Storing a home defense auto loader

[Nite Ryder]

Practice teaches what they call muscle memory. Why would you want to do anything different with your carry gun at night? When it is on your night stand and you wake up from the sound of someone knocking on the door or breaking out a glass window, do you really want to think twice about what you need to do? What you do should be an almost automatic reflex, not something out of the ordinary. You don't carry an auto loader with the slide locked back during the daytime, why would you even consider it at night? It isn't any safer, but allowing the slide to slam forward makes a noise that would alert an intruder, letting him know that someone is in the house and awake. Personally, I carry a revolver, so all I have to think about is pulling the trigger. It is on the table by my bed, out of it's holster. The perimeter around my house is covered with outside motion detectors that alert me if anyone comes near my house, day or night. So, if worse comes to worse, I will be fully awake before anyone ever reaches my door or any windows. I'm a gun person, most of the rooms in my home have a gun stashed somewhere, and most of them are loaded. I couldn't do this if I had kids in my home, but I don't I have a dog, a cat, and a wife. Two of us know how to use a firearm.

 

[DeMilled]

Just out of curiosity, does anybody store their "nightstand" home defense auto loader with a full mag and the slide locked back? It seems this could be a little safer than keeping a round in the chamber and much quicker than a full mag but the slide forward since you'd only have to release the slide lock to chamber a round.

That is exactly how I keep my semi-auto on my night stand.

 

[Warp]

I've known folks who have done this and it made a lot of sense in their situation. They carried a magazine on their belt and loaded the gun as they picked it up.

This is the other true advantage of a pistol equipped with a magazine disconnect

I'm confused by how you phrase this.

He was talking about keeping the gun with a round in the chamber. If there is a round in the chamber, it's loaded before they ever insert the magazine.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I was responding to the poster who mentioned the magazine disconnect.

If you are worried that someone might find/handle your nightstand gun while you weren't present, this was an extra level of safety. Yes the gun is loaded, but it wouldn't be able to be operated without the magazine inserted. For the folks involved, it made more sense than having to rack the slide to chamber a round or leaving the slide locked in the open position.

 

[orionengnr]

I would think in the end we all will default to what we in our hearts feel is the safe way...

And therein lies the problem.
What you "feel in your heart" is probably the worst way to make a decision such as this.
This decision should be made on subjective evidence, reason and logic... not "feelings".

 

[Warp]

I was responding to the poster who mentioned the magazine disconnect.

If you are worried that someone might find/handle your nightstand gun while you weren't present, this was an extra level of safety. Yes the gun is loaded, but it wouldn't be able to be operated without the magazine inserted. For the folks involved, it made more sense than having to rack the slide to chamber a round or leaving the slide locked in the open position.

I guess I'm not understanding how this is anything but a dangerous idea.

If kids or unauthorized users might get their hands on the loaded gun, that seems bad, magazine disconnect safety or not. And where do they put the magazine then? It would seem that they would have to lock the magazine up somewhere...so why not just lock the gun up wherever the magazine goes?

 

[Hangingrock]

The originator of the subject offered their procedure for storing a home defense auto loader. I simply pointed out that as examples S&W 3rd Gen and current MP semiautomatic (Optional) have a magazine disconnect that would allow a chambered round and the magazine removed the pistol would be inoperable of firing. This procedure was apparently misunderstood by some individual’s. Frist an unauthorized person would have to find location of the pistol, then find the location of the magazine separated from the pistol and insert the magazine before the pistol would be operable for firing.

Some in their opinion deemed the procedure to be unsafe. Others may opt to see it differently and that’s their choice.

At this point I’ll simply remove myself from the discussion.

 

[mugsie]

I store my pistols the same way I store my revolvers, with a round in the chamber and ready to go. God forbid I ever need something in a hurry, in the fog of sleep, dark, anxious, it want to know that all I need do is point and shoot. I don't want to remember to flick a safety off, rack a slide, put a mag in or any of a hundred other things. I don't think the BG will have his gun on safe, no mag inserted etc. if I need it I want it, immediately.

 

[ADRskew]

I mounted a SERPA holster with level 2 retention in the top drawer of my nightstand. But that means no light on my sidearm. Just my $0.02

 

[IBEWBULL]

mag disc

The mag disconnect was designed for inexperienced folks changing arms at a watch station. Relieving the quarter deck watch.
I have seen the drill done right and wrong.
The magazine safety is to assist fools who can not learn. To keep A.D. at a minimum.
My prefer training. If the person has D.I . who will slap him if done wrong we are on the right track. I was told I would be kicked in the face if I screwed up.

That being said, I have a round in all chambers of a revolver and one the and only my semi auto.
If it is loaded it is in a holster ready to go. Very important in Glock type triggers anyhow. A revolver or SA/DA auto are a different animal in my opinion.
Safety first, know your weapon......

 

[herrwalther]

I mounted a SERPA holster with level 2 retention in the top drawer of my nightstand. But that means no light on my sidearm. Just my $0.02

That is as easy as getting a different holster or mounting system. SERPA are great holsters but they have their limits.

As far as the magazine disconnect safety goes, I don't like them and they should not be relied upon. Safeties can malfunction, they are rare but have seen them happen. Albeit I have yet to hear about a magazine disconnect safety going awry. I recall when I first saw a safety fail. A firearms instructor was demonstrating how a grip safety works on his Kimber. He unloaded it and pulled trigger without displacing the grip safety. It clicked. Well that isn't supposed to happen. He was happy I asked about the grip safety for it to be discovered and eventually fixed.

 

[Pyzon]

In my case, with no children to worry about, every gun out of the safe is loaded, cocked and safed. Add a easy to access flashlight to the list as well.

The myth of the sound of the slide action of the pump gun, the racking of the slide of the pistol or the click of the revolver hammer melting the intentions of the mutts is simply a myth. In the case of the first two, that simply means that gun is unready, and the gun is already short one round that might come in handy.

 

[Warp]

That is as easy as getting a different holster or mounting system. SERPA are great holsters but they have their limits.

As far as the magazine disconnect safety goes, I don't like them and they should not be relied upon. Safeties can malfunction, they are rare but have seen them happen. Albeit I have yet to hear about a magazine disconnect safety going awry. I recall when I first saw a safety fail. A firearms instructor was demonstrating how a grip safety works on his Kimber. He unloaded it and pulled trigger without displacing the grip safety. It clicked. Well that isn't supposed to happen. He was happy I asked about the grip safety for it to be discovered and eventually fixed.

What he did wrong: Buy a Kimber

What he did right: Have it unloaded for the demonstration so that all it did was go *click*