Locked weapons in the home VS quick access

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Collector0311

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Gentleman, what are your solutions for keeping your weapons secure in the home, while also maintaining the option to access them quickly in a situation?
I feel like the only way to efficiently keep your weapon locked away and still get to it fast is one of those four finger unlocking safes. School me!
(Mostly looking to fathers of small children for this one)
 
4 finger locking safes were/are the precursor to biometric locking safes. Either type of safe is comparing apples to apples essentially. More of a pro v con and preference on which type of locking mechanism and budget you prefer.

Personally I use a Winchester eVault safe. Large enough to fit 5 handguns or a few with ammo mixed in. It is a little slower than a biometric lock but I got it on budget years ago as that was my primary concern. I also maintain a standing safe for larger items with electronic keypad that is also quick to access. Much faster than a rolling combination lock.
 
I've never used a biometric safe before. Can I program mine and my wife's prints in for us both to access? I'm sure with the right amount of money I can do anything but I'm looking around 2-300, maybe just a bit more
 
For the most part the biometric safes have a high number of prints that can be programmed to prevent "I need more room" requests. Some safes I have seen can store 50 sets of prints.
 
In that aspect you and I are in total agreement, sir. I'm more thinking about the inquisitive 3-8ish age bracket who have no business handling my semiautomatic handgun. Of course, at the appropriate age of understanding they will be taught every nook and cranny of weapons safety, respect, and then usage.
 
It depends on a few things.

From my first marriage, I have a six year-old autistic son. When I was in the house with him regularly, it was obvious that it was not safe to leave guns unsecured. He is crafty, curious, and has no sense of boundaries at all. Every little mystery is his to solve. However, he doesn't live with me anymore. Now all of the children who are regularly in the house are boys at least eight, who have been conditioned and trained. We have also been ingraining an understanding that our bedroom is off-limits. They don't go in our room, and when they encounter guns, they don't mess with them. It works for the current situation, it might change in the future.
 
I have a four-year old daughter. I keep all but one handgun locked up. The one that isn't is usually on me. When it's not, it's on the top of a high hutch next to my bed, and that's only when I'm in the bed. There is a modified Ruger 10/22 that is not locked up, but there is no magazine in it; that's also on the hutch.
I will probably one day get such a safe, but my house has such a poor "floor flow" that I really don't have a good place to keep it where I'd be able to get to it quickly from any point in the house. So, the practice of keeping one on me probably wouldn't go away any time soon.
 
It isn't an either-or proposition, either with the safes or the children. IMHO the answer is 'both' on both topics.

I have a main 'vault' safe that I keep most everything in, to keep it away from both kids and thieves.

I have a small bedside quick-access safe for my home defense equipment.

I give my children all the 'supervised access' to firearms they want, to keep guns from becoming an enigma (and developing an unhealthy curiosity). I take every opportunity -- officially and unofficially -- to train them safe firearms handling so that if they ever do get unsupervised access (while they are still children, of course), they can make smart decisions.
 
I am one of the people that prefer a mechanical lock on gun safes, especially a handgun safe. Proven reliability for years if not a lifetime, no electricity or batteries to worry about and as quick as anything else, even in the dark.

Inexpensive biometrics such as the ones used on gun safes and laptops are far from being reliable enough for me to depend on them for a quick access handgun safe.
 
I grew up in a house with numerous guns and was taught to shoot and hunt at the age of seven. I know some folks who taught their children younger than that.

Whatever the case may be, I firmly believe that all guns should be kept locked up with young children in the home. I had four boys who were all taught about gun safety and handling and to shoot. I never had any problems with them in respect to guns but my guns were always kept locked up. The only exception was at bedtime when I kept a handgun unlocked in my nightstand.

I'm not trying to say that, because I did it in that manner, everybody else should too but as the saying goes about an ounce of prevention.....
 
Locking systems and training are both absolutely required, but...

One can never guarantee that a locking system of any kind will reliably thwart a determined and crafty child. Neither can one guarantee that even superb training will always prevent a tragedy. It is an ongoing dilemma that those with children in their homes must sort out as best they see fit.

Once their decision is made, it must be continually re-evaluted as the children mature. Also, they must be prepared to live with any bad outcomes that result from whatever they decided.
 
carry your gun on your person when at home...no need to run to the bedroom or where ever should a bad guy kick in your door....
 
