Safety Vs. Security

J

jriggs10

Inactive
Hey there, I live on a farm and have a few guns around, but recently also had a kid. All my hunting rifles are locked up in a safe, but I keep my handgun in my night stand next to my bed. My little dude isn't moving around much yet, but I am curious as to what people do when they have kids around as far as keeping a handgun close in case of an intruder. I have always kept mine with the clip next to the gun, but not sure if that is such a good idea with little ones around. What do most people do to keep a handgun close (can't really see the point to having a hand gun if it is in the safe) but safe from kids and their friends. Thanks for any advice!

Jeff
 
I have a three year old. She listens well enough...but based of my own childhood experience, eventually there may ...nay, scratch that, - WILL come a time when curiousity gets the best of her. A loaded weapon in the nightstand drawer is a disaster waiting to happen.

So now I keep a small lockable safe in the bedroom closet...I have forfeited about 30 seconds for increased child safety.
 
Check out:

Cornered Cat's website. I believe she has a section on Kids + Gun - which also extends beyond just the hardware into when they start asking questions.

I've seen 3 examples that you might add to your options or modify.

A forum member who conceals a snub nose keeps his in the pocket of his pants which he hangs on his bed. In order for a child / grandchild to get it, they'd have to come in the room and climb over him and find the pocket it's in. All other times he is carrying concealed.

A friend of mine has a push-button safe (Sport DAC?) which he places both of his and his wife's carry guns in. It doesn't take long. Most other times he carries one of his 2 carry guns. Infant in the house and occasional visitors with children.

Another friend of mine has a trigger lock on his large revolver which stays in a dresser by his bed. This is not his carry gun but a dedicated home defense revolver. He has practiced unlocking it, and he could also pre-insert the key each night and withdraw the key/keychain as he gets ready for the day. Worked for 2 children out of the house now and 1 in high school (that young man has his own guns however and is respectful of his father and his property)

Do you carry concealed? This would allow you to take the gun with you and eliminate the issue about leaving it to be tampered with. On the other hand, leaving nothing handy at home leaves your wife with nothing to grab if needed.

I have seen someone recommend a handgun with a mag safety which could be used as a key but this only works until the child is old enough to understand how the two fit together should he/she find them.
 
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When my kids were small, I relied on a Stack-on strongbox with a push-button lock in the nightstand. Easy to open even in total darkness.
 
Thanks for all the replies, does anyone just keep the gun unloaded and the clip in another area of the room? I do not carry concealed, and my gun is in my room (or at least has been there) all the time, luckily I haven't needed to use it yet...
 
Thanks for all the replies, does anyone just keep the gun unloaded and the clip in another area of the room? I do not carry concealed, and my gun is in my room
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That defeats the whole purpose of having a gun outside of a real safe. If you don't need it for home defense, use a real safe. If you need it for home defense, get a suitable quick-access container.
 
does anyone just keep the gun unloaded and the clip in another area of the room?
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I honestly think this can work if done properly. I think both items need to be hidden and out of reach of children. But they need to be close enough that you can bring them together with out going far. I'd think you'd want the gun in hand and functional in under 30 seconds. There is still a risk envolved, but the odds of them finding both putting them together are much less than some options.
 
Keeping them separate and trying to retrieve, load the magazine into the gun, and chamber a round is way slower than getting it ready to go from a good quality handgun safe. If you don't trust electronics on a safe look for ones that use the push button mechanical locks.
 
Curiosity killed the cat......... remove the curiosity. My kids are used to seeing guns and have been taught what they can do. They have grown up seeing my guns anywhere from the nightstand, end table by recliner, kitchen table, leaning in the corner, etc etc. They know that at any one time one or all may be loaded. They are common to see and don't even raise an eyebrow for them.

On the other hand when I was growing up dad would hide the shotgun, hide the ammo, didn't make a dang bit of difference. I could, would and did find them.

Keep in mind that while there is no set age most kids can't cycle a semi auto. What age they can changes with each kid.

Or.............. Just don't worry about it so much. The need for having it right next to your bed that is. Get a gun safe, lock em up, keep it locked up even at night. For 99% of us having a nightstand gun is a kin to wearing a helmet while driving to work or having flood insurance while living on a mountain top.

LK
 
does anyone just keep the gun unloaded and the clip in another area of the room?
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Yes.. some do. And some of those people had kids that found both and ended up killing themself or their friend.

