroom where my AR and her Walther PK380 await.

 

[mcdonl]

LOADED. Accessible. Every room.

Same here, except it is the same gun. When I am home, in the evening or on weekends I pretty much carry when I am dressed, and I get up and get dressed right away for the most part. I miss the days when my kids were young and we spent weekend mornings in bed watching cartoons

Oh, sorry... I digressed

So, yeah... always loaded an on me or in my nightstand. The rest are safely tucked away and unloaded.

 

[jfh]

My history is like The Bushmasters--guns were accessible to

all when I had a family at home. Our child-rearing was built on reasonable honesty, and internal self-control--and for my two reasonably-cautious-by-nature daughters, that worked.

As children, they knew the cases under the stairway (a hiding place for hide-and-seek) had long guns in them, but they weren't interested. As teenagers, they knew my range bag usually had guns and ammo in it. They also knew the bedside gun was kept loaded, and they were (somewhat) trained to use a handgun. They never played with them--but the younger one, upon discovering it when snooping in our bedroom one day, diligently reported it to her (liberal) mother--who told her it was dad's gun, to protect us, and to leave it alone.

After that incident, I put a "Gun Plug'--you know, the rubber band that prevents stroking an exposed-hammer auto on it, and, it being a S&W gen 3 Semiauto, also took the magazine out, activating the disconnect. I have no doubt there was snooping on other occasions--but I was willing to risk that possible problem.

Now I live alone (the marriage ended--are you surprised?) and I keep several guns around the house, mostly loaded. There's a revolver in my pocket, the alternative carry piece in a cabinet near by, and a revolver in the bedroom, as well as the shotgun in the closet (unchambered, but loaded), and the SHTF .223 kit under the bed. The gun safe--elsewhere--is where the rest are--and there is at least one loaded gun there for the last resort, so to speak.

I've considered the issue of a burglary and--for my particular situation, don't worry about it, as I am no longer away from home much, if at all.

Jim H.