Posted by JERRY: carry your gun on your person when at home...no need to run to the bedroom or where ever should a bad guy kick in your door....
Click to expand...
I might word that just a little differently:

Carry your gun on your person when at home...no need to depend on your ability to win a footrace to the bedroom or where ever should a bad guy kick in your door....
Click to expand...
 
I have a quick access safe on my night stand, which holds my "other" handgun. Really, it's there for my wife while she's home (she doesn't carry, and won't at home).

My carry gun is on me at all times. At night, it sits on top of the safe. But, my daughter isn't even 2 yet, so she sleeps in a crib that she can't get out of, so I'm not worried about her getting it in the middle of the night.

When the time comes she no longer sleeps in a crib, the handgun will be locked up at night, until she has an understanding of guns, and safety.
 
I currently keep mine locked in a 4-finger safe, however I have been comfortable hiding them throughout the home. The way I see it, if someone wishes me harm, they will either A) bring their own weapon or B) go straight to the kitchen and grab a knife. Although if you're looking at it from a father's perspective, guns do have that mystique that knives do not, and I agree a 4-finger safe is probably the best bet there.

Personally, unless you're asleep, the quickest and most secure access is to keep it on your hip. You know where it is, and no matter where you are in the house, you can get to it quick.
 
I have a 2 1/2 yr old daughter and another on the way. The long guns are in a safe in the basement, one handgun is always in the bedside safe for the wifey to have access when I'm not home plus my carry weapon is usually always on me even in the house until I'm asleep in bed. The handgun that is in the safe is unchambered and safety on so even IF my daughter were to magically open the safe (which she shows no interest in), there's no way she could pull the slide back and manipulate the safety. The safe beeps loudly when opened also. She will be taught ALL about safety and handling when she is old enough. She's never even shown much interest when she happens to see me unholster my carry gun, just the occasional "Whats that?" she asks about everything then she's right back to whatever had her attention before.
For me its all about doing everything safely first to ensure no accidents (safes, locks, keeping ammo seperate, ect) PLUS sound safety training when age appropriate.
 
Incidentally, though my four-year old has asked me what my gun is, she seems satisfied with the simple answer "it's my gun." That's all I've had to tell her so far. She did comment once when she saw a scene on a TV show I was watching, in which a man was at a range teaching a woman how to shoot, that "I don't want to do that; girls don't do that." I told her that girls can do anything they want to, and some girls do indeed want to do that. I also told her that it is okay to want to, or to not want to "do that."
 
FortKnoxx has a nice heavy duty mechanical four finger type safe for either pistols or long arms. Beware of the inexpensive ones. Forbes did a report that they can be opened by raising and dropping them. It's on the Internet if you look.
 
Gunvault is pretty good. Their only weaknesses are 1) tubular lock picks or 2) if they are not bolted down, they can be easily stolen as a whole piece. However, they are nice for preventing quick access by most home invaders or kids, but allowing quick access when needed.
 
Skribs said:
Gunvault is pretty good. Their only weaknesses are 1) tubular lock picks or 2) if they are not bolted down, they can be easily stolen as a whole piece. However, they are nice for preventing quick access by most home invaders or kids, but allowing quick access when needed.
Click to expand...

I guess you haven't seen this. Not to mention 16ga steel is not a deterrant at all for a home invader. Toddlers will be kept out, but as they get older it could be more challenging.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovjvy0FTxBY
 
So there's a few weaknesses shown...

1) The hole in the side. These holes only exist if you drill into the safe first, which would require the BG to either drill or use a pre-existing hole. The only hole in my safe is plugged with the cable lock; you can cut the cable, but the lock is still in the hole. Only way to easily get it out is to open the safe first.

2) Prying off the top. This looks like it would require some time and noise. If the quick-access safe is anywhere near you when you need your gun (i.e. while you're asleep), then you'll probably know the BG is there before he gets into your safe.

Either way, I do not see your average thief knowing these tricks, especially with this model safe. I also do not see someone with the skills to get into a gunsafe to need to use those skills to get a weapon; such person would probably have their own weapon already.

I'm convinced that my safe does what I need it to do. I know there are vulnerabilities, but in order to exploit that someone would have to come with special knowledge and/or tools. It is more likely someone will grab a knife from my kitchen or bring their own weapon than break into my gunvault. I also don't see kids as trying to break into the safe, if they do, there's bigger problems at play.
 
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