Where is your gun when it's not strapped to your hip

Cykaos · Jun 23, 2008

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So what does everyone do with their gun when it isn't on their hip or you aren't in the same room as the gun?

Do you keep it in a gun safe?

Do you keep it in the nightstand?

Loaded? unloaded? Unloaded with a full magazine close by?

Loaded with a trigger lock?

Where and in what condition do you keep your gun while you are asleep?

I am curious because obviously for self defense you want the gun as ready as possible which would be somewhere easily accessible and loaded.

Of course leaving a loaded gun in a drawer when you are not in the room seems unsafe. Since your kid, a neighbor kid, or anyone else could walk in and hurt themselves or others. Even if it wasn't loaded, if the gun wasn't locked up then someone could possibly find ammunition, load the gun, and cause trouble. I have no problem with a loaded gun if you are in the same room as it 100% of the time since obviously you have complete control over who can access it.

What about the times when you leave the room? Do you keep it loaded and ready but then unload it and lock it up before leaving?

What do you do with your gun while you drive? Do you drive with the holster on? Take it off and put it in the passenger seat? Put it in the glove box (assuming CCW)?

What do you do with your gun when you are somewhere you can't carry? Do you leave it in the car? loaded? unloaded? Locked up? In the glove box?

I would guess the best way would be to keep it on your holster on you, when you are home you can take the holster off and keep it in the same room, and if you leave the room or leave the house then put the holster back on.

I just wanted to see some different ideas of how various people balance saftey and self defense.

Thanks

eyesopened · Jun 23, 2008

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If it's not on my hip, then it's in a safe that I can access quickly. The magazines are full and one in the pipe, cocked and locked.

The car has a safe too, but I don't use that as much. If I can't take the gun with me then I don't go. I only got the safe 'cause my last job I couldn't bring the gun into work. It kind of sits useless as the new job I can't even bring the firearm onto the parking lot.

DreQo · Jun 23, 2008

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I live in an apartment, so while I may leave the room, I'm not exactly leaving the area. My gun pretty much follows me around the house even when it's not on my hip. It relaxes in the living room with me, and it may wait there while I get a drink or use the restroom. Eventually it gravitates towards the bedroom, as do I. Sometimes it goes to the bedroom right when I get home, and waits there all evening.

Since my place only has one exit and entrance (other than the balcony or window), I basically make sure I'm always between the gun and the door. That way I'm never stuck running TOWARDS the door to get my gun if someone would try to break in.

My gun safe is for "inactive" munitions. Any active firearms stay out and ready with nothing preventing their use. Oh, and if I set a gun on a table or night stand, I do try to keep it in a holster. After grabbing for my phone one morning and ending up with a gun in my hand, I decided I need to keep the trigger guard covered as much as possible lol.

unreconstructed1 · Jun 23, 2008

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I don't own a gun that doesn't have a full mag. until I get my HCP ( hopefully next month or so) as soon as I get home, my gun usually winds up on my belt. once I get changed into my nightclothes, it comes out of the holster and sits at my desk, chair arm, or teh shelf over the toilet when I gotta go. when I lay down at night, it sits on top of my nightstand. my wife has a pistol in hers, and a shotgun at arm's reach.

Kivuli · Jun 23, 2008

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When at work, it's in my Makita tool bag. When at home, it's either sitting next to me at my desk or on the counter five feet away. When I go to bed, it sits on my nightstand on top of whatever book I'm reading at the time unloaded with the mag nearby. As there is a fully loaded and tricked out Mossberg 500 leaned against the wall between bed and nightstand I don't mind the USP being unloaded, but I'd rather not grab it in a sleepy daze trying to answer the phone with one in the pipe. If I have to go somewhere I can't carry, I lock it in the glove box of my car. When I'm driving it's either in my holster or laying on the passenger seat.

SQLtables · Jun 23, 2008

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Actually, I JUST got home from a short trip where I discovered that my S&W model 637 fits very nicely in the ash tray in my car

So, that's where I'll keep that from now on when I'm in my car. As far as my other handguns in the car, I keep it in my holster if somebody else is in the car. Otherwise I put it on the passenger seat. Sometimes I'm not wearing my mag holster, so I put that in the litle storage area at the bottom of my door.

