Home Defense/Gun Safety - Advice Please

[Bigum1969]

I'd love to hear how folks from this forum handle home defense/gun safety with children in the house.

I have a four-year old and that means the guns must be locked up.

So, I keep a small gun safe on the nightstand with my SigPro 2022 .40 (with night sites) in it along with 4 loaded magazines. The SigPro has a laser and a tactical light on it.

I also keep one other pistol in the safe -- usually whatever I was CC that day. Either my Kahr PM9 or M&P Compact .40.

The last thing in the safe is a loaded magazine for my SIG 556 that I keep unloaded on a top shelf in the bedroom closet.

The key for the safe stays around my neck on a chain.

Any suggestions about my setup? I want to be able to protect my family while making sure my little boy doesn't have access to the guns.

 

[sloughfoot]

I don't know if this is helpful but when my kids were small, and now for the grandkids, I have my family's self defense pistol on my hip at all times. Concealed and they rarely know that I have it. All the "extra" guns are locked up and they don't know where and don't have access to that area of the house.

When my children were of an appropriate age, they were "given" a firearm of their choice from the family collection and were allowed to handle and dry fire their firearm anytime they asked to. Of course ample range time for live fire was also provided. The kids were taught, I hope, all the safety rules of handling a firearm and that handling a firearm is not a big deal and is on a par witrh handling any of the knives from the kitchen.

The only problem with this program is that they all decided that when they left the home, they would take "their" firearm with them. I have lost some pretty nice guns as a result....

For what it is worth....

 

[Scutter01]

I wouldn't say you lost them. I would say you've assigned them to guard duty.

 

[bwframe]

I'd love to hear how folks from this forum handle home defense/gun safety with children in the house.

I have a four-year old and that means the guns must be locked up.

So, I keep a small gun safe on the nightstand with my SigPro 2022 .40 (with night sites) in it along with 4 loaded magazines. The SigPro has a laser and a tactical light on it.

I also keep one other pistol in the safe -- usually whatever I was CC that day. Either my Kahr PM9 or M&P Compact .40.

The last thing in the safe is a loaded magazine for my SIG 556 that I keep unloaded on a top shelf in the bedroom closet.

The key for the safe stays around my neck on a chain.

Any suggestions about my setup? I want to be able to protect my family while making sure my little boy doesn't have access to the guns.

ADD ANOTHER LIGHT. You don't want to be pointing your muzzle at your boy and family to find them.

The rest of the setup sounds good, although you can always throw more money at it, to be faster, with touchpads, biometrics and the like.

I assume that, even with the safe, you are still training your boy about firearms and knives?

This is what I did:
My daughters were raised from a very tender age knowing there were firearms in the house. At the younger ages, they were shown various guns as to know what they were.

They had very strict instructions;
"This is mine, not yours. Do you understand?"
"If you ever want to see, touch, hold or shoot this we will. However, this happens only when I am with you."
"If you ever see a gun (or knife) laying around or anywhere that I am not, you are not to touch it and notify me immediately."
"If you ever see anyone with a gun or knife you are to tell your dad, mother, teacher, grandparents, etc."
This was followed by frequent reminders consisting of leaving a gun or knife out in their view, asking "What do you do?"
Occasionally, I would to a test. (Kinda humorous, when after a few years of this, my youngest hollered downstairs "Dad, come get this handgun off of my bed so I can lay down. Enough with the testing already, we understand!")

When the girls got to school age we discussed how they were to talk to anyone else about dad's guns. Quite simply, they weren't. They were instructed that it was no one else's business and, if pressed for info, their words were to be "you'll have to talk to my dad about that." This was backed up with conversation about innocent comments leading to issues like theft and our responsibility keep lethal weapons secure.

 

[Bigum1969]

Great suggestions.

I do have a separate flashlight upstairs, but it isn't always kept in the same spot. Plus, I should probably upgrade it to a higher quality flashlight. I definitely don't want to be pointing my SIG at my son while looking for him.

My wife has come a long way, but she generally doesn't want my son exposed to firearms. I've already tried to sell her on the idea of teaching my son about firearms as he gets older. I've explained to my son that he is never to touch a gun and if he ever sees one he needs to tell us (his parents) or a responsible adult if he is not with us. But, she is not too hot on the idea of him learning how to handle a gun and shoot it. I've got some work to do in this area.

 

[abnk]

I'd love to hear how folks from this forum handle home defense/gun safety with children in the house.

I have a four-year old and that means the guns must be locked up.

Actually, no, it doesn't mean that if you carry it on your hip.

I addition, I think children, generally, can be very well trained to be safe. Mine know that they can see any firearm any time they want so long as they ask me. They also know that firearms must be unloaded before they can handle them and can actually walk me through the steps of unloading.

I think the biggest thing is to extinguish their curiosity so that firearms become just more boring tools. My kids have completely lost interest. I can leave a firearm right where they are eating or playing and they will not care for it unless it's something that they have not seen before, in which case they will ask permission to handle it.

Good luck.

 

[techres]

I would only add a few things:

Multiple safes. Do not get knocked out of the fight due to a safe failure (more an issue with electronic/combination safes).

Be careful with napping and carrying. So long as the weapon has a retention strap there is no problem. But a gun can, and will, slip out of a holster while you nap (especially with pocket carry).

