Loaded guns in the house; too much or prudent?
- Thread starter hinton03
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Doggy Daddy
Member
There's a lockbox on the dresser where the EDC and the nightstand gun rotate out as I get up in the morn or go to bed at night. Wifey's is loaded and within her reach. Otherwise, every gun in the house is loaded and in the safes. Long guns are not chambered, but are loaded.
DD
Joe Demko
Member
I prefer just to keep one on my person. Then I know that there is only one loaded weapon about, I know exactly where it is, and it is under my control.
gloucestergarand
Member
Do you keep your fire extinguisher sealed in the box from the store you bought it, to preclude someone accidently spraying it?
Do you keep your kitchen knives stored in their original boxes, to preclude someone getting stuck?
We don't have kids around the house, and thankfully, our four-legged friends haven't been taught to shoot.
Those that need to be, are. Those are a safe queens, sleep silently.
Do you keep your kitchen knives stored in their original boxes, to preclude someone getting stuck?
We don't have kids around the house, and thankfully, our four-legged friends haven't been taught to shoot.
Those that need to be, are. Those are a safe queens, sleep silently.
NMGonzo
Member
My mosin is a really good excuse for a club.
oldpuppymax
Member
kingpin008 is right on the money. Accessibility to an UNLOADED gun is pointless, or rather dangerous, should some thug decide to break in. Naturally very small kids are another story. But youngsters must be taught to respect, understand and USE firearms.
No, but I don't think someone might be in the house unauthorized, find my fire extinguisher, and deploy it on me. If they come at me with my Benihana Ginsu Kitchen-Machette, I'll just shoot him. Cause I'm armed. I don't want to unintentionally arm the BG with a well-maintained firearm with really-good SD ammo because I thought it was cool to hide guns in "secret" places.
Les
never hurts to have more than one, especially if you don't make a habit of carrying on your person when in your house. If i was in my living room and someone kicked in my front door, if i didn't have a gun on me or stashed in the living room, i'd have to run past them to get to a gun. That's bad. Moral of story: gun in every room you spend time in, or carry on your person at all times...
glove
Member
I keep 1 12ga. shotgun and 2 pistols 1 .40 cal. and 1 .380 cal. loaded just in case.
Dave Z
Dave Z
jakemccoy
Member
One gun is usually out of the safe at one time. I have a simple house rule: If a gun is out of the safe, then it's loaded and ready to go. Accordingly, while awake, I carry a G27. While sleeping, I have an 870 propped up next to my bed. Other people, including my girlfriend, know the deal. With this simple house rule, I feel comfortable that there's a tiny chance of having one of those life-changing mishaps.
M2 Carbine
member
Loaded guns all over the place.
I'm not going to go through every day with a hunk of iron strapped to me, so there's enough loaded guns around that in a few steps I can grab one.
I'm not going to go through every day with a hunk of iron strapped to me, so there's enough loaded guns around that in a few steps I can grab one.
Gouranga
Member
IMO, if you think you need them, and you have them safety stored per your living arrangement(kids, no kids, etc), no such thing as too much under those circumstances. IF I had the cash and inclination for more handguns, I would likely do the same. The way my home is laid out, I would have an issue getting to the other side of the house (to my biometric safe) to grab my weapon before someone was able to get into the house and give me a run for my money.
Packing sandbags on your front porch and setting up a machine gun nest....may be taking it a bit too far, so you got some wiggle room.
Packing sandbags on your front porch and setting up a machine gun nest....may be taking it a bit too far, so you got some wiggle room.
paintballdude902
Member
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in my apartment i have my single six on one side of my bed and my .30-30 on the other both loaded then i have 2 unloaded guns around the fireplace.
my thinking is if for some reason i cant grab my .30-30 i will use my .22 revolver to make it so i can get to it. if i had a larger caliber handgun i would use that for the same purpose
my thinking is if for some reason i cant grab my .30-30 i will use my .22 revolver to make it so i can get to it. if i had a larger caliber handgun i would use that for the same purpose
Yarddog
Member
Always one on me or near; )
Y/D
Y/D
Cosmoline
Member
It's much easier to have the one on you loaded, keep the rest locked up. Keeping strategic loaded firearms unsecured around the place is a bad idea.
