Loaded or Unloaded In The Safe

[DetBrowning]

Recently a friend came over who's not been to my home since I got my new safe. He said let's see what you have in there.
He wanted to hold my H&K .45 tactical, that was in the door-side pocket. I removed it from the pocket it was in, dropped the magazine and removed
the round from the chamber. At that point he freaked out (just a lil) and said NEVER EVER keep a gun loaded in the safe with a round in the chamber.
I'm a RSO and you should not do that. My point is that MY guns are secured in a safe which only I and my wife have the combination and what benefit
is an unloaded gun. Now I understand it's in a locked safe and it would take time to open the safe, however, I always have my EDC loaded and available to me when I'm in the house.
I want to make sure that if I have to grab another gun on the fly, it's ready to go. What say you?

 

[starnbar]

I don't know a valid reason not to unless you have the combo to your safe written on the outside of the door with the key hanging there with it.

 

[Show Me]

Your safe your rules and you don't open up for others to touch and feel. But there is a reason for safety rules

 

[JohnKSa]

I have some guns that stay loaded all the time, wherever they go. I avoid unnecessary manipulation of firearms when ammunition is involved so I do not load and unload guns unless it is actually necessary to do so. Which means that if I take off a carry gun to put it in the safe, it goes in loaded--and generally in the holster too since I don't like handling loaded firearms that are not holstered except at the range or other places where there's a truly safe direction to point them.

If the guy wants to have a rule for his own safe that says he never puts loaded guns into them, that's great for him. Hopefully he doesn't rely on his rule for safety and carefully checks any gun he picks up, even from his own safe, to verify whether it is loaded or not.

 

[starnbar]

Exactly John after 25 years on the job my auto always went in the safe loaded every end of shift the belt went on top of the safe until I went back on duty.

 

[reddog81]

It's a locked safe. If the guns aren't safe if there, I'm not sure where they'd be OK to be loaded.

 

[jar]

depends on which safe.

Storage will be unloaded. Quick open bedside safe loaded.

 

[HKGuns]

I was an RSO and it has zero to do with how you store your guns. Obviously you're not at the range, you are in your home where you should operate as you deem necessary.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Quick-access guns are ALWAYS loaded.
Long storage guns are NEVER supposed to be loaded... but always checked before handling.

 

[Mal H]

Actually, if you follow the safety rules (i.e., "the four rules") like we all should, then every gun in your safe is loaded and should be checked for that condition whenever you remove one. Now, the odds of a gun you thought was unloaded is actually loaded are very slim, but they are not zero.

Like the majority of the others in this thread so far, I have no problem with keeping a loaded gun in your safe - I do for the same reason you do.

[ETA]
@theotherwaldo and I were simulposting - and we agree.

 

[buck460XVR]

With a large portion of my guns being hunting weapons(long guns, shotguns and hunting revolvers) there is no legitimate reason to keep them loaded. Especially since they need to be unloaded to clean them and in some instances, to transport them home from the field. I was taught long ago to store guns and ammo separately(still teach this in gun safety), so storing every firearm I own loaded, just makes no sense to me. My HD/SD firearms are always loaded and not in a safe, but somewhere they are more readily accessible, should I need them.

 

[CopperClad]

Handguns loaded. Shotgun loaded. Rifles unloaded.

Plus there's a bold lettered note on the inside of the safe as a reminder.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Assume any gun may be loaded.
Treat all guns with respect due a lethal weapon, especially those "unloaded guns".

 

[The Night Rider]

My Glock 19 my Glock 26 are always loaded and kept on a separate shelf from the other guns.

My other guns very rarely come out of the safe so I don't see any reason to leave them loaded.

I don't clear my Glocks when I take them out of the safe because I know they're loaded but every other gun that comes out of the safe is cleared.

I opened the safe for something the other day and went through the shelf of "unloaded" guns and cleared all of them just on GP.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

My SOP-I live alone-is that only my bedside "duty" guns-handguns-are loaded, all others unloaded, many have snap caps in them for added safety.

 

[230RN]

I have some guns that stay loaded all the time, wherever they go. I avoid unnecessary manipulation of firearms when ammunition is involved so I do not load and unload guns unless it is actually necessary to do so. Which means that if I take off a carry gun to put it in the safe, it goes in loaded--and generally in the holster too since I don't like handling loaded firearms that are not holstered except at the range or other places where there's a truly safe direction to point them.

If the guy wants to have a rule for his own safe that says he never puts loaded guns into them, that's great for him. Hopefully he doesn't rely on his rule for safety and carefully checks any gun he picks up, even from his own safe, to verify whether it is loaded or not.

Strongly agree with bolding, but special circumstances here: secure, out of the way senior citizen's apartment building with no kids except visitors' allowed. No safe at all, never had one, so maybe this is off topic. At one point I did use some of the trigger locks that came with new guns,

 

[Meeks36]

Could be a problem if there is a fire. Might cook off a round. But at that point. I believe you will have more problems then a few dents in the safe.

 

[GBExpat]

Your safe your rules ...

There it is.

 

[wayneinFL]

If you want to follow the NRA's rule about keeping a gun unloaded until ready to use- the gun in your safe is being kept for defensive purposes and that is a use. You're following the rule.

At least that's way it was explained to me by the training counselor 20 years ago.

If I had a friend that pulled the I'm-a-RSO card, my response would be "Do you see a berm? Do you see a bullet trap? Do you see a red line? Do you see a yellow line? Then you have no power here."

I don't have a lot of friends.

 

[toxophilus]

Like the OP, mine are always loaded... even if they aren't I treat them like they are!

 

[JeffG]

Your gun safe, your home. The decision is yours.

 

[luv2safari]

I have a couple that are always loaded, but only those, or so I thought.

In my carelessness I pulled out a nondescript Western Field 16ga bolt action shotgun I got at an auction years ago, because the bidding was very low, and I like 16's. I opened it to find it hot! I went through all three safes and the guns I don't have room for in my safes and check every last one. It was the only one, but it taught me a lesson. I'm 76 and have owned and handled guns all my life; this was a brain freeze.

 

[Old Dog]

At that point he freaked out (just a lil) and said NEVER EVER keep a gun loaded in the safe with a round in the chamber.
I'm a RSO and you should not do that.

I'd have a slight issue with even a close friend saying something like that to me. I agree with @wayneinFL

As a RSO, sounds as though he might be one of those "range Nazis" who displays loud self-righteous indignation to folks down at the club that make even the smallest errors (that are not potentially injurious or deadly and not violations of The 4 Rules), like not having the chamber/cylinder open handgun's barrel pointing exactly straight down the lane (maybe skewed 3 or 5 degrees) when benched...

 

[DustyRusty]

My defense weapons are loaded and in a "go to" combo box.
I have a boldly written card fastened so my hand has to move it to grab a weapon stating, "Round in chamber Safety is off."
Just a reminder for me.
Checking a weapon assumed to be clear, and having anything fly outta the chamber, scares me.
To each his own.

 

[Zendude]

For me, unloaded when in storage.