Gun safety in the home

[Lan]

I did a lot of research before buying a small handgun safe and ended up buying a LockSAF biometric unit. As far as security goes, it's been top notch. Customer service is great, because the owner does most if not all of the customer service.

Problem is, the biometrics don't work for me. You can scan multiple digits for back up but for whatever reason I have a hard time opening the safe with my fingerprints which is a major bummer. The lock is a crucible type (4 sided key) so it's damn near impossible to pick. Quick to open if you have the keys.

I'd suggest it despite the fact that I've had my problems with it. The owner of LockSAF has been good to me and the durability of the unit makes it badass.

[Dusty]

Home gun safety, to me, means one is accessible in every room.

[ccrn]

Greetings All
I dont have a gun culture in my home even though I have been in the Army for 8 years now and combat arms the entire time. My children know I carry and that I believe strongly in 2nd Ammendment rights etc (and all rights for that matter).

Having said that we take safety very seriously. The steps I have taken are as follows:

All firearms have their bolts removed and are in a heavy safe in the basement. The heavy safe is covered with a cardboard box so it isnt such an attractive "to go" box for burglers.

I maintain positive control of firearms period. There are no handguns left laying around my house, bedside table, under pillow etc. If I do disarm, handguns go in the safe. If a handgun is ever to be left out of a safe it is dissassembled and the pin goes into my pocket even if that means me taking a shower (pants folded on the floor of course).

All children have been through hunter safety.

All children get the "what if" talk about guns in friends homes.

All childrens friends parents are spoken with about guns in the home, computers, and what our rules are.

When we go out to eat, movie or elsewhere Ill often ask my children or wife a hypothetical active shooter problem for the room we are in and see what they would do. I point out exits, and evasion etc.

When I was a child a teenasge next door neighbor blew his friends arm off with his fathers shotgun (the kid died). I tell that story to my children and show them every story of firearm and handgun stupidity local to our area.

I bought a few gun - trigger locks including the ones the local police were issueing free, and promptly destroyed each one within 5 minutes. Something my 10 year old boy could easily duplicate. I did that demonstration at the local police station with their trigger and a plastic M9 much to their dismay.

I have more to learn Im sure. This is a great thread and a subject that can never be too old or unworthy.

In fact, I have been thinking of printing out afirearm safety flyer and distributing them in my neighborhood with bullet points from this thread and elsewhere.

Thanks all-
v/r

[tonyz]

Originally Posted by Dusty

Home gun safety, to me, means one is accessible in every room.

Only one?

[Old Dog New Trick]

Originally Posted by ccrn

Greetings All

SNIP

I have more to learn Im sure. This is a great thread and a subject that can never be too old or unworthy.

In fact, I have been thinking of printing out afirearm safety flyer and distributing them in my neighborhood with bullet points from this thread and elsewhere.

Thanks all-
v/r

I think you should sell your guns, right away!

They are of no use to you and your family if you are that afraid they will be improperly used in your household.

You are teaching your kids to fear them, not respect them for the lethal items they are.

JMO, YMMV

[ccrn]

Originally Posted by Old Dog New Trick

I think you should sell your guns, right away!

They are of no use to you and your family if you are that afraid they will be improperly used in your household.

You are teaching your kids to fear them, not respect them for the lethal items they are.

JMO, YMMV

You have never rmet me, my family, or been in my home, so have no idea what I have or have not taught my children-

[The Reaper]

Do you do the same thing with your power tools, cars, etc?

These are also tools that can kill or be misused.

My kids know I have loaded guns out and they know how (and when) to access and use them. When visiting kids are here, they are kept out of areas with firearms (and power tools, etc.).

My rules apply here in my house, as yours do in yours, though I would probably not answer your questions about my guns, storage, condition, etc.

I guess that according to your rules, your kids would not be allowed to visit here. I think that is your prerogative as a parent.

I sincerely hope that you never see the day when you (or a family member) needs a functioning firearm immediately and cannot get to one.

TR

[Old Dog New Trick]

Originally Posted by ccrn

You have never rmet me, my family, or been in my home, so have no idea what I have or have not taught my children-

I can only base my assessment on what you posted and what you posted gave me the inclination to say what I said. It was not meant in disrespect, just advice.

You can live anyway you want to, and teach your family whatever you chose; it's a free country!

I was just pointing out that respecting something like a firearm is different than being afraid them - to the point of making them completely inoperable and then going even further to locking them up.

Some of my guns are locked up in a heavy safe, and some are not. Some are empty and others are fully loaded and ready for use. A gun void of ammunition (or a firing pin) makes a poor blunt object or a heavy paperweight.

My wife knows how to use all of them, and my five-year-old son knows not to mess with them, and what to do if he finds one - anywhere. I trust both of them to do the right thing. That's the lessons I teach them.

My wife has known me long enough to always sit with her back to the door in a public area, it's nice not having to explain - hypotheticals. I hope someday you get there too.

Again, YMMV and that's okay.

[ccrn]

Originally Posted by Old Dog New Trick

My wife has known me long enough to always sit with her back to the door in a public area, it's nice not having to explain - hypotheticals. I hope someday you get there too.

Again, YMMV and that's okay.

After 22 months in Iraq and Afghanistan my wife and children know exactly where I want to sit no matter where we are, trust me.

Both you and the Colonel make some interesting points to be sure.

But I have no need to keep loaded firearms unattended all over my house. I am always armed meaning my firearm is on my person .So you see, I always have "immediate access" to a functioning firearm.

I believe in positive control of firearms as I learned in the Infantry, and just as I continue to learn from the 18 series types (and others) I live with, work, and fight for.

I also do not believe any 5 year old child, no matter who his or her father, is mature enough to understand with true depth and weight the repercussions of his or her actions fully (with respect to grave consequences) let alone able to concieve their own mortality or that of others.

