take off gun/holster when laying down?

Keep it holstered unless you plan to lose control of you faculties. (drinking, sleeping...ect.)

One in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A gun on the hip is worth two in the safe.

IMHO the four rules are gun *handling* rules. If you're not handing a gun, they don't apply.

If a gun is lying on a nightstand, or placed in a drawer, or on a closet shelf, or on the floor, etc. it doesn't much matter where it's pointing. It's only when you decide to pick it up that the direction becomes an issue.

As has been pointed out in various threads at various times it's very difficult and impractical to guarantee that a gun is never pointed in a direction where, were it to discharge, the bullet couldn't possibly ever hit a person. There are reports of bullets going through walls, across the street, through more walls and into neighbors' bodies. There are reports of bullets going into the air and coming down into cars, pets and humans. There are reports of bullets going through floors into rooms below. And so forth. But I don't recall any reports of a modern gun discharging spontaneously while lying somewhere undisturbed.

If you want to lie down, and you want to take your gun out of its holster and lay it nearby, and you feel it will be safe from disturbance by others in the house (e.g. you're alone and all the doors and windows are locked, or your spouse is home and you know him/her well enough to be sure of his/her gun-handling safety), then go ahead. Be conscientious when you lay it down, and later when you pick it up, but don't worry about it while it's just lying there minding its own business.

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Originally Posted by canav844

I've got the couch setup so that if it were to go off in the holster then we'd need a new fridge but the girlfriend would only be mad at me not injured. In the holster nothing can enter the trigger gaurd, so we are told and made to believe it is "safe"; it is a trade off of physical precaution of the direction of muzzle for the physical precaution of a holster preventing trigger pull; if you have every broken down a Glock you'll understand this comprise of precaution being taken so you can pull the trigger to disassemble. However the four rules are a way of life and one does remain conscious of the barrel direction, and IMO that's a good thing. Keeping that in the back of your mind is a good habit for proper gun handling and reduces complacency. If someone comes through your front door and it's holstered and pointed at a loved one, hopefully that awareness keeps you waiting to draw until you're on your feet and not sweeping them so when you draw under stress your finger doesn't slip where it's not supposed to be and cause a tragedy.

I am aware of it, when possible I take actions to prevent it, but because I've ensured an extra equal layer of physical precaution I'm not overly worried about it for the same reason I don't disarm every time I shift my weight and have my IWB EDC sweep my foot, leg or calf.

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With all due respect, it sounds like you are not comfortable with the safety features of your firearm, nor with your handling of it. I have never heard of a properly holstered firearm, including Glocks, going off all on their own.

So I'm feeling just a bit confused. You leave the gun in the holster on hip if you are sleeping on the couch and no one else is home? And if they are, you take the gun and holster off and lay it on the floor? This seems like backwards thinking to me. If you take the gun and holster off and people are there, they have access to the gun. This isn't a good idea if there are children around.

In response to the question, Do any of you take the gun off or leave it holstered? I take the gun and holster off. Not from any fear of pointing the muzzle at anyone, but because it hurts if I roll over on it!

Your Glock in that holster just can't get any safer. You've got a great combination there. Trust the holster to do it's job. It can't go boom unless you pull the trigger and there is no way that can happen in that holster.

If I'm gonna be there very long I take it off.

Sometimes I nap on the couch with it on, sometimes it rests on the table next to me...no particular rule for naps.:rolleyes: