Gun Storage

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I am a single mom of a small child and live in the downstairs half of a house. My roomate lives upstairs with his two kids (8 and 10). My roomate is living in this bubble and thinks that nobody needs to lock their doors or have guns for self defense. He has chosen not to educate his kids on guns or gun safety and asked that I keep my firearm locked up when I'm not carrying it (which I would do regaurdless of his asking) and he wants me to cover it up as I leave the house and come home so the kids don't see it. He's not totally anti-gun but he just thinks I shouldn't have it. Even though he says he's afraid his kids will get ahold of my pistol, he hasn't had any kind of safety talk with them and he still allows them to come in my room when I am not home (which obviously bothers me for privacy reasons too). Even though I have the gun either on me or locked in a lock box (and the key is ALWAYS with ME), it still bothers me that IF for some reason they were to get it, it would be bad.

So, I have and carry a firearm because I have a very specific threat. My daughter's dad is very dangerous and has followed me a lot (from moving within a few blocks of my house to following me to school). He has threatened multiple times to kidnap her and to kill me. There is a long history of abuse and violence from him also. The first time he found my then new place of residence he would beat on the siding and even went into the house once when I was gone and made a huge mess of my stuff. The place I'm living nowwas my third move and I'm also on my third vehicle and I have lost count of how many times I've changed my phone number. Don't worry, I realize I was dumb to have stayed with him and what not, but I had the guts to leave and stick to my guns, no pun intended. I have placed multiple restraining orders and what not on him which he has violated multiple times. This is a very real and current thing that I am going through and either he is trying to find where I live at this very moment or he already knows and is waiting to make his move. I have already taken many other safety precautions like locking doors and keep my phone always charged and near my bed, my daughter and I made strings of bells that we hung from her door and we have all the noisy toys stacked infront of her window. I sleep with my door open and there is a night light in her room and the hall. All those things were all that I could think of to just make sure we were safe, and then I got the gun and took the class for my permit.

At the moment, I sleep with the gun locked in the safe but loaded. I decided not to have it chambered but I keep the key in the hole when I sleep so I don't have to fumble with a key when it's dark and I'm all nervous. The lock box is in a little nitch right above my head when I sleep so my daughter would literally have to sit on me to get to it (and she and I have had multiple conversations about the gun and safety so she knows she shouldn't touch it). I know this is getting long but I want to know how I can store my gun so that it is safe for my baby but easy and fast for me to get to it in a hurry. I have practiced getting it out of the box and it is very likely that I would die before I could get the gun out (his friends have told me that he has a gun and has talked about using it on me). Is the way I have it now the best I can do? Please, suggestions!!

Thank you in advance for any suggestions and understanding. Please no lectures on good/bad boyfriend choices =)

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If you continue to live with this person, that is the price you will pay: children roaming freely through your space and touching your stuff. You are going to have to lock the gun up when it is not directly under your control or when you are sleeping.

I think the demand to cover the gun is unreasonable. You should carry it openly, forcing the dad to have a conversation with his kids about guns.

The ultimate solution is that you need a new roommate. Someone will have to move eventually. Your next roommate must be on the same page with you on the issue of firearms.

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i would suggest a Biometric Gun Safe. they are designed to only open for you and make for quick and easy access to your firearm.

you can read about them here....http://biometricgunsafe.net/

if you google "biometric gun safe" you should get a lot of hits to retailers so you can get a price idea, but if you need it now you should search locally.

having your weapon accessible to only you is a huge plus when small children are around and a very smart move on your part. best of luck to you!

here are some links to a couple of online retailers. i'm sure there are many more but these were on the first page of hits in my search. hopefully you can find one to fit into your budget, but then again how much money is too much when it comes to safety?

http://www.gunsafes.com/Biometric-Gun-Safe.html

http://www.avidbiometrics.com/Biometric-Safes-c3/

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eye95 wrote:

If you continue to live with this person, that is the price you will pay: children roaming freely through your space and touching your stuff. You are going to have to lock the gun up when it is not directly under your control or when you are sleeping.

