Home Defense Weapon- Loaded Overnight?

[Guest nra37922]

24/7

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have had to wake up and load a firearm once, key word is once, while I was groggy. I woke to my wife screaming outside so I grabbed an AR and ran outside. Turns out some stray dogs were killing some of out animals.

 

I inserted the magazine into the magwell, racked the gun and pulled the trigger, click. I slammed the magazine HARD into the magwell, racked it again, tried pulling the trigger again and once I again I heard that dreadful click. At that point I realized I had shoved the mag in upside down. I ripped the mag out and inserted in correctly, racked the gun then proceeded to immediately hit the mag release rather than the trigger. The magazine feel to the ground but I did get one shot off. Then I grabbed the mag reinserted it, correctly, racked it and began shooting.

 

I have no excuse for the upside down magazine other than not being totally awake. But for dropping the magazine once I got it inserted correctly I believe this is the cause. I had been doing mag change drills with empty mags and I had gotten used to dropping the magazine immediately after inserting it. During training I would insert a magazine, shoulder the rifle then drop the magazine and put in a "fresh" magazine. I did that so much that I defaulted to dumping the magazine immediately after inserting a magazine and shouldering the rifle. I have since changed my training routine up a bit to hopefully keep it from happening again.

 

My wife reminded me of it for a long while. Friends knew as well as her letting me know pretty regularly to make sure the magazine was inserted correctly.

 

So I would STRONGLY recommend leaving your guns loaded and ready to go in case you are groggy. But on the same token you need to ensure you are awake enough to identify your target and what is beyond it.

 

Dolomite

[RobertNashville]

Any weapon not in my safe is LOADED, magazine and chamber.

 

Should I ever need to use them then every millisecond is precious; I don't want to spend any of that time loading, chambering or wondering if I need to do any of those things!

[Makiaveli]

So I would STRONGLY recommend leaving your guns loaded and ready to go in case you are groggy. But on the same token you need to ensure you are awake enough to identify your target and what is beyond it.

 

Dolomite

 

 

This is why I don't keep one in the chamber. If I am not awake enough to rack the slide, I shouldn't be shooting.

 

YMMV, but given I am not professionally trained etc. I think this is the best option. FTR, my son is 8 and knows not to play with it etc etc, but like the OP said only takes one moment of being a kid...

[vontar]

my 12GA has very nice home near my bed.  Loaded and ready.  No racking it to chamber a round either.  That is only in Holly Wood. 

[tnhawk]

As all my guns are always loaded, I don't  question about their condition, if needed.

[Danger Rane]

I have young kids as well, so as much as I would like to have half an arsenal under my pillow at all times it is not responsible for me to do so.  I use a biometric Gun Vault on the nightstand to give me near instant access to a loaded handgun and flashlight. For situations where I have more time or really need to up the ante I have a locked pelican case under my bed with a loaded shotgun and AR.  I have the combo lock set up so I can open it without looking. I just purchased a new pistol for the wife so she will also be getting a Gun Vault on her nightstand.

 

Back when I was single I was literally able to have stuff stashed all over the house, all loaded, all the time and plenty of reloads stashed as well.

 

As several have already stated, even kids that are properly trained make poor decisions sometimes.  To me those extra seconds it takes to unlock the safe are worth the peace of mind that my kids won’t have a potentially fatal lack of judgment….at least not with my guns.

[jwinter]

You can train your kids all you want but it is their friends that you really need to worry about. When I was 16 I was at friends house with a bunch of guys. We were all in my friends bedroom when another friend pulled the first friend's shotgun out of his closet while he was out of the room. He then pointed it at me and started acting like a fool. The first friend came back in the room and flipped out. Yep, loaded, with one in the chamber. Let's just say I was not a fan of that maneuver.

Some folks here may disagree with me on this, but remember, the odds of someone breaking in your house while you are home is slim, while you kids are there all the time.

My suggestion is get a safe as some of the others have said. You can even get the large shotgun sized safes for under the bed if you prefer that. And as Makiaveli said, make sure that you are awake enough if you plan on walking around with one in the chamber. Kids messing around in the house at night can startle you. If you are already tense and not fully awake, you don't want to be surprised by junior coming around the corner. I still remember a time years ago (before I had a gun) when my wife woke me up because she "heard" something downstairs. I was halfway down the stairs before I was even awake enough to realize that I was even walking down the stairs.

[vontar]

One thing, one night I had a dream/nightmare that someone broke in and I was hand to hand fighting him and not doing so well I might add.

