Status of Loaded Guns in your home....

We would all like to believe that the only people that read these forums are gun enthusiasts. Truth is, anyone can read them. Call me paranoid if you wish, I have thick skin.

That being said,

I may or may not own gun(s) and they may or may not be loaded. I don't feel it's anyone's business.
 
trackskippy said:
As to the "Kinda sad that you have to be armed all the time." thing. I never understood why people want to make this emotional. Its simply a choice you make, and contrary to the usual alluding to you usually always hear if you do,
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I was kinda sad my grandma had to have a pacemaker implanted. Everyone Involved understood that the minor inconvenience was worth it for the outcome.

As has often been stated, I carry a gun when I’m NOT expecting trouble. If I were expecting trouble I would be camped at the Sheriff’s office.
 
As I'm a certified NRA Master Instructor as well as enhanced CCW permitted . I carry upon MY person . Now it is but the Wife and myself and she is a fair shot with a pistol and has it where needed .

Some years back in another state ,I was surprised late one evening opening our door . Let Me say it could have ended permanently for ME ,as I was Unarmed !.
Apparently some crazy druggie armed had the wrong address after I pointed it out ,he looked away for a moment and after getting up off the ground realized he was unarmed . I decided right wrong or indifferent I'd NEVER be unarmed again . I was wrong had to go too Court ,as Wife called Sheriff's Dept. and had him picked up . NO guns in court :(

" IF " one has kids under 18 living within the household , I recommend LOCKING firearms up for YOUR financial well being if nothing else . Yet ALWAYS have ultra quick access to at least one . Having FACTORY CARRY AMMO is also recommended . Just MY $0.02 worth of advice and lawyers preach it too us while teaching for a Good reason .
 
It makes no sense for me to own and keep firearms for defense, and then keep them locked up or unloaded. I wear a 9mm pistol, every waking hour. There is a full sized .40, locked cocked and ready to rock, on a magnet mount for my wife's availability. She is trained and is a good shot. My M1a is in ready status, loaded and ready to be deployed.
Do I live in a dangerous area? No. Do I expect a home invasion? No. If something would come our way, we wouldn't be wasting precious seconds pushing safe buttons, or inserting magazines. Just my habit and practice.
 
I wouldn't lean them up in the corners around the house like that (too easy for bad guy to pick it up in plain view), but having a firearm stowed away safely and chambered in different portions or levels of the home doesn't make me wince at all, unless you have young ones or anyone you can't 100% trust in which case secure lockable storage is necessary.

I think it's wise to consider that not all defensive shootings in a home invasion situation are going to occur in the middle of the night or while you're in the bedroom. Trouble can come at any time with only a few precious seconds of time to facilitate an acute and sudden failure of the bad guys victim selection process (Mas quote).

Wireless security cams being affordable to anybody and everybody these days, we can get a good look at thousands of videos where John Q homeowner is coming out of his kitchen with a plate of hot wings and a beer and has only seconds to attend to the worst case scenario and win.

I don't think OP is unreasonable at all, nor do I think so of OP's friend. If I didn't have young ones, there'd be a chambered shotgun and handgun on every floor of my house somewhere tucked away yet accessible to me or trusted loved ones.

I like the quote and don't know where I got it but "carrying a gun with an empty chamber is like saying you'll just put your seat belt on if you think you are about to get into a collision". It might not be practical or safe for some, but for others there won't be that concern of potential liability.
 
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Storing one in the pipe is kind of in the same vein as carrying with one in the pipe. You shouldn't do it if you aren't comfortable with it or if you think any unauthorized person may get ahold of it. I was out shooting with a group last week and one of the guys (newer to firearms) was shocked that some of us others were carrying hot, he didn't go so far as to call us crazy but he definitely made it known he wasn't comfortable doing it. One of the guys started in on him a lil bit and there was a lil tension about it, I immediately tried to throw cold water on it and said nobody should be doing anything they aren't comfortable with doing and even then, second guess it.
 
dartor said:
We would all like to believe that the only people that read these forums are gun enthusiasts. Truth is, anyone can read them. Call me paranoid if you wish, I have thick skin.

That being said,

I may or may not own gun(s) and they may or may not be loaded. I don't feel it's anyone's business.
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You're not paranoid, you're extremely smart. Not only can anyone see what is written here, I am sure the FED's are on this site (As members) and all of the others, daily collecting information.

Discretion.
 
Okay, I'm going to out myself.

I was sitting on my front porch one day it had to have been at least 15 years ago.

I don't even remember why but I had an unloaded Smith & Wesson 6906 with me.

I think I might have just gotten it home from the gunsmith shop.

Before I say anything else let me say that yes I am aware that I was wrong.

My neighbor was out in his front yard and he came over to say hi. He saw the gun and I handed it to him.

Yes I am aware that I should have locked to slide to the rear before I handed it to him but I didn't.

He took the gun in hand and immediately pulled the trigger two or three times.

I don't even remember if I bothered to correct his behavior. Based on his personality I don't think it would have done any good.

I'm sure I've handed Firearms to people since then I'm absolutely certain that every time I did the slide was locked to the rear and I physically showed them that the chamber was empty and that the magazine well was empty and I asked them did they see that the chamber was empty and the magazine well was empty.

My point is that all human beings are capable of doing stupid things and that is the number one reason that I absolutely do not leave any Firearms unsecured in my home unless they are under my direct personal control.