I'm slowly finding out that my Impala seems to be built for carrying guns

At home it's either in my holster, or safed. I'd rather not have them in a safe, but with a 4 year old, it's a must and there's no way I wouldn't.

tattedupboy · Jun 23, 2008

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At home I spend most of my time in the bedroom, whether I'm sleeping, watching TV, or at the computer. My gun is always nearby(on the nightstand when I'm in bed and on the desk when I'm at the computer), with a full mag, but never one in the pipe (the only time I have one in the pipe is when I'm carrying). Plus, because my gun is a Glock, I don't feel safe fumbling around in the dark for it with a round in the pipe. I've practiced reaching for it in the dark, and at least half the time, I end up touching the trigger.

Also, during hot summer nights, because the AC is in the living room, I sleep on the couch, and when I'm in there, I keep my pistol on the coffee table. The only time I'm not somewhere near my gun is when I'm showering or in the kitchen. Since I live by myself and don't have any kids, I don't feel the need to keep my guns in a safe.

I have two jobs, one of which requires me to carry (security officer). At the other job, which is at the local university, since I don't have a car, and since the university stopped weapon storage, I keep it in a Smart carry holster.

What sucks is that when I go somewhere where I'm not allowed to carry, I have to leave my gun at home because I ride the bus almost everywhere I go and thus, do not have a car to leave it in. Fortunately this is pretty rare for me; in the past year, the only time I have had to do that was back in March of this year when I went to the police station to get my carry permit renewed. Also, technically I'm not allowed to carry at my job at the university, but because I'm able to keep my gun well concealed, it has never been a problem for me.

Felid`Maximus · Jun 24, 2008

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If I'm I must go to a "gun-free zone" like a school it is locked into a glovebox in a locked car. I hate to do it but the law encourages gun theivery by forcing us to leave them where they are easily stolen. If I'm just going to be gone for a moment I'll wear an empty holster but if I have to be somewhere for hours I put the whole holster away too.

At home its either on my side in its holster or (when I'm lazy) on a table or nightstand. (It's always on the nightstand when I sleep). My gun is always fully loaded with no safeties activated. I don't keep it in the holsterwhen its on atable, but the holster is near by.

If there are children or other people I don't want touching it around I never leave it on a table, and always keep it on my hip. If such people are around all guns not in my immediate control are in safes. If you don't have a safe but are worried about children, one thing you can do is field strip your gun and put different parts of the gun in different areas hidden away in places they can't easily get to, also with the ammunition hidden.

When I drive I keep the gun in its holster on my hip.

From what I've read about trigger locks, they can be a safety hazard as much as a safety asset. They can cause a gun to fire if not used properly, and they are easy for even children to bypass. If you insist on using such devices, cable locks are much safer and also more secure, although they don't allow you to have a loaded firearm.

Legba · Jun 24, 2008

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This is why I like magazine safeties. I can store the gun near my bed with one in the pipe and the magazine stored separately, but where I can get to it readily. That way, I can't get shot with my own gun if someone were to access it by itself, and it's alsofaster and quieter to fully load and be ready to fire that way, compared to having to rack a round. It also avoids the possibility of "setback/kaboom" problems associated with reloading the same round too many times, by just leaving the same bullet in the gun.

-ljp

SQLtables · Jun 24, 2008

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Legba wrote:

This is why I like magazine safeties. I can store the gun near my bed with one in the pipe and the magazine stored separately, but where I can get to it readily. That way, I can't get shot with my own gun if someone were to access it by itself, and it's alsofaster and quieter to fully load and be ready to fire that way, compared to having to rack a round. It also avoids the possibility of "setback/kaboom" problems associated with reloading the same round too many times, by just leaving the same bullet in the gun.

-ljp

As long as the intruder isn't already climbing into bed with you and you don't have time to get the magazine. Still probably quicker than a safe though.

4009 · Jun 24, 2008

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I always have my glock on at work and at home until I go to bed then it sits fully loaded on the night stand

David.Car · Jun 24, 2008

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When sleeping, on dresser next to bed in arms reach. Loaded mag in but none chambered.

deepdiver · Jun 25, 2008

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To preface, I don't have kids yet, it is very rare for kids to be at my home and I at most attend school events 2-3 times a year for friends' kids.