I think the demand to cover the gun is unreasonable. You should carry it openly, forcing the dad to have a conversation with his kids about guns.

The ultimate solution is that you need a new roommate. Someone will have to move eventually. Your next roommate must be on the same page with you on the issue of firearms.

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Agreed and I do want to move but I will most likely be here til next spring. I am just graduating college and supporting a kid on my own. I have two jobs that barely pay the bills so moving now is no option and he is here to stay. My next roomate will be my boyfriend who is himself a lover of guns and carrying so that is no issue. Roomate or not, I would still like to know the best way to safely store a gun?!

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Broondog wrote:

i would suggest a Biometric Gun Safe. they are designed to only open for you and make for quick and easy access to your firearm.

you can read about them here....http://biometricgunsafe.net/

if you google "biometric gun safe" you should get a lot of hits to retailers so you can get a price idea, but if you need it now you should search locally.

having your weapon accessible to only you is a huge plus when small children are around and a very smart move on your part. best of luck to you!

here are some links to a couple of online retailers. i'm sure there are many more but these were on the first page of hits in my search. hopefully you can find one to fit into your budget, but then again how much money is too much when it comes to safety?

http://www.gunsafes.com/Biometric-Gun-Safe.html

http://www.avidbiometrics.com/Biometric-Safes-c3/

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Thank you for the links and the well wishes!! My boyfriend and I have been looking at those and talking about how bad I need to get one but neither of us can really afford it right now. Agreed that there is no price on safety, but I literally have no money to spare right now. So in the time being, how do you suggest I keep my gun locked up? There have been nighs that I hear strange noises and my roomate is gone and I'll have the gun under my pillow but I don't do that very often...

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TTcrunchberry wrote:

Thank you for the links and the well wishes!! My boyfriend and I have been looking at those and talking about how bad I need to get one but neither of us can really afford it right now. Agreed that there is no price on safety, but I literally have no money to spare right now. So in the time being, how do you suggest I keep my gun locked up? There have been nighs that I hear strange noises and my roomate is gone and I'll have the gun under my pillow but I don't do that very often...

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until you get something more suitable i suppose you will have to improvise such as you currently are. another thought, since under the pillow is not the safest place for anyone, is to tuck your pistol between your mattress and box springs but only while you are sleeping. this should give you quicker access at night. any other time it should either be on you or in the locked box when kids are around.


hopefully someone will come along with some other ideas. i myself have no children and none are ever in my home so i keep my firearms wherever i want.

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Hi TTcrunchberry.

Personally, and I understand you must do what you feel is correct, but under the situation you have described yourself to be in, I wouldn't be without my gun at the ready atany time, or anywhere, day or night. Your current roomate is only that, a roomate, and his kids should stay out of your part of the house unless invited, period. If anything harm shouldbefallyou or your child, would your roomate fix things for you?

Ask your roomate to buy you a biometric safe if hethinks your gunneeds to be hidden away from his children. I bet he wont/



Regards,

Haz.

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The best advice I can give is this: Keep the gun on your person at all times while you are awake. Not only is there a serious threat against you and your daughter, but also keeping the gun on your person keeps it in your personal control. (ie you don't have to worry about the room-mate's kids sneaking into your room while you are in the kitchen and getting into stuff)

As for at night when you are sleeping, keeping the gunin a safe with the key inserted into the lock is basically the same thing as putting the gun in a nightstand drawer. It's not going to keep anyone out of it. You'd probably be much safer just locking your bedroom door (if your door is so equipped). If not, you can buy a simple slide lock atany hardware storefor about two bucks, that'll at least keep the kids out of your room while you are in it. (ie sleeping) and you won't have to worry so much about keeping the safe locked.