Again, the only exception to that is when I put my Glock 19 on my dresser at night when I go to bed.
 
The Night Rider said:
Okay, I'm going to out myself.

I was sitting on my front porch one day it had to have been at least 15 years ago.

I don't even remember why but I had an unloaded Smith & Wesson 6906 with me.

I think I might have just gotten it home from the gunsmith shop.

Before I say anything else let me say that yes I am aware that I was wrong.

My neighbor was out in his front yard and he came over to say hi. He saw the gun and I handed it to him.

Yes I am aware that I should have locked to slide to the rear before I handed it to him but I didn't.

He took the gun in hand and immediately pulled the trigger two or three times.

I don't even remember if I bothered to correct his behavior. Based on his personality I don't think it would have done any good.

I'm sure I've handed Firearms to people since then I'm absolutely certain that every time I did the slide was locked to the rear and I physically showed them that the chamber was empty and that the magazine well was empty and I asked them did they see that the chamber was empty and the magazine well was empty.

My point is that all human beings are capable of doing stupid things and that is the number one reason that I absolutely do not leave any Firearms unsecured in my home unless they are under my direct personal control.

Again, the only exception to that is when I put my Glock 19 on my dresser at night when I go to bed.
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Never, I mean Never underestimate the stupidity of your fellow human being. You are very lucky it was unloaded, lesson learned, I'm sure.
 
 
For clarification : I'm NOT advocating anyone have unloaded readily accessible protection weapons . Just make damn sure NO kids get a hold of one !.

Lawyers liability courts and jurors are RELENTLESS ,in pursuit of prosecution as well as Financial ruin of gun owners .

MY motto : Better to argue in front of #12-13 rather than be carried by #6 .;)
 
In camp, we keep a loaded rifle, unchambered, but Bear ready.
In the village, its a 12 gauge shotgun, for rabid Fox's, bad dogs and home protection.
 
I follow the same rule I taught in my CCW classes: Any firearm that is not on your person or under your immediate control should be secured in a safe or with a locking device.

I have a friend who used to keep loaded rifles in almost every room. He didn’t have kids and rarely had company. One day I pointed out that the unarmed burglar who finds one of the many guns scattered around in plain sight would suddenly be armed. He says he is not afraid of dying in such a manner but of living and having us yank his chain for the rest of his life because he got shot with one of his own guns. So, they are now all in a safe except for the one in his bedroom.
 
Simple Shooter said:
I follow the same rule I taught in my CCW classes:
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I do the same but taught a bit differently. Firearms should be stored so that unauthorized people don't have access to them and any firearm that is locked up should be considered out of play/useless for defensive/offensive purposes.
 
bearcreek said:
I do the same but taught a bit differently. Firearms should be stored so that unauthorized people don't have access to them and any firearm that is locked up should be considered out of play/useless for defensive/offensive purposes.
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So, you added a bunch of unnecessary words to
" The firearm should be under your direct personal control or locked up."
 
The Night Rider said:
So, you added a bunch of unnecessary words to
" The firearm should be under your direct personal control or locked up."
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No. I clarified that if you want a gun to be available for defensive or offensive use, it should not be locked up. It does not need to be under your direct, personal control.
 
....any firearm that is locked up should be considered out of play/useless for defensive/offensive purposes.
 
Now the missus has passed on and all the little kids are all pretty much gone from the farm, I do keep a loaded rifle next to the window during the hunting seasons. Too many bucks have walked by in the past and caught me empty handed.
 
A good buddy of mine has a couple pistols and AR's and as much as it bothers me indirectly, he has a few acres at the top of the hill and likes to shoot out of the windows, no ear pro either. Not sure how he isn't deaf but different strokes for different folks. He is a lucky SOB, he gets a 50% discount on any and everything at our local hardware store, including ammunition.

He keeps loaded guns all around. But, no kids, no wife..... more power to him I guess
 
Elkins45 said:
Exactly. If I knew a home invasion crew was coming I wouldn’t be home.
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In the late '80s, a drunken neighbor broke the latch on my aluminum storm door and came in looking for his g/f. She had come over to use the phone to call the police but ran down the hallway to the bedroom when he was rattling the door. I was on the phone with the dispatcher and, when he came in, I said "He's here in my house and I'm pointing my gun at him! Now get out here !!"
It still took them 10 minutes to arrive.
He was 5'11" and 260-270 lbs. to my 5'7" and 200-210 lbs. So he out-reached me and out-weighed me BUT he wasn't so drunk that he didn't realize I had a gun pointed at him (Astra .380) and he left.
The next day, he came back to help repair my door and to apologize.
 
Yes, all the firearms that aren't in the safes are loaded; handguns in Condition 1, long guns in cruiser-ready.

We've had our rural home broken into twice (never went well for any of the intruders), the wife has been the victim of an assault, as has one of our children; I have had a hit put out on me by a criminal gang (and even been stalked by an ex-employee -- who was known to go armed -- whom I got fired).

Simple Shooter said:
Any firearm that is not on your person or under your immediate control should be secured in a safe or with a locking device.
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There are any number of cases out there where this concept has been proven wrong. Obviously, if one has children in the household, or regular visitors, there are precautions and exceptions, but there's really no one-size-fits-all answer.

It's good to be retired, and at home almost all of the time...

But I understand that everyone has a different situation.
 
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