UPDATE: I bought the 8 gun stack on tonight. It may not have the security of a safe but with cable lacks on them within it and ammo in a separate pelican that is locked 🔒 as well I think I am going to feel a lot more at peace when I'm not home.

I have a 4 and 1 year-old in the house. I have trained the 4 year old how to recognize all of Daddy´s ¨tools¨ and that they are not to be tampered with. Furthermore, if she sees ¨tools¨ anywhere outside our house, she knows to get an adult ala Eddie the Eagle training.

I store my long guns unloaded and with a cable lock or bolt removed in the case of my 22 rifle in a room they do not have access to. When not in use, they remain unloaded with the ammo locked separately in a pelican. I am a big fan of project childsafe, and try to follow their guidelines as much as possible, however, there is one I am not in compliance with and wondered if this added layer was necessary or not. The last layer according to them that I am lacking is a safe or gun cabinet. I am not interested in a safe due to cost and the lack of desire for fire protection. If my house burns down my guns are not high on my priority list as they can be replaced. I have been interested in the stack-on gun cabinet, as it is simple and affordable.

That being said, I am conflicted, because $200 is still not chump change when I pay for everything, including daycare, and my wife to go to college for nursing. I am the only source of income for two more years as she finishes school and money is tight. I am curious whether the cabinet is something that is mandatory in your eyes or if my current system of doing things is acceptable for a household with young kids. I will admit, that rather than a 5th gun, my next big purchase should be another layer of safety, I just wonder at what point it becomes redundant? I apologize if this is a question that has been asked or if I am being completely ignorant here, but I genuinely am torn on this one.

My boys are in their mid and late 30s now. I trained them what a gun was and how to treat them with respect. Having said that, they are kids and their minds are not mature and don't think properly. I bought a nice safe and kept all but my and my wife's self defense gun in it. I think it was expensive but a good decision. I wish now, I had bought two!
You will be able to relax better if you do.

Two things.

In my home a gun safe or locking cabinet whatever you want to call it is mandatory.

If I had children in my home I would want my guns secured in such a way that the kids could not get to them even if they wanted to.

2. This is something I say every time a discussion similar to this comes up. Get on Facebook Marketplace or even eBay I would suppose and look for people in your area who are selling a gun safe second hand.

I've mentioned previously, my current safe is a Liberty Centurion That retails at around 600 dollars. We bought it for $325 used

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Retired Career Security Guard

Thanks for the suggestion smoke! I will try to find a used one for a good deal near me. Maybe be patient and find one on sale or used during black Friday.

It seems to me that the critical criterion is whether or not the gun can be used or stolen simply by resorting to common tools. Protecting against use, of course, is more important than protecting against burglary/larceny. Both are desirable. Whether a cable counts depends on its thickness and what tools you are protecting against. A locking cabinet usually doesn't count, because it can be forcibly opened with a common large screwdriver, but it probably does count against small children.

There are several kinds of firearms, and each is disabled in a different way. It is up to you to figure out which is rendered safe against which possible abusers. I am not familiar with "project childsafe" or their checklist, but you are probably capable of evaluating their checklist on your own.

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Formerly Model520Fan

If you are satisfied with the way your long guns are secured and just want something that will secure handguns to deny access to curious children, for under $200.00 you can get a tool cabinet with locking drawers. Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Tractor Supply, etc. They're easily movable on caster wheels and don't take up too much real estate. You can store ammo and handguns in the drawers and lock them. Just a thought.....

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SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

A safe is the best way to go. If you have access to a truck, there are a lot of used ones around. Try craigslist, Facebook market place etc. They can be had cheaply. Place an ad for wanted to buy in Craigslist or Facebook marketplace.

Check Tractor Supply for sales

This is some of the best money you will ever spend

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Gun ownership comes with numerous responsibilities. Protecting others from being harmed unintentionally by the guns for which you are responsible is paramount. You are trying to do this within your budget. I get it.

However, if the relatively low level of security you have chosen proves ineffective and someone gets hurt or killed, that $200 (or $600) expense you are trying to avoid will seem miniscule.

When I was single and living in an apartment, I had two beautiful shotguns stolen from under my bed in less than two minutes. I don’t know what happened to or with them, but it will never happen to me again.

The first purchase before the gun is a proper gun safe, attached (bolted or wired) to an immovable object. It can be just a hard steel locking handgun safe for quick access, or a full size long gun safe as required. IMO, this is not really optional.

I have given guns of mine to children and grandchildren. They all have safes for them. I make sure of that.

You will never regret taking the higher level of safety precautions once that money has been expended. You will likely regret for the rest of your life, emotionally and financially, the consequences of having your minimal safety plan breached resulting in someone being harmed.

Don’t risk it. Find the money. Sell a gun. Buy used. Ask for a gift from someone. Whatever. Get a real safe.