It sounds like you are bending over backward to be amiable toward your room mate, but he's not reciprocating very well. I understand- on a certain level- him being afraid that his kids might somehow get ahold of your gun and an accident might happen. That being said, it is a two way street. You as a responsible gun owner are doing your part. Now he needs to step up and do a little parenting. Rule number one should be to keep the kids out of your room, especially when you are not there. (That's just common courtesy anyway). Also, keeping the gun 'hidden' as you go to and fro is just plain unreasonable. Again, it is on your person, it is under your control.

I think it ispretty selfish of him tolay down a bunch of rules on you just so that he won't have totalk to his kids.In any event, you may want to think about having a talk with him and discussing a few of these things. If you're paying rent you have certain rights while living there. One is that neither him or his kids have any right to go into your room while you aren't there. Secondly, you are under no obligation (unless your contract specifies otherwise) to hide your firearm from anybody.

Now, that being said, if you are going out and won't be taking your firearm with you for some reason, absolutely lock it up and take the key withyou. Otherwise, keep positive control of it at all times, and make sure youcan get to it quick at night. Hope this helped.

Good luck andGod bless.

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TTcrunchberry wrote:

My roomate is living in this bubble and thinks that nobody needs to lock their doors or have guns for self defense.

Click to expand...

PS- does he insist on leaving the doors unlocked at night even with your current situation?? :what:

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TTcrunchberry wrote:

I am a single mom of a small child and live in the downstairs half of a house. My roomate lives upstairs with his two kids (8 and 10). My roomate is living in this bubble and thinks that nobody needs to lock their doors or have guns for self defense. He has chosen not to educate his kids on guns or gun safety and asked that I keep my firearm locked up when I'm not carrying it (which I would do regaurdless of his asking) and he wants me to cover it up as I leave the house and come home so the kids don't see it. He's not totally anti-gun but he just thinks I shouldn't have it. Even though he says he's afraid his kids will get ahold of my pistol, he hasn't had any kind of safety talk with them and he still allows them to come in my room when I am not home (which obviously bothers me for privacy reasons too). Even though I have the gun either on me or locked in a lock box (and the key is ALWAYS with ME), it still bothers me that IF for some reason they were to get it, it would be bad.

So, I have and carry a firearm because I have a very specific threat. My daughter's dad is very dangerous and has followed me a lot (from moving within a few blocks of my house to following me to school). He has threatened multiple times to kidnap her and to kill me. There is a long history of abuse and violence from him also. The first time he found my then new place of residence he would beat on the siding and even went into the house once when I was gone and made a huge mess of my stuff. The place I'm living nowwas my third move and I'm also on my third vehicle and I have lost count of how many times I've changed my phone number. Don't worry, I realize I was dumb to have stayed with him and what not, but I had the guts to leave and stick to my guns, no pun intended. I have placed multiple restraining orders and what not on him which he has violated multiple times. This is a very real and current thing that I am going through and either he is trying to find where I live at this very moment or he already knows and is waiting to make his move. I have already taken many other safety precautions like locking doors and keep my phone always charged and near my bed, my daughter and I made strings of bells that we hung from her door and we have all the noisy toys stacked infront of her window. I sleep with my door open and there is a night light in her room and the hall. All those things were all that I could think of to just make sure we were safe, and then I got the gun and took the class for my permit.

At the moment, I sleep with the gun locked in the safe but loaded. I decided not to have it chambered but I keep the key in the hole when I sleep so I don't have to fumble with a key when it's dark and I'm all nervous. The lock box is in a little nitch right above my head when I sleep so my daughter would literally have to sit on me to get to it (and she and I have had multiple conversations about the gun and safety so she knows she shouldn't touch it). I know this is getting long but I want to know how I can store my gun so that it is safe for my baby but easy and fast for me to get to it in a hurry. I have practiced getting it out of the box and it is very likely that I would die before I could get the gun out (his friends have told me that he has a gun and has talked about using it on me). Is the way I have it now the best I can do? Please, suggestions!!

