So, the drawstring glock discharge thread got me thinking.... I have a couple of handguns that I keep in my safe loaded (I turn the muzzles to the rear on the loaded ones, muzzles forward on the cleared ones). I am thinking this may not be the best idea.... what do yall do? am I alone in this practice? I am asking for it?

All my guns are stored empty. The only loaded guns in my home are for defense.

All my revolvers in one safe are loaded.

I keep one handgun in each safe, oriented so that it is easily grasped. It might be a large DA revolver or a DA auto, with a round under the hammer. When we lived in SoCal, burglars would see a safe (or a handyman might see it) and would return as a home invader. Each safe is positioned so that, if forced to open it, the door provides a partial shield.

This is thought provoking. The idea of having a ready defensive piece in the safe...

Frankly, it's no ones business but mine. Too much information put out on the Internet can come back and cause serious problems.

I only have one Glock. It's a 40 in a zippered carrying case, in the safe, and it's loaded. My shorty 66, also in a carrying case, loaded. 649, always loaded. 642, always loaded. Runt Kahr in 9, loaded.

__________________
NRA LIFE MEMBER

I only have two, a Glock 19 for Home Defense and my carry Shield. Both are loaded in a biometric locked safe for quick access when I am not carrying.

I have a few loaded in the safe, including a glock, HK USP 9 and a 5946

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

My safe is bolted to the concrete floor in a corner of my basement. All of the guns in it are unloaded and the ammunition is in a separate locked cabinet, with the exception of two speedloaders next the revolvers. The usefulness of keeping a loaded gun it for SD is virtually non-existent IMO. By the time I went to the basement and accessed them - even if they were loaded - I'd have to ask any intruder to please excuse me while I go get them. I do however, have a discretely secured, easily opened lock box in my bedroom where I keep a loaded HD weapon. Also, when my carry pistol isn't on me, or on the night stand, it is in another locked and secured box. These boxes aren't as much for theft prevention, as they are to keep visiting toddler grand kids from having easy access to them.

__________________
M&PC FS BG Shield+ 642 686+

The only loaded guns in the house aren't in the safe...for me in safe means empty...outside the safe means loaded. But that doesn't mean I can assume and don't have to practice common sense gun safety! I think the most important thing isn't whether you do or don't but are you consistent?

IF I put one of my carry guns in the safe loaded, then it goes in a holster. Any loaded handgun in there is in a holster. It makes it easier when I open the door. No loaded long guns in the safe.

That's a good point and one I should have made as well. I really don't have a safe (free standing and bolted to the floor) but hidden a biometric lockbox in my "retreat room (we don't have Castle Doctrine in VA)" which is easily accessible in the middle of the night. When I get my Liberty safe, it will have to stay downstairs and there is no way I'd be able to get to the guns if I needed them if I was upstairs. So, if the guns are in the safe just for storage, I probably wouldn't keep them loaded.

I see what you're saying but just the fact of posting here at all would indicate what those of ill intent want to know...we are gun owners and there are most likely guns in our house. But my location isn't disclosed anywhere on this site so the risk is small at best...at least in my opinion.

IOW Yes, Lee in Quartzsite keeps loaded guns in his safe.

__________________
Retired Career Security Guard

I only have 2 carry guns, they both stay loaded and the one I’m not carrying at a given time is in the safe. Everything else in the safe is unloaded but still gets cleared when it comes out of the safe.

As far knowing which is which my collection isn't that big

__________________
Retired Career Security Guard

Guns! What guns?? Just too many lawyers out there that would use something like this against you in court. Maybe just a little paranoid, but given the past history of self defense shootings and how all kinds of unrelated trash is brought up in court, I prefer not to to make it a public statement. Besides, never said I had a safe............

Not lately, I do have a loaded magazine or two for guns in the safe.

__________________
Wayne
Torn & Frayed

I do not keep any semi-automatic fire arm loaded in my safe or anywhere else except for the night table. I used to keep the AR-15 hot but I quit doing that some time ago.