I bought a cheap long gun safe at Dunham's Sports on sale under $200. I also use my tool chest to store a few things in, not tools to work with in 3 of the drawers. I would like to get 2 more of those ones from Dunhams, but the name eludes my brain at the present time. Nothing for the fire arms is fire proof, just out of anyone's easy to grab mitts. Mainly children. No adult people that I let in my place aren't that low to steal from me. For your kids I'd say to myself out of sight out of mind, but that's not always possible.
I just read what CB3 just wrote and that makes more sense to me . There aren't many, if any at all once a month or two, but it only takes one mistake.

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Waiting For The Sun.

A multiple gun owner with no safe is irresponsible. With kids: keep all guns locked in the safe, save one in your right front pocket, as your car keys (how many times have you lost your keys if kept this way?), or locked in the safe.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

I agree with all the previous comments.... a safe is a must. Children can be curious and you wouldn't want one of your children or visiting children to play "show and tell" with one of your firearms. Exposure to gun safety at an early age is an excellent way to take the mystery out of firearms that a child may find/see at your home. When i was teaching first grade, I used the Eddy Eagle program during a "safety" lesson at the end of the school year... the NRA has since wrecked it,,, IMHO

I agree 100% with the others about having a safe. I taught my daughter not to touch firearms from an early age, but I remember all the things I was taught from an early age and how many times I did things just the opposite of what I was taught. They're kids and they don't always make the right decisions.

Children can get into almost everything. Lots of good ideas and comments above. In a recent, similar thread it was pointed out that used safes are much more affordable than new ones but, at a minimum, gun cabinets are mandatory in my world. If you leave a child alone in a house, and I don't mean "alone you're not home" but just alone while you are doing something else the child WILL explore, WILL open drawers, and WILL find things that you do not want to be found. Trust me, I have experience with this. Get a gun cabinet. You can lock up guns, knives, maybe some ammunition, maybe some other valuables.

I do have a relatively expensive gun safe with all of the whistles and bells for fire, etc., but I admit to having a boatload of guns (none have sunk in the infamous river of "I lost my guns in a flood" foolishness), many folks have way more than I do, and I keep my less important long guns in a couple of locked gun cabinets. The Stack-On has been with me for many years, the red Winchester is newly acquired this year. They come in a variety of colors. Mine was on sale and way below $200 at the time. Long story for another time.

Since fire protection is not your priority, you can get a "Winchester Gun Cabinet" for less than $200, sometimes a lot less. They're on line and probably easily found or ordered at a sporting goods store near you.

The Winchester is matte red, is in my garage, and has a couple of old shotguns in it. The Stack-On is polished OD green and I had to turn off the lights to try to get a picture or it without my being reflected in it clearly, which was silly to look at, so the picture is difficult to see but it is almost the exact same size as the red one. Again, just some lesser long guns in there. There are other brands as well, you can find them at a variety of stores or on line.

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Come and take it!!

The thread I mentioned is still current:

Best safe for a few rifles/handguns

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Come and take it!!

When I was young, dumb and broke, long time ago...

I fabricated a false bottom beneath the bottom drawer of my chest-of-drawers to store valuables. Pull out the drawer, lift the cover.

In addition, I made an access door at the bottom of my Jacuzzi's base cabinet for storage too. Get a screwdriver, remove the screws, open the panel.

That said. I finally purchased a safe.

That safe is one of my most valued possessions. Peace of mind, priceless!


,

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Death? Smile back...

When I was a kid in the 1950's my Dad had his long guns in cases standing up in his closet. I watched Cowboys and Indians on TV so I knew about guns. Once in a while I asked him to bring one out to look at it. He always complied. I would NEVER have touched it on my own. I would have had to suffer the consequences.

In the 1980's, when my boys were each 7 years old, they got .22 rifles. They were kept in the upstairs in a non-locked wooden gun cabinet. The ammo was locked in a basement metal locker. They both knew that they were not to touch the guns without me present, and God Forbid they would never show them to their friends. Other Dads in the neighborhood had guns as well, and their kids were also respectful. I trusted them, and they knew that there would be consequences if they disobeyed.

TODAY is a different world. Woke, govmt trying to ban guns, mass shootings, etc. No matter how well you teach your kids, they are subject to other bad kids (and misguided teachers as well). NO EXCUSE today. No matter what it costs, a gun safe is the only option, along with an ammo safe in a different part of the house.

Sorry to say all that, but times aren't good anymore. No matter how good a parent is, and how well behaved a kid is, peer pressure can be devastating. Today, EVERYONE (not just kids), understands that consequences are a thing of the past.

Look at Secureit lockers. The basic model is under $200 on Amazon. It's not a safe but will keep your firearms from unauthorized users.

A consideration later in life: You can't judge your safety precautions by the standards of just your own family. You must consider anyone your kids may welcome into your home. Think teenagers. That day will come.

