While You're Away

[Fleetman]

Just wondering how some of you folks might handle a situation like this:

The "other" and I have always kept loaded firearms strategically placed around the house, normally a minimum of one per room that we most often frequent. However, just recently she started working again and we (shudder...lol) commute together and we're normally gone about 12 hours a day. Both of us are licensed to carry in our home state of Pennsylvania.

The problem:
Aside from putting all of the firearms in the safe except our carry guns, we are now effectively unarmed when we return at night. Unfortunately, we commute to a state where our permits are not valid (nor are any other permits...Maryland sucks!) so we are tasked with taking our carry guns with us, unloading them prior to entering Md and, upon returning to Pa, loading up again. You can probably see where this is going....most people will do this for a short time at best and/or occasionally "forget" to re-load. We are forced, by Maryland law, to have our firearms and ammo separated in a vehicle, therefore we use small gun safes in our vehicle for the guns and mags/speed-loaders go in the glove compartment. Sure, we can stop and reload upon returning to Pa but it is a major inconvenience to pull off the highway each time and reloading while traveling, IMO, is not a good idea since other vehicles COULD possibly see what you're doing and freak out. Effectively, we are unarmed when we return home if we "forget" or simply choose not to re-arm.

Although this may seem to be a trivial problem, going through this routine EVERY day, five days a week, leads to eventually entering the house the majority of the time unarmed OR leaving the guns at home which then leads to either putting the carry guns in the safe or leaving them "hidden"....neither of which is a good idea. Yes, I could open the safe each night and re-arm, then put them back in the safe the next morning, and repeat, etc, etc, etc, etc but in all honesty, how many people will REALLY go through this routine each day? After all, everybody has their normal routines every day when they return home....feeding pets, cooking dinner, etc and although opening the safe is not that big of a deal (I guess I could upgrade to an electronic lock) it is still somewhat of an inconvenience.

This post is probably more of a rant than anything but I am just curious if anyone else faces a similar issue. Your thoughts/opinions?

 

[Kleanbore]

You do not want to enter a house, whether armed or unarmed, if there is any indication that there is anyone inside who should not be there.

Yes to electronic locks.

 

[Thlax]

Don't know how to help sorry, but I'm in DE and hate going over to the peoples republic of MD

 

[leadcounsel]

I wouldn't leave your gun in the home unsecured. Too easy for a burglary or worse, a crime or even a setup/framing with your own guns!

Your situation is crappy. Personally, unless there are no other options for work, I would consider getting a job in the free state of PA and not going into MD. If that's not an option, I don't see any other option than disarming when you enter MD and rearming whne you leave MD.... good luck.

 

[Rail Driver]

I see a couple of options... New job for one or both, hire someone to stay at home and watch your house, one of you quit in order to stay home with the guns, or get rid of the guns and you won't have to worry about it.

My comment may seem a bit "smart mouth" but it's not intended that way... Those are really the only options I see considering the scenario laid out. I'd be willing to take even a 10% pay cut in order to avoid a situation like you describe.

 

[dirtykid]

We do a similar routine, only they are hidden in plain sight ,, underneath wife's bra-panties in dresser,, between matress/boxspring,downstairs in laundry room in cupboard with detergent and downstairs bathroom in vanity underneath " female-products",,, when i placed them, i entered my house and thought like a thief,,, looked around and said now what can i steal QUIK and get out of here ? most thieves spend just minutes in a house grabbing only high-value stuff in plain sight,, lap-tops,flat-screens,x-box's,jewelry etc,,,, if they are taking they time and looking thru undie-drawer or in box of tampons then they are either stupid or perverted, or both,, my safe is bolted to floor in closet BEHIND clothes so a quik glance into closet reveals nothing,, i do worry about them being "out" of secure safe but, feel confident that my hiding spots are secure,, Oh yea,, dont forget to take each one out at least monthly and shoot it , or at least cycle action and check to make sure their not "dry" or filled with lint or something,,

 

[stonecutter2]

You do not want to enter a house, whether armed or unarmed, if there is any indication that there is anyone inside who should not be there.

Yes to electronic locks.

I agree with this. If you're out of the house, and it appears someone has been in there, don't go in, call the police and wait for them to clear the house.

I recommend locking up all of your firearms while you're away. When home, rearm in the garage if that makes you feel better before entering.

