Home defense... how do you keep your gun?

Drawnad · Sep 3, 2017

I have a Glock 19 and keep it in a safe with a full magazine, but no round in the chamber. It is in a safe that I can get in in about 5 seconds. How do you all keep your home defense gun? I understand that, if the worst happens, I'll be using precious time racking the slide to chamber a round, but as a relative neophyte gun owner, keeping the chamber empty is a matter of comfort/safety (mostly my wife's comfort). Any thoughts?

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Minuteman · Sep 3, 2017

Drawnad said:
I have a Glock 19 and keep it in a safe with a full magazine, but no round in the chamber. It is in a safe that I can get in in about 5 seconds. How do you all keep your home defense gun? I understand that, if the worst happens, I'll be using precious time racking the slide to chamber a round, but as a relative neophyte gun owner, keeping the chamber empty is a matter of comfort/safety (mostly my wife's comfort). Any thoughts?

Sounds good. Like you put some thought into it, that's important.

A home defense firearm can be very different than a duty or ccw pistol. My personal opinion on 'carry' gun is more refined and specific; but home defense is necessarily more open to status and deployment.

You would need two hands to open the safe, so two hands to make the pistol ready is ok. G19 is a great firearm. Highly recommend you get training, especially seek training from some outfit that does role playing and/or force on force. Not many offer this. But critical to do after you've mastered the basics.

As you said, you need to take your family and level of readiness into consideration. Also think about your neighbors and where others might be down range if you ever had to shoot to defend your family. Lots more to discuss, but we are on the same sheet of music.

Brychan · Sep 3, 2017

P64 in my pocket, uncle Mike's pocket holster, one in the pipe, six in the mag.

mopar92 · Sep 3, 2017

Condition 3 (Loaded mag, empty chamber) is fine for your experience level. Condition 1 is better but it takes people some time building confidence and experience to work up to it.

Drawnad · Sep 3, 2017

Thanks for the thoughtful response, minuteman!

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Drawnad · Sep 3, 2017

as to training... I'm open to suggestions. Currently focused of dry fire exercises when I work from home (snap caps... no live rounds near the gun), and trips to the range when I can.

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j_h_smith · Sep 3, 2017

Conduct a drill. Create a scenario (sleeping in bed or having dinner, whatever). Start a timer and go through your plan to get a gun from your safe, chamber a round and take on the imaginary bad guy. Of course, use snap caps or some other form of non-lethal ammo.

Are you happy with the time it takes you to do all of this? I'm not going to tell you that you should be able to shoot in any amount of time. Only you can determine that.

I for one am not going go through all of those steps when my family is in danger.

But that's what great about America. You do what you feel is safe and determine your level of comfort in a situation like this.

Neutron · Sep 3, 2017

Drawnad said:
I have a Glock 19 and keep it in a safe with a full magazine, but no round in the chamber. It is in a safe that I can get in in about 5 seconds. How do you all keep your home defense gun? I understand that, if the worst happens, I'll be using precious time racking the slide to chamber a round, but as a relative neophyte gun owner, keeping the chamber empty is a matter of comfort/safety (mostly my wife's comfort). Any thoughts?

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5 seconds if you're already standing next to the safe? If you're sitting in the living room watching tv and the bad guy bursts through the door, even having a gun in your pocket won't matter. If you are in bed and you hear a bump in the night, that is a different matter. I think of "home defence" as a multi level proposition. The first step is living in a safe neighborhood if possible. Other precautions are motion sensor lights outside, deadbolts on doors, alarm system, barking dog, and firearms if the threat persists.

tjohn55 · Sep 3, 2017

I keep an LCR .22 mag in my pocket ALWAYS when at home. Have a lock box in the garage with a P238. Have a .357 686 and a .45 shield in a bedroom. The rest are in a safe with loaded mags. Obviously, no children at home.

Alan3413 · Sep 3, 2017

Bedside holster. Mag in but not chambered. Trained to pull and rack until it's 2nd nature.

Bikebreath · Sep 3, 2017

I'm not willing to say just where I am putting my CZ82 around my house. Living in the city I sometimes wear it on my hip.

I like Brychan's idea of getting an Uncle Mike's pocket holster for my P64.

ETA: I don't want to mess with the safety of the CZ82 if I need it, so after it gets its regular cleaning, I carefully drop the hammer for a double-action first shot. It's not a comfortable thing to do and I put my mind to it and keep from overthinking it.

boss281 · Sep 3, 2017

Due to a horrific family incident that changed my wife's life forever when she was 10, I have respected her wishes and no longer own sidearms since the early 80s. So I've been a shotty and AR guy ever since.

In the bedroom, a few feet from my side of the bed, is my walk in closet, and a closet wall mounted AR with red dot and a magazine loaded, nothing in the chamber. I've drilled monthly since forever, and the few incidents our alarm system indicated a breech (turned out to be the effing dog walking around, who normally sleeps like a brick), my wife has said I'm a blur hopping out of bed, grabbing the rifle and racking the slide and out the bedroom door. The drill is to shut that door, she locks it, and dials 911 and does NOT hit send unless she hears a round going off or I scream to call.