Clearly, a safe is the best way to safely store firearms with young kids in the house.

With no safe in the house, *I* would keep the gun unloaded & the mag stored up high somewhere. Kids can't rack a slide at 4 or 1, IMO.

Another option might be to take the $200 budget, buy some pressure treated wood & build a safe. No, it won't be as strong as a real steel safe costing $500+. It most likely will be as strong as those Stack-On safes that are just sheet metal.

Putting the door hinges on the inside & using a quality hasp & lock will make it pretty secure, IMO. Screwing the back wall wood to the house studs will render it immobile, IMO. Is it perfect? No. Is it burglar proof? No. But it sure is kid-proof.

My .o2

Some gun accessories I keep in a closet.
I have a deadbolt lock on it and I have the only access

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

If you have Academy sporting goods stores in your area, they usually have good sale prices on the key-lock type safes at Christmastime.

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6/23/2022

We don't have kids, but I have considered this because it is important. YOUR kids might be responsible and well taught. Not everyone's are. As our Public Records Officer, I read a lot of reports and used to be in the criminal division so I have a good idea of what happens on that side, plus several of my clients are in CJ agencies (Probation, Juvenile, SO). Other people's kids can be a risk for which you are unprepared. They also might talk if your kids tell them about guns. We have had several incidents in the last year or so involving kids who learned of a friend's gun and bad stuff happens.

You need to think outside your direct experience. A decent safe is a good idea. Most stored guns should be in there and your kids should not be able to access them until they are really trustworthy. They also have to be ruthlessly taught that guns are not a topic of discussion outside the family. The number of other parents who would freak out is staggering. They call the school, your doctor, the cops, CPS, you name it. NO ONE needs to know what you have, where it is, and the like. If you fail to consider the bad stuff that might happen even though it is not part of your normal life, you might not like the results.

If there was a real possibility of kids coming in the house (it happened when we lived closer to other family members or a few friends in the neighborhood, all kinds of stuff have been cleared up and the only gun out of storage was holstered on my person. We had a dog that was vile with strangers for a while and no one could come to the house. The pandemic was largely a treat to us - we are not social and have no family within a 2 day drive. Solved a lot of issues.

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NHI, 10-8.

Amazon has single gym lockers. Look for those with free shipping. Also search Craigslist for the same as well as foot lockers. Although a foot locker may not be long enough.

Teaching your kids is a good thing. But you cannot prevent temptation. Especially with boys. In a boys mind guns are cool. And cool “toys” are hard to resist.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

I'd also like to point out that you can use the safe for securing more than just firearms.

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Retired Career Security Guard

When I was growing up everyone had guns, and no one had a safe. I’ve never owned a gun safe, either. My kids knew that touching guns without permission and supervision was absolutely forbidden.

All that said, expectations are different now, and that’s OK. As has been mentioned, you might wish to think outside the box a bit. If the goal is to keep young children away, a “safe” isn’t really necessary. You simply need a locking container of some sort—and you can add a hasp and lock yourself. Such things can be had very cheaply on Facebook marketplace. You might even be able to cobble something together yourself if you have materials and are a bit handy.

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Mark Lathem

I agree, a quality safe or good gun cabinet is mandatory. However, if you can't afford one now, do you have a closet that could be used to store your firearms? Buy and install a good deadbolt that uses keys inside and outside the door. Keep the keys on your keychain and always keep the closet locked.

The peace of mind is worth the money. When my kids were small I showed them the guns, taught them about safety and that they were not to be handled on their own. But I didn't trust others to teach their kids as well and there was always the chance of theft. I got burglarized once when I was young & single, didn't lose any guns because I only had two and they were with me but lost several other things (really hate thieves). As a young parent money was tight so I went with one of the security cabinets. Mounted it in a awkward corner in the closet, could be broken into but they would have to work at it. Safe from inquisitive kids and reasonably secure.

Over time I have added two more higher quality safes as the collection grew. Now, with grandkids, the extra security is nice as they get old enough to learn gun safety and use. And added security from theft is a definite plus. Even a top end safe can be defeated by a determined criminal but most are in a hurry and if they can't carry it off or simply smash it open they go after other things they can grab and go. Invest in the money, it's worth it, even a basic security cabinet is better than nothing.

There is not anyway to keep people from accessing something if they want bad it enough. The people that think things can't be accessed that is in their humongous safes that are bolted to concrete don't realize the potential of cutting torches, disc grinders, winch trucks, etc. A wooden box or cabinet with a lock will keep honest people from accessing things that aren't theirs.
For a half dozen guns a cabinet or box a couple of feet wide is large enough. Build a cabinet in the corner of a room and 2 walls are already there.
When one reaches a point where cost doesn't matter buy the biggest safe you can find and bolt it too concrete. At least it will slow down someone from accessing the contents. Larry

BabaBlueJay if you are still considering Stack-on I think they are a good value for just what you want.....a little kid protection.

