Gun storage

[wisco]

Question for other parents here: How do you store your firearms?

My son is currently 2 years old. He's becoming quite adept at climbing/accessing things he's not supposed to. I keep a loaded 9mm on a top shelf in my closet. It's still out of his range at this point, but naturally I am concerned about the future.

Why do I keep it loaded? Because I have had a break-in before and want quick access to my gun if it happens again. If I have an intruder I don't want to be fumbling in the dark trying to load the weapon.

I have other rifles and such, but they are for recreational purposes and kept unloaded. The 9mm is strictly for home defense.

So, what do you do... or what would you suggest that would secure a gun from a child, but still allow me quick and easy access should such an event occur?

[Cat_Doc]

I always had pistols available for quick access even though we had three kids. Like you, I kept them high, even building a higher shelf in my bedroom closet that forced me to reach up quite extended.

The best thing I ever did was to take them all out to the range when they were about four or so and stand behind them while they shot my pistol. Each one of them had enough from one shot. I think it scared them and they lost all curiosity about wanting to mess with any guns in the house.

With this said, I still kept the pistol up very high in the closet and the bedroom was always off limits to the kids and you have to do what you think is right to protect your home and protect your kids.

[greg72982]

In the past I would think that would be good, but not after this story: Police Say Boy, 5, Killed With Cop Dad's Gun

Cat would know better than me though

[Switchback]

I always have one out. It is always loaded. It is up pretty high in my closet. My kids could easily get to it if they wanted to. However, they don't go snooping around in my room when my I am around. If I am not around, the gun is with me.

Now, with that said, the kids really have no interest. I took a different approach than Cat, though. My kids have always been able to check out my gun (and all my other equipment anytime that they want. They know what it all does and they know what is dangerous and what is not. They are well educated in all of it and their is no novelty in any of it. From the start (such as when the kids were in preschool) I tried to avoid using the term "gun". In stead, they were dad's work tools. Plumbers and mechanics have work tools, so does dad. Now days, they know better and they know when it is and is not appropriate to talk about them.

I remember my grandma complaining when I came home from work with everything exposed, worrying about the kids seeing my guns. So I called my youngest over (who was about 5 at the time) and he rattled-off a nice description of everything on my belt. I then asked if he was allowed to touch anything and he said, "All of it." I asked if he wanted to see the gun and he said, "Sure." I unholstered it and asked if he wanted it, and he said that he did not until it was the "bullets were out." I dropped the mag and asked him if he was ready for it and he said that I had to "slide the top." I racked it and went to give it to him and he said only after we both looked at it to make sure it was empty. My grandma was dumbfounded and I was very proud.

[Legoate]

Digital gunsafe. Takes only seconds to get it out. I get home, put my gun in...go out, pull my gun out...so it's a daily routine. I used to just slide it under my side of the bed.

-We also had a local officer who recently lost a child with his own, improperly stored gun. I'm not sure that I could live with that kind of guilt.

[MikeG]

I have a finger lock safe. I can move it to the closet if I need to but it's adequate to keep others out. It's not secure against theft but its quick access to a loaded, chambered pistol. There are also holsters you caould get that are more difficult for kids to manipulate. Not a fail safe method but better than nothing.

Normally I carry a kahr but I keep that in the big safe. In the finger safe I have a Beretta 92FS because it scares the bejeezus out of me when I watch how kids play with a squirt bottle. Apparently it's instinctive for them to point it at their head and pull the trigger with their thumb. The Beretta at least has a safety that would buy time. It's not something I rely on though.

Personally I don't like high storage mostly because I can't carry all the time and it would be a bad habit for me not to lock up. I certainly don't want to be thinking about whether I put it up high or locked it up if I didn't have it with me.

Watching my 3 year old nephews has shown me they can get into anything. They can move a chair to open the high deadbolt. They can use their toes to climb the pool fence. They watch everything and learn like sponges. They know the digital push button combination on the garage door from watching. Nothing substitues for vigilance. Even the pool fence is just a time buyer.

This is similar to what I have but diff brand:
http://www.gunvault.com/handgun-safe...ni-deluxe.html

They have smaller ones too.

[mcsap]

Agree 100% with the digital gunsafe. EASY to open IF you know the combination.

[mcsap]

I always have one out. It is always loaded. It is up pretty high in my closet. My kids could easily get to it if they wanted to. However, they don't go snooping around in my room when my I am around. If I am not around, the gun is with me.