I don't keep any single action revolvers loaded either. I do keep ALL my double action revolvers loaded with full speed loaders right next to them in the safe.

I remodeled my safe to add a lot more shelves for the hand guns so the way I have it is each hand gun and it's ammo, magazines or speed loaders has it's own shelf except for the rimfire which are all on the top shelf together.

The safe is in the fortress of solitude and no one home but me and Miss Pam. When the grand kids started coming along I starrted locking every thing up when they came over. They are older now, 18 and 11 but I still have all guns and ammo behind lock and key when they are over. Just a habit and I see no need to change it. Better to be safe than sorry.

__________________
Real men love cats!

When you pick up a gun, you check it for loaded. Always. ALWAYS. So why would it matter if the gun in the safe is empty or not? You take it out of the safe AND YOU CHECK IT. Seems simple, to me.

So, any gun in the safe might be empty or it might be loaded. It does not matter. Why doesn't it? Because it's just sitting there, behind a locked door. Whether it is empty or not, it is not going to jump up and shoot someone.

And when I pick it up out of the safe, I check it. If it's empty, I load it. If it's already loaded, I make sure the safety (if it has one) is on, and then go on with what I was going to do.

Sometimes some of y'all worry about the strangest things.

__________________
I always take precautions

Well, what I do; and I live in a very large house where there are only adults.

If a firearm is IN a safe - it is UNLOADED.

If a firearm is OUT of a safe - it is LOADED.

Bedrooms have at least one firearm....mine has more

Near the back door is a short shotgun with 00 buck; a Rossi 92 with .357 158 gr softpoints; and a short pump .22 LR. You never know what might show up out here in the country!!! OH, forgot the .22 revolver loaded with hollowpoints. Coons on the back deck can get nasty!!!

As has happened to others on this forum, I recently lost all of my firearms in a boating accident. My safe contains photos and the artwork of my son going all the way back to daycare.

You know that and I know that and every gun owner better know that but what worries me is an uneducated relative who may be responsible for disposing of my belonging in the event of my untimely demise and I don't what them to join me in the afterlife that way.

__________________
Back to back World War Champs.

Better idea might be to use a range flag in the chamber, muzzle that way you know for sure, just remember rule #1.

Kind of a trick question for me. Guns in the safe away from quick access are LOADED, remember rule #1, but no ammunition in them or close by. Firearms in the bio safe, lock box, for protection are all loaded, chambered, safety off. In a emergency I don't want to have to remember which has a safety on or not, besides that split second could be precious time. Just my thoughts, to each their own. In case of fire first thing out of the house will be the handguns, don't want to have any firemen injured from a firearm going off from heat.

__________________
Psalm 23:4

Not wanting to start a fight now - don't misunderstand.

But if you're that worried about what your "uneducated relatives" might do, do you also have trigger locks on all the unloaded guns in your safe? Just to be sure your dumb heirs don't shoot themselves or each other?

__________________
I always take precautions

Don't want to start a fight? Stop throwing the barbs...

There isnt a weapon i own that isnt always fully loaded.

Its like having gas in the tank of my truck. Pretty useless if it doesnt have any gas in it for when i need it.

No never because our rules over here say empty guns in one safe and ammo in another one. And i am supposed to have a check up on my safes and guns once a year, and if they would see a loaded gun in my safe well then i can kiss my permit goodbye and this is how it is over here in The Netherlands.

__________________
Dont shoot back,shoot first

Do any of you that keep a loaded gun in your safe have anyone else that has access to your safe? Do they know which gun is loaded always? I keep loaded speed loaders and magazines in the safe near the guns, but no gun are loaded. I keep the loaded ones next to my bed, and computer desk.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

HUMMMM ??? What good is ANY unloaded gun,
If you keep one in a safe loaded---at our age how do you remember which one it was. Heck, I can't remember where i put my glasses.
Keep 'em all loaded and cut to the chase.
Blessings

__________________
TEXAS, by GOD

And the internet is going to know who you are and how you voted on a anonymous poll??