With long arms, I often do not lockup the longarm but instead lock up the loaded mags/ammo for them.

 

[rhino]

Carrying on your person while at home solves the problems.

 

[obijohn]

I think the biggest thing is to extinguish their curiosity so that firearms become just more boring tools. My kids have completely lost interest. I can leave a firearm right where they are eating or playing and they will not care for it unless it's something that they have not seen before, in which case they will ask permission to handle it.

Good luck.

this is key and the way it has been handled at my house, both with my own children and their friends. kids are naturally curious, it is their job. satisfy any given curiosity and the fascination seems to go away. ymmv

 

[Bigum1969]

What is the apprpriate age to introduce my son to firearms? I'm struggling with this one a little bit.

 

[JcJ]

What is the apprpriate age to introduce my son to firearms? I'm struggling with this one a little bit.

My son has been shooting my AR-15 since he was 4 or 5.. and helping me clean a few years before that.. Education...

 

[techres]

My son has been shooting my AR-15 since he was 4 or 5.. and helping me clean a few years before that.. Education...

Yep! My 3 year old loves to try and rack the AK's!

Given enough exposure, the kids only really get excited any more if I bring home something new. The old rifles are, well, boring.

 

[abnk]

What is the apprpriate age to introduce my son to firearms? I'm struggling with this one a little bit.

I started when they were about two. At that age, they are old enough that will ask you what it is that you are carrying. Next, they will likely ask if they can see it. I never initiated the conversation (education); when they asked, I answered.

As far as actually shooting, that depends on the maturity of the child. My oldest one got to shoot for the first time a couple of weekends ago and loved it. He did not want to stop. He's five years old.

If you carry or handle firearms casually, your kids will ask at some point or another. When they do, answer them the same way you answer other questions.

Good luck.

 

[sloughfoot]

Unfortunately our children are exposed to firearms and gratuitous violence at a very early age thanks to Hollyweird and Saturday morning cartoons. Have you watched them lately? Not to mention video games... It ain't Wiley Cayote anymore...

My two year old grandson was given a plastic miniature ar15 toy and he knew immediately how to point it and pull the trigger while spraying us with imaginary bullets. None of us in his life taught him how to do that. Is it a natural boys reaction to having the toy? I don't know.

I know he is way to young to understand about real guns and their responsible use.

I know that when he is old enough to hold a rifle and understand and comply with istructions, he will be be involved in small bore target shooting.

His level of maturity will tell me (I hope) that he is ready for it.

Tough question and I don't think there is any one answer. BTW, I have 5 children and 7 grandchildren. The two year old is the youngest.

 

[Bigum1969]

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess it comes down to a personal choice as to what age is appropriate.

I definitely agree that he needs to become introduced to firearms. This is going to be an issue with my wife. I think she'd prefer he not shoot a gun until he's 30 and married.

 

[bwframe]

I don't mean to be pushy, but you need to teach safety now. Firearms handling and shooting can happen as you determine maturity, but you must teach safety now.

Your worst case scenario can be written however you want. It basically boils down to you having a heart attack, any other medical crisis, act of God, or whatever. You and the boy are home alone and you are incapacitated or dead. The boy finds you "sleeping" in a chair, on the floor, or in bed. He also finds your handgun or the door to the "goody box" hanging wide open. You need to KNOW what he's gonna do.

 

[Bigum1969]

I don't mean to be pushy, but you need to teach safety now. Firearms handling and shooting can happen as you determine maturity, but you must teach safety now.

Your worst case scenario can be written however you want. It basically boils down to you having a heart attack, any other medical crisis, act of God, or whatever. You and the boy are home alone and you are incapacitated or dead. The boy finds you "sleeping" in a chair, on the floor, or in bed. He also finds your handgun or the door to the "goody box" hanging wide open. You need to KNOW what he's gonna do.

You're not being pushy. I agree with you. The more I've thought about it tonight, the more I realize I need to begin his education process ASAP. It does scare the crap out of me that he might find a firearm. Thank you for the advice.

 

[kludge]

Long guns cased and out of sight (no money for a safe yet). Ammunition and loading supplies are all locked in a cabinet. I have one new (very old) 22 rifle with no case yet. The bolt is removed and locked up with the ammo.

Handguns, except for the self defense pistols, are locked in the cabinet too.

I have a pushbutton lock box for the sidearms. If it's not on my hip it's locked in the lock box.

As soon as they are old enough to talk and realize what a gun is they start getting the Eddie Eagle routine every time they ask about a gun or ask to hold one (If you see a gun: STOP, Don't Touch, Leave the area, Tell an adult).

Every time they want to hold a gun, they have to go through these rules with me: 1. Don't touch the trigger; 2. point it in a safe direction (I always ask which direction they are going to point it); 3. Check to make sure it's not loaded.


PS - As Ayoob says... your children literaly have several years to figure out where you store your guns, your ammunition, the key to the cabinet, etc. They will find them all. You have to gun proof your kids.

Even if you don't have guns, your neighbor does.

 

[nighthawk80]

Here is a good website pertaining to your questions. I found that it has a lot of good answers, not just referring to kids either. Cornered Cat - Table of Contents