I agree. I keep my home defense weapon in a Gun Vault with a loaded mag but an empty chamber. I fully realize the Gun Vault has been known to have problems but I have to weigh that against the possibility of my kid getting her hands on the firearm.
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Keeping little hands away from house guns
- Thread starter Cross-X
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I agree. I keep my home defense weapon in a Gun Vault with a loaded mag but an empty chamber. I fully realize the Gun Vault has been known to have problems but I have to weigh that against the possibility of my kid getting her hands on the firearm.
Jason,
After a certain age, children can be "gun proofed" and taught the essentials of firearms safety.
Mark L.
Mark from MA
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My children are "gun proofed" but my neighbors kids and thier friends could be or could not be? I don't know. Many will say, well they shouldn't be allowed in the house then....that's not reality. The reality is my kids have friends and they are welcome in my home. Thier parents know I have firearms.
My kids, wife and mother in law who sits for us, have been briefed to keep them out of the hazardous areas. Still, I'm not gonna rely 100% on 8-12 year olds to be effective. I'm gonna keep an empty chamber.
My kids, wife and mother in law who sits for us, have been briefed to keep them out of the hazardous areas. Still, I'm not gonna rely 100% on 8-12 year olds to be effective. I'm gonna keep an empty chamber.
I agree that your child can be gun-proofed but it's their friends that I'd be worried about. How many of you remember going through your friend's dad's stuff (or waiting while they did) to find that great secret toy? A a youngster I remember going over to my friend A's house and it was only a matter of time until we went to his dad's underwear drawer (what? I didn't pull it out.) to retrieve his dad's awesome switchblade collection. We'd sit there and flick them about and then hurriedly put them away.
I have no children.
My house is so completely un-childproofed that it's a wonder that children passing by on the street don't just keel over by proximity.
So, I don't have them over. I just don't. When I have children, I will change. I will change by scraping the crappy safe/box and purchasing a real, permanently installed pro-level safe. I will reduce my "around" the house guns to one-all other go in the safe. Then I will read an article or two on childproofing the house in a doctors office and go on about my life.
How hard can it be.
Sidebar. I love to camp, hike etc. outdoor. Over the years I've developed a set of packing lists for each activity. They are graded and refined after each trip and as a result I can pack for a 4 day camping trip, or a one week rafting trip in less than 20 minutes. I simply refuse to believe that childproofing a house can be any more difficult than compiling the correct list of actions and then checking them off one by one.
I have no children.
My house is so completely un-childproofed that it's a wonder that children passing by on the street don't just keel over by proximity.
So, I don't have them over. I just don't. When I have children, I will change. I will change by scraping the crappy safe/box and purchasing a real, permanently installed pro-level safe. I will reduce my "around" the house guns to one-all other go in the safe. Then I will read an article or two on childproofing the house in a doctors office and go on about my life.
How hard can it be.
Sidebar. I love to camp, hike etc. outdoor. Over the years I've developed a set of packing lists for each activity. They are graded and refined after each trip and as a result I can pack for a 4 day camping trip, or a one week rafting trip in less than 20 minutes. I simply refuse to believe that childproofing a house can be any more difficult than compiling the correct list of actions and then checking them off one by one.
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The tragedy highlights an "all or nothing" responsibility we have under MA law. Either the gun is fully under your control, or it's locked and unloaded in a secure container or with an effective locking mechanism. If I need to have a loaded firearm at home, I wear it, or keep it readily accessible in a quick access safe by the bed. During the day, I carry it around the house. Why else keep it loaded? Leaving a loaded gun lying around? Dumb and supremely illogical when kids (or maybe angry spouses) are around.
Well you opened a real can of worms with that one. The general axiom to follow is that "all guns are loaded all of the time." (even if they are not, they are still treated that way) I find it mighty queer that myself and hundreds of other forum members grew up without the asinine Mass gun storage laws and survived both childhood and adolescence with nary an accident or a fatality. Naturally one should be reasonable and prudent in the storage of firearms and common sense should always prevail.
In effect the state has abrogated your sense of responsibility and dictated to you how you will store your firearms as if it knows best with regard to your own particular situation. It may very well be, that in your situation the correct course of action from a safety standpoint should be exactly as you described it, but you, not the state should be able to make that choice. I have no children in my house yet I have to follow the same law that you do. My situation is not the same as yours, yet I am denied my freedom of choice and the ability to exercise sound judgment with regard to firearms safety.
I guess maybe, I just haven't learned to love "Big Brother" yet
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
Mark L.
Last edited:
Palladin
NES Member
Well you opened a real can of worms with that one. The general axiom to follow is that "all guns are loaded all of the time." (even if they are not, they are still treated that way) I find it mighty queer that myself and hundreds of other forum members grew up without the asinine Mass gun storage laws and survived both childhood and adolescence with nary an accident or a fatality. Naturally one should be reasonable and prudent in the storage of firearms and common sense should always prevail.
In effect the state has abrogated your sense of responsibility and dictated to you how you will store your firearms as if it knows best with regard to your own particular situation. It may very well be, that in your situation the correct course of action from a safety standpoint should be exactly as you described it, but you, not the state should be able to make that choice. I have no children in my house yet I have to follow the same law that you do. My situation is not the same as yours, yet I am denied my freedom of choice and the ability to exercise sound judgment with regard to firearms safety.
I guess maybe, I just haven't learned to love "Big Brother" yet
Mark L.
+1 I'm one of them.