TeamPrecisionIT
Member
With a proper holster and belt, it is in no way uncomfortable to just carry on you on your waking hours. Stashing guns around unlocked and loaded may work, but it is still isn't as good as just having it on you. No matter where you have it stored, in order to get to it you will have to take your eyes off the threat to get to the gun. By carrying it on your person, you will not have that issue.
Now, your defensive long gun(s) (artillery) is/are a different story. I personally keep my HD long gun unloaded with no magazine inserted. I keep the loaded magazines in a quick access safe not too far from it, though. The theory being that I would use my handgun(s) to fight my way to it, if necessary.
Damian
Now, your defensive long gun(s) (artillery) is/are a different story. I personally keep my HD long gun unloaded with no magazine inserted. I keep the loaded magazines in a quick access safe not too far from it, though. The theory being that I would use my handgun(s) to fight my way to it, if necessary.
Damian
MedWheeler
Member
My house doesn't have a very smooth "flow" to it; that is, it's hard to move about it quickly, so a dash from one end of it to another to fetch a firearm is a clumsy proposition at best. Because of that, I keep several of my guns loaded, though I usually have one on me when I'm dressed. I may not always put it on when I get up in the morning, but I don't take it off once I do, and that is usually pretty soon once dressed.
I really don't have much use for an unloaded gun.
I really don't have much use for an unloaded gun.
Rule 5:
Maintain control of your firearm at all times.
A loaded gun in the next room is not under my control.
The analogy to fire extinguishers and ginsu knives has some merit. Both knives and fire extinguishers make good improvised weapons, and a gun, like a parachute, life preserver or fire extinguisher is sort of a last ditch emergency tool to employ when everything else has gone wrong. But the virtue of packing at home - actually strapping the handgun to yourself - means it will be there when you need it, wherever you are. If someone kicks in my front door, how much time will I have to race to my closet shelf or nightstand or other secret stash to get the self defense tool I need?
As for unsecured knives, that's something to think about. More than one homeowner has been stabbed to death with their own kitchen knife. Maybe leaving them conveniently on the counter isn't the wisest policy. For that matter, I remember seeing a Clint Smith advertisement in some gun rag where he held up a fire extinguisher. The caption read "Clint on home defense: Squirt them with the white foam, then hit'em with the metal can!" Jesus I hope nobody ever deploys a fire extinguisher on me! So you can't completely nerf youe whole house, but still a loaded gun stashed unattended somewhere doesn't seem like a good idea at all to me.
Maintain control of your firearm at all times.
A loaded gun in the next room is not under my control.
The analogy to fire extinguishers and ginsu knives has some merit. Both knives and fire extinguishers make good improvised weapons, and a gun, like a parachute, life preserver or fire extinguisher is sort of a last ditch emergency tool to employ when everything else has gone wrong. But the virtue of packing at home - actually strapping the handgun to yourself - means it will be there when you need it, wherever you are. If someone kicks in my front door, how much time will I have to race to my closet shelf or nightstand or other secret stash to get the self defense tool I need?
As for unsecured knives, that's something to think about. More than one homeowner has been stabbed to death with their own kitchen knife. Maybe leaving them conveniently on the counter isn't the wisest policy. For that matter, I remember seeing a Clint Smith advertisement in some gun rag where he held up a fire extinguisher. The caption read "Clint on home defense: Squirt them with the white foam, then hit'em with the metal can!" Jesus I hope nobody ever deploys a fire extinguisher on me! So you can't completely nerf youe whole house, but still a loaded gun stashed unattended somewhere doesn't seem like a good idea at all to me.
leadcounsel
member
I've gone back and forth on this but decided that all my guns are under lock and key except the one I carry at home. I don't want to arm an intruder. It's simple to have one on your hip at all times and that's the best solution in my mind.