Why?

Curiosity killed the cat.........
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And....

On the other hand when I was growing up dad would hide the shotgun, hide the ammo, didn't make a dang bit of difference. I could, would and did find them.
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My daughter found the spare key to my safe one day that was well hidden. She's fine. My daughter has never even had a school detention.

DO NOT EVER UNDER ESTIMATE YOUR KIDS ABILITY.

As soon as they can crawl, they can climb. Nothing is "out of reach" to a determined kid.
 
I have a small Stack On safe with a digital keypad that is bolted into a shelf inside my bedroom closet. Inside is my Stoeger Cougar and my wife's Taurus 38spl snubby along with spare ammo, our checks and a few other small items. It is 5 feet away from where I sleep and have timed myself numerous times and I can get up out of bed, key in the code, retrieve my Cougar and have a round racked within 10 seconds with my best time being 7 seconds. I am a light sleeper and wake up very quickly so I am not worried about being too groggy to function if woken up.
I am thinking about getting another small safe to stash downstairs so I can access my S&W 686+ if I need to get my paws on a handgun on the first floor. While a gun is useless unless it is loaded, I am a firm believer in keeping my firearms locked up with only a few being loaded for emergencies.
 
Thanks for the feedback folks, I want to make sure my kid grows up around guns but in a healthy environment. Has anyone ever seen something that specifically locks up a magazine?

Jeff
 
For the next few years, you can use height as the prevention factor. After the little one learns to climb, I'd suggest a pushbutton safety box.
 
For the next few years, you can use height as the prevention factor.
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No... thats a bad idea.

Kids have been known to climb out of their crib before they can walk.

Crawling is in nothing more than 'climbing' horizontally.

A 2 yr old can crawl up onto the couch or a chair... then to the top of a table easily.

A 3 year old can fairly easily reach the top of the fridge. Chair --> counter top --> large pot or counter top microwave = top of fridge in under a minute.

Ive seen it happen. Parents thought the kid couldnt get to the cookies on top of the fridge.

So while you leave your kid watching Sponge Bob to go take a quick #1 potty break yourself... your kid could be be eating cookies (or worse) by time you get back.
 
I had much the same quandary when my kids were little, and much the same situation as the OP. We lived on a small family farm, plenty of acreage around. I decided, because I carried a firearm daily, that education was the best solution. As soon as the kids were old enough, I set about de-mystifying the firearms, along with a firm grounding in education (the Four Rules).

I let the kids shoot anytime they wanted to shoot, along with appropriate safety education and adult supervision. They knew that they were never to touch a firearm without adult Okay, but that if they wanted to shoot, we'd make time during the day for shooting. Shotguns, rifles, handguns, it didn't mater, they all barked or roared in turn across the back pasture.

Are kids curious? Sure they are. Once their curiosity is satisfied, they're good range buddies. There is nothing quite as satisfying as spending a morning shooting with my kids, now with my grandkids. Their education can start as young as age two or three, depending on the kid. Taking the mystery out of firearms is a big step in a child's education. And, you can't hide anything from them, it's not a good idea and it is a recipe for disaster.
 
Has anyone ever seen something that specifically locks up a magazine?

Jeff
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What exactly are you looking for? It seems you want to keep the gun and magazine in different locations. If speed isn't a concern, just lock one or the other in a file cabinet of desk drawer. Or, you can buy a $10.00 camlock at Graingers and put it on your nightstand drawer. Kind of defeats having a handgun for self defense in the home.
 
jriggs10
Safety Vs. Security
Hey there, I live on a farm and have a few guns around, but recently also had a kid. All my hunting rifles are locked up in a safe, but I keep my handgun in my night stand next to my bed. My little dude isn't moving around much yet, but I am curious as to what people do when they have kids around as far as keeping a handgun close in case of an intruder. I have always kept mine with the clip next to the gun, but not sure if that is such a good idea with little ones around. What do most people do to keep a handgun close (can't really see the point to having a hand gun if it is in the safe) but safe from kids and their friends.
Click to expand...

Wear the gun (in a holster) when you are awake on your property. Carry 24x7 during waking hours if you have a CCW.

When you go to bed, put it high up on a shelf in your bedroom. You can also keep it in condition 4 or 3 to further reduce risk when you are asleep.
 
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