Loaded or Unloaded In The Safe

[25-5]

Consider what is safe for your home, and do whatever suits you.
In my case a few loaded firearms around, including the safe.
With visitors I may make some changes, but not the safe.

 

[hso]

What say you?

Seems absurd to keep a gun with a round in the chamber in a safe.

 

[Hokkmike]

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

Not disagreeing - but can you give the rationale for each? Quick access is EASY to understand. Long store not so much.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Long storage guns may have to be handled by others without my assistance.
I'm 67 and not in the best of health.
It's bad enough that my quick-access guns are loaded... .

 

[rust collector]

Our custom is that carry guns are loaded except when cleaning, and all others are unloaded before entering the house. All are treated as loaded guns when handling. That has worked for us, but we don't contend that that is the one true way.

Rules are helpful, but they don't dispense with the need for recognition and comprehension. OP's friend is welcome to reach his own conclusions but his attempt to impose his rules on OP seems ill-considered.

 

[The Night Rider]

Seems absurd to keep a gun with a round in the chamber in a safe.

How so?

 

[The Night Rider]

Not disagreeing - but can you give the rationale for each? Quick access is EASY to understand. Long store not so much.

I'm not the person you were asking but if I had a gun stored long-term in my safe I would want it unloaded, if for no other reason then so I wouldn't forget whether it was loaded or not

 

[hso]

Cartridge corrosion is the first thought why unloaded storage is preferred.

Oil from the gun making the chambered cartridge ineffective is a second.

Limiting air in the chamber and trapping moisture.

Negligent discharge risk increase losing knowledge of what is chambered when mixed with unloaded.

 

[tws3b2]

I sometimes keep one loaded in the safe, sometimes not. I keep two loaded outside the safe. To be honest I can't see a reason to keep one in a locked safe. But, to each his own. Your safe, your gun, your responsibility.

 

[The Night Rider]

Cartridge corrosion is the first thought why unloaded storage is preferred.

Oil from the gun making the chambered cartridge ineffective is a second.

Limiting air in the chamber and trapping moisture.

Negligent discharge risk increase losing knowledge of what is chambered when mixed with unloaded.

I think those are all valid.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the loaded gun in my safe comes out every day.

Under those circumstances I think I'm better off just leaving it loaded

 

[CapnMac]

Your safe your rules.
His safe, his rules.

Everyone's house is different, so, there's no one rule for every place and every one.
Some folk might live in a house with an entire close, or an entire room fitted up as their safe. Some might live in a condo or apartment, where they can't bolt anything down, and only have the one locking storage container.

 

[Bazoo]

I store most of my guns unloaded. Some are loaded for immediate use, such as my Winchester 94 30-30. I check each gun when I pick it up, to verify its condition as to whether or not it's loaded or unloaded.

 

[Navy87Guy]

My only Condition I guns are my EDC and they are stored in the safe in their holsters. All the others have loaded magazines inserted but no round chambered. To me, the risk of reaching for a gun and accidentally putting my finger in the trigger is too great. And, yes - that includes my HD guns in the quick access safes.

I still clear and check every gun I handle, but for me I prefer removing the risk of an ND - especially with anything that’s striker fired. YMMV.

 

[scaatylobo]

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?

As was said = YOUR safe and YOUR home = YOUR RULES.

I was an firearms instructor/RO and I know that ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.

My safe has more than one gun loaded,see its MY SAFE and no one can enter it unless they get past the alarms / cameras / me.

 

[Walkalong]

99% unloaded

 

[Sav .250]

Sorry that`s a no...no for me.

 

[P5 Guy]

Only loaded firearm in my house is with me at all times. Those not by my side are empty of all ammunition.

 

[crestoncowboy]

Several of mine are loaded. Hunting rifle is loaded, or at least the mag is.

I see the logic in unloading them all. I'm just lazy and don't want to have to go find amp for everything I get out. And I'm the only one in my safes

I've cleaned out safes that have not been opened in 40 years for family members. Two (same home) had 75 or more guns in them with 99% of them loaded. Some of the guns had corrosion. None of the ammo was corroded or harmed. Those two safes were a disaster. The shelves were removed and the guns packed in with a bungie across the front so you could open the door without them falling out. Handguns were piled on top of all the long guns. Long guns were carefully stuffed in, one up one down.

I've seen 3 accidental discharge into the safe. All 3 were "all my guns are unloaded" people. One was a 357 that fell out. The other 2 were rifles that went off getting them out

I've seen several safe in home fires. Never saw anything cooked off. In my annual meeting with the state for Marshall it almost always gets asked about fire safes. He (now she.... different person though, lol, sad that had to be added) always says never saw one cook off and in 99% of the cases the guns are total losses in the safe

 

[AlexanderA]

By default, I don't keep any guns loaded.

But I treat all my guns as if they were loaded. That means checking the chamber as soon as I pick one up.

I don't trust myself to remember what is loaded and what is not.

 

[hey smepl this]

My safe guns are unloaded but can be loaded in an instant, if for some crazy reason I’m in the garage and need a gun quick. All magazines are loaded.

 

[rust collector]

I believe everyone has had an opportunity to weigh in by now. Thank you for the benefit of your thoughts.