Shadow 7D
Member
There are ways to keep a firearm close and ready without just leaving it out. Galls http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=VP238 sells a shotgun rack with a momentary switch (in other words you don't have to use the key, just know where the button is) that can keep a shotgun secure above a closet door, Harbor freight sells fake book safes and coffee cans, not to mention actual safes (RSC) at a decent price.
The point is, If you feel the need is such that you must have a gun within reach, what is your excuse for not simply caring one on you, hiding a loaded gun in every room in the house strikes me a bit too far on the tin foil hat side, not to mention that you are liable for (or at least likely to be sued by the family) any damage that occurs if you loaded firearm is misused by someone in you house, could be the neighbor kid stealing it, or "playing" with it, or even a minor relative when they come over to visit. I like my guns, and I endeavor to keep them out of the hands of those who don't a reason to handle them, as a matter of fact, I simply hate anybody but me touching my gun, guess thats why I keep them under lock and key, or on me.
The point is, If you feel the need is such that you must have a gun within reach, what is your excuse for not simply caring one on you, hiding a loaded gun in every room in the house strikes me a bit too far on the tin foil hat side, not to mention that you are liable for (or at least likely to be sued by the family) any damage that occurs if you loaded firearm is misused by someone in you house, could be the neighbor kid stealing it, or "playing" with it, or even a minor relative when they come over to visit. I like my guns, and I endeavor to keep them out of the hands of those who don't a reason to handle them, as a matter of fact, I simply hate anybody but me touching my gun, guess thats why I keep them under lock and key, or on me.
TexasBill
Member
We do have small children and teenagers in our home, so a liberal sprinkling of loaded weapons around the house is out of the question.
Since I work at home, I keep one gun loaded and on me at all times. In fact, since I work at home, I actually wear a pistol in a Bianchi thumbreak holster on Bianchi gunbelt with a spare magazine pouch. Not trying to play cop; it's just more comfortable. Besides, it gives me a minimum of 27 rounds of ammo at the ready.
My wife's gun is in a safe by the bed; it's loaded with a spare magazine. With two exceptions, all other handguns are kept unloaded in safes.
We don't have safes for the long guns, so they are kept unloaded and the magazines are locked up with ammunition, which is secured separately from the guns.
The exceptions to this rule are le due tempeste italiane, the CX4 Carbine and PX4 pistol. The carbine is kept unloaded and without a magazine by my desk. The pistol, if it's not being worn, is in a locked pistol box about two feet from my chair. In the lockbox with the pistol are six loaded magazines holding a total of 108 rounds of ammunition. The pistol is fully loaded with one in the chamber and it's a matter of a couple of seconds to have a 20-round magazine in the carbine with the first round chambered. Since the magazines can be interchanged from rifle to pistol, I figure that should handle anything I need to handle.
Since I work at home, I keep one gun loaded and on me at all times. In fact, since I work at home, I actually wear a pistol in a Bianchi thumbreak holster on Bianchi gunbelt with a spare magazine pouch. Not trying to play cop; it's just more comfortable. Besides, it gives me a minimum of 27 rounds of ammo at the ready.
My wife's gun is in a safe by the bed; it's loaded with a spare magazine. With two exceptions, all other handguns are kept unloaded in safes.
We don't have safes for the long guns, so they are kept unloaded and the magazines are locked up with ammunition, which is secured separately from the guns.
The exceptions to this rule are le due tempeste italiane, the CX4 Carbine and PX4 pistol. The carbine is kept unloaded and without a magazine by my desk. The pistol, if it's not being worn, is in a locked pistol box about two feet from my chair. In the lockbox with the pistol are six loaded magazines holding a total of 108 rounds of ammunition. The pistol is fully loaded with one in the chamber and it's a matter of a couple of seconds to have a 20-round magazine in the carbine with the first round chambered. Since the magazines can be interchanged from rifle to pistol, I figure that should handle anything I need to handle.
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