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

[motorcoachdoug]

You have to remember when grandma and grandpa were growing up having a shotgun, rifle or handgun was totally normal. parents passed down from generation to generation on how to use them safely and or never touch it unless i say so. If you did touch it without their permission it 9 times out of 10 meant a trip to the woodshed until they learned how to use it and to put food on the table. today times have changed and those who are of the funky liberal far wing left never learned how to use a gun the right way and what it was meant for in the first place..

 

[trailman]

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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Other than the .22 I keep in the back bathroom to shoot the chucks and rabbits in the garden, I won't say what I have where but it's all very easily accessible. I also carry on the property. I would teach your wife or have her trained. Your kids too. My family is part of what I would call the gun culture, not the stupid crap you see on TV, internet or wherever. In our house we could leave loaded firearms laying around all over the place and they wouldn't get a second glance. It's all about training and desensitization.




I know of a place that does CQB training, primarily rifle with UTM ammunition and also outside force on force. PM me for info.

 

[callidus]

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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I have a large fireproof safe in my garage and a small wall safe in the bedroom, and I don't have any kids to worry about. I keep any 'home defense' pistol in the wall safe when I'm not around, and near me when I am.

Different things work for different folks' situations. If you have younger kids, live in a higher crime area, have several people in your house vice 1 or 2, etc.

The best thing I can tell you is practice your plan for real. Have a (good!) friend bang on a door or window at a random time on a random night - sometime when you won't be expecting it, and actually time how long it takes you to wake up, recognize a threat, get to a firearm+phone+flashlight, get any family members to a chosen 'safe' area of the house, etc. If you or your family are heavier sleepers, it's especially important. Often, people don't realize there's a threat until it's already *in* their house.

 

[callidus]

Yes on the alarm. No on the deadbolt... my three boys would be on the wrong side of the door. That's not going to happen. Related topic... I have three boys 13, 11, and 9. Any suggestions on how to deal with them, gun safety, etc. Would be appreciated!


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This article might be helpful: Field and Stream


I like the idea of starting off with a bb gun, eventually buying them a .22LR, and having more supervised trips to the range as they become mature (not necessarily old) enough.

Also, the NRA has a site for youth programs and resources: NRA

 

[Benjamin]

I keep my G17 with me all the time. Used to even get to take it with me when I left the house, until I moved to this state. So Glock 17 with Surefire X300 within reach, and my AR is first thing inside the safe.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

I have a large fireproof safe in my garage and a small wall safe in the bedroom, and I don't have any kids to worry about. I keep any 'home defense' pistol in the wall safe when I'm not around, and near me when I am.

Different things work for different folks' situations. If you have younger kids, live in a higher crime area, have several people in your house vice 1 or 2, etc.

The best thing I can tell you is practice your plan for real. Have a (good!) friend bang on a door or window at a random time on a random night - sometime when you won't be expecting it, and actually time how long it takes you to wake up, recognize a threat, get to a firearm+phone+flashlight, get any family members to a chosen 'safe' area of the house, etc. If you or your family are heavier sleepers, it's especially important. Often, people don't realize there's a threat until it's already *in* their house.

Some of you guys must live in two story mansions to be able to hear a threat, execute a plan, gather your accoutrements, wake up sound sleepers, gather your family, move them to a safe space, and mobilize for defense. AKA: Start shooting.

Most people live in homes that can be traversed in less than 15 seconds. And that's by walking. Where the bad guys are in front of you in 7.5 seconds depending on which door they came in. Where there is no time for anything, but grab your fully loaded and fully ready firearm. Which includes one in the chamber.

A defense gun sitting in a safe, for any period of time, does not compute.

 

[j_h_smith]

I have a large fireproof safe in my garage and a small wall safe in the bedroom, and I don't have any kids to worry about. I keep any 'home defense' pistol in the wall safe when I'm not around, and near me when I am.

Different things work for different folks' situations. If you have younger kids, live in a higher crime area, have several people in your house vice 1 or 2, etc.

The best thing I can tell you is practice your plan for real. Have a (good!) friend bang on a door or window at a random time on a random night - sometime when you won't be expecting it, and actually time how long it takes you to wake up, recognize a threat, get to a firearm+phone+flashlight, get any family members to a chosen 'safe' area of the house, etc. If you or your family are heavier sleepers, it's especially important. Often, people don't realize there's a threat until it's already *in* their house.

So how will you know it's your neighbor or a real threat? What happens if you're wrong? You shoot your neighbor or you let the bad guy into your home?

I doubt that's the "best thing".

 

[Trepang]

Deleted

 

[HankR]

The lack of a round in the chamber is more due to having three young sons, and a wife nervous about having a gun in the house at all. I understand the "if you don't have a loaded gun on every floor of your house, what the hell are you doing?" Viewpoint, but my view is that I am better off now than I was totally unarmed, and i need to train and bring everyone in the house along with comfort, safety, and training.

In my zip code (and heating with wood) a house fire is much more likely than an home invasion. Therefore I normally also store in condition 3. Town is getting closer, and the dog is getting older, so maybe I oughta re-think at some point.

I'm also more likely to be chasing off a critter than a human. The easily accessible shotgun has a tube mag partially full of birdshot and an empty chamber. There's an elastic sleeve on the stock w/ 5 buckshot, and another sleeve next to the gun w/ 5 more birdshot. I have the choice of racking in the birdshot or shoving a couple of buck in (shove, rack, shove, shove).

