12 Gauge Behind the head bed board. + Kids?

[Logan5]

I’ve got a 7, 5, & a 2 year old.
The idea… magnetically mount a 12 gauge behind my beds head board
with two magnets plates holing it in place, if my kids if found it they would not be able to pull it free, due to the strength of the magnets.
Also there is not enough room to work the action mounted back there.
Right now all my long guns are secured in the closest 15+ feet away, and I would like faster access.

Any thoughts on making that idea safe enough to do?
I’m hoping someone’s got an innovating idea that would work.

Otherwise it is a no go.

Thanks!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[AZ Husker]

I've always had an 870 by my bed, even when the kids were growing up. Of course, I took them through firearms training since they were old enough to understand (starting with the wonderful NRA Eddie Eagle class). Even though my girls are gone today, I still keep that pump shotgun in the same place and same condition...Cycle the slide on an empty chamber (cocking the gun), engage the safety, then load the tube with 00 Buck. The gun is safe except for folks that have training, including bad guys breaking in. All it takes to render the piece useful to you is depressing the slide release, racking the slide, and disengaging the safety. Best home defense weapon you can get!

[MnemonicMonkey]

My dad's old headboard he rigged with a panel that would drop down if you pushed it in the right place. I never remember him having it in there though.

I've been thinking about something along the same lines, but with a cruiser type mount with the electric release hooked up to a keypad.

+1 to storing with an empty chamber.

[glock27mark]

good idea except for the fact that one way or another,one of the kids
will find it,and the trigger is always the first thing.would surely leave
a nice hole in the wall or worse......bad idea with kids running around
but thats only my opinion.

[Chooie]

Gun proofing your kids is the best course of action. Kids are curious creatures, and would find the gun anyway. How many things in your parents bedroom did you know about, and you just KNOW they didn't know you knew? I rest my case.

[Cupcake]

I have a cheap stack-on gun locker bolted to the wall next to my bed. More for kids (mine too, 11 &13, but mostly friends) than burglars. At bedtime I keep a key in the door. I think you'd be suprised at the resourcefulness of curious kids to find a way to get the gun. Definately start training them early, but I think it's a bad idea to not have a lock between them and a gun.

[atctimmy]

I was on the sportsmans guide web site and saw a couple of cool products. They had a wall clock, and a picture frame that opened up to hold a pistol and a spare mag. It was about 30 bucks for either. I bought the picture frame and am awaiting its arrival. I intent to hang it high enough, and not near anything climb-able, that my kids wont be able to get in. They also had a small steel lock box similar to a stack on type product that fits between the studs of your wall so it fits flush, and could be covered by a curtain or something. Check em out! Discount Hunting Gear, Discount Hunting Boots, Discount Shoes, Discount Ammunition, Discount Ammo, Discount Boots, Military Surplus, Outdoor Gear At the Sportsman's Guide

[friesepferd]

theres got to be some good way that you can have it secure, yet still quickly accessible. they should make something like a quick access safe, but a mounting bracket. something where you cant pull the gun down or get at the trigger without a quick code or thumb print, then it lets go of the longgun. i think that would be nice, and sell pretty good too.

[NCHornet]

I agree with Chooie, you need to Gun proof your kids instead of kid proofing the gun. I have loaded guns around my kids their entire life, when they were real young they were out of their reach, when they got a bit older they were learning proper gun saftey. If you can't trust the kids keep the bedroom locked. If the guns aren't a curiousity to the kids they won't be infatuated with playing with them. You know your kids better than anyone else. Special hiding places and trigger locks just make acessing the gun that much slower.
NCH

[Logan5]

My 7 year old boy is trained in gun safety.
I’ve even put it to the test with a real replica gun left out in the living room.
The video is funny to watch – he walks over to take a close look at it.
Identify that it is real (or so he thought) - Quickly clears his sister & little brother out of the room.
Comes back calling out for an adult and not letting any of his siblings in the room until an adult showed up.

But as for the 5 year old girl – and her 2 year brother would be a great risk.

I need something maybe like “The Clapper” gun release.
No one would expect to clap for a gun unlock, I would think.

[glock27mark]

the clapper for a shotgun.just clap,weapon pointed at bg and fires.
gives new meaning to the word,automatic weapon.

[jonesy_26]

I've been thinking of mounting some brackets to the backside of the top of my closet opening (backside of the header inside the closet) and keeping it up there. Not only is it out of sight but it can be grabbed with one hand.

[isuace]

Lock it up in the safe during the day, get it out and put it next to the bed at night.

[retsupt99]

Educate the kids...keeps the guns out of reach (locked closed, or a safe)...until you are 100% sure that the kids are gun-proofed.

OMO

Stay armed...stay safe!

[Pete Zaria]

I agree with all the advice of "gunproof your kids as best as possible", and giving them an ad-hoc test like Logan5 did is a good idea, too.

Your magnet idea sounds decent, given a few things:

-Find STRONG magnets, one that YOU have to pull pretty hard to get the gun free of. Try surplus stores. I'm not too far away from one of Boeing's plants, they have a surplus store down there and I'm sure I've seen big magnets.
-Keep it in the condition AZ Husker recommended - cocked on an empty chamber, safety on. Even if they DID somehow manage to get it free, they probably wouldn't know where the slide release is.
-Leave a work shirt conveniently hung from the bed post so it covers the gun. Out of sight, out of mind.
-Lock your bedroom door when you're not in it, even a simple "bathroom doorknob" type lock (that can be opened with a flathead screwdriver) will do.

I think that would be safe *enough*, assuming you educate your children as best as possible. The seven year old can be taught not to touch it, so that shouldn't be a real big problem. The two year old couldn't get it off the magnet or operate the slide release, no risk there. The five year old is the biggest problem I see.

Just my opinion.

Peace,
Pete Zaria.