Toddlers and home defense storage

[marsh maniac]

Ever since our daughter (now 18 months) began opening doors, I've had to start changing my storage practices of my home defense guns. Before she was able to walk, I kept my pistol in the night stand, the shotgun on top of the headboard, and my carry pistol on the dining room table with my wallet, keys, etc. Now i have the shotgun on the top shelf of the bedroom closet and my night stand pistol is now on top of our TV. All of my other guns are, of coarse, locked in the RSC. None of my home defense guns are as quickly accessible as i'd like. I'd like some ideas about having home protection guns easily accessible, but out of reach of toddlers. Any ideas?

thanks,
MM

 

[LtShortcut]

I had the same concern.

I decided to have only one firearm for home defense and keep all the others locked in the safe.

With only one weapon out of the gun safe it became much easier to deal with.
It's in a quick release lockbox next to the bed.

 

[killchain]

Put your HD up on the top shelf of a closet?

Put a high-up shelf over your headboard?

Put a gun rack above your bedroom door with a shotgun in it?

Just thoughts, hope it helps.

 

[dovedescending]

Toddlers can climb. Like monkeys.

I lock away the gun I'm not carrying, and carry the other one. When the little one is in her crib, the gun goes from my hip to the nightstand. And vice versa. Nothing like a holster to secure a weapon from curious fingers.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Sorry, but..
it may work for now, but it won't for long, that 'level' will keep going up, then she will be climibinhg everything, and it'll be just gone one day.

Invest in a lock box, if you want a shotty out, then buy a cheap gun locker (a RSC, its not a safe) and leave it open at night, lock it in the morning

Also,
check out this site by a member,
Corneredcat.com

 

[kyletx1911]

YEAH HAVE THAT WORRY myself think i am going have to get a safe, as of now 3 1911s
out in the open and the tommy

 

[Sam1911]

I agree on the "one home-defense gun" plan as it's easiest to secure and keep track of only one. (Though it could be worked around.)

I like a pump shotgun, with loaded mag and chamber empty, for this purpose as young kids (until maybe 5 or so) generally don't have the physical strength to operate the action to chamber a shell. As my kids got older, I added a simple cable lock through the action.

Mine all know where that shotgun lives and all (even the 2-year-old) have been exceedingly good about not touching it.

There are also a number of locking racks you could use. Here's just one version: http://www.lockinggunracks.com/pistol-rack.htm

 

[vito]

Your current arrangement is a tragedy just waiting to happen. Children's capabilities in climbing and exploring increase rapidly, and one day before you realize it your toddler will know how to push a chair over to the closet or TV, pile some books on the chair, etc. and will be able to reach your gun. I strongly encourage you to get one of the quick access small safes that are available, such as the GunVault. I keep all my guns except one that is loaded and ready for home defense, in a real safe. The one loaded gun is in my Gunvault, secured inside my dresser. It has a four finger keypad on top that I can open up in just a few seconds, but while locked it is completely inaccessible to a child. My kids are all grown, but I have grandkids at the house fairly often so I feel a need for being more cautious. The slight increase in time for me to access the gun is worth the trade off in security. And those of you who are so sure that your child is "trained" to never touch your gun or guns may one day be horribly surprised when it turns out they were just showing a friend their daddy's gun and something awful occurs.

 

[9mm+]

I have teenage sons (both trained shooters), but nevertheless I lock all guns in the gun lockers in our walk-up attic, except for my revolver which I keep in a quick-cipher lock box by the bed. All concealed carry pieces are also locked up whenever they're not on our person.

 

[Boberama]

It's not a good idea to leave guns around children, because it's more likely that they will mess around with them than the likelihood that there will be a violent break-and-enter.

 

[ArmedLiberal]

It's not a good idea to leave guns around children, because it's more likely that they will mess around with them than the likelihood that there will be a violent break-and-enter.

Strongly agree.

If this is your first child you will soon be amazed at how resourceful pre-school kids can be in getting to whatever they're curious about. And the pushing furniture around and climbing! It's enough to make you think that our species derives from highly intelligent, curiosity driven, tree climber ancestors.

I had a good friend come home to find her seven year old daughter sitting in a chair placed on the peak of a second story roof. How in the Hell......

Just assume that she will eventually get to anything that's not locked up behind steel and combination locks.

