ratt_finkel
Member
I'm curious. For those of you that have young children in the house. Where do you keep your bed side gun so it's both readily accessible and safe from the kiddos?
Nightstand gun with children in the house?
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Shadow 7D
Member
a lock box (and no, they are not a 'safe' hell then can't even resist a screwdriver....)
like a gunvault or similar would work fine, keeping little hands off what they shouldn't be on.
Check out Corneredcat.com, she has an excellent article on Gun-proofing your child, since, by now you realize that you can't child proof anything.
If you are concerned, two espoused practices are, it's on you belt, until you go to bed, then it's on the nightstand,
a version of this is to leave the lock box open at night, and either put you gun on, or lock it up when you get up in the morning.
like a gunvault or similar would work fine, keeping little hands off what they shouldn't be on.
Check out Corneredcat.com, she has an excellent article on Gun-proofing your child, since, by now you realize that you can't child proof anything.
If you are concerned, two espoused practices are, it's on you belt, until you go to bed, then it's on the nightstand,
a version of this is to leave the lock box open at night, and either put you gun on, or lock it up when you get up in the morning.
Gouranga
Member
During the night in a corner shelf 6 ft off the floor. During the day IWB on my person. If I am not taking it IWB then it is in a biometric safe.
DWC
Member
In my night stand top drawer on The Pistol Pad which interfaces the gun to my alarm system.
Seen at:
http://www.thepistolpad.com
DWC
Seen at:
http://www.thepistolpad.com
DWC
We don't have kids in the house, but when guests visit, I always hide my revolver somewhere else besides the bedside drawer. My shotgun remains under the bed, as I figure if they were fooling around in the bedroom I would just shoo them out and close the door. This is a serious issue and one that everyone needs to remain vigilant about.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Shotgun under the bed, empty chamber, cable lock.
kimbernut
Member
GunVault
Wife's resides full time in a gunvault. Mine normally resides in the night stand drawer but if the grandkids are around it goes either in the gunvault or top shelf (7.5 feet) of the closet. Backup J-frame stashed plenty high but readily available.
Wife's resides full time in a gunvault. Mine normally resides in the night stand drawer but if the grandkids are around it goes either in the gunvault or top shelf (7.5 feet) of the closet. Backup J-frame stashed plenty high but readily available.
geekWithA.45
Moderator Emeritus
Homak gun safe.
I think you'll find that the general consensus is that some sort of lockbox is needed with kids.
I think you'll find that the general consensus is that some sort of lockbox is needed with kids.
Owen Sparks
member
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I don't have any children but I helped a buddy child proof his bedroom. We figured out how to put his guns where the kids can't get to them but he can.
His wife bought an antique wardrobe that stands over 7' tall. He keeps a loaded shotgun and a 1911 on top of it. His two small children could not reach them if they even if they stand on the tallest chair in the room, plus they do not know about the guns anyway. This is one good option for parents of small children. Simply put your guns "up" on something high, remove anything that could be used as a ladder by a curious climber and don't tell the kids about it.
His wife bought an antique wardrobe that stands over 7' tall. He keeps a loaded shotgun and a 1911 on top of it. His two small children could not reach them if they even if they stand on the tallest chair in the room, plus they do not know about the guns anyway. This is one good option for parents of small children. Simply put your guns "up" on something high, remove anything that could be used as a ladder by a curious climber and don't tell the kids about it.
Shadow 7D
Member
Um, no, that works, for a little while
by the time a kid is 4 or 5, the can scale, or, MOVE stuff and get up there, like an end table or dresser.
two parts, keep the gun secure,
and train your kids
by the time a kid is 4 or 5, the can scale, or, MOVE stuff and get up there, like an end table or dresser.
two parts, keep the gun secure,
and train your kids
friscolatchi
Member
Everything is locked in a safe with ammo locked separately in another part of the house.
I have locked steel boxes and lockers scattered throughout the place. My EDC du jour is concealed on my person at all times until bedtime when it's in my briefcase or nightstand next to the bed. There is not ever more than 1 loaded weapon around and it is always an arms length away.
I spend a lot if time fussing about and organizing my collection. For example, I stage my current season's hunting guns in a locked cabinet in the garage, for example the 12 gauge for turkey and 1 22 pistol is available without going into the house. Ammo is always locked separately in my "secret" location. What I would not want to happen is a BG getting to my stuff before I do. The only problem that I have is remembering where I put things! Getting old maybe. Maybe more ginko?
