Status of Loaded Guns in your home....

[Hokkmike]

Had a friend in a very rural county who had various rifles leaning in the corners of several rooms in his home. They were all loaded and ready to fire. I don't even know if he engaged the safeties. His view was that if they weren't ready for immediate use then there was no point in having them.

My loaded ready to fire weapons are either in a finger tripped pistol safe or an electronic press lock combination stand up safe.

Who is excessive, me or my friend?

(BTW - I speak of him in the past tense as he has died of natural causes)

 

[DukeConnor]

Depends on who else lives in the house. I live alone now and have a loaded rifle on every floor. When I had kids and a psycho wife living with me everything stayed in the safe.

 

[Styx]

Had a friend in a very rural county who had various rifles leaning in the corners of several rooms in his home. They were all loaded and ready to fire. I don't even know if he engaged the safeties. His view was that if they weren't ready for immediate use then there was no point in having them.

My loaded ready to fire weapons are either in a finger tripped pistol safe or an electronic press lock combination stand up safe.

Who is excessive, me or my friend?

(BTW - I speak of him in the past tense as he has died of natural causes)

I keep only EDC loaded and ready. It's put on my hip when I get dresses for the day and then taken off and sat by me at night. Most rifles and shotguns aren't drop safe anyway, so I wouldn't have them chambered sitting in the corner in the first place.

I do keep a Mossberg Shockwave with a full tube and an empty chamber in the trunk of my car however as I am in my car several hours a day daily.

To answer your question, unless someone is a drug dealer or the like, it's my opinion that hiding several fully loaded handguns, rifles, and/or shotguns throughout one's home does border on the excessive and a little paranoid. That said, I don't care what people do in their homes with their firearms as long as they're not hurting or putting others at risk.

 

[red rick]

I live alone in a rural area and don’t have many visitors , especially small children . I have several loaded , a shotgun in the corner , a pistol on my nightstand , a rifle in my gun room a pistol in the console of my TV chair . Not all are necessarily for home invaders , more for quick access for if I see a deer or predator and they have come in handy for that purpose .

 

[The Night Rider]

I only have two loaded guns in my house, they're both Glocks so they're obviously ready to fire. One is in the safe. It's not in a holster due to humidity concerns in the confined area.

The other one is in a holster sitting on my kitchen table getting ready to go into the holster on my hip because I'm going hiking.

 

[The Night Rider]

I do keep a Mossberg Shockwave with a full tube and an empty chamber in the trunk of my car however.

Or at least you will until somebody burglarizes your car

 

[Styx]

Or at least you will until somebody burglarizes your car

Not going down that rabbit hole, and I'm not concerned about anyone stealing it from my car in my environment and personal situation. Those who are are free not do as they wish, and what they believe is best for them.

 

[trackskippy]

I dont leave loaded guns around and accessible. To easy to become a problem.

We have a couple of lock boxes with handguns in them, and when Im home, I have an unloaded AR with an Israeli mag carrier with a loaded mag "on" the gun and available, but it goes in the safe when we go out.

I wear a handgun every day and its always on me. Its the only way to be truly armed and ready. If and when things go south, you aren't going to have time to go and get something. You have what you have on you, and that's it.

 

[The Night Rider]

Not going down that rabbit hole, and I'm not concerned about anyone stealing it from my car in my environment and personal situation. Those who are are free not do as they wish, and what they believe is best for them.

What about when your car is sitting in the parking lot at Wawa and somebody beats you up and takes your keys because you're sitting on the curb eating a sandwich

 

[GBExpat]

I live alone in a somewhat secluded rural location.

Outside of my gunsafes I keep only one loaded; the one on my hip (or my bedside table).

I have a number of longguns that "live" outside of my gunsafes but all of their bolts are in a gunsafe. A BG might break-in and beat me with one of my firearms, but he will not be able to shoot me with one.

=====

That said, while I have known folks who keep a couple of firearms stashed about the house, I do not recall ever hearing that any of them kept any of those forearms in "Condition Zero".

 

[Gun-Reck]

An EDC, even at home, will allow one to engage immediate threats, as well as fight their way, if need be, to their ready rifle/shotgun, which should be readily accessible.

The only things special about a home - are the higher concentration of things needing protecting, and the laws surrounding ones Right to that protection.

The threat exists everywhere.

 

[Armored farmer]

The only guns that are loaded are in the wall safe where we keep our cash, spare keys, and passports. A empty rifle (and nearby magazines) hangs by its sling in a central closet.

 

[Chuck R.]

It's on me, or secured period.

I use 3 of the V-Line vaults with simplex manual locks:

Nightstand:

Under bed:

and a 3rd for my CCW gun in the entry closet.