I don't think you have much to worry about, just remain alert when returning home and if anything seems out of place, get someplace safe and call in the profressionals. At least you'll know your firearms were secured, in case it was just a smash and grab style invasion. The police won't care as much about your TV or jewelry once they hear that firearms are missing.

 

[stonecutter2]

We do a similar routine, only they are hidden in plain sight ,, underneath wife's bra-panties in dresser,, between matress/boxspring,downstairs in laundry room in cupboard with detergent and downstairs bathroom in vanity underneath " female-products",,, when i placed them, i entered my house and thought like a thief,,, looked around and said now what can i steal QUIK and get out of here ? most thieves spend just minutes in a house grabbing only high-value stuff in plain sight,, lap-tops,flat-screens,x-box's,jewelry etc,,,, if they are taking they time and looking thru undie-drawer or in box of tampons then they are either stupid or perverted, or both,, my safe is bolted to floor in closet BEHIND clothes so a quik glance into closet reveals nothing,, i do worry about them being "out" of secure safe but, feel confident that my hiding spots are secure,, Oh yea,, dont forget to take each one out at least monthly and shoot it , or at least cycle action and check to make sure their not "dry" or filled with lint or something,,

People who thieve regularly also know where people regularly hide stuff. Underwear drawer is one, under the mattress another. It takes little time to fling undies out of a drawer or lift up a mattress.

Have you ever seen "it takes a thief?" Interesting show. Watch it and then hide things anywhere else than what's shown on that show

I actually have an old broken blank firing pistol that I hid under our mattress. If someone thinks they got something good and then bolts with it to the nearest pawn shop, the joke's on them.

 

[kingpin008]

I'll ditto this. If you've thought of a place to hide something, so has a thief - and they're not afraid to dig into your wife's undies or dump out a box of tampons to find whatever it is they're looking for.

Simply hiding items that you want to secure from theft is a poor choice, as they're neither hidden nor secure.

 

[Fleetman]

Just to clarify.....there are NO guns in the house when we're not at home other than what's locked in the safe....we take our carry guns with us and keep them locked in the mini-safes while in hostile states. I doubt someone will make off with our 1200 lb+ safe....at least not easily and the alarm will be sounding the entire time.

Different jobs are not an option. We would never enter if we felt someone were in there. I also agree that NO hiding spot is good enough to fool a thief.

I guess we'll just continue dis-arming and re-arming....an inconvenience for sure but a minor inconvenience in light of the potential consequences.

We are not paranoid by any means and have no reason to be and I doubt very seriously if anyone is aware of firearms in the house but you never know. However, we feel we are potential targets though....older, out of shape, Corvette in the garage, etc, etc. I will look into upgrading to an electronic lock for the Liberty.

Thanks for all the replies folks!

 

[Kurt S.]

No perfect hiding places

Ever been burglarized or seen a friend's place after a burglary? Burglars are not fastidious individuals; they don't care much about your stuff unless it's valuables they are after. They don't have a lot of time and won't just rummage a little bit in obvious places; they tip over furniture, throw food out of your fridge, tear pictures off walls, break crockery, etc.

Upgrade the safe to electronic locking. Consider well secured small safes for immediate access when you get home.

Disarming and rearming in transit is non-trivial, as well as annoying in the extreme. I have had to do so when traveling many times, being unable to avoid places like Illinois, for example (No insult here, just the way things are). I don't believe I've ever been "made" while doing so, but past performance is no guarantee and I remain cautious and vigilant while doing so. But then we go about heeled always are, right?

 

[TexasBill]

When you cross the state line back into PA, make it a routine to stop for a beverage (FYI, I am thinking of coffee or a soft drink here). Park somewhere that it would be hard for a passer-by to see what you're doing and take the opportunity to remove your carry guns and ammo. When you get back on the road, whoever is not driving reloads.

The specifics are going to depend on what you carry and the type of vehicle you drive, but it should be doable.

Soon, it will become a habit.

 

[Fleetman]

yes sir, I've been burglarized in the past and it's not pretty.

Luckily, we do have a rest area immediately upon entering Pa so we'll continue re-arming there....it's just a matter of routine I suppose. We're both adjusting to her working again. As said, different jobs are not an option since we're both consultants and under contract.

As stated in my original post....more ranting than anything but just looking for other opinions of what others do in the same circumstance.