 

[xfyrfiter]

If you are allowed, just carry openly or concealed when at home. You are absolutely sure of your gun and its location.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Ok, before this thread drifts too far

Basic fact of life, no matter what you do, you can't childproof anything, it's kinda like Idoit proofing, you are always going to miss one.

You can teach you children about gun and GUNPROOF your child.
here is a great article about it.

http://corneredcat.com/Kids/childproofisnt.aspx

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

Lock hd guns in pistol safes. Kids can climb, use stools, etc. The rest go to the safe.....that's how I do it. Even then, I never chamber rounds. My 5 year old can figure out lots of things.......

Lock ammo up or separate to store also.

 

[Shadow 7D]

BTW, if you think about it, if a child picks up a gun, and doesn't know anything about it, they will try to operate it, and the strongest grip is the thumbs, thumbs on the trigger points the barrel at the head....

Why I keep them locked up, and why I am trying to teach my son about gun, can't childproof, but you can gun proof.

 

[Yo Mama]

I lock away the gun I'm not carrying, and carry the other one. When the little one is in her crib, the gun goes from my hip to the nightstand. And vice versa. Nothing like a holster to secure a weapon from curious fingers.

This. Same with knives.

 

[sm]

Well, before all these SUV's became so popular, it was common knowledge to lock the curtain climbers, carpet tics, and rug rats, in the trunk of the family sedan.
Or the big tool box, in the pick'em up truck...or both, depending on how many of them critters, one had.

Oh, don't worry, after a bit, they quit screaming and yelling, and don't upset the neighbors.

Same can be said for shoppers, out in parking lots, when one needs to actually shop for stuff, in a hurry. Funny how one saves some monies doing this, not paying for stuff that ends up in a basket as well...


As stated before, this home defense stuff ain't rocket science.

*evil grin*

 

[FAS1]

I'd like some ideas about having home protection guns easily accessible, but out of reach of toddlers. Any ideas?

thanks,
MM

Our handgun safe attached to something solid near your bed would give you quick secure access to your HD handgun. Can be mounted vertically or horizontally. Shotguns and rifles are a little harder to secure and have them as accessible with small kids around.

 

[macadore]

When my children were that age, I kept a 1911 with a full magazine and an unloaded chamber in the closet. I was the only person in the family who could rack the slide. I asked all my children to try to pull the slide back and none of them could. I frequently took my children shooting and let them shoot a 22, so there was no mystique. I told them they could shoot my guns if I was with them, but they thought mine were to loud and heavy. They're all grown and I never had an incident.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Hey FAS, could you build something like the Police cruiser racks that have the momentary switch for a HD shotgun?

Or how bout a AR rack that has a rubberized finger that goes in the rifle so that has to be bolt to the rear, just drop the bolt and you are ready to go?

a Rack something like this
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=&style=VP267
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=VP009
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=&style=VP275

 

[FAS1]

Hey FAS, could you build something like the Police cruiser racks that have the momentary switch for a HD shotgun?

Or how bout a AR rack that has a rubberized finger that goes in the rifle so that has to be bolt to the rear, just drop the bolt and you are ready to go?

a Rack something like this
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=&style=VP267
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=VP009
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&cat=&style=VP275

We are currently working on a shotgun mount along with an AR mount. Have not considered a momentary switch though. Don't have an ETA yet. Can't seem to find enough hours in the day lately.

 

[No4Mk1*]

V-line lock boxes are nice due to no keys or batteries required.

 

[dec41971]

You live in a bunker?
Buy a quick access biometric gun safe and lock up everything else. Last thing you want is family member becoming a statistic

 

[hso]

Focus on keeping the BG out of the house (actually slowing their unknown entry) along with protecting your family from your means of defending them.

You'll find that in addition to toddling around and exploring their environment, climbing comes naturally to little ones. Positive controls for firearms are needed to prevent them from dragging a chair up and climbing out of curiosity and the desire to explore.

If you don't have one already handy, think about putting a base or wall cabinet in a suitable corner with child latches to help keep little explorers out. Inside the cabinet can be mounted any of the firearms securing devices or just a case with a simple cable lock in the firearm. You can spend a lot of money for quick access to a loaded firearm or harden your house against entry to give you more time to access a less ready weapon.

 

[merlinfire]

Have to agree with most of the above posters. Do not rely upon the inability of your child to reach or operate a gun in its normal condition. It would be tragic if you were to underestimate your child.

Better to have it physically on your person, or locked in some way. And as soon as they are old enough to understand, teach them that guns are not toys, and are serious business.