Loss of a gun is really not the driver, that can be replaced. It's either the threat for coming home to face an intruded that I have now armed, or the liability that comes with having one of my guns misused.

A while ago KS had a case where a gun owner was found liable for the misuse of his gun in civil court. The pistol was actually stolen, and the perp accidentally shot his girlfriend in the azz. No criminal charges, but the girls family sued the gun owner for basically creating an "attractive nuisance" by leaving a gun in close proximity to the ammo, both non-secured. The guy spent serious $$$ in defensive costs and still lost.

All it takes is a sympathetic jury of our "peers" to get screwed, right/wrong doesn't matter. With so many thinking that the lottery or a successful lawsuit, is their retirement plan, I'd rather not help them out.

 

[AlexanderA]

Every gun in my house is unloaded. Not only that, but whenever I pick one up, the first thing I do is make sure it is unloaded.

If one ever needed to be used, it's a simple matter to load it.

The few seconds saved by having loaded guns are more than offset by the diminished safety factor.

 

[The Night Rider]

Every gun in my house is unloaded. Not only that, but whenever I pick one up, the first thing I do is make sure it is unloaded.

Smart move.

If one ever needed to be used, it's a simple matter to load it.

I think that depends on how you define unloaded. If you mean magazine in the weapon no round in the chamber Maybe.

If you mean rounds in the magazine but the magazine not in the gun probably not.

The few seconds saved by having loaded guns are more than offset by the diminished safety factor.

Again, I'm not sure I can agree with that. I think biometric safe might be a better option

 

[Charlie98]

My pistols are loaded and chambered... I have about 3 in rotation as my carry piece, my nightstand piece, and my desk drawer piece. I also have an AR in the corner, with a loaded magazine, but not chambered.

Luck favors the prepared.

 

[Styx]

What about when your car is sitting in the parking lot at Wawa and somebody beats you up and takes your keys because you're sitting on the curb eating a sandwich

I'm not worried about someone beating me up and taking my car keys at Wawa. If I was beaten up, they'd have my EDC anyway. You can what if and troll all you like, but as I already stated, I'm not worried about the firearm in my trunk being stolen in my environment and situation. YMMV

This thread isn't about trunk guns. Feel free to start yet another trunk gun debate thread if you wish so that you don't ruin the OP's thread.

 

[The Night Rider]

I absolutely do not leave any of my firearms, loaded or not, unsecured.

They are either under my direct personal control or they are locked up.

The only exception I make to that rule is my Glock 19 sitting on my dresser when I sleep.

 

[The Night Rider]

I'm not worried about someone beating me up and taking my car keys at Wawa. If I was beaten up, they'd have my EDC anyway. You can what if and troll all you like, but as I already stated, I'm not worried about the firearm in my trunk being stolen in my environment and situation. YMMV

This thread isn't about trunk guns. Feel free to start yet another trunk gun debate thread if you wish so that you don't ruin the OP's thread.

I am sorry man, I was mostly kidding because if I remember right when you were eating your sandwich your car was in the shop and up on the rack somewhere anyway wasn't it?

Although, to be fair, I would not have had a gun in the trunk while my car was in the shop either

 

[Berserker]

every handgun is loaded. Rifles not as much, other than 22 for varmit. Unless hunting season. I think it depends who is around.

 

[Berserker]

, with a loaded magazine, but not chambered.

Not a fan of this, unless every single gun you own is this way. But I like them ready. Which is why I am revolver guy, in chamber, no safety.

 

[bearcreek]

Who is excessive, me or my friend?

It depends. Do/did either of you have children? If so, how old are/were they at the time? How responsible are/were they? Do/did either of you have irresponsible adults in your home?

 

[Space Ghost]

Half loaded, (carry guns & defensive weapons) half not.

Keep in mind, kids are grown. We're empty nesters in a small rural farming community.

If I need to investigate a "bump in the night", (oddly enough, I had to just last night) I not only take a flashlight, I grab the 11.5" SBR in this photo...






It leans up against the wall by the headboard... loaded, but on safe.



BTW... everything was fine.
Almost always is.
(Thank God)

 

[Artg56]

While I lived in a suburban area with children still in the house, all firearms were kept unloaded in the safe. Ammo was also stored in a locked cabinet. Basically useless if needed.

Now, rural and retired there are some loaded and accessible. When I have guests staying over, except for my carry piece they go back under lock and key.

 

[bannockburn]

Loaded: Two- a SIG P229 9mm. with a SIG laser/light attached. It's in a biometric handgun safe with two spare magazines. A loaded Maverick 88 is close by under the bed. No kids and the dog sleeps with us.