Downstairs, I have a shotgun ready, 5 in the tube but nothing chambered, and it's in the hall closet by the front door. It is BETWEEN our living room couch and front door and is a very weak position. I dont' like it but it's a compromise to manage my wife's anxieties. I've learned to be as alert as I can, set the outside video cameras to on when we are in for the evening, and hope my old military situational awareness and internal "radar" are enough to constantly assess day time input and adjust accordingly.

Personally, I'd walk around with a hip holstered M1911 whenever outside on our semi-rural property, have an ar mounted to the side of my bed and couch, have a small revolver in the kitchen (weakest position of the house), and run drills more often. It's a concession I make, but will still die trying protecting my wife in the event of the one in a billion chance SHTF...

YMMV.

BartExp · Sep 3, 2017

Drawnad said:
I have a Glock 19 and keep it in a safe with a full magazine, but no round in the chamber. It is in a safe that I can get in in about 5 seconds. How do you all keep your home defense gun? I understand that, if the worst happens, I'll be using precious time racking the slide to chamber a round, but as a relative neophyte gun owner, keeping the chamber empty is a matter of comfort/safety (mostly my wife's comfort). Any thoughts?

Drawnad - I think we are in the same boat as rookies. We just got our first gun and quick access safe. We need to decide where to install it. Great responses here. Practice and drills make a lot of sense. I like the idea of loaded mag and none in the chamber, at my level.

Brychan · Sep 3, 2017

Bikebreath said:
I'm not willing to say just where I am putting my CZ82 around my house. Living in the city I sometimes wear it on my hip.

I like Brychan's idea of getting an Uncle Mike's pocket holster for my P64.

ETA: I don't want to mess with the safety of the CZ82 if I need it, so after it gets its regular cleaning, I carefully drop the hammer for a double-action first shot. It's not a comfortable thing to do and I put my mind to it and keep from overthinking it.

For a P64 it's a uncle Mike's pocket holster size 2.

StantonCree · Sep 3, 2017

SO i'll keep it real...................I don't

I have a small cheap safe next to my bed that with the lights out would take me six months to get in. The sole purpose of that safe is so I can quickly lock up my gun after work in the same location I change clothes, and quickly grab my gun before work in the same location I get dressed. I've come to the conclusion if I am going to be the victim of a violent crime it's not going to be in my own home. At least not anytime soon since my family is super tight, have great relationships with others, are honest, and don't deal drugs. I used to just drop the glock on the night stand but that wasn't so much for quick access as it was lazy (before kids).

I think the older I get the more I realize I'm 1000000x's more likely to be a victim of a lightning strike or credit card fraud than a home invasion and ive locked up/helped lock up thousands of violent criminals! While decent products themselves the idea of "stashing" guns around in easy access spots becomes way less appealing to me daily! I'm not knocking anyone who does it, your house your rules! I just find it to be more of a "cool" factor vs actual need!

Also Bart I will advise this, I know none in the chamber makes you feel a little safer but if the point of your gun is for home protection............put a round in the damn chamber! If you feel the need to have to protect yourself inside the house than you don't need any extra steps when dealing with an already stressful situation when you could be potentially groggy!

Bikebreath · Sep 3, 2017

Brychan said:
For a P64 it's a uncle Mike's pocket holster size 2.

Hahaha...I just PM'ed you about this. THANKS!

alucard0822 · Sep 3, 2017

Training. There can be times when it's a valid tradeoff to leave the chamber empty, sometimes with kids, or agency policy, but not because a person is "uncomfortable" with a loaded chamber. It takes more training and practice to employ against a threat being it adds a big difficult step with a risk of malfunction, and usually not feeling comfortable with a loaded chamber indicates a lack of training and practice.

davsco · Sep 3, 2017

glock 31 bedside, and maybe one or two others around the house. all fully loaded and hot, holstered to protect trigger. no kids, and they get locked up if we have visitors or while out of the house. my thought is having an empty chamber and having to rack the slide under pressure and perhaps while you're fending off an attacker with one hand may hinder you. ditto with having to access your safe upon being rudely awakened.

i encourage you and everyone to shoot a few idpa and/or uspsa and even 3 gun matches using your HD or CC firearms. it's not tactical training by any stretch but a great way to see how your guns, gear and you perform under a little pressure.

BMassBMore · Sep 3, 2017

Beretta PX4 9mm with a Streamlight TLR-4, round chambered, safety off, locked in a FAS1 SAFE. I think the actual condition you keep your HD firearm in is less important than your absolute confidence that you know the condition, that you are consistent, and that you've done sufficient drills to be sure you know exactly what to do.

moparmike610 · Sep 3, 2017

I keep my g19 in my night stand safe (takes less than 5seconds and I'm in) but plus to my house I have 3
Very big dogs they let you know when something is off
One comes to my bedroom door well the other two
Stand guard at the front door.

G19 always one up and loaded mag hydroshocks, got a stupid drug dealer across the street so you never know what the hells gonna happen

Home defense... how do you keep your gun?

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