These guys that post actual pictures of guns better watch out!

Especially they guy who just did a safe review and actually showed evil black guns in there.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

Especially since the internet is being given away-- makes me wonder how long this forum will even be allowed-- ?????????

Are they suppose to be loaded?

Isn't it a unloaded gun that has more accidents over guns we know are loaded?

Of course I have a few loaded in the safe.
If I'm ever forced to open my safe against my will, I want to take the *******. out.

Yep everyone has been told they are all loaded treat them as such until you clear them, (whether they are or not). Remember RULE#1 "1.All guns are always loaded." Everyone here has been taught how to clear a firearm and told if they are not sure get someone to do it for them before they handle it. The 10 Rules are posted on the safe for a reminder.

__________________
Psalm 23:4

I have no loaded guns in my safe now, but after some things I've heard lately I'll probably at least have loaded mags and/or loaded guns.

Rule #1 - there isn't much else to say about it.

I don't have a safe so currently some of my guns are loaded, stored in my closet. There's no kids in my house so my room mate knows which ones are loaded and the 1911 doesn't have one in the chamber.

I'm looking into a safe, I'll have one this year, but I'm not opposed to sitting guns in storage with bullets. And because mine are a riot gun and 1911 in the closet, you could call them home defense guns.

...on second thought I think the glock is loaded, too. But the pistols are in padded pistol cases.

the original point and click interface, by Smith & Wesson

I keep a nice, large copy of the 4 Rules posted right over the safe.

You know, the one starts with:

1. All guns are always loaded!

So, there ya go...

__________________
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

My safe has a second, inner, lockbox which is where any loaded revolver will be placed.

__________________
-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Always. As others have stated, if you are forced to open the safe, you'll have a last chance to defuse the situation.

It's only the "unloaded" guns that go off, right? Therefore...

__________________
Bob

WINCHESTER 870 shotgun?

__________________
I always take precautions

I have 2 safes and there are no loaded guns in them. But I do have a small bio-metric lock box on my night stand that I keep my loaded S&W mod. 642 and a CZ mod. 75 LW compact in.

I treat them all as loaded and some are. I don't keep a round in the chamber with ARs though, just the way they taught me in the AF.
I find it easier to keep some carry guns loaded and ready for use when I pull them out. I keep speed loaders or mags with those guns too.
We have loaded guns in the house too but varmint guns also don't have a round chambered. Self defense guns are of course loaded and ready for use with exception of an 870 with empty chamber.
We live in the country with no children. When some come to visit guns are all put up.
So I keep it simple, if a handgun it's loaded and a long arm has nothing in the chamber. My wife and I are good with that. She doesn't handle any guns and is only comfortable with revolvers. Those we keep at the ready for her to use if needed.

Yes, one, and it's the only one in the safe not in a case.

__________________
John
S&WCA Life Member

If I'm ever forced to open my safe, there is always only one gun loaded and easily accessible. Hopefully, there eyes will be drawn to all that candy sitting in front of them they'll never even hear the bang. (so far, it has worked 100% of the time on relatives) My wife, my 9 year old grandson, my son in law, 2 friends, they all know where it is, No one else should be at that point to worry about.

__________________
James L. "Jim" Rhiner

I'm a little worried so can you give details so I can stop picturing you opening the safe then pulling a loaded gun out and pointing it at people you like and your relatives?

the original point and click interface, by Smith & Wesson

Ya know sumthin---I read these about about unloaded guns and then I wonder how many gripe about the locks on Smith's.
Amazin
Blessings

__________________
TEXAS, by GOD

Nope, stay worried. That's the price you pay for dealing with the likes of me.

__________________
James L. "Jim" Rhiner