I have locked steel boxes and lockers scattered throughout the place. My EDC du jour is concealed on my person at all times until bedtime when it's in my briefcase or nightstand next to the bed. There is not ever more than 1 loaded weapon around and it is always an arms length away.
I spend a lot if time fussing about and organizing my collection. For example, I stage my current season's hunting guns in a locked cabinet in the garage, for example the 12 gauge for turkey and 1 22 pistol is available without going into the house. Ammo is always locked separately in my "secret" location. What I would not want to happen is a BG getting to my stuff before I do. The only problem that I have is remembering where I put things! Getting old maybe. Maybe more ginko?
donny640
Member
Please keep your guns locked up if not on your person. The little ones will find them. My three year old niece went to climb a 6ft closet, we grabbed her before she got hurt. That is the closet my sister would store all the medications and mr. yuk stuff in.
WardenWolf
member
Depends on the kid. Some kids listen and don't get into your stuff, others are little plunderers. I'd recommend a biometric safe. They're much safer and faster to access than a cable lock or a trigger lock. Just jam your thumb into it and go. These are absolutely the simplest and safest solution because you can always open them quickly. It just requires gross muscle action. I would never trust one of those 5-finger safe things because I don't think you can reliably open it under pressure. Could you type perfectly at high-speed in a high-adrenaline emergency? No? Then you probably can't open one of these during a robbery.
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DammitBoy
Member
I always kept my 1911 without a round in the chamber, it was too much for little hands to draw back the slide and chamber a round. As soon as they were old enough to understand, they were educated in firearm safety and the rules of the house.
The main rule was they could look at and hold any gun in the house they wanted to as long as I was there and they had my permission. I would tell them all about the gun they were interested in until they were bored silly.
Never had any issue with fiream safety in our household and my daughter is an avid shooter. My son chooses to not be interested at all.
The main rule was they could look at and hold any gun in the house they wanted to as long as I was there and they had my permission. I would tell them all about the gun they were interested in until they were bored silly.
Never had any issue with fiream safety in our household and my daughter is an avid shooter. My son chooses to not be interested at all.
Jesse Heywood
Member
When my kids were young I had a security file cabinet by the bed, used as a nightstand. They were two keys, one on the key chain of the wife and I. The file was unlocked at night, locked when I got up in the morning. The kids were taught how to shoot about age 7, knew what the guns could do, and were told that any time they wanted to handle the guns they could. Even with all the training, I was not willing to take the chance of them having access to loaded firearms.
donny640
Member
All depends if you have older kids that have been taught about guns or a three year old that is going to get in and find everything. Always watched the toddlers but always made sure they had no way to access the guns.
Shadow 7D
Member
Um, I will point out something that some of the mods pointed out before
Kids are cleaver, if it can be done, and they know it can, they will find a way to do it
(so, don't count on them not racking the slide)
the strongest grip is both hand manipulating a lever with the thumbs
So 2 things
don't count of a heavy DA from stopping a kid from pulling a trigger
If the have to muscle it, the above grip, puts the barrel, where the pointy stuff comes out, right in their face...
Better in a safe, than a child in the ground.
Now that said, I'm not telling you to lock up your guns in a gun safe, rather, please keep them out of reach of children when they aren't on you. Also, most not home invasion burglars pick up their weapons in the house, so...
if you can get it, so can they, just they are awake, and you aren't.
Kids are cleaver, if it can be done, and they know it can, they will find a way to do it
(so, don't count on them not racking the slide)
the strongest grip is both hand manipulating a lever with the thumbs
So 2 things
don't count of a heavy DA from stopping a kid from pulling a trigger
If the have to muscle it, the above grip, puts the barrel, where the pointy stuff comes out, right in their face...
Better in a safe, than a child in the ground.
Now that said, I'm not telling you to lock up your guns in a gun safe, rather, please keep them out of reach of children when they aren't on you. Also, most not home invasion burglars pick up their weapons in the house, so...
if you can get it, so can they, just they are awake, and you aren't.
ratt_finkel
Member
Thanks for the great ideas. The kids don't live with us permanently yet. 4 year old boy and 6 yo girl. Working on custody.
At some point, I would like to educate them rather than shelter them. In the mean time, the biometric safe sounds like a great idea.
At some point, I would like to educate them rather than shelter them. In the mean time, the biometric safe sounds like a great idea.
USAF_Vet
Member
Two kids, both educated about the guns. 12 ga under the bed, empty chamber, action locked, safety on. Carbine on the top shelf of the closet. Educate them and satisfy their curiosity with a family range day.
sweater914
Member
Dad always had his gun room, and all three of use were told to stay out of the room unless he was around. Not all the guns were locked. I was one of those kids who would plunder, but the guns were much more than the candy and cookies I was sneaking away from the kitchen. My Dad also had a pretty good temper which my brother and sister did not want to test, when we did it was usually pulled hair or semi-permanent hand prints on our collective bottoms. The bedroom was also more or less off limits.
