Locked weapons in the home VS quick access

[USAF_Vet]

I agree with gun proofing your kids rather than kid proofing your guns. Mine are 9 and 11, and I keep my pistol loaded and chambered in a holster by my bed.

My long guns are locked up in a cabinet, with most loaded/ unchambered, or with a mag nearby.

I'm not worried about the kids getting to my guns, and I have taken most of their friends to the range, to help eliminate their curiosity about guns. If I don't trust the kid, I change access to the loaded pistol.

 

[tarosean]

I have the nightstand/bedside button push ones for each side of our room, as I have a 3yr old running rampant...Everything else is locked in the gun cabinet or safe.
As for thieves, given enough time they can break into all of our safes... I have no false sense of security with the bedside safes, I know they are inadequate. They only need to foil my daughter.

 

[mhuxtable]

A biometric safe seems to be the answer....keep guns loaded and ready, put the finger on the reader and you're ready to fire....no combinations or keypads.

 

[Shadow 7D]

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

even his boxes are not that 'resistant' (well a lot more) just compared to the comparable 'lunch boxes' (gees, kinda wish my bedside box came with superman on it) are built to a standard that many kids can crack with ingenuity, or just dropping it repeatedly.

Biometic, key, combo....
the question is,
what do you want it to do?

quick access, get one, or just unlock the main safe at night, and relock in the morning etc.

Don't ever think a gunvalut or similar is anything more than a lunch box with a fancy key, it will keep honest people out and delay the inquisitive.
BTW, you REALLY should read the downsides of a biometic, what happens if you are sweating, stressed and smudging your prints etc....

 

[Skribs]

I've used biometric devices before (not safes, but biometric readers), and I remember having to spend twenty minutes fiddling with it (cleaning the reader, the person's hand, making sure their hand was the proper temperature and wasn't too damp or dry, unplugging/replugging it in, using secondary fingers, etc) before finally getting access; sometimes they plain don't work. Any time your finger changes (get or get rid of a wart, get cut, etc) it can make it that much worse. When your finger is bleeding or your hands are cold and you need your gun NOW, you might not get it NOW.

Also, biometric is actually really simple to crack. There was a mythbusters episode where they cracked fingerprint readers by licking a picture of the person's thumbprint. The saliva gave the paper the heat and moisture for the reader to be able to read it.

So, high risk of failure on both allowing authorized access and preventing intrusion...I'll stick with non-biometric.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Hacker takes on small gun safes...

LANGUAGE WARNING, NSFW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIJFQO4DIxw
DEFCON 19: Safe to Armed in Seconds: A Study of Epic Fails of Popular Gun Safes

Uploaded by ChRiStIaAn008 on Oct 27, 2011
Speaker: Deviant Ollam Cluebat Quartermaster

Hackers like guns. Hackers like locks. Hackers like to tinker with guns and locks. And, most of the time, hackers protect their guns with high-quality locks. However, while it's one thing to own a nice gun safe protected by a high security dial, that sort of solution tends to be best for the firearms that one doesn't have in daily use. Many of us who wear a firearm as part of our daily routine opt to store and secure our carry piece in a separate, more easily-accessible way at the end of the day. This talk is an in-depth evaluation of some of the most popular small firearm lockboxes in-use today. Some rely on mechanical locks, others on biometric locks, and some offer a combination of both. But overall, they tend to fail miserably in the face of any dedicated attacker. Come and learn how your favorite gun lockbox might be preventing your toddler from having an accidental discharge, but why it's not at all likely to repel a criminal or even perhaps a curious teenager. Means of both attacking as well as improving upon the lockboxes you already may own will be demonstrated, and audience members will be invited to participate in all sorts of attacks... live and on stage!

For more information visit: http://bit.ly/defcon19_information
To download the video visit: http://bit.ly/defcon19_videos
Playlist Defcon 19: http://bit.ly/defcon19_playlist
Category:
Science & Technology
License:
Standard YouTube License
281 likes, 7 dislikes

 

[coolluke01]

I have a 4,2 and 1 week old sons.
Ruger 10/22 by the back door. Unloaded. This will be changed soon due to increased abilities by the oldest.

Gunvault 4 finger on the dresser with my carry gun. Loaded.

870 HD in the corner behind the dresser with the trigger safety locked. Key is out of reach and beyond children's ability currently. This will also change with their increased abilities.

All other guns are in the safe. I don't fear thieves here for the most part. My main concern is keeping guns away from little boys.

At the correct ages they will all be trained in the avoidance, safety, use, and maintenance of firearms. In that order.

 

[Sav .250]

Two schools. The first with kids or a wife who doesn`t want guns around the house no matter what. Just do the the perp wants and hope all goes well.

The second. No kids and a wife who has your back. Keep it any place you like.

 

[BTNut]

When I'm awake the EDC is on my hip. When I'm asleep it's in a 4-finger gunvault on my dresser. All other guns are in the gun cabinet in the closet. None of my "safes" are to keep out thieves, they are to keep out kids. If a thief comes while we are away, I guess they can have the guns if they can figure out how to get them out. None of my guns are collectible or even very valuable really, so they are replaceable. If I got a "real" safe, especially one with any measure of fire resistance, it would be worth more than my guns. Some day I hope to have a collection that's worth a real safe.

 

[cl4de6]

If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

and if you haven't gotten the message, If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

Now, that being said, you need to gun proof your home and you need to gun-proof your kids. That means your kids need to know that they are never *ever* to touch one of your guns.

That being said, I have two boys, a 6 year old and a 9 year old. Both boys have their own rifles. I take both boys to the range whenever their sports schedules allow. The 6 year old would rather play soccer and doesn't really like shooting. My 9 year old can hit a golf ball at 25 yards with a .22.

Both boys may inspect, clean or dry-fire their guns at any time under my supervision - all they have to do ask.

I would like to think that my kids are "gun-proofed," but there is an old Arab saying: "Trust in Allah, but tie your camel." So I also have also a safe - actually, I have three.

I have a stand-up safe for shotguns, but those weapons aren't for home defense.

Instead, I have two gunvaults, and both are keyed locks. One gun safe is by the nightstand. The other gun safe is in the kitchen, where my wife spends most of her time. I painted the kitchen safe white with appliance spraypaint - it almost looks like a waffle iron or some other type of kitchen appliance -certainly not like a gun safe. Both safes are anchored to the wall using eye bolts.

I'm not a big fan of combination or biometric locks. I'm afraid that a biometric lock will fail right when I need it, and I'm also afraid that I won't be able to select the correct numbers on a combination lock when under stress. But a keyed lock will never fail you. I keep the keys on strong magnets in a hidden place that is near the safe. Only my wife and I know the location of the keys.

Now some people don't like the idea of using a keyed lock in a self-defense situation. I disagree. The secret to using a keyed lock is repetition and muscle memory. I keep my wallet in my gun vault by the bed - but not because I'm trying to keep my wallet safe. I do it because it forces me to open that gun vault at least twice a day. I can do it in the dark and when I am half asleep. It's the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night.

My wife keeps her spending money in the kitchen gun vault. This forces her to open that safe at least once a day.

If you take a pill or vitamin once a day, keep those pills in your gunvault and force yourself to develop the muscle memory of opening that safe once a day.

There is nothing on this Earth more precious than your children. Remember that as you make this decision. Odds are that you will never have to face an intruder, but the odds are much higher of having your kids or one of their friends discover and misuse that gun.

 

[Harley Rider 55]

I have no kids in the house so there is a weapon in every room. When you get to the bedroom, that;s where I leep my boomstick.

 

[Shadow 7D]

If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

and if you haven't gotten the message, If you have a gun and a small child you need a safe.

Now, that being said, you need to gun proof your home and you need to gun-proof your kids. That means your kids need to know that they are never *ever* to touch one of your guns.

That being said, I have two boys, a 6 year old and a 9 year old. Both boys have their own rifles. I take both boys to the range whenever their sports schedules allow. The 6 year old would rather play soccer and doesn't really like shooting. My 9 year old can hit a golf ball at 25 yards with a .22.

Both boys may inspect, clean or dry-fire their guns at any time under my supervision - all they have to do ask.

I would like to think that my kids are "gun-proofed," but there is an old Arab saying: "Trust in Allah, but tie your camel." So I also have also a safe - actually, I have three.

I have a stand-up safe for shotguns, but those weapons aren't for home defense.

Instead, I have two gunvaults, and both are keyed locks. One gun safe is by the nightstand. The other gun safe is in the kitchen, where my wife spends most of her time. I painted the kitchen safe white with appliance spraypaint - it almost looks like a waffle iron or some other type of kitchen appliance -certainly not like a gun safe. Both safes are anchored to the wall using eye bolts.

I'm not a big fan of combination or biometric locks. I'm afraid that a biometric lock will fail right when I need it, and I'm also afraid that I won't be able to select the correct numbers on a combination lock when under stress. But a keyed lock will never fail you. I keep the keys on strong magnets in a hidden place that is near the safe. Only my wife and I know the location of the keys.

Now some people don't like the idea of using a keyed lock in a self-defense situation. I disagree. The secret to using a keyed lock is repetition and muscle memory. I keep my wallet in my gun vault by the bed - but not because I'm trying to keep my wallet safe. I do it because it forces me to open that gun vault at least twice a day. I can do it in the dark and when I am half asleep. It's the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night.

My wife keeps her spending money in the kitchen gun vault. This forces her to open that safe at least once a day.

If you take a pill or vitamin once a day, keep those pills in your gunvault and force yourself to develop the muscle memory of opening that safe once a day.

There is nothing on this Earth more precious than your children. Remember that as you make this decision. Odds are that you will never have to face an intruder, but the odds are much higher of having your kids or one of their friends discover and misuse that gun.

THESE ARE YOUR OPINION
I understand you are a product of where you were raised
they are not absolutes and MANY raise their children differently.
Everything is a trade off.

 

[Batty67]

My Gunvault is bolted down and semi-hidden in the walk-in closet. I prefer the finger entries to biometrics, but I'm sure I could get used to the biometrics. But I have a finger-enrty gunvault... Holds my CZ RAMI BD in 9mm with 14+1 Golden Sabers.

I have a good-sized safe in the basement with the long guns. After I get a 1911, that will go in the gunvault.

 

[BLB68]

I just keep my CCW on me or in my direct control at all times. No kids to worry about in any event. At night it's on a shelf in the night stand, which is turned to face the bed. Anyone who doesn't wake me up (and I'm a light sleeper) would have to reach over me to sneak the gun, which would certainly wake me up.

I guess I'm in the quick access camp. A gun in the next room is a lot less helpful than one in arm's reach.

 

[TyGuy]

I use a 4 digit code safe from Walmart for $30. It's not very secure, but it will keep the Glock in there away from my son's hands until he is old enough to understand.

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

If you have the cash and live in Florida, or are a handy carpenter. There is a company in Florida which will put a hidden compartment in your wall, or any piece of furniture which is large enough. These compartments pop open when magnets are placed in certain places. For example, the bottom of a cabinet will pop out if a lamp and candy dish are placed in the right places. Their work is not cheap (figure $500, for something small you install yourself to $5k for a full custom job). If you are interested, PM me and Ill send you their contact info.

 

[GEM]

Handgun on me or when I'm not home in a mechanical handgun safe. Others are locked up. Kid is grown now, anyway but when she was home.

I would like to comment on gun proofing your child. My other hat says that while you may give your child training and trust them, the wise parent knows that a child may not listen and teenagers are subject to mercurial mood swings and peer pressure. Many parents are totally unaware of such and unaware of substance abuse, bullying, romantic uproar, etc.

I understand the argument that kids have defended the household. But really be sure you know what's up. Not that you think you know or think your patriarchial power will guarantee obedience.

 

[bubba in ca]

Because of grandkids in the house and other reasons, my guns are always locked up in safes, cheapy Sentinel brand ones that work fine for my purposes ( a few plinkers and HD guns, no big valuable collection). Each safe is at the opposite end of the house and contains a loaded long gun and a loaded revolver.

At night and on some other occasions, I put the tubular key in the lock and turn it. This is my way of dealing with the compromises necessary between being always armed and avoiding accidents.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Carry the firearm on your person. It is under your immediate supervision. It is out of access for children and it is there when you need it. From a practical perspective, it is clearly the best solution to the problem but many people are reluctant to do it because of how others will perceive it.

 

[Neverwinter]

Carry the firearm on your person. It is under your immediate supervision. It is out of access for children and it is there when you need it. From a practical perspective, it is clearly the best solution to the problem but many people are reluctant to do it because of how others will perceive it.

In light of the Defcon presentation in post 31, this is the most reliable bet to achieve your two goals.

 

[guyfromohio]

Four gun vaults throughout the house.