 

In my dream/nightmare I yelled to my wife to grab the loaded gun and her reply was which one.  I yelled back, any of them, they are all loaded.

 

I ask her the next morning if I did any unusual tossing and turning or talking in my sleep.  Nothing she noticed.

[superduty]

You all have made some very good points, and I appreciate it.  I probably should have made my initial post clearer, with regards to kids.

 

They are my main concern- as I and several others of you have talked about.  I know I wouldn't do anything dumb with it, but I also was once a kid who did stupid things, so, there's my concern.

 

I really like the idea of the small safe by the bed. 

 

If I lived alone, I'd absolutely have all my firearms ready to go and dispersed through the house-

Seems dumb to have something you can't use.

 

I just can't do that with little kids pokin' all around the place (not to mention their friends).

Gotta find a smarter solution, which is obviously why I asked

 

Thanks!

[TMF]

[quote name="superduty" post="893378" timestamp="1358912226"]You all have made some very good points, and I appreciate it.  I probably should have made my initial post clearer, with regards to kids.   They are my main concern- as I and several others of you have talked about.  I know [u]I[/u] wouldn't do anything dumb with it, but I also was once a kid who did stupid things, so, there's my concern.   I really like the idea of the small safe by the bed.    [/quote] http://www.walmart.com/ip/GunVault-Mini-Storage-Vault/4861129 $80 bucks at above link. This is similar to the one I own. I have my 1911 and Glock 19 inside, plus extra mags. It opens by key or punch pad. You will not regret the peace of mind you get from owning this. I used to keep my pistol in a high drawer, but kids will learn how to climb and use chairs eventually. Best to stay inside of their decision cycle.

[gl19gobang]

Shotgun & pistol loaded one in chamber.  Our kids are grown & moved out, but when the grandchildren come over to spend the night, the shotgun goes in the safe & the pistol will be out of their reach.

[Goldsquare]

Loaded and chambered!! Always everyday

[hipower]

Absolutely!!! 

 

I have a gun to sling projectiles outwards, not to use as a shortrange club.

[gregintenn]

If mine isn't loaded, I'm eaither cleaning it or reloading it.

[Moped]

I always have a revolver loaded and near me.  Shotgun is loaded, but not racked and locked in the safe during the day.  I get it out at night and it stays by the bed.  In the morning it goes back in again.

Edited January 25, 2013 by Moped

[swim615]

I keep mine loaded and within reach.

[glowdotGlock]

I keep my Glock 22 loaded in the drawer in the nightstand with a mounted light and two extra mags. I keep an 870 marine magnum behind the headboard with the tube loaded and ready to rack one in.

[JohnC]

Almost everything I own is loaded and with loaded spare mags...

Beretta 9mm 15rds Federal personal defense hydra-shok jhp 135gr at the head of my bed right within reach.

What good is a gun if it is unloaded when you're asleep? You got to come out of a deep sleep, crack open ammo, load mags, insert mag, and then chamber one? How will you have that much time if a threat just bested in your door, especially on a 1 floor home and average of 1,000-1,500sq ft? Edited January 25, 2013 by JohnC

[RagTop454]

Two handguns and shotgun loaded (chambered) & near by 24/7!  Unless grandkids come up, then the're all locked in the safe except the one I have on me.

[wjh2657]

Two handguns and shotgun loaded (chambered) & near by 24/7!  Unless grandkids come up, then the're all locked in the safe except the one I have on me.

 

 

Shotgun (Cruiser mode) at night and EDC in the other holster. When grandkids come, shotgun goes in gun safe and revolver is in my pocket during day and at bedside at night.

 

[JeffL]

AR15 next to my bed, round in chamber w/ safety on. Stays that way when I put it in the safe. Also have the Glock 21 out, round in chamber.

[Dennis1209]

As always, I'm a little late to the party, but...

 

Keep my Remington 870 Express 12 ga. bed side, 6 in the tube and empty chamber. Have my Glock 19 or Kimber .45 on night stand (no children), magazine inserted with chamber empty. Reason being.

 

Getting up in the middle of the night groggy to take a leak and if lucky, shoot a 90% x ring and 10% fail to neutralize. With the completion of the fire drill stub my toe on the way back. Now do I really want to be fumbling with a hot gun when groggy & clumsy?

 

Of course most of it I blame on age.

[dodo]

All loaded!

[Guest RevScottie]

How many of you guys keep your guns loaded taking them in and out of the safe? Bumping loaded stuff around in a safe seems like it really raises the risk for an accidental discharge.