Alsatian

I would ask you to consider the probability of a home invasion where you live. If the probability of home invasion is very small, than the risk of a child accidentally injuring themselves or another with the firearm -- however small this probability is -- may outweight the risk of home invasion. On the other hand, if the risk of home invasion is high, this may outweigh the risk of a child accidentally injuring themselves or another. This is the most important analysis to make. Unfortunately our world is not risk free. What we need to do is intelligently manage our risks. Speaking for myself, the risk where I live of home invasion is very, very low. I keep gun locks on all my firearms and keep my ammunition locked up in a separate box. It would probably take me 5 minutes to get a firearm ready to fire in my house. In another circumstance, I might want a firearm more readily accessible.

If your risk of home invasion is considerable, maybe there is a way to keep your firearm "ready" while minimizing the risk of a child doing this? One way of thinking about this problem is by accepting some minimum time to "make ready" your firearm -- for example, 60 seconds. When you are in your home with your door locked, how much lead time would you expect to have before the criminal was upon you? Maybe you can keep the handgun unlocked but somewhat out of reach and keep a loaded clip stashed out of reach of a young child or on your person? I suggest thinking along these lines.

Most importantly, balance your risks and do not foolishly imagine that a zero risk solution exists, at least this is my view.

biscuit jake

With kids, I recommend a lock. They are just too curious, they have friends.... and accidents do happen. Some states have lost too many kids to accidents, thus we have alock and liability law in Iowa.

jmfa1957

My wife and I both keep loaded handguns under the bed - - inside of a small safe called the "AMSEC Pistol Packer." These are unlocked by pushing buttons in a sequence that YOU program. It is easily manipulated in the dark. This strikes a fine balance between readiness and child safety.

They can be had for about a hundred bucks on sale and can also be wall mounted, so you can stage them in various parts of the house if you are so inclined.

Please be advised that in many states you are criminally liable if a child causes injury or death becuase you left a loaded firearm accessible to them.

KareImp

Yeah, that, pay attention to what may be legal in your state. I know in Minnesota, having a loaded gun in the house with a kid can result in jail time for the situation Biscuit Jake refers.

My wife hates guns - so they're all locked up and out of sight. Our house has a concrete Bomb Shelter, walls, ceiling, floor, the whole complete concrete bomb shelter thing that was all the rage back in the 50's - 60's cold war era. The house was owned by a Dr back then, so I guess he could afford what ever he wanted. I had a metal worker fabricate a jail-house door and fit with a pushbutton combo lock. So now, all my guns are in my 'walk-in' Gun Safe.

A home invader could break in, kill the whole family, but they will most likely not penetrate my gun safe - or pick it up and take it home either - it's a 10 X 14 Room! So I gave my brother the combination so he could get his inheritance a little more easily.

Here in North Dakota, the chance of a home invasion is kinda slim.

bronko22000

Kids have a way of getting into things. Locking up your gun(s) should definately be done. I grew up the same way with guns sitting in closets at my house, my uncles and grandparents. But in those days kids knew enough about guns and what they were capable of. Your children may be instructed properly, but what about his friends??
A nightstand safe is a good idea if you want to keep your pistol handy, but I would stay away from the 'fingerprint' to open unless you can code more than one fingerprint into it - like your wife's. Just in case she needs it when you're not around.
Accidents happen and the only shootings I want to see are those of the bad guys.

Nathan67

Sorry to drag this up, but I've been busy and have't checked this post in a while. I plan on purchasing an easy access pistol safe to install by my nightstand (as extra funds become available), but decided since the chance of a home invasion where I live is very low, the best thing to do is to put trigger locks on my handguns in the meantime. True, my little one probobly couldnt even load a round and my 10 yr old is nervous even holding my handguns unloaded, andunder my supervision. He's my stepson that has only been in my house for 2 yrs., and lived with his grandma previously, so I'm working on that issueby taking him hunting and shooting with me alot, which he enjoys. Guns are new to him still. He still doesnt want to shoot any of my guns even under my supervision, so I don't Think he would ever mess with them, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, for sure. In the words of Harry Callahan in Magnum Force, "Nothing wrong with shooting, as long as the right people get shot." Thanks for all theinput. -Nathan

Soilarch

How about keeping loaded with one of those cable action locks? Key taped to the top of a drawer in the nightstand and gun sitting in the drawer. I like the pistol safe-box idea but this might be another option. My father never showed me were he kept his pistols, but I found them nonetheless...and he kept the ammo right next them in his sox drawer. I was young, thankfully I was smart and had also been around .22s enough to appreciate what "a BIG bullet" might do. Never loaded them, and always checked to see if they were before I picked them up to admire them.

I'm not going to lie. The knowledge that my father would flat-out tan my hide if I ever accidentally fired the gun in the house was healthy healthy healthy fear. So I suggest it be well known that you'll let them see them if they want, but they are absolutely off limits when you aren't around. I think this goes without saying. I also think it will be useless if you don't uphold a healthy sense of discipline. That is still the thing I respect most about my father. When he said "no" it didn't matter if I knew 10,000% he was wrong or unreasonable "no" was carried out. And if it wasn't I also knew 10,000% there would be a cost. No exceptions and none of that "just this one time".


Lol...a kid giving parenting advice, this is a riot!

statjunk

Guns were everywhere in my houses growing up. Most of my families houses actually, with kids running around all the time. You have to properly educate and show that firearms are not to be touched without an adult present.

Tom

Pawildman

Soilarch----You are absolutely correct. You may not think so, but kids in your home WILL find where you keep your guns, ammo, and the keys to open locks. This is just what they do!! Good schooling and supervision are very important, but this is hard to do with a buddy who is visiting and thinks he or she knows it all. I feel an easily accessed storage box with a code-type lock or fingerprint lock would be a good choice. A little "hands-on" discipline for rule infractions will go a long way, too. My grandkids know there are guns in the house. Their parents have done a good job of educating them about them. With all that said, I still lock 'em up (the guns, not the kids) when they visit.

Bulzeye

I always recommend keeping one or two loaded guns in a quick access style safe.
Others can be kept in a harder to access vault or locking cabinet to protect agaist theft of fire if you wish, bu tI'll alway lock up the loaded ones unless it's on my person.

Gun Vault makes good ones that can take up to two handguns with 6" barrels. Another company even makes a similar type for long guns. It mounts flush in the wall between two studs. I think it would take about 10 minutes to install.