 

[THier]

No children, only trusted responsible experienced Shooters in house. So,
Shield is loaded, RTG at bed side, Crimson trace Pro, (light and laser) equipped.
UTS15, loaded with buckshot, slugs, and birdshot withing reach, (light equiped) Glock 21, loaded and close. AR is loaded, in electronic safe, (takes seconds to open) about 10 ft from my bed.
This is bed time situation, otherwise Shield is on my person.
Everything gets locked up when house is left, except Shield, which goes with me.
Won't discuss housemates firearm situation, let's just say find another house.
My situation is extreme, because of threats on my life, and one of the individuals lives within 500ft of me.

 

[rmiddle]

All guns are loaded without one in the Chamber unless noted. I keep my Glock 19 in the living room in a holster. I keep my Beretta Nano (Carry Gun, One in the Chamber) and an FHN FNS-9 in my home office. I keep a Beretta 96 in my night stand. Nothing is locked up but then again I have no kids nor any that visit me. If I found out I was going to have some coming over I might have to do so clean up before they came over. Then again I have a ton of ammo and rifles all over the house as well. Not a place kid friendly in the least.

 

[MikeTF]

All guns are loaded without one in the Chamber unless noted. I keep my Glock 19 in the living room in a holster. I keep my Beretta Nano (Carry Gun, One in the Chamber) and an FHN FNS-9 in my home office. I keep a Beretta 96 in my night stand. Nothing is locked up but then again I have no kids nor any that visit me. If I found out I was going to have some coming over I might have to do so clean up before they came over. Then again I have a ton of ammo and rifles all over the house as well. Not a place kid friendly in the least.

I'm an adult. Don't clean up for me if I'm so lucky as to be invited to your house for dinner. The clutter is welcome!

 

[JMB45]

Remington 870P under bed loaded 6+1 with 00 buck. Action kept open with round sitting on the carrier. I do not have to worry about children or other family members getting their hands on it.

My 1st round to chamber is a FIOCCHI Law Enforcement Rubber Buckshot. That's meant for a warning shot. The following rounds are 00. If you can't knock sense out of a perp with that 1st shot, I'll take that as their full consent for me to send them to their maker.

 

[JMB45]

The lack of a round in the chamber is more due to having three young sons, and a wife nervous about having a gun in the house at all. I understand the "if you don't have a loaded gun on every floor of your house, what the hell are you doing?" Viewpoint, but my view is that I am better off now than I was totally unarmed, and i need to train and bring everyone in the house along with comfort, safety, and training.


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Train with your wife. I got mine to train with me and we found out she's a better shot than me. Not a problem. I'm confident that i'll be the one who can function better under stress while she comes to grips JIC. And we know all the vantage points around our home. We have a Liberty Safe HDX-250. It's a biometric handgun vault that we can both access.

 

[JMB45]

I use the ultra reliable Remington 870-P 1st round is less than lethal (I have teenagers and like al teenagers they have been known to sneak out) the others double 00.

Just saw your post. Hurrah! For the "1st round is less than lethal". Do you use the same ammo I do?

 

[THier]

It is all personal preference, but I don't understand less than lethal 1st round. If firearm must come into play, things are real. This is why mine are light equiped. I want to see and identify what I am shooting. Also, with our wonderful state, warning shots most likely will earn you a room provided by the state, as will "I shot him in the leg" Maryland looks at it as if you have time to run and hide, you have no "right" to shoot. So warning shots, shooting any reason other than your life is in danger, and you need to match, (kill) threat, you must cower like a victim. Legal eagle types , do you agree?

 

[j_h_smith]

My 1st round to chamber is a FIOCCHI Law Enforcement Rubber Buckshot. That's meant for a warning shot. The following rounds are 00. If you can't knock sense out of a perp with that 1st shot, I'll take that as their full consent for me to send them to their maker.

Do you think if there's a perp in the house, you should be playing with rubber shot? What if they are wearing a coat. That shot isn't going to do any good at all.

Then look at the legal issues. First you shoot the rubber shot, then you shoot and kill the perp with regular ammo. His family may try to sue you for excessive force. After all your first shot was non-lethal. Why did you have to kill him?

IANAL but to me, you're escalating the situation and a jury may deem your actions excessive. Either you deemed your life to be in danger or you didn't.

Leave the rubber bullets to the police.

YMMV

 

[THier]

Do you think if there's a perp in the house, you should be playing with rubber shot? What if they are wearing a coat. That shot isn't going to do any good at all.

Then look at the legal issues. First you shoot the rubber shot, then you shoot and kill the perp with regular ammo. His family may try to sue you for excessive force. After all your first shot was non-lethal. Why did you have to kill him?

IANAL but to me, you're escalating the situation and a jury may deem your actions excessive. Either you deemed your life to be in danger or you didn't.

Leave the rubber bullets to the police.

YMMV

Wow we think the same,,,, THAT should worry you! Lol

 

[j_h_smith]

But when you're right, you're right. And this time 2 rights don't make a wrong.

 

[THier]

My UTS15 has selectable mag tubes, Left tube is two #7 shells, (less likely to penetrate walls) next 5 are 00buck, R tube is 2 00buck, 5 slugs. #7 is kept chambered. No cool movie racking the slide, I pray I NEVER have to use any firearm for anything less than recreation, but they are not for show, being cool, intimidation, they are to save my life, and the lives of those who are important to me.