How to keep a home defense revolver?

S

Shrinkmd

New member
Do people keep their revolvers loaded at home (locked away from the kids of course) or in the box with a speedloader ready? I have heard that if the cylinder has some leftover solvent in it that you can ruin the loads in there after a while. What precautions do you need to take to keep the revolver loaded and not ruin the ammo in it? I have a decent box from american security to keep it in...
 
Personally, I keep mine loaded, and have 2 speedloaders as well. I just make sure that I shoot up the rounds that are in the cylinder every couple of months and refresh with new rounds.
 
S&W 65 Revolver - loaded, cocked, under my pillow, with my hand on it.....the wife complains........something about she rather have me hold with two arms instead of just one :D ............



Seriously, loaded in a flip top box in a night stand.

Other than that I walk around the house with twin pearl gripped Colt Cowboy .45's in a dual holstered belt, skivvies, and my orange and brown stripped sweat socks....nothing else...and thats when the neighbors complain when I go to check the mail, something about the socks and fashion........
 
Loaded. With speedloaders, etc., in reserve.

In almost 20 years of owning revolvers, I've never had a problem with excess "solvent" ruining my carry ammo. :) (What you do is, you run a dry patch through the chambers after you clean and lube. It takes out the excess lube - the solvent should have been removed long before when you were cleaning - and leaves in just enough to prevent corrosion.)
 
I keep mine loaded and nearby when Im home. You never know how quick you would need to grab it if needed. However Im single and live alone. PPl with children need to be extra careful. When Im not home all guns unloaded and hidden, I have a fear of my weapons being stolen when Im not home. this is more likely of a scenerio then you being home and needing a weapon. IMHO. If you leave a revolver unloaded for protection you are eliminating a major advantage of having a revolver in the first place. No safties, Jams ( less likely than an auto , anyways) ,etc. will always fire when the trigger pulled. revolvers are slower to reload than a aleady loaded auto mag near a pistol, for most people. ( still I prefer revo's over auto's). They are best on the ready when left loaded, but again beaware of children accesibility.
 
Pezo makes a good point there about children. My wife and I have no children, and will have no children, so the point is moot for us. But others really do have to keep them in mind.

Pezo's point about keeping it loaded is valid. When you really need the revolver in a HD situation, you really don't have time to load up at that point. Your live or your loved one's lives are in danger now. You won't have time to be fumbling with loose rounds or even with a speedloader. I realize that the speedloaders I have are more for my peace of mind, I'll probably never use them for their intended primary purpose, that being 2 reloads -- even less likely than if I use the revolver for it's primary purpose. It'll most likely all be over before I empty the first cylinder. Remember that when the SHTF you will magically turn into all thumbs. It really does need to be loaded beforehand to be effective.
 
Somewhere near 35 years ago, I brought a Colt Det Spec .38 home from a local gun shop. Somehow in the interim years, . . . it went from Dwight's gun, to "That's my gun, there in the drawer", thus says the wife.

It has not been loaded in those 35 years only for the time it takes to reload it after it has been shot. Total loaded time would probably be something like: 34 years, 11 months 29 days, 20, . . . and maybe longer. Cleaning and re loading are the only reasons it was ever empty.

Yes, . . . it has been peaceful, . . . knowing old Sam Colt has his offspring here keeping the peace.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
I keep a 6 cell Maglight and a S&W .357 Body Guard loaded with an extra loaded, speed loader in a kevlar combination lock box near the bed so my wife or young adult daughters can open it quickly by turning one digit. Additionally, they could grab my Glock 30 and slap in a full magazine, rack and go from the night stand drawer. All are practiced and trained to know how to use them safely.
 
With a toddler in the house my guns are either with me or locked up.

But ... I do have a flat safe under the bed that's opened with pushbuttons for my loaded .357. I can reach down and open it in the dark without even thinking about it.

I got it even before I had kids, though. I'm such a sound sleeper I was afraid I'd wake up AFTER the BG had taken my gun out of the night stand. It would suck to be standing at the pearly gates, knowing that your own gun put you there ...
 
When I was younger (& there were no kids in the house) I kept a DA revolver for HD. The first chamber to come around was kept empty. My thought was that if I had to use the gun, I would know that I had to pull the trigger twice to get the first bang. If BG found it before I awoke, I'd have 1/2 a chance to either dive on him or run like hell cuz he'd get a click when he pulled the trigger that would most likely buy me a second or two. Of course, if a child (or even some adults that I've known) found a gun in that condition and got a click when they pulled the trigger, they would be much more likely to put it to their head & pull the trigger again.
 
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I keep my GP-100 loaded with .38 Spl Hydrashok's in a flip down lock box on the nighstand. Its one of those with the handprint so it is easy to open in the dark.
 
I used to go with family tradition. A loaded, double action under my pillow. I now keep a BHP 9MM by the bed. I increased capacity.
 
Bodybagger

"S&W 65 Revolver - loaded, cocked, under my pillow, with my hand on it....." :eek:

Whooaa!! You had me going there for awhile. :)

As far as solvent goes, make sure that none of it ever gets on you ammo. It'll penetrate your primers and deactivate them. Solvent is for cleaning and then it's wiped off, along with any excess lube.
 
It just depends on your situation

Loaded and ready to go is best in terms of home defense. I've been on the wrong end of a home invasion robbery and I can tell you that seconds can matter. However, you always have to weigh risks. I don't have children and no children ever come over, so it's not a big deal to keep a loaded gun around. But if I were concerned about kids getting at my guns, it would be a different story: they would be locked up and unloaded.

You also have to check the laws of your state. States have varying requirements when it comes to safe storage.
 
Home Invasion

Massad Ayoob said that detectives he knew who investigate home invasion robberies were so impressed with how fast they happened, that some have taken to being armed at home, on their own time, off duty, at all times. Seems they noticed that many victims had firearms in their homes, and that few ever reached them in time--at least not during the bust in home invasions. If we let them con their way in--shame on us. ;)
 
I once knew a young lady who worked for the Feebees in the "How they think and act" Department. Hollyweird made a movie about her folks and the lady who played the lead lived with her for several months. The lady Feebee, after talking with Terminal BG for a living says she is never out hands reach of pistol, 24/7 unless she's talking to a BG in prison, even in the shower she has one near. She says the BG in the movie they made was Kindergarden Kid compared to some of the folks she has visited with and the movie about the Commie Dragon was about right.

Jungle Work
 
I have a fear about having a loaded handgun "under the pillow". the way I can twist and turn at night. I prefer the in the drawer nearby, under the bed in some situations or the "easy for owner to open lock box".
 
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