FAMILY GUN SAFETY: How to Keep a gun in the house in a defensible way


Are you a gun-nut without a license, or were you just looking for an authorized and safe way to keep a gun at home? Either way, we have the answer.

The debate adjacent to the right to own a firearm in the U.S.A is a provocative one. The answer to whether having a gun in the house will keep your family secure is pretty upfront, and we will use current statistics to prove this point.

No matter the reason, having a gun in the house is no joke. Sure, guns have become a fact of life in our country, but that doesn’t mean you ignore their hazards and continue to live an ignorant life.

If the gun holder is a parent, practical steps should be taken to keep the child out of harm’s way. Nonetheless, there are some ground rules of home gun safety, and every professional gun user must acknowledge them.

Let’s dive into the necessary details of what it takes to have a gun in the house to maintain safety.

Gun Safety

While the number of homes with guns decreases, there are still an estimated 400 million guns in the United States of America. Indeed, a gun in the house can be pretty dangerous, particularly for kids. If you plan to keep the gun in place, keeping it locked and unloaded is the key to survival.      

Guns in the House

Are you aware that roughly a third half of American homes with children have guns? As a matter of fact, almost 2 million children live with loaded, unlocked guns. The house adults may not realize a firearm’s tremendous injury risk, especially when there are children.

Even toddlers can discover an unlocked gun in the house, and they are powerful enough to pull the trigger. Unintentional shootings occur with children of all ages.

In 2019, there were 241 unintentional shootings by children, causing hundreds of deaths and 150 injuries. Adolescents are at a higher risk of committing suicide when there’s a gun in the house.

Statistically speaking, a gun in the home is 50 times more likely to be used for killing a family member or a friend than a criminal or a burglar.

Can Guns be kept Safely at Home?

If it seems mandatory to have a gun in the house, it should be stored safely according to the following rules:

  • First of all, guns must be kept far from teens and children
  • They should be locked in an ampule or with a trigger lock
  • Guns must be separate from bullets

Children lack the maturity and experience to distinguish a real gun from a toy. They also don’t fully understand the consequences of using a weapon.

Gun Safes & Locks

So how do you make sure a gun is locked safely inside your home, away from the children, or any other unfamiliar visitor?

You can purchase locks for older guns or contact your local law enforcement agency. Many sheriffs and police departments work in partnership with Project ChildSafe to offer cable-style gun locks to people who demand them.

Security is critical for gun storage, as children are curious and excellent at finding things. Therefore, hiding the weapon under some sweaters or a drawer in your closet is not considered as “safe storage.”

Safes and cases that lock and hold one or several guns are suitable to use. Many come with a key or combination lock. Most new models feature locks that have a fingerprint or palm scanners.

A Gun Safety Timeline for Kids and Parents

The American Academy of Pediatrics proposes parents get serious about making sure their guns are locked before their children start to crawl. Later, when they go to relatives’ or friends’ homes for playdates, ask about the presence of guns and if they are correctly stored.

Most homeowners ignorant, but you can teach your kid how to deal with a situation like this. This is how your kid should behave if they come in contact with a weapon:

  • Never touch the gun
  • Please report it to an adult immediately
  • Walk away from the area where the gun is
  • Stop what you’re doing right away

Remind your children that guns in games, movies, and TV aren’t real, and real guns can do some severe damage.

On the other hand, if guns are part of the family tradition, exposing older kids to adequate care and securing firearms will help them develop sincere respect for gun safety.

Gun Safety: Carrying a Gun in your Vehicle

Is carrying a gun in your vehicle just as alarming as having one in the house? Keep reading to find that out.

While the answer is yes, in some instances, some factors require consideration when it comes to carrying a weapon in your vehicle.

Keep a gun in your vehicle could be a vital part of accomplishing your defense strategy while on the move. The number one rule of carrying a weapon in your car is to verify what your local and state laws are saying about it.

Most states require a concealed carry license for concealed weapon carry, but specific laws come to play when carrying a gun in a vehicle.

