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Young Children?

3K views 33 replies 25 participants last post by  1911 guy 
#1 ·
This question is for those who have young children at home. My son is almost two, which is too young to explain firearms to him. So my question is what methods have you used to protect them from the gun yet keep accessibility high for home defense situations?
 
#2 ·
i dont have children but come from a big hunting family.
i was always familiar with them along with my younger sisters and knew they were not toys and so did they. my dad would tell us what they were and that they were not something to play with not just for us but anybody. by the time i was 5 i had my first 22.
you probably dont want rifles above your fireplace or anything.
a good gun cabinet is a good thing too.
dont know if im making any sence or if ya know what im talking about
 
#4 ·
If you'd run a :search: , this question has been asked dozens of times before.

1) Hidden in a high place the toddler could not conceivably access. One member just suggested putting large hooks on the inside of your closet, above the door, and hanging the gun there. You wouldn't see it unless you stood in the closet and looked outward.

2) Wedged tight between the headboard of the bed and the wall so that a young child could not pull it free, with a light jacket or something similar casually covering it.

3) Gun safe with a lock that will allow quick access, such as a 5-button combination safe or etc....

4) I have a friend that built a hidden compartment into the headboard of his bed specifically for this purpose. Admittedly he's a professional woodworker, but it's beautifully done, and you'd never know it was there, even if you looked closely.

5) Whatever you do store the gun in such a way that you can't just pick it up and pull the trigger. Semiauto's in cond3, shotguns/rifles with an empty chamber, etc.... Most young kids I know couldn't rack the slide on most semiauto pistols or pump shotguns.

Again, :search: , theres tons of great info on this forum.

Peace,
Pete Zaria.

Edit: Why not put a lock on your bedroom door and leave it locked whenever you're not in your bedroom? A simple bathroom-doorknob type lock would be sufficient, at least until they're 10 or so and figure out how to pick them.
 
#5 ·
We have two kids, both under 5 years. We have most of the long guns locked in a safe. We have our pistols on a high shelf in the closet. We leave the shotgun unloaded in another closet with shells on the upper shelf of that closet.

We emphasize again and again and again and again that guns are not toys, that little children are not to touch guns unless Mommy or Daddy hands them the gun. I can guarantee you that given the chance to handle a gun, both kids would take it and could care less about what we've told them.

We are currently in the market for a pistol safe. Unfortunately my husband and I differ on what we want in a safe. Those differences will be resolved this comming weekend.

The ultimate home defense plan wherein the pistol is on the nightstand and the shotgun under the bed is untenable for our home. I would love to leave the shotgun loaded, but our children just simply are not of an age where this is safe. Since they are the entire reason we even want to protect our home, we make compromises that are hopefully offset by living in an area where such horrific things as home invasion are rare, by keeping animals that are safe but good alarm systems, by being polite members of society, good neighbors, etc. In short, we do the best we know how to do.
 
#7 ·
+1

Our kids are 2 and 4yo old. Our 2yo does know guns are a "no-touch", but like a 2 year old is really going to obey that?! I'm with ya on the shoes thing. :yup: I think that demystifying the gun is probably one of the best things you could do. My 4 yo sees that it's a regular part of my wardrobe. She knows not to touch it, but she also knows that it should be pointed in a safe direction, etc... Knowing and doing are two totally different things though, and I think that is what makes guns and kids a delicate subject.

The only thing that's loaded in the house is the xd9, and even at that, I don't have one in the chamber. I just can't take the chance at this point. I put it high up in the kitchen during the day, but who really knows when they're going to start climbing? Mine isn't...yet. At night the pistol is on my highboy dresser, well out of reach for kids, but the parents as well.

We are looking for a safe too.
 
#6 ·
My respects to Pete, but the things he mentions would not work with our children.

There is NOTHING in this house that one or both of them have not noticed nor found. Including the dead bird in the fireplace cleanout behind the stove in the basement....their little minds and bodies are so very active and so very observant!!

It is our experience that putting and object up high merely challenges them to find ways to get at it....and within a week, they've found a way to get to wherever they want.

