Where do you keep your HD weapon?

[mrkwns]

My biggest concern about having a loaded weapon in the house for home defense is coming home to somebody who is already in my house. I don't want my own weapon to be used against me.

I could keep it in a safe, but how easy could I get to it stresed out in the dark?

The easy answer is to just carry it with all of the time, but that presents its own problems...

What do you guys do?

 

[TAB]

Anywhere you can think to hide a weapon...crimals already know about it... kind of like hiding a key outside. If you really want something easy access and "safe" from bad guys, buy one of the lock boxs that have simple combos... ( like push buttons in the right order/ combo) then practice opening it.

 

[cleardiddion]

Well, in my case my weapons are locked up unless I'm home. When I'm home they're no more than two steps from my bedside.

 

[Wild Deuce]

The easy answer is to just carry it with all of the time, but that presents its own problems...

... such as ???

I'm not making fun of you. I'm serious. I need to know since, at my house, any weapon that isn't in the safe is in a holster on someone's hip.

 

[RyanM]

Propped up against a wall, near my bed. No kids, so I really don't have to worry about that. And it's in my bedroom, so I'd probably wake up if someone came in.

An RSC or other "safe" is really only good at keeping out the neighborhood kids if they come over to play, and maybe your own kids if you're not an idiot that sets the combination to an anniversary or birthday or something. That is, if you have kids, anyway.

An actual safe, properly bolted down and secured, will deter pretty much anyone but a professional safecracker, but will also not be very accessible.

 

[TAB]

An actual safe, properly bolted down and secured, will deter pretty much anyone but a professional safecracker, but will also not be very accessible.

I disagree, I can crack any home gun safe in less then 30 mins. With out a torch using tools that are readly available or can be rented for less then $50.

 

[mrkwns]

... such as ???

There are a lot of places where carrying is either not allowed or not a smart thing to do.

The other thing is my wife. If I carry the gun with me, that leaves her without when I am not home and she would need it the most. She is not interested in carrying full time, so I still have the original problem.

 

[herohog]

In the end-table next to my recliner where I pretty much live these days. I have the table positioned so I can draw from it almost as fast as if it were on top of the table. If that sounds impossible to you, here's the trick... the drawer is pointed behind the table.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Where do you keep your HD weapon?

All over the house.
If I need one I want it close at hand.

 

[JohnKSa]

Pretty simple to me. The gun's useless unless it's with me, so it's with me. When I come home my carry gun comes out of the holster and goes into the safe and my "house gun" comes out of the safe and goes on my belt. When leaving the house the process is reversed.

There are a lot of places where carrying is either not allowed or not a smart thing to do.

At HOME? You realize that HD = HOME DEFENSE, right?

The only problem I've had with carrying at home is that if you're not careful going through doorways it's hard on the woodwork. If someone drops in or I need to go out I can just untuck my shirt to cover up.

 

[Wild Deuce]

There are a lot of places where carrying is either not allowed or not a smart thing to do.

The other thing is my wife. If I carry the gun with me, that leaves her without when I am not home and she would need it the most. She is not interested in carrying full time, so I still have the original problem.

I apologize, I thought you meant there were problems with carrying at home. I keep forgetting there are people that live in places where CCW isn't "allowed" or people choose to obey (must obey?) their masters (that's not a jab ... I do it myself as distasteful as it seems at times). As for the wife, I don't share that problem since she has her own collection of carry guns and she does carry all the time.

The only problem I've had with carrying at home is that if you're not careful going through doorways it's hard on the woodwork.

That's a legit problem. You should see my doorways at waist level after a few years of at-home-carry.

If someone drops in or I need to go out I can just untuck my shirt to cover up.

If someone drops in, they will have to process and deal with what they see. We stopped worrying about what visitors thought of us a long time ago.

If I go out (even to take out the trash), I will cover up because people not on my property and people not necessarily coming to visit me can see me. I view it no differently than going to the mall ... I want potential criminals to have to guess.

 

[Geno]

In firearms vaults unless on my person.

 

[gym]

I keep a few guns around the house unless my grandkids are coming over. I have this one fiberglass gun holder that slips between the matress and bedspring, and your holster, "almost any kind", clips on so the only thing showing is the pistol, flat against the side of the mattress. If you make your bed or use a comforter, no one will ever know it's there, and at night where your arm natrually would hang off the side, the gun is right there, if anyone is interested, i'll look and get the name of it, don't want to wake up the wife.

