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For those who have children...how do you keep your weapons "ready" while keeping your children safe?
I teach my children gun safety and the knowledge of firearms. that way firearms are just another tool and not the exiting thing that is to be touched and played with.
I teach my children gun safety and the knowledge of firearms. that way firearms are just another tool and not the exiting thing that is to be touched and played with.
Then we grow up; we touch them and play with them all the time.
I remember back in 1975 or so, I was 16 and we had a peeking tom problem with some kids, used to be my friends. I seen little eyes at the window, I ignored them and walked over to the gun case in my room. Pulled out a shotgun and aimed it at the window. Ahole ran to my mother who was watering the lawn and complained. Mom just asked "why were you looking in the window?" This behavor continued, one night my father ran a wire to the window frame and juiced it up on 110. Little weasel called the police. My father had removed the wire after he heard the scream, told the cops there must be a short somewhere I will look into it.
I keep my guns in the safe, because ultimately they are a greater danger to my kids than a potential intruder...
...but I live in very low crime neighborhood, have trained my kids in gun safety, and given them the opportunity to become familiar with guns too so they don't see them as a "forbidden fruit" temptation.
I've also thought about secretly leaving the combination complete on the safe minus the last digit, so I could easily get it open in the dark and in the hurry but still keep them away from the kids, but that also fails to provide enough security, so it's a give/take solution. I keep the guns with mags loaded but nothing in the chamber too.
Just make sure you change the battery in your gun safe often so the battery doesn't fail when you most need to open the safe. Otherwise you will have to find the key for it which adds precious seconds to the time it takes to get a loaded firearm in your hands.
I don't keep my gun in a safe; I don't keep my fire extinguisher in a safe either. Remember, "When seconds count the police arrive in minutes." Here's another. When seconds count, each second brings you one second closer to death.
An eleven year old boy in Oklahoma shot and killed an intruder who had chased the boy and his younger sister into their parents' bedroom. When the intruder tried to force open the door the boy shot him through the door. His parents hadn't locked the guns in a safe. Instead, they had taught him about guns. He and his sister lived.
I keep my guns loaded and within reach. But, the children are gone. And, when we have visitors, I unload the guns and store separate from the ammo. Only happens a few times each year.
Back in my day, Dad kept his guns in his usually open door closet. Kids back then knew better to mess with their parents stuff, which included tools, and mom's stuff.
My son was taught the same thing.
IMO the best place for a hand gun is on your belt. Then for a shotgun some place handy, with the tube loaded, but nothing chambered, and out of common view.
That could be a closet, behind a curtain, under a stair well/closet, anywhere handy to YOU, and perhaps your family.
I'm with Mac on this.
We raised 3 of our own and several fosters. The rifles and shotguns were kept in our BR closet, the handguns either with us or in our bedstand/next to the chair - whichever room we were in.
As the kids grew, we taught them about guns, how to load, clean, handle and then shoot them. A story I've never told - when my 12 year old and his little brother and sister were chased home from the bus stop by 5 kids and threatened, he went directly to my closet, pulled out the .22, and went outside with it, aiming at them as they were banging on the doors and windows. (Meanwhile, my younger son called me at work.) The kids went screaming to their parents, and the police were called. I was home by the time the cops arrived. The cops wanted to look at the gun. I handed it over. It was not loaded. I then told the cops that the little gang had not only threatened my kids but trespassed, and if they didn't want to be filling out death certificates next time, they needed to speak to the little wannabe-bangers' parents. The cops knew me, as well as the brats' parents, and they handed the rifle back and went to the parents'. They told my son, "Next time, YOU be the one to call us."
In this day and age they'd probably have arrested me, put my son in juvie, and confiscated whatever guns they found. But back then people - even young people - had the right to defend themselves and their property.
BTW, three of those five kids grew up to be such "responsible adults" that they have done prison time...
As an EMT I worked several 'accidental shootings' by teens; when the investigations came out, they were teens who knew exactly what they were doing. I did work one sad instance where a toddler shot himself in the head. His grandfather had hidden the loaded pistol under the bed, and he and grandma not only weren't watching the boy, no one else knew they had a pistol at all...
Responsible adults keep their weapons out of tiny childrens' reach, and unloaded if there is the slightest chance they could be compromised. BUT they also teach the children as they grow not only respect for weaponry, but respect for other peoples' belongings. My children knew not only that guns were dangerous but that they didn't belong to them, and knew what they were for. None of my kids have ever shot any one or thing that they didn't intend to. Now as adults they enjoy shooting as much as we.
We raised 3 of our own and several fosters. The rifles and shotguns were kept in our BR closet, the handguns either with us or in our bedstand/next to the chair - whichever room we were in.
As the kids grew, we taught them about guns, how to load, clean, handle and then shoot them. A story I've never told - when my 12 year old and his little brother and sister were chased home from the bus stop by 5 kids and threatened, he went directly to my closet, pulled out the .22, and went outside with it, aiming at them as they were banging on the doors and windows. (Meanwhile, my younger son called me at work.) The kids went screaming to their parents, and the police were called. I was home by the time the cops arrived. The cops wanted to look at the gun. I handed it over. It was not loaded. I then told the cops that the little gang had not only threatened my kids but trespassed, and if they didn't want to be filling out death certificates next time, they needed to speak to the little wannabe-bangers' parents. The cops knew me, as well as the brats' parents, and they handed the rifle back and went to the parents'. They told my son, "Next time, YOU be the one to call us."
In this day and age they'd probably have arrested me, put my son in juvie, and confiscated whatever guns they found. But back then people - even young people - had the right to defend themselves and their property.
BTW, three of those five kids grew up to be such "responsible adults" that they have done prison time...
As an EMT I worked several 'accidental shootings' by teens; when the investigations came out, they were teens who knew exactly what they were doing. I did work one sad instance where a toddler shot himself in the head. His grandfather had hidden the loaded pistol under the bed, and he and grandma not only weren't watching the boy, no one else knew they had a pistol at all...
Responsible adults keep their weapons out of tiny childrens' reach, and unloaded if there is the slightest chance they could be compromised. BUT they also teach the children as they grow not only respect for weaponry, but respect for other peoples' belongings. My children knew not only that guns were dangerous but that they didn't belong to them, and knew what they were for. None of my kids have ever shot any one or thing that they didn't intend to. Now as adults they enjoy shooting as much as we.
i don't know any child that can jack a pump shotgun to chamber a round without instruction.
so keep a 870 with a full mag without a chambered round. But if they watch TV or the Terminator they may be able to load it.
Take em to the range and teach em about guns. who knows, they may save your life.
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