Loaded gun within reach of bed. Bad idea?

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Loaded xds within reach, along with spare mag and ear muffs.
Unfortunatly my early warning systems have been getting up in years and none of them seem intrested in waking up even when they do here something (the lazy little beggers :) ) but I love them anyway.
 
One afternoon I lay down to take a nap and I wake up to find someone over my bed choking and shaking me. Luckily I had my 1911 C&L on the nightstand. I quickly thumbed the safety off. About that time, I woke up. Gun pointed at the ceiling where the guy had been. My other hand? Still in a deathgrip around my own neck. 5 minutes after I had fallen asleep.

The dream had started with me needing to wake up since I never meant to sleep anyway and had to go out on the town and do stuff. In the dream someone was shaking me awake. That someone was apparently me. Dream progressed to me choking me somehow.

I keep loaded guns close by but I prefer condition 3 unless it is in a holster on me. I have kids about, further reason to do so. She knows the rule, but a mistake only needs to be made once.
 
It is important to develop a system that fits YOU and YOUR lifestyle. Living situations can differ dramatically from person to person.

I personally I am not a proponent of a visible nightstand gun. Even if you are the lightest of sleepers, there is no guarantee that a BG will make enough noise right away that will wake you up, and if they were to get to your unsecured gun before you, well therein lays the problem.

I prefer to keep a handgun under the bed or in the nightstand drawer, for me that tends to be a Taurus 941 .22WMR with a 2 inch barrel, because if I am in a position where I can't get to my shotgun, then there is a good chance it is going to get up close and personal, and "pistol-punching" tactics may come into play and I want a steel frame for that.

I also use that Taurus as my bedside gun because of it's trigger pull. 20 LB trigger pull, takes strength that little children most likely haven't developed yet. I still keep it locked up when I am not around, but I feel more comfortable with that gun by my bedside when I am visiting friends and family who have young children. But never in the open by my home bedside.
 
Not to put any of you down , but if alarm or guard dog is not enough , there might be a time to move.
Now , I do have a G35 loaded (not chambered ) and Benelli Super NOva (same )
In closed (2 steps from the bed ), hidden,but do not feel the need having loaded gun under the pillow or within the arms reach.
The way my house is payed out , it Ives me 3-4 seconds ( worst case scenario ) to go for gun , if opportunity presents itself. :)
 
We have no kids in the house. My M&P is loaded, clambered and locked on my nightstand. My husband doesn't want anything but a bat. We have two Chinese Shar Pei who are quite serious about people in their house.
 
Due to this reason my 92fs is locked in a safe next to the bed and the loaded mag is sitting on the top shelf of my closet which is also right next to the bed.
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??? If the gun is locked in a safe, why not have the mag inside and the gun loaded - it isn't like the kids can get into the safe
 
Not to put any of you down , but if alarm or guard dog is not enough , there might be a time to move.
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So your supposition is that criminal home invasions only happen in certain well-identified geographic areas?
 
I do crazy stuff in my sleep. Usually just sleep talking about the craziest stuff. Sometimes it's more than that. For instance I once recently turned all of my alarms off on my phone because I thought it'd kill me because it knew what time I was getting up. I also once it was a grenade and threw it. Sometimes I end up waking up with it in the floor and all kinds of things. Having a gun within arms reach while I sleep could be a bad idea.
 
WV_gunner said:
I do crazy stuff in my sleep. Usually just sleep talking about the craziest stuff. Sometimes it's more than that. For instance I once recently turned all of my alarms off on my phone because I thought it'd kill me because it knew what time I was getting up. I also once it was a grenade and threw it. Sometimes I end up waking up with it in the floor and all kinds of things. Having a gun within arms reach while I sleep could be a bad idea.
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Sounds like the worst you would do is shoot your phone in self defense ;)
 
Mine still sits on the nightstand as it has for decades, except now, for the last 10 or so years, it is my EDC. I am fully awake and cognizant in an instant, always have been, and I know not everybody is, and each have to find out what their immediate mental capacity is upon rude awakening. I have another problem that has just cropped up in the last few weeks as illustrated in another thread. Low blood-pressure can completely incapacitate me to where I am useless to myself and the wife, enough to let a potential home invader get the upper hand fairly easily. I need a few seconds sitting up to equalize or sometimes I'll black out. Not good in an emergency situation.
 
If you have to ask I think you already know the answer.

I've always resisted keeping my gun loaded and within reach of my bed. Why? Well, I've been known to have very vivid dreams, sometimes involving imminent threats. I'd hate to reach for my gun when I'm half asleep, not fully certain of what's real and what's imaginary.

So, I've always told myself that I need to be awake and cognizant enough to walk a few steps, insert a magazine and work the action, or be able to work the touch keypad on my pistol safe. I figure if I can do either of these, I'm alert enough to make good decisions. Obviously, this isn't as fast as keeping it on a nightstand, but it seems safer to me.

How do others deal with this issue? Thoughts? Comments?
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If you have to ask I think you already know the answer.
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No, I DON'T already know the answer. I know how I deal with this issue. But I asked how OTHERS deal with it. I'm surprised at the number and variety of responses. It's been a good discussion.

As an NRA instructor, I always emphasize the #1 rule of firearm safety: Keep it pointed in a safe direction at all times. I can't reconcile that with keeping a loaded gun under your pillow.

Keeping it within easy reach is a different story. For myself, I've chosen to add a step to ensure I'm fully awake.
 
Mine lays within inches from me on nightstand, same direction, same angle, same gun, ammo, holster and operation every night no matter where I'm sleeping at. Right next to a small high intensity light with strobe option. I can grab both with my eyes closed in seconds.
 
This issue has been discussed many times, and I'd have to say it's totally a personal decision, based on your personal sleeping and waking habits ... I keep a 1911 locked and loaded on the nightstand next to my side of the bed, oriented so I can see the night sights glowing, along with a spare mag, fixed blade knife, cell phone and Surefire flashlight ... I'm a light sleeper, almost never dream (at least that I can remember) and wake smoothly and completely ... our dog sleeps in the bedroom with us and can be counted on to give me enough notice to arm myself and decide how to proceed ...
 
If one is on certain prescription drugs, has certain mental diseases or psychological issues, then the answer to the question of whether such a person should keep a loaded firearm ready to go right next to their bedside is a resounding no. This is not a matter of "personal choice" or "what works best for me" but one of common sense and safety. Such a person is far more likely to be more dangerous to themselves or their loved ones then to an intruder. At the very least, keep the chamber(s) cleared and/or the mag disconnected.

One needs to recognize their situation, swallow their pride and take the necessary measures to protect themselves and those around them. If one is unable or unwilling to do so, they should not have any firearms.
 
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Everybody situation is different. Sleep habits, health issues, medications etc. For me I wouldn't go to bed/ sleep without one within reach. Loaded and chambered.
 
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