 

[ravnew]

For me it's simple, my carry gun is on me at all times when I'm at home and everywhere I can legally carry when I'm out. At night it's within 2 feet of my bed. If for some reason I can't have it on me, hasn't happended yet, it is in the safe. I do use a cover garmet at all times since I have little ones around.

 

[mrkwns]

At HOME? You realize that HD = HOME DEFENSE, right?

Ummmm... yeah. I realize that. Sorry if i wasn't clear on that.

What I was saying is that If I carry my gun with me when I LEAVE the house, it would solve the problem of coming home to an intruder already in the house holding MY GUN and ambushing me when I walk in the front door.

I choose not to CCW full time, because it is not reasonable in my situation.

If you really want something easy access and "safe" from bad guys, buy one of the lock boxs that have simple combos... ( like push buttons in the right order/ combo) then practice opening it.

This is probably my best bet. While I still don't like it in a panic situation, every choice has its disadvantages.

I have even considered just leaving it in the nightstand. If an intruder has the drop on me already, has hostile intentions, and is even a little bit resourcefull, there are enough potential weapons in any house that I would probably be screwed. He wouldn't need a gun. Otherwise, he will probably be out the back door before I get the front door open.

 

[RyanM]

I disagree, I can crack any home gun safe in less then 30 mins. With out a torch using tools that are readly available or can be rented for less then $50.

I said an actual safe. Didn't you read the part where I already covered RSCs?

Good luck cutting through 2 inches of steel, 4 inches of concrete, and then another 1" of steel, using a torch and hand tools...

 

[Rudolf_FL]

Do a risk assessment of your individual situation. Not everybody needs to be armed up to the teeth 24/7.

I pocket carry a Scandium J-frame nearly all the time.
12 oz or so. Very easy to conceal and carry in all social and business situations. My biggest problem is that I literally forget that I carry a gun.
Think of school buildings and post offices ...

If I go to sleep the J-frame goes into the safe.

During nighttime I have my .45 readily accessible in a "hidden agenda" from Galco. Looks like a filofax. My wife used to freak out just by thinking that there is a loaded gun around. Now, I have my new "business filofax" at my bed side.


It's really funny. She knows what this hidden agenda is for. Just the fact that is doesn't scream gun soothes her.

If you have small kids around, I would suggest to use a lockbox with an electronic lock. You can put it under your bed. If a kid should find it it won't be able to access the gun. When you go to bed just unlock the box and put it on your night stand. Reverse the process in the morning and you don't have to worry about the kids accessing a loaded gun.

Hope that helps.

 

[Right Wing Wacko]

The Shotguns are in the Safe, but the 9MM is on my hip, even when at home.

If I need quick access, I'll have to use the 9MM. If there is time, I'll grab the 12 gauge.

 

[skarpenz]

I have guns everywhere. One in the desk in the den, one in the utility drawer in the kitchen, four in my bedroom (3 handguns and a 12ga 870). Most out of plain sight accept the bedroom where the shotgun sits. They're all loaded and chambered, ready to go. But then again, I NEVER have children around. No one comes to my home outside of my wife and parents and a few close friends. No one I wouldn't trust my life to.

So if you DO need to keep guns handy and from the kids just mount a shotgun on the wall where the kids cannot get to it above the bed, and if you're worried about kids getting to a handgun, get one of those biometric single gun safes. They're really quick to get into and pretty inexpensive.

 

[Treo]

For familiarity sake I use the same gun ( A CZ75B .40 cal) for carry and HD. If I wake up in the middle of the night I don't want to have to think about which gun I have. that said I have it W/me 24 /7 . if that isn't an option Cabella's ( & ,I'm sure others) carries a single gun gunbox that opens on a thumbprint, you can set it to recognize yours & your wife's print & you never need to worry about keys or combinations

 

[gunsmith]

I carry pretty much 24/7

single guy in Reno leaves me with most options open for carrying
I try my best to avoid places where I cant carry.

 

[annielulu]

I either have a Glock 36 or a Khar PM9 on me whenever I am awake and dressed, indoors or outside.

A .45 long Colt revolver and 12 gauge shotgun with 00 buck are within reach of my bed at night.

I always have a weapon accessible to me. Gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling.