any reason to unload a pistol before locking it up?

My use pistol only gets unloaded when I'm reloading, cleaning or preparing for transport.

All other pistols (1/2 doz) are in safe, unloaded, action open. That safe is bolted down bedside, and is electronic locking.

All ammo is in other safe. THAT safe is over 200lbs empty. With ammo...usually 3-4k rounds of 9mm, .45 & .22lr

Ammo safe is fire retardant (as it should be!), bedside safe is not.

I'm trying to work my way towards a big ol safe that will hold 12+ long guns, etc.

Rifles are also unloaded, in closet.

Magazines are locked up with ammo, not with guns. That way, if guns are accessed, it would take a leap of genius on one of my kids part to put that loose 9mm round into the chamber of my handgun/long gun and then fire it.

'Drew
 
Wendi, . . .

In a perfect world, the training you got (the same that I got also, by the way) about never storing a loaded gun, . . . great stuff.

It took all of one tour in VietNam, . . . I began to re-think that decision. Now, I shoot em, . . . clean em, . . . re-load em, . . . and be ready to shoot again.

Safe? Very much so I think, . . . they are in my gun safe (no pun intended) or in my holster, . . . or in my hand. Only exceptions are the ones my wife or son may have out of the safe.

I would like to have enough guns where I could keep the vast majority of them in a display rack, . . . unloaded, . . . shining for all to see: like the old sheriffs did on the westerns on television a few decades back. Flip side of that is that I just have working guns, . . . no display pieces.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
I don't have kids either; just me and my girlfriend, who are both responsible adults and fully capable of using the firearms I own (a .38spl and a .45ACP). The .38spl stays loaded ALL THE TIME as a home-defense gun and is kept in a hidden location where it's not easily found, but readily accessible in an emergency. The .45ACP is carried with me during the day, but kept unloaded at night (magazine unloaded as well, for the same magazine spring reason as noted by Nortonics).

The only time both guns are left completely unloaded and locked up (integrated system on the .45, trigger and/or cable lock for the .38) is when we will be away from home for an extended period and cannot carry (i.e. traveling out-of-state).

Once I finally order a spare mag for the .45, I will probably keep one mag loaded, one empty at night and alternate which mag stays loaded from night to night.

Steamboat, as far as leaving your XD "cocked", I don't necessarily see how it's bad for the pistol. Then again, my Bersa is a DA/SA and when loaded, is with hammer down/safety on.

-38SnubFan
 
In my safe, the guns are unloaded.

Two years ago, my father-in-law died, and family from all over the states converged on his home. He had quite a collection of guns. I thank God that his widow refused to open his safe until I arrived to check the weapons. Every one of them was loaded and ready to go. Had the gun ignorant know-it-all son-in-law from Indiana had access to those guns, we would possibly had two funerals that week. Always consider that it may be someone other than yourself pulling a gun from that safe.

Now the HD shotguns and my CCW are another matter. They are outside the safe, hidden but accessible, and ready to go.
 
I have a mossberg combo night stand next to my bed.

In it is a DA 9mm ready to go.

Round in the chamber, no safety.

You get woke up in the middle of the night with an intruder in your house who is safe because your gun is unloaded??
 
I leave mine loaded...

Aside from the beating of the 'first round', loading and unloading a gun are the most dangerous things one can do.


More 'Accidental' 'Negligent' or 'Unplanned' (pick the one you like best, or least, as the case may be) discharges happen when loading or unloading than any other activity.
 
time delay

i keep my 1911 between my pillows, so i can get to it in a hurry, with an empty chamber. i also lock my door with a broomstick under the handle. im a heavy sleeper so i gotta give myself as much time as possible. it takes me 10 seconds to get my gun from my safe. too long in my books.

in south africa i have to wait until my life (or someone elses) is in immediate danger. so if bg does come through the door im ready and waiting with a loaded fire arm. i'll put a knife in his hand if he was unarmed. you guys in the states atleast have competant gun laws, i gotta find loop holes and some corrups LEO's.

as for your question, ive heard that single stack mags are fine to leave loaded for long periods of time, double stack is the problem. so unload your gun when you lock it up, if only to save the springs.
 
