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Was pondering the idea of taking a gun safety class and then buying a handgun, you know, for safety in these turbulent times. Then I started thinking about access and storage.

I imagine it doesn't do me much good as a deterrent if its stored in a looked cabinet and a bad guy breaks into the house. I figured keeping it under the bed or in the night stand is risky. I suppose I could holster it while watching TV, plus that offers me the added convenience of shooting at the TV when WMU flails away in a nationally televised game. But, that seems stupid and paranoid to boot.

Seriously, how to you gun owners manage your gun if it truly is going to protect you and your family?

Serious stuff, think it through. When I lived alone I felt differently. Now lock and key, handguns aren't loaded, the ones with clips are apart. I have my early warning system in place, alarm and dog.

More domestic accidents than thwarted break ins. Serious.

(03-07-2013 09:12 AM)DesertBronco Wrote:  Serious stuff, think it through. When I lived alone I felt differently. Now lock and key, handguns aren't loaded, the ones with clips are apart. I have my early warning system in place, alarm and dog.

More domestic accidents than thwarted break ins. Serious.

My uncle was murdered while hunting. Obviously he was holding a gun.

I know as a nation we don't trust in God as our currency spuriously claims. But it's probably safer than owning a gun in this crapshoot world. Agree with DB on those odds.

More children die in pools than by guns in the home.

There are many large gun safes out there and smaller hand gun safes designed for quick access. Meijer.com is having a sale on Gunvault safes which have four digit keypads or biometrics (fingerprint), both designed for quick access. Sold separately is a cable to secure it to something that will be difficult to move like a bed frame. Also available are designs that can be secured in dresser drawers and under a desk.
A simple and cheap trigger lock would be effective too, keep the bullets somewhere high and out of reach of children.

I'm not lucky with fire (almost burned down Milwood once). Fire-arms though?

People act like if you're holding a gun that you can't get shot. I don't grasp that logic. I taught at a school that had armed security guards, we had a kid get murdered, those guards were there to call the ambulance only. Big misnomer. Teachers with guns huh?

(03-07-2013 12:23 PM)DesertBronco Wrote:  People act like if you're holding a gun that you can't get shot.

Ummm...what the hell are you talking about?

Get a handgun safe with fingerprint+code entry. I saw plenty for sale at Gander Mountain around Christmas time. The safe will have a place for the gun and another slot for any clips, so you don't have to store a loaded firearm.

Use common sense, don't get drawn into a 'gun control' debate. If you know what you are doing, and you're in control, things will be fine.

(03-07-2013 08:49 AM)BCBronco Wrote:  Was pondering the idea of taking a gun safety class and then buying a handgun, you know, for safety in these turbulent times. Then I started thinking about access and storage.

I imagine it doesn't do me much good as a deterrent if its stored in a looked cabinet and a bad guy breaks into the house. I figured keeping it under the bed or in the night stand is risky. I suppose I could holster it while watching TV, plus that offers me the added convenience of shooting at the TV when WMU flails away in a nationally televised game. But, that seems stupid and paranoid to boot.

Seriously, how to you gun owners manage your gun if it truly is going to protect you and your family?

IMO a gun safety class is money well spent even if you don't ever buy a gun. Knowledge always is helpful.
Do you live near Battle Creek? I have heard good things about Freedom Firearms there and I understand they have their own range. If you buy a gun make time to shoot it.

fyi - Some police officers believe the best personal protection gun for a home is a pump style shotgun.

Sawed off, others recommend the Taurus Judge. I have the Smith n Wesson version, governor.

What about people who have registered a gun that later turns up being used in a crime? Shouldn't that gun owner be held responsible for letting his / her gun get into the hands of a criminal? No point in insisting on background checks, etc. if people aren't responsible enough to keep track of their weapon.

Thanks everyone for your input, even more to consider than I realized. At the very least I will take a gun safety course.

Single best way to protect your house is to have solid doors, good quality locks, and deadbolts with reinforced strike plates attached with 2.5 inch screws that will get into the wall studs and not just door framing. Then make sure you lock your doors, I want to say something like 26% of break ins the thief walked through an unlocked door.

(03-07-2013 10:56 PM)Tommyboy Wrote:  Single best way to protect your house is to have solid doors, good quality locks, and deadbolts with reinforced strike plates attached with 2.5 inch screws that will get into the wall studs and not just door framing. Then make sure you lock your doors, I want to say something like 26% of break ins the thief walked through an unlocked door.

Gotta disagree. There's one giant factor in the safety of your property: location, location, location.

My parents' house back on the east side of the state is in a terrific area. In my entire lifetime we've never had an incident with our property or personal safety, nor have we known anybody in our area that has.

Then again, it's a very white, middle class, semi-rural area and everybody owns a gun. More food for thought...

Interesting question. If it is so safe, why do they feel they need a gun for protection?

My little sub-division has lots of guns too, about half the residents are cops.

At first they were promoting the idea of yard lights, I finally convinced them it is better to let the bad guys stumble around in the dark.

Those small bedside gun safes with the fingerprint lock seem cool to me.

I don't have a firearm. I do own a hi tech bow fully capable of killing a human.

Quote:Then again, it's a very white

Uh oh......

Yard lights are so someone else can see them, burglars don't want to be seen, having a well lit yard can be a deterrent. As part of that make sure there are no large shrubs around doors/windows that could hide a person.

(03-08-2013 08:55 AM)ESSSS Wrote:  

Quote:Then again, it's a very white

Uh oh......

Yeah, this group......

Tommy

We decided we don't want the bad guys to see in the dark. Let them stumble around.

Most of the cops in my neighborhood have the night vision stuff anyway.

Most burglers work in day hours. They come to the house and knock and try to determine if anyone is home and check out the security devices. Look out for funny looking commercial vans and trucks with companies you are not familiar with locally. Lots of burglers work from trucks or vans with magnetic fake company name plates pasted on the door.

Some carry a weed wacker or blower into your back yard and look for the sliding door. Many people, oddly, lock the front doors but not the back garage door and door between garage and house.

(03-07-2013 07:48 PM)BCBronco Wrote:  Thanks everyone for your input, even more to consider than I realized. At the very least I will take a gun safety course.

You're doing it right.