Thank you in advance for any suggestions and understanding. Please no lectures on good/bad boyfriend choices =)

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ive read all your threads and all your posts....

i will be first to call B.S.

you know all the reasons to carry,,, youve got good reason to carry, always!!
you live in bad conditions. your boyfriend carries, but wont talk,, boo hoo..
you have wasted the time and typing of some of the most thoughtful and
educated members of this forum, to backup thoughts you have shown that
you fully understand since you joined up..

i have said enough,,, there is nothing for me to tell you that you dont already know...

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1245A Defender, why don't you take your negative attitude some where else? Can't you just appreciate that a new member has come on the board to ask honest questions, unlike all the trolls we get daily/weekly? What would please you Mr.? I guess no one should dare ask any questions if they might already know the answer. SOMEONE might ridicule you for wanting to know if your thinking along the correct path. Way to be friendly and welcoming Defender, your such a good ambassador for the site.

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TTCrunchberry,

I just read your other post regarding why OC that sorta started this thread. In it you mentioned that your roomie also has a gun, a rifle I think you mentioned, but that he doesn't proprely control it (ie he leaves it laying around where the kids can get to it). That adds a whole new perspective onto this whole thing, and although I was reserving judgement earlier, I am now personally labeling your roomie a complete and total J@ck @ss

Firstly, he needs to control his kids, especiallywhen it comes to your personal space. If he's so afraid of them sneaking into your room and gaining access to the gun that you keep locked up, then he needs to be a parent and keep them the heck outta there. (again, this is really just common courtesy, but it is a safety issue when kids and firearms are involved)

Secondly, he has absolutely NO leg to stand on when he asks you to hide your gun, especially if he has his own rifle laying around non-chalantly where his kids or even your daughter can get access to it. DUMB DUMB DUMB! :banghead:

Thirdly, since he's been such a stickler to you about your gun, I think it is far overdue that you insist he secure his OWN weapon. In a house with that many kids he shouldn't be leaving a rifle laying around within their easy reach.

Finally, the whole bit about him throwing a fit if you lock the doors at night is absolutely STUPID. You pay rent, lock the darn doors. If he has a problem with it I fully encourage you to bite his head off. I hope you get the chance to move out soon, and get a lock on your own door in the meantime.

Cheers

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The first one to call BS??? How about the only one?

What an unnecessarily nasty post.

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Educating the kids yours and room mates is a priority. Take them to the range let them shoot your gun (or a smaller gun like a .22)kids that don't know how to handle or use gunsare the ones that seem to get hurt the most. It also takes some of the mystery or mystique out of the firearm. There have been cases where young ones have protected their families with firearms, a 10 year old protected himself and his sister from harm with their mothers pistol when she wasn't home.

I would also make sure all the children in this household learn safe words and what to do, have a plan of action in the case something does happen. These situations are tough to deal with and peices of paper from the judicial system won't protect you and your family/freinds. It looks like you have already taken steps to protect yourself and may have done what I mentioned here already too. I truly hope everything turns out for the best for you.

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1245A Defender - consider yourself taken to the woodshed and properly chastized. What a dumb, counterproductive thing to say to a newbie with serious questions. Take a hike if you can't be civil.

TTcrunchberry - You are one gutsy lady and I salute you. Just keep asking, learning and practicing. You own your life, and you alone are responsible for it and your safety, not to mention your child. Do what you must do to carry that out.

Just realize that your need for self defense and an adequate self defense tool will not change if the X were to drop dead today, or when you are united with your current boyfriend. These things change the dynamics and immediacy in some ways, but not the basic premise of self ownership/responsibility.

Sounds like your current storage method is probably the best you're going to have for a little while. Just be sure you realize the limitations. Locked doors and noisemakers are a very good extra precaution when at home. The more of that sort of thing you can do, the better. But the most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings at all times and not let things distract you too much when you are out and about. I know that is a hard one with children, but someone attacking you will WATCH for those moments and strike at you when you are most vulnerable.

