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Personal Preference Question
coltpax
Member Posts: 7,516 ✭✭
Ok, for some reason the ND at the gunshow topic got me thinking about this. The question is, do you leave all your firearms loaded? All of mine, except the 20 gauge I can't find shells for and the blackpowder guns, are always loaded. An empty gun is useless, it's just an expensive club. Now, others only handle my guns under supervision, and I don't have to worry about children so I reckon what I'm doing is OK. I just like knowing that if need be, I can open the cabinet and have access to multiple guns that only need the bolt worked to be ready to go. Now, also there is not a problem with this, seeing as how everybody who comes around them knows to TREAT ALL GUNS LIKE THEY ARE LOADED. Whats your personal preference and take on the matter? BTW, the only gun that somebody could have access too without a key is my pump 12 gauge beside the bed, but it's cocked and locked on an empty chamber.
Comments
The question is, do you leave all your firearms loaded?The ones in my gun safe, no. Any gun that is not in the gun safe is loaded!
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
quote:Originally posted by coltpax
The question is, do you leave all your firearms loaded?The ones in my gun safe, no. Any gun that is not in the gun safe is loaded!
See, but I'm sure you got dozens of guns, and you probably got more out of your safe then I got in my cabinet! Right now I just got 8...hoping to up that to about 11 on monday. [:D]
quote:Originally posted by coltpax
The question is, do you leave all your firearms loaded?The ones in my gun safe, no. Any gun that is not in the gun safe is loaded!
+1
edit: actually i take that back. there is 1 revolver and 1 pistol loaded in the safe. but sometimes it takes me 4 tries to get into the damn thing so thats not where im heading anyway.
I would never keep them loaded as too many idiots that are unsafe with weapons are in my house on a daily basis I do keep the magazines loaded though as it only takes me about a half a second to load one in and cock it. For the same above statement is why I have the firing pins removed from most of the guns in this house.
Good lord you must get some real bright ones in there to be yankin out firing pins! Everybody in this house knows they can use what they want if they ask (as long as they've already been given the ok) but the ones I don't trust know if they mess with my guns there will be hell to pay. I'm pretty protective of guns, guitars, tools and cars.
quote:Originally posted by Cyclonus
I would never keep them loaded as too many idiots that are unsafe with weapons are in my house on a daily basis I do keep the magazines loaded though as it only takes me about a half a second to load one in and cock it. For the same above statement is why I have the firing pins removed from most of the guns in this house.
Good lord you must get some real bright ones in there to be yankin out firing pins! Everybody in this house knows they can use what they want if they ask (as long as they've already been given the ok) but the ones I don't trust know if they mess with my guns there will be hell to pay. I'm pretty protective of guns, guitars, tools and cars.
problem with that is by the time you find out theve already done something stupid and someone could be dead. much simpler to just not let anyone you dont trust into your home. or at least not know where your guns and ammo are. You walk into my house you see my safe and unless you go snooping youll never know where the loaded ones are. and i catch you snooping.... well ill let you guess.
quote:Originally posted by Cyclonus
I would never keep them loaded as too many idiots that are unsafe with weapons are in my house on a daily basis I do keep the magazines loaded though as it only takes me about a half a second to load one in and cock it. For the same above statement is why I have the firing pins removed from most of the guns in this house.
Good lord you must get some real bright ones in there to be yankin out firing pins! Everybody in this house knows they can use what they want if they ask (as long as they've already been given the ok) but the ones I don't trust know if they mess with my guns there will be hell to pay. I'm pretty protective of guns, guitars, tools and cars.
After the first and second idiot to point one of my own guns at me while handling it I had to take them out it was already bad enough that I knew none of them were loaded but I just wanted to make damn sure if someone would be that stupid to load one and even accidentally try to shoot me nothing would happen. Only one of them is a real pain to remove the firing pin and thats on my M&P 40 easy to field strip but an unbelievable pain in the rear to remove the firing pin and I really dont like the thin white plastic sheath thats surrounding it as well.
OpSec anyone?
Same here. Big safe down stairs are all unloaded. 2 small safes elsewhere contain loaded specimans. But I have young 'ens running around.
Thats just it Diver lots of kids coming in here regularly as well as some really dumb adults IE parents of said children. id much rather be safe than sorry and yes there is a very large safe here only two people know the combination to.
quote:Originally posted by Old-Colts
quote:Originally posted by coltpax
The question is, do you leave all your firearms loaded?The ones in my gun safe, no. Any gun that is not in the gun safe is loaded!See, but I'm sure you got dozens of guns, and you probably got more out of your safe then I got in my cabinet! Right now I just got 8...hoping to up that to about 11 on monday. [:D]Oh yeah, I forgot, even my BB gun is loaded! [:D]
Actually, I don't feel that I need to have a gun stashed in every nook and cranny of the house! I have a few in strategic locations, but if I felt I needed to have them everywhere, I'd move out of the shooting gallery.
