My Firearm Storage Situation

[Dave09]

I have decided to post my own firearm storage situation to get yalls opinion on the matter. I have been reading the one from g31357 which gave me the idea to see if there is anything i could be doing better.
Now for a little back story I live in a house with two other guys. One of which has a 4 year old and a 7 year old that comes over every other weekend and every now and again stays for a week or two. Now that same guy isn't exactly gun friendly but that's besides the point.

Now i have taken the precaution of putting keyed locks on the two doors that go to my bedroom and am very religious with keeping them locked when i'm not in the room. So far in over a year I have not had a single instance where the door wasn't locked when i wasn't in the immediate area. The firearm is usually next to my bed or at my desk and never in plain view. Then also i take the precaution of putting my firearm in a high to reach place that i'm barely able to reach my self when I am leaving the house and the kids are there. But there is a secondary firearm in my room that is not mine but I am holding it for a friend. This firearm is stored in my closet unloaded in the original box it came in. Neither magazine is loaded for it but the ammo is about 2 feet away. I would say this firearm is barely within reach of the oldest child but again it is all behind locked doors and you would have to dig it out of my closet.

The state my main firearm a glock 23 is always condition one seeing as just like many of yall I feel an unloaded firearm is of no use in a situation. As of right now funds are kind of tight so a gun safe would be out of the question since all my money goes towards college at the moment or bills. I would appreciate any criticism or suggestions on this matter since i am still relatively new to owning a firearm myself and am still learning.

Also just gotta say I love these forums I already have a pretty long list of things i want to get next when funds become available.

[flechero]

You can get a nano vault or similar for a week's worth of lunch money, if you save it. If it were me, I'd lock up the guns that were not on my belt when the kids were around. Put a [free] trigger lock on the gun you are storing for the friend. You aren't using it and you certainly don't want anyone else using it!

[Jumping Frog]

Let me state first so that I am not ambiguous: locking the door to your room is not sufficient with young children around.

A college student with roommates? I'd want to capability to lock up more than just my guns to be on the safe side. Even if your roommates are decent, you have no control over guests they may bring into the residence when you are not home. I certainly had a lockable trunk in my room when I was a college student.

For example, something like a Under the Bed Wheeled Storage Trunk. This plus a padlock and you are good to go.

Do not overlook Craiglist. For example, this trunk is listed right now for $15:



There are also lockable took boxes, rolling Stanley tool boxes, etc. that will meet your needs.

None of these are going to defeat a burglar, but they will prevent a child getting in and a casual visitor who does not want to create noise and create alarm.

[CoffeeNut]

Maybe a lockable cash type box? They don't scream gun and they'll fit other things beside the gun. Not burglar proof or even roommate proof but it'll stop a child.

A better but still cheap option is the above mentioned Nano-vaults. They're not expensive, fit a gun and a magazine and will keep it safe from kids and others. They won't stop a thief but that's not really the point of them.

Amazon has them for like $20

[IsraelisJewish]

One can purchase used school locker also. These are great in a pinch. No, would not probably stop a their, but will stop a child.

[J.R.@A&M]

Let me state first so that I am not ambiguous: locking the door to your room is not sufficient with young children around.

There is no bedroom door in any of the four houses I have owned that could not be unlocked with either a credit card or a small screwdriver.

[Richbirdhunter]

Let me state first so that I am not ambiguous: locking the door to your room is not sufficient with young children around.

There is no bedroom door in any of the four houses I have owned that could not be unlocked with either a credit card or a small screwdriver.

What if he removed the door handle and replaced it with a deadbolt lock?

[Sport Coach]

Definitely a free trigger or cable lock is a low to no cost must with kids around and people you didn't invite. Kids will get into anything not padlocked. When I was a kid we found the combination to grandpa's heavy safe which allowed us to play with the .45 handgun and rifle bolts he had in there which we figured out how to put into the rifles hanging on the wall. There was no ammo around and they would take us shooting occasionally so that may have prevented fatal curiosity. We also figured out how to get through most door locks. I also second the fact that your roommates will sooner or later have friends over who will be very curious about your locked door.

