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Saturday, June 13, 2015

Home storage options

Those that choose to keep a firearm in their home for self defense also need to properly secure the firearm from unauthorized access. Most states require this and may even have laws mandating secured storage for those with underage members of the household. I will briefly give some recommendations for firearm storage specifically handgun storage.

Storage options need to satisfy three conditions:

1. The firearm should be secured from unauthorized access.
2. The firearm needs to be accessible.
3. The firearm  needs to be in the proper condition when needed.

Depending on members of the household individuals may store firearms in a variety of ways and conditions. Storage options include:

Unsecured- If you live alone and you do not have underage visitors you may choose to store your firearm in an unsecured location. Example of this would be a counter or nightstand. This allows quick access but has the obvious drawbacks of allowing easy unauthorized access.

Hidden/Unsecured- Examples of this method include hiding the firearm in a drawer or book. This method can also be used when the risk of unauthorized access is low. However ease of access is affected.

Secured- This is the preferred method and the most efficient. It is recommended that the firearm be stored in a quick access safe. These safes allow easy access via biometric or keypad access.

Image result for quick access gun safe
Storage conditions include :

Unloaded- This condition is defined when the magazine or ammunition is outside the firearm. This condition affords the highest level of safety during storage but the possibility of leaving the magazine or ammunition behind during a dynamic critical incident or home invasion is high.

Chambered- This condition is defined as the firearm having a magazine or ammunition in place and a round is in the chamber. The conditions allows the fastest degree of access and employment but the chance for a negligent discharge is high, should the homeowner touch the trigger inadvertently as they remove the firearm from storage.

Loaded- This condition is defined as having a magazine in the firearm but no round in the chamber. The risk for a negligent discharge is lower in this configuration but the need to chamber a round slows the speed of firearm employment somewhat. This is the preferred storage condition in the home.

Other things to be considered is the placing of a flashlight in the quick access safe in conjunction with the firearm. As well as a device to cover the trigger guard to mitigate negligent discharges due to inadvertent trigger manipulation during access attempts.

So the preferred home storage method for your home defense firearm is: Stored in a quick access safe in a loaded condition. It is also recommended to have a quality flashlight available and something covering the trigger guard.



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