However, in your case I don't think I'd keep every gun loaded, just the ones in strategic locations that I kept for ready access, but that is kind of a personal preference I guess. Those lined up in the back of the closet, probably not.
If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!
Josh, I'm 18 and living with my parents, can't control who comes into the house. But, when I know they'll be having company or when I'll be gone for a few days, I lock the shotgun up and take the key with me. The shotgun is the only one that stays out of the cabinet. I tell you what though, they have a bunch of morons over sometimes and I went ballistic once. They had my lil sis's Bday party here, she thought it would be a good idea to take one of my guitar's outside and let everybody dicker around with it. Figures, she picked up the guitar I'm most protective of, the one I won at a poker run that was held to help out a boy with leukemia and was signed by all the bands. Bad thing was, mom and dad thought it was ok. I was away, but when I got home and saw that guitar still sitting on the back deck I blew a gasket. And Cyclonus, the last guy to point a gun at me got it ripped out of his hands and a pop to the back of the head. Well, now my blackpowder pistol sits on top of the cabinet, but if they find a flint and my blackpowder stuff and figure out how to load it, then I hope they know firearm safety
Well its kinda hard to do that when they have all been family. It sure is the main reason why people should not handle firearms period that do not know anything about gun safety.
quote:Originally posted by coltpax
Josh, I'm 18 and living with my parents, can't control who comes into the house. But, when I know they'll be having company or when I'll be gone for a few days, I lock the shotgun up and take the key with me. The shotgun is the only one that stays out of the cabinet. I tell you what though, they have a bunch of morons over sometimes and I went ballistic once. They had my lil sis's Bday party here, she thought it would be a good idea to take one of my guitar's outside and let everybody dicker around with it. Figures, she picked up the guitar I'm most protective of, the one I won at a poker run that was held to help out a boy with leukemia and was signed by all the bands. Bad thing was, mom and dad thought it was ok. I was away, but when I got home and saw that guitar still sitting on the back deck I blew a gasket. And Cyclonus, the last guy to point a gun at me got it ripped out of his hands and a pop to the back of the head. Well, now my blackpowder pistol sits on top of the cabinet, but if they find a flint and my blackpowder stuff and figure out how to load it, then I hope they know firearm safety
Well its kinda hard to do that when they have all been family. It sure is the main reason why people should not handle firearms period that do not know anything about gun safety.
True...Family, can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. [:D]
Every weapon is loaded,chambered, and NEVER on safety! Really discourages people with kids from wanting to visit.
I am never more than 2 feet from a weapon. An old, now ex-friend, dropped in with his wife and two kids. I told them, but he laughed it off. When they came in and sat down, his wife starts commenting...all negatively, about it not being safe. I simply told her if the dogs, who have free roam of the house, don't get you, either my brother or I will.
In short, no one is welcome in my house. I meet people out at a cafe, bar,etc.
I really can't blame you. A buddy comes over, he tells his buddy what you got, they tell somebody else then a week later you're house has been robbed. Seen it happen.
quote:Seen it happen.
During one of our famous hurricanes, I invited my then girlfriend over, after she told me her kid was with his father. Yeah! You got it. The kid shows up. She's bitching about the loaded guns; my brother is complaining about the "big mouth" kid. He recommends that we kill both of them, and bury the bodies.
They finally leave to go to her parents house. Naturally, we break-up, but both of them run their mouths. My brother was right, we should have killed them.
What's the saying, loose lips sink ships? My dad is bad about the whole "Hey my son bought...". I know he's just braggin on me, but good lord.
Ok, for some reason the ND at the gunshow topic got me thinking about this. The question is, do you leave all your firearms loaded? All of mine, except the 20 gauge I can't find shells for and the blackpowder guns, are always loaded. An empty gun is useless, it's just an expensive club. Now, others only handle my guns under supervision, and I don't have to worry about children so I reckon what I'm doing is OK. I just like knowing that if need be, I can open the cabinet and have access to multiple guns that only need the bolt worked to be ready to go. Now, also there is not a problem with this, seeing as how everybody who comes around them knows to TREAT ALL GUNS LIKE THEY ARE LOADED. Whats your personal preference and take on the matter? BTW, the only gun that somebody could have access too without a key is my pump 12 gauge beside the bed, but it's cocked and locked on an empty chamber.
Well, I sure can't criticize anyone because when my now adult daughter was growing up I always had a loaded gun in the house. I always kept it hidden from her but still easy and quick access for me. Luckily for me, about the same time she was big enough to hurt herself with a gun, she also took a strong belief in the lesson I taught her to never touch any guns without an adult around. But then I got to thinking about when I was a kid and the crazy things I did. Some of those crazy things involved me and my step-fathers Colt 1911. So I decided I was lucky that my daughter didn't do something crazy because of me having a loaded gun unsecured. So when my grandson was born and started growing up, I bought 1 big gun safe and a couple of little ones. I keep all my guns locked in the big safe with the exception of one handgun which is always locked in the small safe next to my bed. I take the handgun out of the small safe when I retire for the night.
