Storing home defense long gun/shotgun

[SirRealism]

Long guns around here are "cruiser ready," which means magazine loaded/inserted, but chamber empty.

I will also suggest that if you choose to use an AR for home defense that you keep a set of electronic earmuffs with it. You may not have time to use them, but if you do, you will be glad you did. In addition to minimizing the permanent damage to your hearing if you have to shoot your AR indoors, you'll also be able to hear better with the earmuffs than you could without them. The downside is if you can't wear earmuffs when shooting a long gun (like me) because the seal is broken when you get a cheekweld.

There's another huge downside. Unless I'm mistaken, electronic earmuffs are mono, not stereo.

In order to locate the location a noise source, your brain uses a complex combination of the difference in time (in milliseconds) of arrival at your ear (for left/right) and the seemingly indistinguishable differences in sound created by the unique shape of your outer ear (front/back).

Unless I'm very mistaken, you'd be giving up all of that with electronic earmuffs. If something goes bump (or click), I want to be sure I know where it's coming from.

 

[Zoub]

You could still answer questions #2 and #3.

No gun in my house is hot, ever.

Cruiser ready if it is rifle or shotgun. I see no difference between trench warfare and indoor/perimeter home defense. Choose accordingly but in a trench my last choice would be handgun as a primary.

Because I have neighbors and homes are not brick I will not use slugs in a 12 gauge indoors. 12 gauge slugs are the king of overpenetration. I prefer my GF and Daughter use rifles.

You would see at least one Glock in a drop leg holster rig, with mags and light ready to go on quckly for a stroll. "Western style" hanging on a bed post by my side. This is a dedicated rig, also travels that way to camp.

There is a place or places in my home that are considered the areas you retreat to, in all of them you will find weapons and ammo.

 

[rhino]

There's another huge downside. Unless I'm mistaken, electronic earmuffs are mono, not stereo.

You are mistaken.

There may be cheap monaural earmuffs on the market, but the reasonable quality earmuffs like Radians, etc. have separate microphones, electronics, and power supplies for each ear.

Even if they were not "stereo" I don't agree that it would be a problem in your home, nor would it outweigh the advantages even if it were a problem.

 

[csm47362]

I also use a G19 as my main gun with a TLR2 on it. I also have an 870 with an extended tube and a spec opts stock with a TLR light on it with 00 buck loaded but not chambered. My daughter just turned 2 so my solution was to place 2 hooks like are used to hand a bicycle on the back of the closet up high so she could not reach behind the clothes quick access but hidden, I figure that will keep me for a few more year then I will have to go to the putting it in the safe every night thing. Good luck...

 

[Rookie]

I've thought about getting one of these Amazon.com: Homak® In - the - Wall Gun Safe: Sports & Outdoors

The only drawback that I have is the fact that it uses keys which doesn't make it easily accessible (unless you have the key in at night).

The other option is this - Closet Vault but it's pricey...

 

[southin]

In house? 18.5 12g 7+1 00 buck. Chambered on safe. 6 more in a stock sleeve. Mounted light and laser. Always in reach without much movement, and always at the door with me when someone unexpected comes a knockin. Pistol is back up. Folks that know me know to call before just "dropping" by. Even then the pistol is "handy".

 

[WHAT HAPPENED]

moss 590 12ga 00 buck, slug alternating fully loaded and one in the chamber safety on

but all black

 

[JBob77]

My Kiddos are 16 and almost 18. They know better than to handle any of the firearms in the house without at least talking to me. That said Mossberg 500 in the gun rack 5 in the tube, none in the pipe. I agree with everyone who said the sound of a shotgun racking a shell is a great theft deterrent. It is also almost always followed by the sound of someone taking a crap in their pants!!

 

[j706]

I keep a Ar15 with a full mag and empty chamber in a corner next to my dresser.

 

[Jack Ryan]

These questions are for all those folks that currently incorporate a long gun or shotgun into their home defense plan.

My plan has always had my Glock 19 as my primary weapon. Recently with the addition of my M4 I'm considering implementing it into the plan also. Therefore I've come up with some questions for the membership.

1. Where do you keep it?
2. In what condition do you keep it? (full mag, no round in chamber -- round in chamber, full mag, safety on, etc)
3. How do you secure it from unauthorized users while still keeping it accessible?

I'm open to any and all suggestions. I live in the Indianapolis suburbs in a "vinyl village" neighborhood. The house is a 1200sqft single-story ranch.

Thanks in advance!

I keep every weapon that's not in the gun safe loaded. Full magazine, extra amo close by. Empty chamber and safety off. No lock on any thing. I would not recomend this for people with small children, questionable teenagers or when any one outside of immediate family has unrestricted access to the house.

My reasoning behind this is that I'm not going on any "look around" or other mission with out checking that gun is loaded the minute I pick it up. If that weapon has been out of my sight and I'm picking it up to address a percieved threat then I'm going to confirm that gun is ready to kill something if it's in my hand. If it's not in my pocket, on my belt, in my hand, then it's state of readiness is easily visually verified. Open chamber, magazine in my possession, something to that effect.

If you have small children or others you wouldn't trust to tell them there is a threat, go get your gun, then I recomend the same conditions with the addition of a cable lock through the open slide of each weapon so opening one lock frees all weapons for use. Unless the weapon is in your possession, on your hip, in your hand, on your gun belt. No exceptions. If you have hand cuffs I recomend you use them to secure the weapons when not in your possession if they are for home defense.