While in Europe I knew things weren't going well in my Dad's Air Force job when the M1A NM was loaded with a 20rd mag up against his nightstand, usually meant a terrorist threat to the base or individual officers like my dad, I had no itch to even enter the doorway to the room. After another move a Remington 870 sat quietly in the closet, loaded. By high school I had a rack of FR8 Mausers, and a bunch of ammo in my bedroom. My dad even let me keep a 1911 in my desk drawer unloaded with no mag, so I could tinker with it, taking it apart and putting it back together.
All three of us were bought up with firearms, my dad never had any issues with any of us. What few friends I had growing up in multiple locations rarely entered the house, kind of our way of minimizing curious hands and eyes, whether on purpose or subconsciously.
I have a Model 63 covered in a drawer next to my wife's nightstand. I've let my 6 year old handle some of my handguns under supervision and he knows to get mommy if he sees one out of place and not to touch it. My older stepson knows were the firearms are located and he keeps his buddies out of my gun room. The safety between the ears is much more important than the one on the gun.
Every situation is different, the arguement can go either way depending on circumstance. If you're uncomfortable lock'em up.
While in Europe I knew things weren't going well in my Dad's Air Force job when the M1A NM was loaded with a 20rd mag up against his nightstand, usually meant a terrorist threat to the base or individual officers like my dad, I had no itch to even enter the doorway to the room. After another move a Remington 870 sat quietly in the closet, loaded. By high school I had a rack of FR8 Mausers, and a bunch of ammo in my bedroom. My dad even let me keep a 1911 in my desk drawer unloaded with no mag, so I could tinker with it, taking it apart and putting it back together.
All three of us were bought up with firearms, my dad never had any issues with any of us. What few friends I had growing up in multiple locations rarely entered the house, kind of our way of minimizing curious hands and eyes, whether on purpose or subconsciously.
I have a Model 63 covered in a drawer next to my wife's nightstand. I've let my 6 year old handle some of my handguns under supervision and he knows to get mommy if he sees one out of place and not to touch it. My older stepson knows were the firearms are located and he keeps his buddies out of my gun room. The safety between the ears is much more important than the one on the gun.
Every situation is different, the arguement can go either way depending on circumstance. If you're uncomfortable lock'em up.
I had 3 young children once upon a time (now they are adults) kids who I taught to shoot at a very young age and would not play with Daddy's gun but its the other kids they bring home that will mess with one and sure as hell its YOUR kids that gets shot.
I locked all guns up in the vault-
Kept a Kabar by the bed and 2 large German shepherds-
one inside and one outside.
Kids grew up, dogs passed away so I am back to one in the nightstand.
If I ever have grandkids around, while crawling and little at most I will put the Glock up and use the P7M8 till they get older then when they are here the guns go back in the vault again-
I locked all guns up in the vault-
Kept a Kabar by the bed and 2 large German shepherds-
one inside and one outside.
Kids grew up, dogs passed away so I am back to one in the nightstand.
If I ever have grandkids around, while crawling and little at most I will put the Glock up and use the P7M8 till they get older then when they are here the guns go back in the vault again-
My wife and I have two gun safes. One with a double pistol box mounted on top for quick access. None of which are biometric.
We have no children in the house but my 19 month old granddaughter is making me think we should go biometric.
She calls my wife and I without any assistance dialing. O.K. It is speed dial but she learned the numbers by watching. She was not taught. Same way with the TV. She can turn it on and channel it to Disney. The other day she picked up my cell phone and accessed my email. She proudly told Popi you have mail. Again without being taught.
I have no doubt, as she gets older and taller, she will be able to open a safe.
I know every parent thinks their child is the smartest and cutest. But children are more observant and more able to figure out things than grownups give them credit.
We have no children in the house but my 19 month old granddaughter is making me think we should go biometric.
She calls my wife and I without any assistance dialing. O.K. It is speed dial but she learned the numbers by watching. She was not taught. Same way with the TV. She can turn it on and channel it to Disney. The other day she picked up my cell phone and accessed my email. She proudly told Popi you have mail. Again without being taught.
I have no doubt, as she gets older and taller, she will be able to open a safe.
I know every parent thinks their child is the smartest and cutest. But children are more observant and more able to figure out things than grownups give them credit.
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