I am not going to direct this comment at anyone but myself. I was damn lucky I changed my attitude about leaving a gun out, even if it is unloaded and I think there is no ammo around the house that will fit into the gun. It is more dangerous if the unsecured gun is loaded or has ammo nearby. There are probably thousands of unsecured loaded and unloaded firearms sitting in many homes right now. It is an absolute guarantee that some innocent people are going to be hurt or killed by someone using one of those unsecured guns. Either by accident or on purpose. I just hope it does not happen to anyone I know.
Every last one of them is handled as if it is always loaded and has a hair trigger and the safety is busted ... etc etc.
The question should be, "Can you function effectively and have the situational awareness to use your weapon if you're awaken from your dead sleep?" ... others might have to have their dose of caffeine. [}:)][:p][:D][^][;)]
I never worried or thought anything about leaving guns out loaded or unloaded until I had kids so I have bought a safe and most of my guns stay in there except their BB guns.
when I was growing up we knew not to touch my Grandpa's guns and they were behind the doors in the corner or on the open gun rack for everyone to see
my kids have been taught not to touch the firearms without me watching them(BB guns OK) but their friends I'm not sure what they have been taught
when I was growing up all the kids had to mind all the adults, kids are not brought up that way anymore some have not been taught to respect adults or any of their property
what do you do? I trust my kids but not their friends so I lock up guns in the safe.
I would never keep them loaded as too many idiots that are unsafe with weapons are in my house on a daily basis I do keep the magazines loaded though as it only takes me about a half a second to load one in and cock it. For the same above statement is why I have the firing pins removed from most of the guns in this house.
So, you live alone, eh?[:o)][:D]
All are loaded, but not chambered. The rest stay in the gun safe
Btw, no kids in the house....I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
but it's cocked and locked on an empty chamber.
uuummmm.....can you sketch me out a diagram of how this is possible? im having trouble....
[}:)]
On my body, "cocked and locked", anywhere else, never chambered in deference to potential fire fighters. Good to be ready for anything, but in my 60 plus years I've witnessed a lot more house fires than armed confrontations. Too bad it wasn't the other way around, considering the near impossibility of reasoning with, or killing, a good fire.[:D][:D]
Otherwise, all guns in the safes are unloaded, but treated as loaded at all times.
I don't keep mine loaded. When I work graveyard I sometimes load one for my girl friend as she and her daughter are alone but I un load it when I come back home.
Sometimes I might get a bad feeling and load it for a few nights. All depends. There was a hot home invasion in town where a guy was stabbed in the leg by someone. I only knew cause the victim was a patient in the X ray department where I was working one night. I pick up the chatter from the Doctor's nurses and techs and put two and two together.
Working in the ER I see the assault cases come in and most of it never makes the news but you get an awareness factor going on. Enough to make you paranoid.
My carry guns and my wife's carry gun are always condition one. two rifles and one shotgun have magazine inserted (or mag tube loaded), chamber empty.
The ones that actually are loaded are clearly known to me and mine.
quote:Originally posted by coltpax
but it's cocked and locked on an empty chamber.
uuummmm.....can you sketch me out a diagram of how this is possible? im having trouble....
Sorry, that just seemed like the best way to describe it briefly. The shotgun is locked, meaning it is on safety. The chamber is empty, and the it is cocked, making that if I pull the trigger, the trigger mechanism will activate (if taken off safety). However, I do leave the pump just ever so slightly rearward so I don't have to hit the release. Also forgot to say, when I am going shooting, they all get unloaded.
quote:Originally posted by KEVD18
quote:Originally posted by coltpax
but it's cocked and locked on an empty chamber.
uuummmm.....can you sketch me out a diagram of how this is possible? im having trouble....
Sorry, that just seemed like the best way to describe it briefly. The shotgun is locked, meaning it is on safety. The chamber is empty, and the it is cocked, making that if I pull the trigger, the trigger mechanism will activate (if taken off safety). However, I do leave the pump just ever so slightly rearward so I don't have to hit the release. Also forgot to say, when I am going shooting, they all get unloaded.
so the mag tube is full, the chamber is empty?
everything else is irrelevant. you have to work the slide to chamber a round, so the fact that it was cocked before is irrelevant because you're repeating that action.
coltpax check out this from NC
http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-charlotte/meet-the-rapist-protection-act
and unless your laws have been changed it seems to only cover minors who live in the home--you should look into it further
http://www.lcav.org/staging/states/northcarolina.asp#childaccessprevention
You said no minors live in your home--so I'd at least check a little more to make sure some new law has not come up that covers if a underage burglar gets ahold of your gun or if a visiting child does[;)]