Weapon positioning in a home?

[DSRUPTV]

I was wondering if anyone out there could shed some light on a question I have.

Is it better to have a gun accessible in each room of your house, or to keep weapons accessible in only one room of the house such as the bedroom? My thoughts are that weapons located throughout the house could be found by a burgular at night while I'm sleeping if I didn't hear the entry. Yet on the other hand someone could break in while I am awake and I might not have time to get to the bedroom. Would carrying a ccw weapon around the house on my person be a good option?

 

[dasmi]

I suppose it depends on your house, but if it were me, I'd carry a weapon on me at all times, or at least have it within reach, say on the coffee table or something. I would also find a way to conceal some weapons within the home, for example a loaded handgun on top of the entertainment center, pushed far enough back to not be seen. Someone on this board, and I can't remember who, has hooks above a closet door, on the inside of closet, where a shotgun lives. That way, anyone looking into the closet can't see it, but it's easily accessible.

 

[Bear Gulch]

Several can be secreted throughout the home. I also carry whenever I am outside. It does me no good to have guns in the house if the goblin/mountain lion/or whatever catches me in the garage or yard.

 

[Old Dog]

Any place you could think of to hide a handgun within your home, a savvy burglar can and will find ... If you're gonna place handguns throughout your dwelling, best to make it extremely difficult for a criminal to break in ... IMO, the best option is to have a gun with you.

By the way, on top of the entertainment center is one of the first places any burglar's gonna look for something hidden ... a smart break-in artist will also tear all the books off your shelves and get into every corner of your closets ...

 

[triggertime]

I'm not fond of having one accessible in every room of the house. I prefer to carry around the house and to have at least one longgun accessable on each floor. Securing two or three longguns is alot easier than securing numerous handguns.

 

[mbs357]

You can attach hooks or holsters in places no one would think of.
Like inside refridgerators or toilet tanks.
I'm planning on installing one in my underwear drawer, no one wants to go in there...

 

[Frandy]

I do believe you've answered your own questions.

There is no certainty in all this. Personally, I won't leave loaded firearms in various rooms because I am more concerned about someone else getting them. But, that said, in addition to the "arsenal" in one room, I do keep one other loaded pistol stategically located elsewhere in our home. Some here carry in their own homes. Where I live, I trust the odds and don't do that.

FWIW

 

[Gocart]

Since my sons became teenagers and responsible gun handlers (and gun owners) have keep guns throughout the house, including in their bedrooms. To do this, I gave up allowing the boys to have any company over unless Mom or I were at home.

There is no black and white answer on this one. When I compared the worst-case scenarios of house-wide, loaded storage versus locked up in a single room, I was immediately more comfortable with the first option, and it worked well for me. Your mileage may vary.

I KNOW that I'll have to adjust when the first grandchildren become toddlers and climbers. I'm prepared to make that adjustment when that happens.

 

[pax]

Gocart ~

You've got a PM.

pax

 

[Fred Fuller]

Carry a handgun at home. Then you have a gun handy all the time. A shotgun or two can be stashed handily and put in the safe or security cabinet when you leave home. Transfer the carry gun to bedside at night, into the safe/cabinet if you don't carry away from home.

lpl/nc (hardchromed P3AT in right hip pocket, Remington 870P propped nearby in the room)

 

[PaleRyder]

I carry mine around from room to room the entire time I'm home. I will not leave some stashed around, because I don't want the bad guy finding them.

 

[one45auto]

Like PaleRyder I, too, carry a gun with me from room to room although I do keep the Smith&Wesson Model 642 accessible for late night knocks on the door. (After all, should it turn out to be a relative it's somewhat difficult to stick a Glock 19 into a back pocket. )

 

[psyopspec]

DSRUPTV, how about as a compromise, keep one with you and the rest locked up?

 

[DSRUPTV]

how about as a compromise, keep one with you and the rest locked up?

I think this will be a good idea for me. At the present I have no concerns of children or any other means of my guns getting into less than responsible hands, but still a good idea to store those not used for defence. I also liked the idea of a long gun of sorts handy so it'll probably end up being one to carry around and the shotgun also left out in the bedroom closet. Thanks to every one who gave input and if anyone else has more by all means please share!!!!

 

[Mannlicher]

positioning? Here, there, and everywhere.

 

[zogorion]

I live in a 1,000 sq ft. 2BR apartment, it's single story and has an open floor plan for the most part, as open as 1,000 sq ft can get i guess. I kind of have the best of both worlds, I keep my 1911 on my nightstand if it's not on my hip, and my 870P right inside my bedroom door. The place is so small, I can get to them from anywhere in the house quicker than a BG could. And that's on the very remote chance a BG got into my apartment, it's on the 2nd of 3 floors, and there's no deck outside, I guess if they brought a ladder they could break a window, is that common? The only other way in is the front door, and it's metal, and it has a dead-bolt, and a peep-hole.
-Orion

 

[Liberty Ship]

Stainless steel .357 in the bottom of the litter box.

 

[JamisJockey]

I don't stash or keep around the house at current. In the near future I'm going to get another safe like the one I keep near my bed for the downstairs desk. Its a long ways from my computer to the bedroom.
http://www.adgsports.com/SecureVault.html#3

I'm not worried about hiding them, just keeping them secure from kids.

Would carrying a ccw weapon around the house on my person be a good option?

Yes, if you're comfortable doing so.

 

[one45auto]

Stainless steel .357 in the bottom of the litter box.

Jumpin' Jimminy Crickets!!

God help you if you ever have to retreive that gun in a hurry. Won't it be a bit difficult to shoot while moistened with cat urine?

 

[sturmruger]

I keep a hand gun by my computer, in the closet by the front door and a couple in my bedroom. I don't have kids so I don't have to worry about that.
The rest I keep in my gun safe.

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

The only "ready-to-rock" weapons should be:

a) behind some sort of lock (locked BR door, "LifeJacket" wallmount, arms locker, gunlock, safe, or combination of the above)

or

b) attached to you (slung, in hand, or holstered).

Anything else is ASKING for disaster.

Even if your kids are trained, your neighbors' may not be. Even if no one else comes into your house invited, there's always a risk of burglary; you don't want a gun stolen and resold, and you don't want to come home to a burglar whom you just inadvertantly armed.


Personally, I think the easiest way to deal with it is to wear your pistol whenever you wear your pants, and keep a long gun in a "quick-access" locking arrangement (i.e. keypad lock)... If you need it, you can follow Cooper's advice and use your sidearm to fight your way to it.