Wedging things in merely keeps them entertained for longer while they use every toy they own to pry it out. There is no such thing as a hidden compartment.

Our best efforts have been along the lines of making the gun an everyday, not a big deal, boring thing. And still yet the oldest goes to preschool and draws guns shooting bullets on his "art" pages...sigh.
 
#9 ·
My respects to Pete, but the things he mentions would not work with our children.
Wow.... This is why I'm not having kids. At least until I'm 35 (that only gives me ten years to change my mind). Thanks for the heads-up :smile:

Peace,
Pete Zaria.
 
#8 ·
What I have done with my son.

1) Quick access combo pistol safe, fastened with a steel cord to the bed frame. He knows its there but can not open it. The steel cable keeps it in the same place (reasonbly) for quick access.

2) M1 Carbine hung from bicycle hooks in my closet above the door. It is only visible if you stand in my closet turn around and look up. This might not be an option for you depending on how climbable your closet is, my wifes closet shelves act as a ladder.

3) A other safe (Honeywell combo lock box) in my wifes night stand draw for her pistol.

4) all other guns stored in Stack-On gun safe
 
#10 ·
As far as teaching about guns, I hope to teach him that they are like knives, broken glass, power cords etc..... they are things that he does not touch with out My or his Mothers permission
 
#11 ·
#24 ·
I'd have a concern about this. Child makes the millionth attempt at opening and now the safe is totally locked and no way to open it except by key. Child does not tell you and you do not find out. The real boogey man breaks down your front door and you try to open the safe without the key. The real key is hid somewhere else (separate from the safe). What are you going to do now? Clock is ticking.

I have a boy soon to be 1 year old. Gun vault for my wife, one for me and I will probably pick up another one to put downstairs.

My gun vault in bedroom gets me enough time to open the real gun safe in bedroom closet with access to Rem 870 w/ 00 buck, AR, AK and an assortment of short arms.

You will hear gun proof your kids (teach them safety, eddie eagle, etc ...) You will also hear that you should kid proof your guns (keep them locked up (the guns, not the kids :smile:) at all times unless on your person.

I say do both. When you control your environment, kid proof your guns (safes) and gun proof your kids (teach them about firearms and safety). When your kids are at another environment, e.g., school, a friends house, etc. .... You can only really count on the fact that you gun proofed your kids (so they make the right decisions).

I wish us all well on this one!
 
#14 ·
I must warn you about the biovaults,

The fingerprint scanners do not aways work
 
#15 ·
Disclaimer: I don't have kids yet.

I think training your kids about guns and safety are critical, especially to us gun owners. But all the training in the world may not be enough for the friends they invite over.

When my dad was a kid, he invited one of his friends from church over on a Sunday afternoon. (Unsure of the age.) They had discussed guns many times and his friend insisted that he knew all about guns. He also knew that my dad kept his .22 rifle in his room. When they got home, his friend ran staight for my dad's room and my dad casually followed him. When my dad walked into the room, the first thing he saw was his friend with the rifle pointing straight at my dad's head. He was stunned and before he could say anything, he heard a snap. The guy pulled the trigger. Fortunately, my dad kept his gun unloaded. Dad knew he didn't have enough time to clear the gun. I don't remember the details of the diaglog that followed. Knowing my dad, it was harsh. His friend's response was, "I knew it wasn't loaded because you're not supposed to keep guns loaded in the house."

Your kids may be smart and respectful of guns. Their friends my not be.
 
#16 ·
Condition 3! By the time a kid can cycle the slide on a .45, and probably even a 9mm, they probably have been shooting .22 for a year or two, and know what guns are and how to be safe around them.
 
#17 ·
My gun remains holstered and on my person when I am awake with the exception of taking a shower or sleeping. Those times it is in my night stand or in the bathroom with me and with the door locked. Nothing is absolutely foolproof except locking it up and that does not make it accessible.
 
#18 ·
My brother-in-law and his wife had their first child last July. He's one of my shooting buddies at times and his wife grew up in Alaska with several brothers (very gun friendly). Anyway, we were sitting at dinner one night and she mentioned they wanted some way to secure his Charter Arms Bullpup but still have it readily accessible.