You said you took a handgun course. I would urge you to take a good SELF DEFENSE course as well. The NRA "Personal Protection" pair are quite good. If you will PM or email me with an email address, I'll be glad to send you the booklet I wrote as supplemental material for those classes. Included is the story of the man I had to shoot to save my life.

Hang in there, sister. Stay safe.

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frommycolddeadhands wrote:

TTcrunchberry wrote:

My roomate is living in this bubble and thinks that nobody needs to lock their doors or have guns for self defense.

Click to expand...

PS- does he insist on leaving the doors unlocked at night even with your current situation?? :what:

Click to expand...

He did until recently. If I locked them he would go and unlock them. Then my x started getting too close for comfort, even for the roomate and I had a talk with him so now he locks the doors.

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Answer #1 to your situation:

GET A NEW ROOMMATE.

You say he's not anti-gun, he just doesn't like YOU having one. That sort of attitude is ALL about control. What bothers him isn't the idea of a gun around his children. What bothers him is the idea of a strong, responsible woman who can defend herself and her family. And that, dear lady, is a SICKNESS that should not be tolerated in any relationship, even if it's just a roommate...

The bit about not locking doors is also an intrusive bit of control he's imposing on you. You have a right to your own personal, secure, LOCKED spaces. If you own the house an your roommate is a tenant, I would suggest kicking him out toot suite, because some insisting on unlocked doors generally mean they want easy access to your stuff so they can use it, or even take it. And it is also a "control over" issue.

IF he is the owner of the property, and YOU are a tenant, then I would suggest that you and your family RELOCATE ASAP. This guy sounds like a seething control freek, and it's just a matter of time before he starts insisting on "quiet hours" and attempting to regulate how long you can leave your lights turned on, and what sort of pillows you should have on your sofa...


Answer #2 per your crazy baby-daddy situation:

I see you have already sworn out a restraining order on him. Good for you! Many women are soafraid they won't do that. This will do a number of things. First, it will make it illegal for him to get close to you or your family. (which doesn't mean anything to him, but it will give the cops an excuse to hassle him if he tries anything.) second, it AUTOMATICALLY makes it illegal for him to possess a firearm in most states, meaning if he is caught with a gun (even during a traffic stop), it will be confiscated, and he could be arrested. Third, it makes it an arrestable offense to buy a new gun, and if he tries to buy one from a dealer and lies on his 4473, it's a SEROIOUS federal crime. Fourth, if he does do something stupis like try to attack you or your family, and you shoot him, it makes your case of a "clean and righteous act of self defense" MUCH stronger, especially if you state in your sworn restraining order that you fear for your life from this guy.

When dealing with jut-jobs like this, you HAVE to establish a "paper trail". The fatter his file is--with complaints, restraining orders, reports of trespassing, etc--the better is is, because when (and it's not "if", but WHEN) he finally DOES do something violent, a fat file of reports, complaints and charges riding his back will make things a LOT easier for the DA, when it comes to building a case against him and putting him away.

Every time he makes a threatening phone call--REPORT IT. Every time he makes a verbal threat to you directly--REPORT IT. Every time he stalks you or parks hi car out front of your house or place of work--REPORT IT. Get your friends in on it too--have THEM report when he makes threats against you to them. KEEP BUILDING THE PAPER TRAIL...


Answer #3, per the safe:

When your firearm is not on your hip, you should have it secured. Biometric safes are a good solution--they are fast, secure, and can only be operated by YOU. But the drawback is that they are expensive.

A small, portable fireproof file safe (like a Honeywell, or some such brand) can often be got at a place like BigLots or other discount stores, and for well under $50, you can have a secure container that is lockable, watertight, fire resistant, and can be chained to something secure like a bed or an eye-bolt screwed into a wall stud. The added advantage of these small portable fireproof safes is they can be unshackled from your home and use for transport in your vehicle when travelling. I have a couple for JUST this purpose...

