Hangfire, I don't think he would leave a gun he was going to use for self defense in a locked container.
I have a gunsafe and keep all my guns locked up. At night, before I retire to bed, I take one out and put it in the nightstand next to my bed. In the morning, I get up, and lock it back in the safe.
My problem is that I always fear people breaking into my house and stealing my guns. Guns are guns, but I have alot of my dads and grandfathers guns that I would consider irreplaceable. I would rather have a "secret" hiding space than a safe. Safes can be compromised, hiding places are, if done correctly, impossible to find. I would feel much more secure with a hiding space than my safe.
Bob