Part of my next check went to buy them a Gunvault Deluxe Maxivault. They both seemed happy with it and the Maxivault has two shelves for handguns and other valuables. Hopefully, his wife will eventually get her own gun and they'll need the second shelf for it.

Gunvault offers several models and MidwayUSA has good prices on them:
MidwayUSA - GunVault Deluxe MulitVault Personal Electronic Safe 10" x 8" x 14" Black

Jack
 
#19 ·
an attempt to summarize?

I think there's lots of good advice you've gotten here.

To distill it, there are two sides to this coin. BOTH are critical:

1. Childproof your guns immediately. (Locks, safes, otherwise secured)
2. Gunproof your children when they are of appropriate age. (Demystification, education, etc.)

Remember that they go together; after children reach school age, neither step will work in isolation...
 
#20 ·
wow, i was raised in a hunting household but i didn't even know that guns were in the house until i was old enough to shoot them (about 6 or 7), and before that i had learned gun safety with my uncles bb guns from the time i was 5. i understood that guns were not toys and i should not touch them, but i was also a smart kid and the one or two times i snuck into my dad's closet to oggle the old .30-30 i killed my first deer with i knew to make sure it was cleared first. get them a little daisy bb gun (that's underpowered enough not to hurt you seriously if the child is thick headed) and teach them to shoot safely in the back yard, and explain to them how dangerous it is to play with guns, and that guns need to be a secret that their friends don't need to know about.
 
#21 ·
Both of my boys (>5 years old) know I shoot and carry. When they were old enough to understand, I began introducing them to firearms. It started with the NRA's Eddie Eagle program (stop, don't touch, find an adult), then with constant reinforcement and periodic checks to see if they understand--like when I take my gun off or when cleaning. My youngest appears to understand, as he will tell me that he's not supposed to touch my guns....or yells at the top of his lungs (while at home)..."Mommy! Daddy has his guns out!"

Needless to say, the gun curiosity factor has diminished (but is not absent). Both boys know if they want to see any gun, all they have to do is ask. By that same token, they know that talking about my guns with friends is not appropriate, but then again, my youngest is his father's son and therefore lacks any form of tact.

When my oldest became old enough, he received his own .22 that he shoots and cleans (under my supervision)...and it is secured in a safe for safe keeping when not being used or cleaned.

My advice, when they begin to understand, begin taking away the mystery of firearms by showing it to them...let them hold it (unloaded of course)...get them to know guns are not toys (they're heavy!).
 
#22 ·
My Wife and I carry in our house now, so everything that's not on us is locked in a safe, separate from ammunition which is kept high and out of reach (primarily out of concern re:lead & children). At night, I have a biovault bolted to my nightstand and my EDC is put away there. My wife locks hers up in the regular safe and goes for our shotgun for bumps in the night.

I used to keep a shotgun ready to go but now that I have a daughter times have changed. I do keep a shotgun with a full magazine, safety on, chamber empty high and out of reach in the closet. Once she's old enough to figure out how to get up there, I'll have to address that issue as well.
 
#23 ·
Young Children

Military Boarding Schools are great for sending "young children" off to. :)

That way, they stay away from your firearms and you get to see them on Christmas Break. All kidding aside, I would be looking to invest in a safe of some sort and have all guns stored in there. Beside the bed I would get a safe that holds one or two handguns and can be opened by use of a "touchpad".

Every gun owner should have a safe or two to properly secure guns, valuables and "important papers". :smoke23:

Biker :urla9ub:
 
#25 ·
You explain guns like any other dangerous tool in the workshop...my boys (now in their 30's) never touched my guns, but they were allowed to go shooting with me, and eventually learned to also shoot.
When the grandkids are around, or neighbor's kids, all guns not on my person, are locked in one of two safes.
I can get to them in an 'electronic' second. Be upfront with the weapons, you must give answers to their curiosity...

Stay armed...use a safe...stay safe!
 
#28 ·
Working on our first baby (he's in the oven and doesn't even have fingers yet so I guess I don't have to worry about him fingering guns just yet) but I grew up in a gun home.