At home it is either on the coffee table or end table depending on where I am sitting, or in the nightstand, always locked and loaded.

I avoid places I can't carry. I know if I am going to be going somewhere I can't carry and depending where it is and how long I am going to be away from the vehicle I sometimes just put it in the console, sometimes lock it in the glove box, sometimes take the mag and +1 round with me, and if I am going to be gone for more than a short time or am in a questionable area, I use the cable lock to secure it to the seat rail and take the ammo with me.

Alwayspacking · Jun 26, 2008

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Where and in what condition do you keep your gun while you are asleep?

loaded round in chamber. with my 1911 safety is on and they arealwayswithin reach next to me

I am curious because obviously for self defense you want the gun as ready as possible which would be somewhere easily accessible and loaded.

Of course leaving a loaded gun in a drawer when you are not in the room seems unsafe. Since your kid, a neighbor kid, or anyone else could walk in and hurt themselves or others. Even if it wasn't loaded, if the gun wasn't locked up then someone could possibly find ammunition, load the gun, and cause trouble. I have no problem with a loaded gun if you are in the same room as it 100% of the time since obviously you have complete control over who can access it.

I have a 8 month old and they are out of his reach, but i am looking into a safe for them now becasue he will be into everything before i know it.My doors are locked 100% of the time unless I am outside,and if I am outside I have my gun on me, even while cooking on the grill.So I dont worry about someone a stranger entering my home and taking hold of my guns.

What about the times when you leave the room? Do you keep it loaded and ready but then unload it and lock it up before leaving?
If I leave whatever room they are in, i just keep it there, If I am in the room or not it is loaded and ready to fire. My wife knows to treat every gun as if it is loaded.

What do you do with your gun while you drive? Do you drive with the holster on? Take it off and put it in the passenger seat? Put it in the glove box (assuming CCW)?
When driving I keep it holstered most of the time. Sometimes I place it between my seat and the drink holder. I keep it holstered because I don’t want someone to see me handling my weapon when Ihave toholster it.
What do you do with your gun when you are somewhere you can't carry? Do you leave it in the car? loaded? unloaded? Locked up? In the glove box?
Lock it in the glove box, or place it under my seat.

I would guess the best way would be to keep it on your holster on you, when you are home you can take the holster off and keep it in the same room, and if you leave the room or leave the house then put the holster back on.
I just take it out the holster and place it where ever I am at the moment. If I know we will have visitors I will put my guns away. Keep one in pocket. only if fellow shooters that are close friendscome by I'll just leave my gun anywhere and tell them they are loaded and they donottouch them. then I would at some point holster it.Or put it away. For non shooters or people with kids out of sight all the time.

I just wanted to see some different ideas of how various people balance safety and self defense.

tattedupboy · Jun 26, 2008

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I tried leaving my Glock on the nightstand last night in a holster with a round in the chamber. It was pretty uneventful; the gun did not press its own trigger and discharge a round into my neighbor's apartment. I'm just going to see ifdoing this grows on me.

357luvr · Jun 26, 2008

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Cykaos wrote:

So what does everyone do with their gun when it isn't on their hip or you aren't in the same room as the gun?

Do you keep it in a gun safe?

Do you keep it in the nightstand?

Loaded? unloaded? Unloaded with a full magazine close by?

Loaded with a trigger lock?

Where and in what condition do you keep your gun while you are asleep?

I am curious because obviously for self defense you want the gun as ready as possible which would be somewhere easily accessible and loaded.

Of course leaving a loaded gun in a drawer when you are not in the room seems unsafe. Since your kid, a neighbor kid, or anyone else could walk in and hurt themselves or others. Even if it wasn't loaded, if the gun wasn't locked up then someone could possibly find ammunition, load the gun, and cause trouble. I have no problem with a loaded gun if you are in the same room as it 100% of the time since obviously you have complete control over who can access it.

What about the times when you leave the room? Do you keep it loaded and ready but then unload it and lock it up before leaving?

What do you do with your gun while you drive? Do you drive with the holster on? Take it off and put it in the passenger seat? Put it in the glove box (assuming CCW)?

What do you do with your gun when you are somewhere you can't carry? Do you leave it in the car? loaded? unloaded? Locked up? In the glove box?