For example, California citizens can carry guns in their car, BUT with specific requirements on hold. The firearm must be unloaded and secured while its ammunition has to be controlled and in a separate compartment.

Furthermore, guns in a vehicle must be kept in a locked compartment, such as a locker. These safes should be accessible in case of difficult situations. Again, always go through your state or local laws regarding the secure transportation of a firearm.

Many vehicles have potent room for securely placing a gun in a vault or safe. While a console or locking glove compartment has other features, and they are much more secure and innovative for keeping guns.

In short terms, you cannot carry a handgun in a car without a pistol license. In addition to pursuing such a permit, an individual cannot have a gun in any vehicle unless:

  • The license remains in the automobile at all times the gun is present
  • A licensee has the handgun
  • The permit is away from the car, and the gun is locked within the automobile and obscured from view.

Driving with a gun

When driving with a gun, keep these tips in mind:

Sit perfectly. Correct seating position enhances your driving skills and also makes it easier to draw your defense if required.

Control your emotions and create situational awareness. A sentimental response on the road can possibly have devastating results if both drivers are armed. Therefore, whenever in danger on the street, avoid it.

When entering restricted places, gun owners must eliminate their weapons and lock them in a protected container inside their cars. If this happens to you, do it effortlessly without distraction, and when returning to your vehicle, re-holster the weapon safely!

There is no reason to use the gun while you are out, except for self-defense, of course. So, lock it in the holster when leaving home, and do not touch it until you place it back into the safe.

Some Gun-Related Damage Facts

  • The majority of the victims of unplanned shootings are males. They are usually shot by a relative or friend, perhaps a brother.
  • Almost 1,300 younger adults die from shootings each year.
  • Half of the unintentional shootings occur among children 10-15 years of age in the home where a gun is present.

 

Some Myths about Guns

  • Whenever there’s a kid in the house, many parents live under the delusion that children aren’t capable of pulling the trigger – that’s a false assumption. Children are smarter than you think, plus they love to discover things, so there is a 70% chance that finders, keepers. However, children above 3 are strong enough to fire a handgun.
  • Secondly, some parents think that hiding their guns in a particular spot will prevent children from reaching them. However, 80% of children living with guns know where they are kept.
  • Parents believe that their kids know the difference between toy guns and real guns, but 16% of unintended firearm deaths among kids younger than 13 years occurred when a real gun was mistaken for a toy.
  • Some parents also consider their children to be “goody two shoes,” even if they are troublemakers in school. Studies have found that most children will hold a gun if they find one, even if they have been told not to use it.
  • Lastly, some parents prefer non-powder guns, like pellet, paintball, or BB guns, to be toys. However, these guns can shoot at the speed of standard firearms, leading to 22,000 injuries every year.

Make your Home A Safe Zone, but with Guns, Of Course

When it comes to the safeguarding of your family, they are safest without a gun.

If you own a handgun, hiding it is never enough, and talking to your children about it is worse. As mentioned many times, lock it up, and store it somewhere no one will find it except you.

Nowadays, locking options are much more revolutionary than before. These include trigger locks, gun safes, locks, and lockboxes – all available where guns are sold or online.

Besides that, guns shouldn’t be kept in the house if the owner doesn’t have a permit. Living unauthorized with a gun will definitely get your family in trouble as well. Therefore, be wise with your gun-handling tactics and never keep a gun in the house if you are unsure about the storage space or whether you don’t have a gun license. CWP


For more good gun safety information checkout:

Gear Adviser: Gun Safety Rules That Save Health And Lives

Community Watch Paper posts:

Benefits of Being a Safe Community

Riots: And your Family Safety

Other References:

https://www.safekids.org/tip/gun-safety-tips
https://www.washingtongunlaw.com/12-golden-rules
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx#:~:text=All%20guns%20in%20your%20home,In%20use.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/gun-safety.html
https://www.mottchildren.org/posts/your-child/gun-safety-and-children

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