When I was VERY young (less than 4) I always wondered why my parents had such a VERY strict rule about not stepping foot in their bedroom if they did not give express permission.

The consequence for breaking that rule was very severe. I feared my parents bedroom like I feared the drier (even worse).

It wasn't until I was much older and shooting with my Dad that I realized that we even had guns in the house.

Then I watched him take them in his bedroom. He never brought them out. I put two and two together over time.

Every time the guns came out we were instructed in safety, and when my Dad thought we were ready he moved a revolver from his bedroom to a bookcase in the living room for all of us to access if we needed it in self defense when our parents weren't home.

We are trying very hard to establish good rules now before our little one is born. We already have a safe and right now the rule is that if it's not on us it goes in the safe.

We do take out the shotgun every night for home defense but no round is in the chamber. It would take a lot for a little one to rack a round in the chamber of a shotgun.

My parents had good rules and put the fear of God into us to obey them. It worked too. None of us went snooping and no one got hurt.

I'm hoping we'll be able to have the same success with our children.
 
#29 ·
Always keep them locked, but readily accessible by you. Children will ALWAYS find a way into things that they're not supposed to get into.
 
#30 ·
We have four children, and I had guns all over the house long before I even met my wife. At the risk of sounding a bit terse, the real issue is one of obedience, not curiosity. We never baby-proofed our house, we just took time to explain to them from day one that some things are "No-No's" and never cut them any slack. My house is also full of knives, swords, razors, kama, axes, - we're a virtual museum of human destruction, yet we've never had an incident because they were taught. If any had /has a question about any firearms (or other destructive object), we would/will break it down, spread it out on the table, show how the parts work, re-assemble it, and do a "dry-fire" routine together (or take the object in the back yard, and learn to swing/hack/throw/whatever), thus leaving no reason or excuse for secret explorations. They figured out real fast that it's more fun to be taught properly than to try to "guess" at something. For one, it took 4-5 times per gun; another one was totally sated and bored half-way through the first run. They all still know that they need only ask and we'll do it again, no problem. (FWIW, they actually index their trigger fingers on their water pistols while chasing each other in the yard. They really do learn!)
Back to the "obedience" thing: If they have no excuse to disobey, they are less likely to. They are small, but still sentient.
Another "Plus" is that they have always been welcome (as in "invited," not just "accepted") at other's houses because they didn't mess with things that they knew they shouldn't.
Admittedly, the fact that they have all been home-schooled has a lot to do with it, too - any outside influence that tried to usurp our authority as parents was discussed, then dismissed - permanently, if need be.
I hope this helps; at least, something to think about. I've always believed that children are marvelous critters that will live up to - or, down to - the parent's expectations. I expect mine to be civilized and polite, and they know it.
Enjoy your kids every moment. If you don't, they'll know. :yup: Parenting has been the greatest privilege (and adventure!) of my life.

Stay safe,

Chuck Brick.
 
#32 ·
Mine are all in a safe in the closet. Between the dog downstairs, the alarm system and me being a really light sleeper, I don't need any unlocked guns around. The safe has a digital keypad, so it is very fast and I can do it in the dark. I timed myself and it is only a few seconds.
 
#33 ·
:35: We are blessed to have 7 children with one on the way. I agree with Chuck - the best policy is to train them in obedience, but also familiarization and safety procedures for firearms. I have introduced all my children to the proper use of guns beginning at their earliest interest ( about age 5-6 ). Start with pellet/bb/guns or now airsoft - then move up to .22.

All my guns are kept in one of two safes, a quick access safe with keypad in the bedroom, the second a larger gun safe. I usually carry a Kimber Ultra CDPII on my person - otherwise it's in the quick access safe.

The recommendations I've read of hiding guns on high shelf of hiding behind the headboard just wont' work - I've tried both.

What got my attention on the need for a safe was when my oldest was 4 and found a loaded .38 in the glove compartment of my car after a family trip. I went right then and bought my first inexpensive pistol safe for about $30 at WalMart.

The Eddy the Eagle program along with your state Hunters' Safety Programs are good sources for education - but don't underestimate the curiousity and determination of children.
 
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