I don't have any kiddies yet but my wife and I are planning to start a family in the near future. Right now, we both have handguns next to our side of the bed plus a Remington 870 (loaded but chamber empty) in the closet. If things were to get really ugly, I also have an AR-15 (unloaded but with loaded mags in my tactical case) in my other closet. That is just where I happen to store the thing anyways.

When we do have kids, I plan to keep everything unloaded except for guns I will have stored in one of those nightstand safes. Those are the ones with 4 buttons on the top and have a hand print so you can access it easily. The safe locks you out after 3 attempts but I figure older kids will be able to crack them eventually. It does give some kind of special beep if it went into lockdown mode so you could tell if it did go into lockdown mode. I will teach the kiddies about firearm safety and shooting to make them safer around guns and decrease their unsupervised curiousity.

Please give me any comments or suggestions on this plan of action.
 
Keep it loaded.. only reason IMHO to lock a gun up is to keep it from being stolen, or if you have EXTREMLY small or irresponsible kids.

Speaking for myself, I've been incharge of all the ammo and guns in the family since 10, but then again, I had it ingrained in my skull on how to be safe.
 
Any firearm that is not your first line of defense should be stored unloaded if there is even the slightest risk of exposure to fire. Ammunition in the magazine will just burn, but the round in the chamber becomes a hazard to everyone.
 
i live on the edge.
my kimber is kept loaded, cocked/locked, my sig is kept chambered and decocked, my AR and shotgun are saftied and unchambered. in case of fire, well, i suppose my smoke detectors would wake me up, that is, if i hadnt removed them so i could cook in peace and quiet.


now, if i have to leave my weapon someplace, and about the only reason i can think of to do so is if i'm going to have a few drinks, or maybe going into a building where carrying is verboten, i unload and unchamber. either the magazine goes with me, or its stashed somewhere else. should someone steal a gun out of the glove compartment, they will need to find their own ammo and feed device.

since i dryfire every single day, i see no harm in loading/unloading chambering/unchambering. i do like to rotate the magazine in my AR, so that happens at least once a week after doing some blasting at the range.
 
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Why not unload guns before locking them up? There's the fire issue, and even if they're loaded would you use one in an emergency without checking?

Whatever you do, be consistent. All guns are always loaded, except when you really need one...
 
Stephen426, your plan with your future kids regarding gun training sounds pretty well thought out. I have 4 stepchildren, and they all know how to load/unload, shoot, and handle weapons safely and responsibly. Once you kill the curiosity of handling and shooting guns, you don't have to worry about what will happen if they do happen upon a firearm. Train them early, and they will be safer and smarter concerning guns. :)
 
I have all of my other guns locked up in a safe place. But i keep my home defense gun loaded in the drawer next to my bed. I am not really woried about keeping it loaded though seeing that i dont have any little chilluns running around here.
 
I keep my XD loaded with one in the chamber. I do this cause it's always on safety till you grab the gun. Love that grip-trigger safety combo! I have no kids so thats not a problem. Do want to have them one day. I will have a gun safe by then and definatly keep all guns in there except the one on me. That's until i judge them responsiable enough to have and handle their own guns.

Anyone able to say why you can keep single stacks loaded longer without adversely affecting the spring than you can a double stack?
 
Mine is locked and unloaded.....

Takes me about 5 seconds to unlock, slide mag in and rack......... I often put myself to the test... give or take a second but 5 is not long in my view...Sure some others say it's too long.... situation dictates in most incidents... In my case the K9 will keep MR or MRS BG busy for 5 or 6 seconds + I put my life on it.... Yep, I'm that sure of Grif......even if he takes a bullet for me which I think would happen if the BG could break free or got the edge on him. I guess at that point all rules of nice have also left me....... I am sure of my ability. I would think 99% of BG's won't come in with a dog barking his a** off and snapping his teeth at the fool. Now, for the idiot that still wants to come in, we have other options to curb his criminal intent. ;)

I have 3 kids and then add a neighborhood of kid's friends in and out all day long.......that means for me.... when not on my person it is locked up and mag sits on a top shelf positioned for me to access quick but not seen from even standing on a chair... This is just my set up and works well for me...
 
The only time I unload a gun is when I am cleaning it, or I just emptied it shooting. I keep all my guns, handguns and long guns, loaded. That way there is never a question about is it loaded or not.
 
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