How do you store your bedside gun?

[Tobryan]

Bolt it down. I went this route once with a pistol safe under the nightstand un-attached. When my house was broken into back in May the theives took the whole safe along with the 3 handguns, 2 holsters, ammo and spare mags inside.

I'm kicking myself for not taking the 15 minutes to bolt it down.

Its a nice piece of furniture, and I'm not convinced that a couple screws would not keep someone from popping it off. Its the only gun out of the safe, not on my person. It only holds one pistol and a spare mag.

 

[KittySlayer]

GunVault digital combination lock next to bed. Mine is not anchored, just sits on nightstand. It's been dependable with three battery changes since I bought it back in '98. I have heard several instances where the biometric locks have had problems, even from a couple friends. I get in mine to check the lock mechanism, once a week or so.

Not bolted down may be the way to go. As you noted, sometimes there are problems, sometimes stress induced. At least with it loose you can carry the safe with you as you retreat/reposition and keep trying to get into it. Not sure that screws or cables would really stop a thief. Once the thief saw the safe they would pry it off and carry it with them to get into later.

 

[indyblue]

For those of you that keep their HD handy and are worried about an intruder sneaking in while asleep, why don't you have a home alarm system? I know that if my alarm goes off in the middle of the night due to a door opening or a window breaking something's not right immediately (and at over 140db it will wake us up).

 

[BiscuitNaBasket]

For those of you that keep their HD handy and are worried about an intruder sneaking in while asleep, why don't you have a home alarm system? I know that if my alarm goes off in the middle of the night due to a door opening or a window breaking something's not right immediately (and at over 140db it will wake us up).

I was wondering about this too. I'm also a heavy sleeper so I have an alarm system that is armed at night and when I'm away from home. Dogs also help but mine is not a security dog so I don't rely on her to wake me.

Even if you can't afford a security system you can still buy the battery powered door alarms that make a loud noise if contact is broken. Those are fairly cheap and you can put one on every door and window if you want.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

Anyone use a gun magnet? What about using one of those for the night, installing it up high on the back of the headboard? Then when the gun is not on me and the kids are up it goes in a biometric safe?

 

[6mm Shoot]

The kids know me so they tell me when the grand kids are coming over. I put everything in the safe but what is on my hip. When they are not there I keep a gun at he night stand and one at my desk. Chances are that I will have a shotgun or rifle out doing something with it. I have three dogs in the house and have never had anyone get through the gate of the yard with out one of them letting me know. When my kids were little I kept everything under lock when it wasn't on me. Two of my kids just wanted to play with them to bad. I couldn't chance them getting a hold of one.

 

[1911ly]

I have a Mossy 500jic between the side rail and box spring and a 45 in the dresser by my bedroom door. And last but on least I lay a S&W 640 revolver on the corner of the bed. I have a big bed and sleep on the other side. In a SHTF situation I am hopefully GTG. One kid in the house. 14yrs old. He knows he can hand the guns any time with "supervision". He has no need for curiousity. It killed the cat you know!! Always has asked before touching a gun.

There was a time when everything was on lock down 100%. Being raised gun aware is a must if you are to have any in the house! I keep things put away when I am not home. He can't just touch a gun. But he can with permission. I might add that he knows how to check every gun in the house to see if it is unloaded. Plus he knows how to unload them safely.

 

[Rocket]

Simple. I do not have a night stand gun. If I am awake it is on me. If I am asleep it is within arms reach. Youngest is 8 and he likes to shoot, can check most kinds of guns to see if they are loaded but just calls me if he finds anything gun related. Including an empty shell case, and knows the 4 rules. Maybe not word for word but close. Education once they are bigger. But when they were small, at night they were up very high

 

[danielson]

Bedside gun is my carry gun, Glock 23. I remove it, holster and all, and set it on the stand a foot and a half away.

 

[warthog]

I keep a Ruger Redhawk 4" 45 Colt as my bedside gun which is to get e to my Mossberg 590A1 12 ga loaded with reduced recoil #4 Buck if it is really ugly outside. I keep the Ruger right next to my bed on a table and the shottie is leaning aganst the wall by the door about 10 feet away. Neither are my carry pieces.

 

[derrickgoins]

GunVault MiniVault

 

[Birds Away]

I like to have mine beside the bed.

 

[Rossko85]

No kids...just wife and I. We keep our guns at/under bedside. Liberty 23 series on my list!!!

 

[copo]

I used an old Serpa holster and mounted it to the back of my night stand. its my edc so its gone all day with me until its bed time.

 

[bluewraith]

Remington 870 leans up against the wall on my side of the bed. There used to be a Sig Saur M400 there, but I transformed that into the 97 F150 that sits in my garage.

No kids, no visitors. Get off my lawn.

 

[Jeepsandguns]

Great thread. This has been weighing on my mind as I have my first on the way. Right now, I have a small handgun safe under my nightstand that I don't lock. Once the baby comes, I will lock it. When I programmed the combo, I made it a number that is a pattern, so that I could do it quickly, in the dark, every time. It's not as fast as having a gun sitting on my night stand, but it's a whole lot safer.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Key'd box for long gun, key is only in it when I'm in bed. EDC handgun in retention holster on headboard, only stored there when I'm in bed.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

When my kids were little my carry gun was on me during the day if I was home, and in my vehicle if I was anywhere I couldn't carry. At night it was just laying on the nightstand. I kept the bolts out of long guns except the shot gun. Ammo was not with the guns except for my carry gun. (I just had the one hand gun)

Now that they're older, well trained and have earned my trust, our guns are not treated as scary things, just respected for what they are. I have 2 hand guns now, and still keep my loaded carry gun either on me, or on my dresser. I have shot gun loaded. The rest are empty, and in gun socks, or cases. My boy is 18, very trust worthy, and keep his AR in his own room up stairs, unloaded, broke down, in it's case. All his mags are unloaded as well. My daughter will get her first gun (10/22) for Christmas, and she will keep it in her room, unloaded, in it's case, with no ammo upstairs. Still, I'd like to spring for a gun safe one day. When I do, I can just open it when I go to sleep at night for quick access.

 

[Thor]

By my bed...in a drawer. 2 x .45's and 9mm with extra clips for all.

 

[9mmfan]

My carry gun is my bedside gun. Holstered gun leaves my belt and goes next to my pillow.