The best way to keep VERY small children safe is to keep your dangerous items (firearms, sharp tools, heavy objects on shelves) SECURE and out of reach. I don't care what ANYONE says, a 2-year-old can't really understand "NO" when it comes to interesting-looking mechanical devices (like guns), and at that age, they have NO idea whatsoever what "dead" or "maimed" means. Securing your firearms is ESSENTIAL around toddlers. By the time they his kindergarten (age 5 or so) then you can start actually "training" them about safety, because then they can sort of understand it, and have the ability to over-ride their own strong "id" and understand rules and restrictions.

Look into the NRA's "Eddie Eagle" program for educating children on gun safety--it's VERY good, and has LOTS of material from coloring books to DVDs.

I jut want to say THANK YOU for making the effort to educate yourself and do the right thing. We need MORE mothers like you, who are responsible, strong, and capable to defend themselves and their families.

Good luck and BE SAFE.

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eye95 wrote:

The first one to call BS??? How about the only one?

What an unnecessarily nasty post.

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+1

Here we had a person poor their heart out and seek advice only too be chastised. I'm glad she's gotten good advice from all of you, I have nothing better too add to it. That is other than ignore impulsive and nasty replies.

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Dreamer wrote:

Answer #2 per your crazy baby-daddy situation:

I see you have already sworn out a restraining order on him. Good for you! Many women are soafraid they won't do that. This will do a number of things. First, it will make it illegal for him to get close to you or your family. (which doesn't mean anything to him, but it will give the cops an excuse to hassle him if he tries anything.) second, it AUTOMATICALLY makes it illegal for him to possess a firearm in most states, meaning if he is caught with a gun (even during a traffic stop), it will be confiscated, and he could be arrested. Third, it makes it an arrestable offense to buy a new gun, and if he tries to buy one from a dealer and lies on his 4473, it's a SEROIOUS federal crime. Fourth, if he does do something stupis like try to attack you or your family, and you shoot him, it makes your case of a "clean and righteous act of self defense" MUCH stronger, especially if you state in your sworn restraining order that you fear for your life from this guy.

When dealing with jut-jobs like this, you HAVE to establish a "paper trail". The fatter his file is--with complaints, restraining orders, reports of trespassing, etc--the better is is, because when (and it's not "if", but WHEN) he finally DOES do something violent, a fat file of reports, complaints and charges riding his back will make things a LOT easier for the DA, when it comes to building a case against him and putting him away.

Every time he makes a threatening phone call--REPORT IT. Every time he makes a verbal threat to you directly--REPORT IT. Every time he stalks you or parks hi car out front of your house or place of work--REPORT IT. Get your friends in on it too--have THEM report when he makes threats against you to them. KEEP BUILDING THE PAPER TRAIL...

Look into the NRA's "Eddie Eagle" program for educating children on gun safety--it's VERY good, and has LOTS of material from coloring books to DVDs.

I jut want to say THANK YOU for making the effort to educate yourself and do the right thing. We need MORE mothers like you, who are responsible, strong, and capable to defend themselves and their families.

Good luck and BE SAFE.

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I do call the police even if he only violates with an email or phone call, even when it is not horribly threatening andunfortunately the police really don't do much. I have litterally been told that he would have to kill me for the police to take proper action. But yes, I am trying my best to keep a paper trail going.

Do you have to be an NRA member to get the "Eddie Eagle" stuff? Great rescource, thank you so much!!

And you are welcome, I am just trying to do what's best and safest for my daughter. Thank you so much for your advice and kind words!!

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No, you do not need to be an NRA member to order any of their books or attend any of the classes. Members get some discounts on materials, of course, but you can buy them and they are not expensive.

http://materials.nrahq.org/go/products.aspx?cat=EE_Books