When you get ready for bed, where does your home defense gun go? On top of the nightstand?
In a special bolted-on holster?
In a drawer?
Is it hidden?
Is it chambered?
I ask, because I do not want a chambered weapon next to me when I sleep, since I have a history of doing things in my sleep. If I have to use my gun in the middle of the night, I want to be alert enough to chamber the round, otherwise I don't need to be shooting. I know this slows down response time, though, so I want the gun very accessible- not in a drawer or safe. It just seems a stretch to sit it in plain view on the nightstand, though.
So I am interested in hearing what other people do with their primary home defense guns. This means handguns or shotguns or whatever you consider the first gun your hand would touch if intruder woke you up.
My XD45acp Service handgun, which is not my primary home defense weapon, stays in its holster and is on top of my dresser cabinet, still loaded and chambered.
My Remington 870 tactical is my primary home defense weapon and it is loaded (and chambered) with 7 rounds of Federal Tactical #00 Buckshot and it sits right beside me propped up on the night stand.
Please do not take offense. But it is not safe to keep a long gun propped up against anything. Especially an 870 with one in the chamber. If the 870 is hit with enough impact it CAN fire without pulling the trigger. I would recommend leaving the chamber empty and have the 870 lying flat.
I keep one in either Bullard IWB holster or with the 642 a pocket holster on the nightstand. maybe 3 feet from my hand. 12 ga. by the bedroom door. 3 Shih Tzus and a Shar Pei to wake me.
My XD45C is chambered in a holster in a bed side draw. No kids to worry about.
However sometimes my Rem 870 is close by and that is not chambered and requires a racking. Reaching for that gun asleep with one ready to go is not ideal, at least for me.
I'd probably put a hole in the ceiling.
Normally next to the bed on night stand, chambered.
For the next 2 weeks it's in a gun vault next to the bed, Kids and grandkids visiting for the holidays.
My Glock 26 goes into the Gun Vault at night. I have this bolted to the back of my nightstand and it can be opened in less than 2 seconds. I also have one next to my recliner in the den, but this one is not bolted down so it can be placed into my auto or travel trailer for camping. I have a 6 year old and gun safety is a must. My long arms are stored in a 14 gun safe bolted to the wall in my closet. Even without my son, I believe the guns would stay in these safes. I cannot have a firearm at work (Nuclear Plant), even in the parking lot, so I must leave it/them at home. Rather have them secured when I am not there.
But in the service I learned to put everything I needed in my pockets the next day into my cover or boots. And in keeping with habit my pistol and fixed blade sleep in my right boot behind the monitor on the dresser. It may be nonstandard but I can't forget them, and the kids can't get to them if they come into our room in the middle of the night.:yup:
Top of closet, Condition 1. (about 3 feet away from my side of the bed)
Would prefer it a bit closer, but with little ones in the house, safety is paramount.
I will point out for the safety police that this is my carry weapon. It is on my person unless I am in the bed next to it. All other weapons and ammo are secured in one my gun safes.
My .357 goes on top of the nightstand. Its a wheel gun, so yes it is chambered. It gets put in a cheap UM's pocket holster just for keeping.
The SR9 with one chambered goes to the vicinity where I keep the keys for the safe that is upstairs.
There is a 12ga pistol grip Mossy in a leather scabbard that is in between the mattress and the foot board. Everything else that is not generally hidden around the house is in one of the safes.
Under the pillow just never struck me as a good idea.
My 1911 sits on top of the nightstand in condition 1 next to a flashlight. My Rem 870 is attached to the bed box along side my side of the bed under the bed skirt (hidden) with a full mag. Our bedroom door locks at night. Dog is in the bedroom with us. We have no children in the house.
Kimber 1911 in it's home(holster) on top of my nightstand. Marlin Camp .45(same magazines as my EDC) just inside my closet. 12 Ga Mossy leaning up against the wall between bed and nightstand. All of those are condition 1.
All others are unloaded in gun cases or in the safe with the exception of one S&W 642 that I keep loaded in the safe.
We have no kids in the house so my revolver stays in the nightstand next to the bed. I've been told that this is the preferred gun for defense so this is the one I keep vs. my automatic which stays in my car. My husband and I always talk about "what ifs" that could occur while he is out of town and so we've even moved the phone on the night stand as well so I can grab the phone real quick and call 911 while I'm hunkering down in my "safe spot" in the closet.
When I was a soldier in Vietnam I always kept a .45 under my pillow with a round in the chamber, but hammer down, and my Car-15 propped-up next to my bed within easy reach. It took me years to get over that feeling of security. Now I'm happy to have my warm wife and a couple of dogs in the bed for security. The gun is in the night stand and 12 ga. behind the bedroom door.
Primary weapon in a bolted rubber boot under my headboard, I have many more inside a safe in the back of my closet. When I travel it sits inside its holster inside my boot (night sights glowing).
On the night table by the bed; condition 1, extra mags., all next to a flash lite. Shorty pump shotgun proped up against the wall between the bed and the night table. No kids in the house. At the foot of the bed is a dresser with shelves used to store ammo and several hand guns. The dresser is beside the bedroom door, that looks down a 28' hall way.
I put my EDC to bed at night hot in the holster sandwiched between the mattress and the box spring. The grip sticks out enough on the side of the bed to quickly grab and break leather in one motion.
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