Electronic lock looks like my best option to avoid the hassle of the tumbler and I would feel much better with the 870 under the bed each night instead of in the safe and it's not THAT big of an inconvenience to access the safe, particularly with an electronic lock.

I strongly agree there is no hiding place a thief won't find thus the reason we leave nothing out and available. TV's and stuff I can let go but my guns.....no way! Actually a thief might do me a favor if he stole the tv's....heck, maybe I could even upgrade to one of them newfangled color tv's!! Maybe even a remote-control!! Lol!!

 

[Wolfeye]

You have a better situation than I do: I commute via public transportation to a job where I can't legally take my gun, and they have no provisions to store my gun for me if I did bring one. (I don't think I'd trust them to, anyway.) This means that my carry piece stays in the safe from the time I leave for work until the time I get back. You'll get used to the arm/disarm routine; I did. You get quick at it after a while. I end up taking less-lethal weapons with me to work, things that wouldn't get confiscated.

I've found that keeping the empty holster on my person can save a little hassle, but then every time I bump it, it reminds me of how empty it is.

Quick-access safes are a must, but we only put the bare minimal in there; the rest are more secure. One of our quick-safes is big enough for the shotgun.

 

[kda]

Is a home alarm system an option? Mine makes a terrible racket when it goes off and my service is with a reputable national company so the burglars should have little doubt that not only will the neighbors hear the racket but that a call has been placed to the alarm company.

At under $50 / month (find a deal for free installation), this may be a viable solution to your problem too.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Fleetman
While You're Away
Just wondering how some of you folks might handle a situation like this:<SNIP>

When I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is put my gun on. When I get to the office I put my firearm in a lockbox in my car and put my NAA mini in my pants pocket. The reverse happens when I leave the office at the end of the day. It may sound tedious but it's just a routine.

I guess what I'm saying is that sometimes one has to take an extra effort for things that are important to them. I would also get a monitored alarm system for about $30 a month.

 

[FAS1]

You could mount a small but strong handgun safe like this somewhere close to the entrance of your home. My HD handgun gun stays in one mounted to my bed frame.

I think you are going to need to just get in the habit of re-arming yourself at least when you are in your driveway getting home. You don't plan on leaving your guns in the car over night are you? You just have to form the good habits and it probably won't be a problem in the long run but certainly an inconvenience.

 

[feedthehogs]

Put some work into securing the house better so you don't have to worry about it.

Unless you live in a high crime area, most crimminals unless they KNOW what you have, are crimminals by convienence. That is if its easy to get in, they will.

Make it hard and they'll go away.

 

[Sauer Grapes]

You should check the laws for MD. If you did that in reverse for Pa. you would be committing a felony.
It is illegal in Pa. to transport a firearm to your job coming from another state without a LTCF. Maryland may have a similar law.
If you live in Pa and want to go shooting in VA, you are within your rights under federal law to do so. As long as your PASSING thru the other states.
You could get pinched for having a handgun even though it's locked up. The way I understand federal law, it gives you the right to travel thru states on your way to a second home or to participate in a shooting event in some other state.
Going back and forth from an out of state job is NOT passing thru a state.

Am I wrong on this? I'm not a lawyer and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night.....lol

 

[Old Shooter]

Put the carry guns in a briefcase or gym bag for taking them in and out of the trunk at the beverage stop area.

Do you live in an extremely high crime area? I've had guns in the house in various cities/states for over 50 years and never had any problems or felt uncomfortable leaviing them in position at the house, mayby I've just been lucky. I do ccw most of the time, but in those instances where I can't, such as when visiting relatives in upstate New York, I resort to other means of self defense (spray, knife, etc.).

For an extended vacation I do secure the house guns in a different area with local relatives, (locked in the trunk of my car in their locked garage) just not for daily go to work situations that you are facing.

 

[Fleetman]

to answer some of the questions asked:

We do have LTCF's for Pa and we are carrying firearms (in a safe) legally in Maryland (we have checked and have it in writing which we carry also)...firearms must be locked and separated from the ammo. We use small mini-safes secured to the seat frames of our vehicle. The safes only contain firearms while in Md...at home they come in.

We do have a house alarm although we live in a pretty rural area. The house is well secured.

Thanks for a lot of good replies....at this point it is merely a matter of a routine-change AND the purchase of the electronic lock which will be done very soon. In the meantime I will tumble away!