 

[Jack Ryan]

I agree with everyone who said the sound of a shotgun racking a shell is a great theft deterrent. It is also almost always followed by the sound of someone taking a crap in their pants!!

I don't agree with it in the least. If I have a shotgun in my hands and I have an enemy I'm aware of the only thing he has a prayer of hearing is the firing pin hitting the shell and then his dead corpse can do the crapping in his pants.

Any one I hear pulling any hollywood racking stunts in the hope I'm going to crap my pants won't live to smell it. I'll know with out a doubt he's no part of my family and I'll take at least one shot in the dark with my own shotgun he never even had a clue I had in my hands, loaded, waiting for him to give away his position.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

Generally my 1911 or my G30 are my go to guns for home protection, if I can get to the safe with them, then out comes my mav 88 12 ga with 20" barrel and 7 shot tube loaded with 00 buckshot. Lately I've been taking the mav to my room when I go to bed and lean it up on one side of my bed with my 45 of choice in the nightstand on the other side. My good tac light is on the nightstand, but have my backup light mounted to the Mav. So if someone were to come in my room and I couldn't get to the 45 in time, I can roll off the other side and grab the shotty. Of course I live alone, but my parents do live next door so I make sure to keep something handy in case I need to go over and protect them as well. Whenever I do have kids I will prob make a rack under my bed to hide the 12g away till they are old enough to teach them gun safety. I just talked to an old friend of mine that's concerned and is wanting to get a HD gun, but she also has her husband and 2 kids in the house. So I offered to come over and teach them all the proper safety and handling when they do get one. And even to teach the kids as well so there are no accidents.

I could get out the SKS for HD as well.... but I would hate for a bullet to go through my house and into my parents house that's only about 50 yards away..

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

I'll take at least one shot in the dark with my own shotgun he never even had a clue I had in my hands, loaded, waiting for him to give away his position.

Pretty much the same for me . The only warning I give is my taking the safety off .

 

[Rlee]

I'll take at least one shot in the dark with my own shotgun he never even had a clue I had in my hands, loaded, waiting for him to give away his position.

As always bringing another great point to the table. It's true, theres more than one way to skin a cat. And you prove it.

I at this point in time, do have the tube full of 00 Buck, chamber empty, and safety off of course (don't believe safety can be on without it cocked). I won't disclose where the firearm is but I will say that it's close enough for me to get long before the intruder/threat is within my range. I have ammo spread through out the house so that no matter where I am in the home I have readily available ammo.

The reason I don't offer out the location of the gun is that you never know who is sitting behind these screens looking to add to their collection. No punt intended to anyone but I don't want to support anyone of that nature with free information.

On a side note, the handgun is kept on me or beside me 24/7 or within close aprox. of me. I have a clip in it and 2 clips beside the bed of a night.

 

[Alerion]

Pretty much the same for me . The only warning I give is my taking the safety off .

Pretty much my feelings as well. I figure if I wait until someone's close enough to hear me racking the shotgun;
a) I just gave away my position to him and,
b) I've waited WAY too long to load my gun!
And my safety doesn't really make much of a click!

In my house it would be kind of a moot point anyways. The alarm siren would pretty well cover up any sound short of actually firing the shotgun.

 

[hps]

XD45 in the bedside safe, full mag empty chamber

 

[Arm America]

Unless you carry when your in your home, the weapon you desire may not be handy.

I tend to stay up late watching tv or cruising the net.

I would hate the thought of having to sneak to the bedroom to
grab something for self defense.

Especially if my front door was just caved in.

Years ago when helping my wife hang one of her many framed pictures,
I thought that the hollow cavity behind it would make a perfect
place to conceal a weapon of choice.

Requires little drywall repair, always accessible for checking function,
generally higher up than little kids prying eyes.

They don't have to be high dollar guns to function.
Shot guns are inexpensive and are my choice for HD.

 

[Indy317]

....I would use the Glock w/light as my primary "investigate that noise" gun.

There is no reason to put yourself in any more danger than there already could be. For under $500, you could run yourself an entire home camera system. I have wanted to do this for a while, but since I don't have kids and the wife is right beside me at night, not really an issue about "Is one of the kids up making a noise?"

Run the home with a few cameras and you can see if anyone is in the home. Another thing I really like is the idea of having all the bedrooms on one end of the home, down one hallway. I read of examples of people using a very strong door, like a wrought iron door and metal frame at the start of the hallway. At night time, you secure the door. This also keeps your kids from leaving/sneaking out of the house via that entry when they are little, and then when they become teenagers.

 

[barricade]

keep loaded combat h&k .40 few feet from bed and loaded saiga 12 mag seperate so i grab .40 my girl grabs saiga loads it and we are ready to defend agianst intruders.

 

[greed]

I have young boys and I keep my guns locked up. I have a 1911 in a bio case by my bed, but I would like my 870 closer then my gun safe. I have been looking for something simular to what a police officer would have in his car where the lock grabs throught he open breach. This lock would have a bio/finger lock and a key. These peice would mount to the stud in the wall.

Has anyone seen anything simular to this? This lock would be ideal for those of us that need to keep our guns locked up, but want them at hand.