Gun Storage Question...

[9mmMick]

What would you do?
I have 2 handguns and a Shotgun loaded in my house in different hidden places.
Do I need them all loaded, and should I get a Safe?
There are no children in the house, just me and the Wife.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Gunnutty]

If these guns are intended for home defense then they should be loaded. An empty gun will do you no good. Since there are no children present I would keep them where I could get at them quickly. Are you in a high crime area? Do you worry about someone breaking in and stealing them? If so you might want a secure storage for when you are not at home. I like to keep my HD guns handy.

[9mmMick]

If these guns are intended for home defense then they should be loaded. An empty gun will do you no good. Since there are no children present I would keep them where I could get at them quickly. Are you in a high crime area? Do you worry about someone breaking in and stealing them? If so you might want a secure storage for when you are not at home. I like to keep my HD guns handy.

Me too. I like to keep them handy.
I do have an Alarm on the House, so if someone tried to break in,
I don't think they would would have time to find them.
I do not live in a high crime area.
Alot of other people I asked say that no gun should be loaded in the House when your not home.
It's not like I leave them out on the counter or anything.
You would have to tear the place apart to find them.

[Cupcake]

Keep 'em ready to go, but secure somehow. (how would you like to wake up and find out the the burglar found the one you keep in the front closet?). A safe is good, because even if you don't have kids sooner or later one will be in your home, perhaps without notice. Thats even worse because you could train your own kids. Other peoples' kids are usually idiots.

[Gunnutty]

Yea if you're not at home and leave a gun loaded and by itself only God knows what kind of havoc it could raise. A loaded gun staggering around the house is a scary thing to think about. It might fall down the stairs or cal one of those 900 numbers and shoot off it's mouth to one of the operators.
Seriously tho, people have told me the same thing and I still do not unload my HD guns when I leave the house. If they are that dangerous maybe one of the guns will shoot the badguy if he breaks in while I'm gone.

[Stetson]

My kids are all grown up so I have loaded pistols stashed around the house.
Of course,they are loaded! Anything less would be not worth having them.
This will change when grad kids come along.We'll have to cut way back and
put them way up.

[kentuckycarry]

I just bought a 650 lb safe yesterday. I keep my handguns I am not carrying in the safe. I alternate during the week ( because of work ) between my xd40sc and my 642. Instead of having to unlock the safe everyday for these 2 guns, I'll hide the one I'm not carrying ( not in the safe ). If you think outside the box , you can come up with some clever places to hide things. Some places are almost like "in plain view".
I only have 1 kid here and she's 18 and has a gun of her own. Alot is going to depend on kids.
A safe is always a good idea. I worry about someone breaking in while I'm gone. If you keep a loaded gun in your bedside drawer even while you are gone, I think it's risky business. It's the first place someone is going to look....

[friesepferd]

i agree. if no kids then keep them as you have them
if you are worried about them maybe being stolen, lock them up when not at home

[gddyup]

The HD stuff comes out of the safe when I get home. And every firearm used for defense is ALWAYS kept in a ready condition. Period!

[retsupt99]

I have two safes...one for long guns, one for pistolas...the safes are unlocked when I get home...first thing I do. One pistol goes IWB many of the others are loaded in the safe...everything in the front row, that is...
I keep an additional pistol hidden outside of the safe...just in case!
No kids around, so that is not a problem. Unwanted guests do not wait for you to load the 'serious lead catapulting device'...

[aus71383]

I have some guns put away, some ready for use. Naturally the ones ready for use are loaded. No kids yet, but once they come along we'll have to adjust a bit.

Austin

[Anubis]

My system is to keep a pistol on me (or within reach while sleeping) all the time and all other firearms locked up, so none of my other weapons can be easily used against me. For me, leaving them loaded and stashed around the house is not the way to go.

[LenS]

Before I became a gun owner story . . .

7 days after we passed papers on our house (1974), we drove up the driveway to bring more items into the house and do more work before we moved in . . . just as burglars scooted out the back door and into the woods with some booty.

Scary as hell.

Now as a gun owner, one thing I've always feared is walking in and finding burglars facing me with my own guns!! No thanks. Thus, I would always keep them locked up when not home, regardless of any laws.

Since 1998, MA has a law that all guns must be locked up at all times unless under direct control of a licensed person (yes, we need licenses for mere possession in the home). Failure to do so is a felony with 5-10 year prison sentence per gun! [This is true even for folks like us, no kids, 2 adults, both licensed . . . and no children visit here ever.]

[aus71383]

You must make good money in MA to live under laws like that. That is ridiculous!

Austin

[Arkhangel]

My SD weapons come out of the safe when I get home, locked up when I am away. My pistols are kept in 2 quick opening electronic combo boxes, and the long weapons are kept in a gun storage cabinet. Primary SD is the pistols.

SY