Now, with that said, the kids really have no interest. I took a different approach than Cat, though. My kids have always been able to check out my gun (and all my other equipment anytime that they want. They know what it all does and they know what is dangerous and what is not. They are well educated in all of it and their is no novelty in any of it. From the start (such as when the kids were in preschool) I tried to avoid using the term "gun". In stead, they were dad's work tools. Plumbers and mechanics have work tools, so does dad. Now days, they know better and they know when it is and is not appropriate to talk about them.

I remember my grandma complaining when I came home from work with everything exposed, worrying about the kids seeing my guns. So I called my youngest over (who was about 5 at the time) and he rattled-off a nice description of everything on my belt. I then asked if he was allowed to touch anything and he said, "All of it." I asked if he wanted to see the gun and he said, "Sure." I unholstered it and asked if he wanted it, and he said that he did not until it was the "bullets were out." I dropped the mag and asked him if he was ready for it and he said that I had to "slide the top." I racked it and went to give it to him and he said only after we both looked at it to make sure it was empty. My grandma was dumbfounded and I was very proud.

GREAT story

[txinvestigator1]

I mean no criticism to anyone who may have done this, but storing a gun high is a trajedy waiting to happen. The ONLY way to protect children is to lock it up. Each of us must balance our belief we may need immediate access to the gun with our obligation to keep it from unauthorized persons.

Some folks don't worry about immediate access, and store them with trigger locks, in safes, etc. Some store them in quick access safes where the gun can be loaded, but secure from the kids.

My daughter weas shooting at age 7. She knew the cardinal safety rules and we went over and over safety in the home. However, I knew she was only 7. You cannot predict the behavior of a kid that age. I was not going to be the parent that said, "But I never thought.....". My loaded home handgun was and is locked up in a quick access small safe when not on my person.

In addition to protecting her, we are responsible for protecting friends she has over. She has always had friends over. She still does. Just a few weeks ago we had 6 other 14 year olds for an overnight. My daughter has done very well picking friends, but when they are in my house I am responsible for them. I certainly don't know them well enough to assume they won't go snooping. (we keep booze locked up to ;) )

Texas has a law that makes it a crime for the adult if a person under 17 gains access to a firearm with a round in it (chambered or not) and the adult failed to secure the firearm. There are exceptions for supervised access, self or home defense and if the gun is accessed by a criminal.

Merry Christmas

[Reconciler]

I remember my grandma complaining when I came home from work with everything exposed, worrying about the kids seeing my guns. So I called my youngest over (who was about 5 at the time) and he rattled-off a nice description of everything on my belt. I then asked if he was allowed to touch anything and he said, "All of it." I asked if he wanted to see the gun and he said, "Sure." I unholstered it and asked if he wanted it, and he said that he did not until it was the "bullets were out." I dropped the mag and asked him if he was ready for it and he said that I had to "slide the top." I racked it and went to give it to him and he said only after we both looked at it to make sure it was empty. My grandma was dumbfounded and I was very proud.

Sounds like you did a very nice job of indoctrination lol I'm sure your Grandmother's face was priceless Merry Christmas

[MikeG]

I remember my grandma complaining when I came home from work with everything exposed, worrying about the kids seeing my guns. So I called my youngest over (who was about 5 at the time) and he rattled-off a nice description of everything on my belt. I then asked if he was allowed to touch anything and he said, "All of it." I asked if he wanted to see the gun and he said, "Sure." I unholstered it and asked if he wanted it, and he said that he did not until it was the "bullets were out." I dropped the mag and asked him if he was ready for it and he said that I had to "slide the top." I racked it and went to give it to him and he said only after we both looked at it to make sure it was empty. My grandma was dumbfounded and I was very proud.

That's only because you have 5 year-old Virtual reality 300 degree simulator scenario that uses your negative feedback zapper whenever he doesn't get it right. .

Great story.

[Switchback]

Actually, I mistakenly put "youngest" when it was my oldest... about 7 years ago, long before the Virtra machine.
:D

[Kimble]

Digital gunsafe. Takes only seconds to get it out. I get home, put my gun in...go out, pull my gun out...so it's a daily routine. I used to just slide it under my side of the bed.

Same here, except I keep mine on top of my bedside table. This is pretty close to what it looks like, very convenient and easily accessible:

[wisco]

In the past I would think that would be good, but not after this story: Police Say Boy, 5, Killed With Cop Dad's Gun

See, and that's the kind of stuff that worries me. Someone who has had far more training/experience with a firearm than I have, and something tragic like this still happens.

[wisco]

Same here, except I keep mine on top of my bedside table. This is pretty close to what it looks like, very convenient and easily accessible:

Does that thing read finerprints or something?