For that matter most of the 18-25 year olds I served with in Iraq couldnt conceive their own mortality even when some of us began to be killed.

Firearms that arent being carried etc in my honest opinion should be dissassembled and locked.

As far as my children being allowed to play in someones home that has unattended loaded guns laying around: no, I would not permit that if I was informed thus able to make that decision-
Respectfully

[plato]

Originally Posted by ccrn

Firearms that arent being carried etc in my honest opinion should be dissassembled and locked.

Respectfully disagree.

A 14 year old kid inherits the duty of vacuuming as part of his chores. "Dad, I need to vacuum under the bed" = Dad, you need to move the shotgun.

On a corner lot, a stranger comes to the home's back sliding door, rather than either of the two available doors facing the streets. Mom answers the door, and the stranger asks if the house down the street is for sale. (Century 21 sign plainly posted, with agent's phone number.) A little chit-chat follows about the neighborhood, until the stranger abruptly leaves.

PD receives a call 5 minutes later that stranger went to next house, unoccupied, somehow entered the house and was "handing stuff" to another guy carrying stuff to a van.

The caller was the 14 year old. The would-be burglar's abrupt departure appears to have been caused by the transport of a 12 gauge from Dad's bedroom to the vicinity of the sliding doors "pointed mostly at the floor" under the "only if you have to" clause concerning touching a gun in the house.

I know that first hand. I'm the Dad.

[PedOncoDoc]

Originally Posted by ccrn

I also do not believe any 5 year old child, no matter who his or her father, is mature enough to understand with true depth and weight the repercussions of his or her actions fully (with respect to grave consequences) let alone able to concieve their own mortality or that of others.

I will have to strongly disagree with this statement, both as the father of 3 and the healthcare provider for countless children with life-threatening and, unfortunately all-too-often, terminal diseases.

If you shelter your children from death, including the death of children, they will not learn. My children used to ask me why I came home some days and just wanted to hug them for a few minutes - I was very open about losing a young patient (often near my childrens' ages) and what that meant. We also discussed the Sandy Hook tragedy at good length. They do not live in fear of dying, but also comprehend their own mortality.

Now, if I've had a "rough day in the office", they just hug away, and let me know they're saying prayers for that child and his/her family. They also know there are loaded firearms in the house, know not to touch them without appropriate supervision (or specific permission in my oldest's case), and know that they are safe.

Having said that, there are a few children in our neighborhood with whom we do not allow our children to play outside of our home due to a consistent lack of parental supervision/involvement and consistent demonstration of poor decision making skills by the child. I do not know or care what dangers lie in these children's homes - I know there is no one in that hyome willing to stop a child from making bad choices. These children are welcome to play in our home, but they are expected to follow our rules. Strangely, these particular children don't want to play here - likely because they don't like being held accountable for their actions and are not used to disclipline (of which they are in desparate need).

[Jethro113]

Gun Education is paramount. safety is also, but they are intertwined. I dont think you can have one without the other, and be successful in protecting your children. You can tell a child all day long how a gun should be handled, but if you fail to follow through with some actual hands on, it's all a moot point IMO. I, too, have an 800 lb 2 hour safe, but we consistently take the boy to the range and educate him, along with the wife. He shoots our SA .40's and the .380 well....better than some adults. He also gets taught safe handling and cleaning. We started with the BB guns. Even those were handled as real guns. He put it on safe after firing, he points it in a safe direction, and we even had him clear it, and store it in the safe to learn his "safe habits"
I too, believe that if you educate them, the curiosity factor is lowered, thus lowering any chance of an unforeseen accident. Parental supervision, along with good discussions, and range time, will allow a child to learn respect for a weapon and will only make your house safer and more confortable....especially when it comes to Mothers...
Good traits are taught, learned, and passed on to the next generation. Alot of kids nowadays, only worry about XBOX, PS3, and TV.....Most dont have a clue.
Mine does......

[Stiletto11]

I'm with TR on this. My kids were introduced to firearms at a very young age. They were taught safety and knew that if they wanted to see or shoot a gun all they had to do was ask. They grew up respecting them and also knew that they could have a lot of recreational fun shooting. There was no mystique and it became a common place in our family to shoot together. Today, I am proud that as young men, they are responsible gun owners and enjoy the shooting sports. I also know that they do NOT take for granted the right to keep and bear arms. They also know that many men, better than I, died face down in the mud to preserve all the rights that they have the honor to hold.

[Ambush Master]

ALL,

There are pictures of my oldest, now an 18C, in here of him pretending to shoot my M-60 while still in diapers. I have videos of him and my other two shooting it while only 4-5 years old.

When they were old enough to tell me, during the day, that they needed to go to the bathroom, they went Mule Deer hunting with me in the Davis Mountains in West Texas. We camped out @ about the 5K foot level and hunted from a Baby Blazer. They learned how to shoot a Beretta Mod 21 using CB Caps and a Browning BL-22 .22 LR Rifle. They always had hearing protection on when either of us made a shot, and saw what a Firearm did to flesh.

Both of my sons hold CHLs and carry. My daughter put her mother on notice that when she turned 18 she would make a Tandem Parachute Jump and did, but also that when she turns 21 she will get her CHL and WILL CARRY!!

The only times I ever worried about the guns that are scattered around was/is when their friends were/are in the house. I do keep a majority locked in the safe, but there are "Grabbers" stashed in hidey holes around the place.

Education and Familiarity are the safest and best way to go, with both Kids and Adults when it comes to Firearms!!

Later
Martin

[Stiletto11]

It's funny, because when one of my boys was 6, he was shooting a .22 when we found out he was opposite eye dominant; gave us plenty of opportunity to work it out. I can still see him crossing his eye over the scope