[OneGun]

A couple of insights: (1) I agree with the other person that responded that a locked bedroom door is not secure. As my three sons have grown up over time, they have developed inventive ways to defeat a locked door. My youngest, now 17 years-old, was able to purchase a lock pick set for a few bucks from a company in China and had it shipped to our door. While cheap, he has managed to get through the door locks. He has not found away to defeat the gun safe locks that hold the long guns. Nonetheless, he has made me rethink the concept of gun safety. Absolutely locked is more of an ideal state and and I now aim to raise the pain threshold in order to get through a lock to a gun.

(2) A better security situation is locking the gun in a container that can be secured to something else. The nanovault is a good option with its cable. I used one in my truck until my oldest son purchased me a console gun safe specifically fore my truck that secures to the truck frame. it uses a 4 number combination lock. If someones to break into my truck, they will spend a great deal of time getting to the gun safe.

(3) Because your roommates have children who visit, you should make the locking mechanism really rough for them to defeat. Combination locks on a nanovault is a good start. Maybe store the slide/barrel separate from the receiver/lower. Never keep the ammo close by.

(4) My last insight is based on my experience with my kids. Once we demystified guns, they developed a healthy respect. Teach them, in your presence, the four basic gun safety laws (1) treat the gun as if it always loaded. (2) Never point the gun at anything you are not will to destroy. (3) Know your target and what is beyond. (4) Only put your finger on the trigger when you are ready to shoot.

Let the kids shoot the guns. Teach them how to clean and lube the guns. Once the mystery of the guns have been dispelled, kids will have a more adult like relationships with guns.

[TexasSix]

Let me state first so that I am not ambiguous: locking the door to your room is not sufficient with young children around.

There is no bedroom door in any of the four houses I have owned that could not be unlocked with either a credit card or a small screwdriver.

What if he removed the door handle and replaced it with a deadbolt lock?

Exactly what i did when i found out my kids were returning from overseas. Middle bedroom also used as an office is now my in home safe place for my firearms.....The deadbolt was a quick and inexpensive fix....

[RHenriksen]

I added a deadbolt to my bedroom door, rather than replace the doorknob.

I have a spare 81mm mortar case - Army surplus, all steel box. I use the other copy I have to check firearms when flying. $20, added a hasp and very high quality ($$$) lock to secure it. If the OP is in Houston or nearby, you're welcome to the spare one that's taking up space in my garage.

[SewTexas]

when our kids were little and we lived in a pier and beam house, that was pretty flimsy, we put a dead bolt on a closet, turned it into a gun safe. Never had any child even try to open the door. Teach them to respect your boundaries first, then the locked door just becomes and extra safety measure.

[The Wall]

Trigger locks when not in your possession. Possession meaning on your person. This in addition to your door locks. Don't even lay your carry gun down for a second without it being secured. Put a lock on your closet door also. Best scenario? Find somewhere to live where there aren't any kids.

[Richbirdhunter]

Trigger locks when not in your possession. Possession meaning on your person. This in addition to your door locks. Don't even lay your carry gun down for a second without it being secured. Put a lock on your closet door also. Best scenario? Find somewhere to live where there aren't any kids.

Why not teach the kids proper gun safety?

[The Wall]

Trigger locks when not in your possession. Possession meaning on your person. This in addition to your door locks. Don't even lay your carry gun down for a second without it being secured. Put a lock on your closet door also. Best scenario? Find somewhere to live where there aren't any kids.

Why not teach the kids proper gun safety?

That too. But not always enough, and doesn't mean you can give access to kids. Tell the authorities you taught your 7 year old gun safety so it's not your fault he shot himself or the neighbors kid. It's not his responsibility to teach someone else's kids. It is his responsibility to make sure his guns are safely stored and not accessible to kids.