I would guess the best way would be to keep it on your holster on you, when you are home you can take the holster off and keep it in the same room, and if you leave the room or leave the house then put the holster back on.

I just wanted to see some different ideas of how various people balance saftey and self defense.

Thanks

Let's put it this way, at the moment I only have a G27 and I sleep with it on. I've been looking into getting a 4"44 mag and don't know if I'll be able to do the same with that big ole thing. I hope I can but if I can't then that and when I'm in the shower are the only times my gun is off my hipwhile atHOME.

My mother lives with me and she doesn't really have a good mindset about guns. She tolorates them and she'll shoot them occasionaly but she just doesn't like them. I live in the middle of the boondocks turned subdivision but you can't even see my house from the road and 90% of people don't see the driveway. Either way, the neighborhood is getting worse by the day but with my dogs, guns, seclusion, and situational awareness (my dogs only bark when they see something so I get up even if I think it's just a deer/squirrel/etc. in the yard) I feel relatively safe from home invasion.

I used to have almost every gun I own loaded to the gills at all times. However,due to a recent AD (accidental discharge) I'm changing my way of thinking. There's no need to have any more than one high capacity (10+) pistol/one large caliber (.357+) revolver with readibly available speed loader and one long gun. In my case, that'll most likely be a 30-30 lever action rifle. Everything else will be in safe unloaded.

Slowalkintexan · Jun 26, 2008

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I've been carrying the same old 38 revolver in the same old holster for so darn long I think I have a callous on my hip. It's never been out of reach. No kids in the house, house always secured, Except when I'm cutting brush, then there's a rifle close by, and I used it once to dispatch a rabid opossum.

Cykaos · Jun 26, 2008

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357 luvr, do you mind talking about the AD? What happened, what you did wrong, what could you have done different? I don't ask these questions so I can laugh at you or anything but learning from others mistakes will help me so I don't make the same mistake and I think it can help a lot of people even if it might hurt your own pride a little bit. If you don't want to post it then you could pm me, or if you don't feel comfortable I understand.

357luvr · Jun 26, 2008

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This is a snippet from an email I sent a little while ago. I've calmed down a lot since it happened (~8 hours ago) and I can honestly say that I quite simply messed up. I put my finger on the bang switch and was suprised when it went bang. Right now I'm thanking whatever I believe in that I'm still alive

Okay, it all started with me looking out the back door and me seeing a squirrel out in the yard. I loaded up the shotgun and by the time I got back out, he was gone. I go back in and unload the the birdshot. What I was trying to do is load 4 rounds in the magazine with the slide back so that I could manually load either birdshot or buckshot. I somehow loaded one in the chamber and the one time I decide to pull the trigger instead of pushing the little button, it went off. Absolutely destroyed the wall and put about a dozen small holes in the roof of the trailer. Not just the ceiling but all the way through the freaking roof.

I could blame it on the gun but I won't because *I* was at fault, NOT the gun. ALWAYS remember basic rules of safety, it could save your life and if nothing else your hearing. I mention hearing because I pulled the trigger of a 12ga. shotgun in the bathroom (weird house layout) with the door closed. Needless to say, I still can't hear right.

Code:

MetalChris · Jun 28, 2008

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tattedupboy wrote:

I tried leaving my Glock on the nightstand last night in a holster with a round in the chamber. It was pretty uneventful; the gun did not press its own trigger and discharge a round into my neighbor's apartment. I'm just going to see ifdoing this grows on me.

LoL. I'm glad your gun didn't misbehave on ya.

Anyhoo, I used to have my XD in a holster on my nightstand loaded with one in the pipe, but quickly realized how idiotic that was because I have a 4 year old that sometimes wanders into our room at night. The reason I wasn't concerned about that initially is because he never goes to my side of the bed, but you don't want to take your chances with something like that. My 870 is in the closet out of reach, loaded without one in the pipe, and the pistol lives in a little pistol safe if I'm not carrying it.

I have a pistol that lives on top of my entertainment center (Bersa T380) loaded with on in the chamber, hammer forward, safety off, and holstered. I should be good with it there for a couple more years...until the kid starts climbing all over stuff.

Where is your gun when it's not strapped to your hip

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