See my reply to your July thread which is posted above on todays Forum as "Best safe for a few rifles and handguns" and you'll see some pics of my Stack-on.

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Charlie B
SWCA#3083, SWHF#570

I have grandchildren who live with us. It is always a concern. If I could not afford a cabinet I would get a non working refrigerator and wrap it with a chain. I would prefer a cabinet as it is purpose built and a lot easier to store. Another option is a plywood box with a locked hinge. Line with carpet pad and keep it dry.

Whenever there is a lock, keys need to be secure. This might mean, one on your person and one very well hidden. I was not as concerned with my kids as I was with their friends when I was away.

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Front sight and squeeze

I would add, women don't like it when they're locked up inside a safe......................

Have not read all the suggestions......But a little used closet could be used. A couple of dead bolts in the door would keep most out of it.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Go to Tractor Supply and pick up a great Winchester safe for much less than you will find a safe of similar quality anywhere else. A few people told me that was the place to go when I was in the market for a safe. Check them out online.

Well, I don't know you, and maybe it's none of my business, but since you're asking for advice....

You had the money to buy the guns. You presumably, have money for ammunition to use in those guns.
Therefore, you really should find the money to properly and responsibly secure them.

If this is a genuine problem, then I will add one more point that has been overlooked throughout this thread:

-You said " my guns are not high on my priority list".
-I would reply, "Fine. Sell them and use the money to get your wife through nursing school."

Later on, if the interest and need is still there, you can replace your collection.

No disrespect intended.

I guess I missed that comment the first time. Maybe guns are not high priority, but family safety and security MUST be high on the list. That being the case, as long as they are in the house they need to be secured....period.

If you are asking the question, you already know the answer. The cost is the only thing that you are trying to justify. When I got some unexpected back pay, many years ago (I say this a lot anymore) one thing on my list was a gun safe. I got a small Browning that I still have. I rested a lot easier with the kids and when we went out of town.

I'd spend the $200 on the Stack-On and just keep the ammo locked up in a different container.

I'll just make one comment about guns with kids in the house...


If you imagine that you can hide the guns, or the key, in a place where the kids will never find it, then the only one that you are fooling is YOURSELF!


The kids will ALWAYS find those things that you think you have hidden so very, very well.

My suggestion, sell a gun and buy a safe. Be an adult and put your priorities in the right order. It not just about the safety of your kids it’s about your guns falling into wrong hands and others being injured or killed. You shouldn’t even think about another toy until you have your guns secured in a safe.

If you have to sell a gun and buy a safe then when you’re financially secure you can start adding more toys. You have 2 little babies and a wife depending on you making the right decisions. Be a grown up.

Children are curious and often do not see the harm to disobeying. I would not be comfortable without locking my firearms in a safe, My children are older and trained in gun safety, but have friends over sometimes when I am not there, and they are curious too. A good safe only costs as much as one good gun. My respectful advice is to get a safe. Your wife can also put valuables/jewelry in it so it can potentially be more of a mutual thing. Think of the cost to your family and peace of mind not to mention prosecution if your interim security is defeated by the wrong person. I would rather have a safe and never need it then not have it and need it. Best regards.

Update: I bought an 8 gun stack-on tonight. After tons of research and considering my unique circumstances I felt it was enough for my needs and easily moved if we move in the next few years (highly likely) to another city.

moved a little over two years ago about 100 miles to be closer to our now 7 and 10 year old grandkids, and of course their mom and dad. I have been taking both boys shooting pretty often, with an assortment of youth .22's and the older one likes shooting my M1 Carbine. Since they often drop by when I am not home since the move, I no longer "carry" and do not leave a handgun in a holster on the kitchen counter. I also let them handle my firearms anytime they wish, with me to supervise of course, hoping to reduce the curiosity of firearms. Now, all of my firearms are unloaded in my safe, and they do not know the combination. I could never endure a tragedy from an unsecured firearm. As for the OP, for younger children, having some sort of security for firearms and ammunition is essential. It doesn't have to be an expensive safe. And congratulations to your wife in her pursuit of a medical career. My wife is a now retired RN, an one daughter is an RN, and one grand daughter has just embarked on her own nursing degree. What level of firearm security is appropriate of course depends on the ages of one's kids. NV

Training for kids in the safe handling of firearms is as important as having a safe. It's not too early to start when they are 3 or 4 years old. When I was about 10, we were visiting my great uncle's farm in Wisconsin. I was with two of my male cousins. The adults went into the living room to talk. My cousins and I were in the kitchen. Propped up by the door was a Winchester lever action rifle. One of my cousins (they were a non-gun owning family) picked up the rifle and pointed it at his brother. I walked over to my cousin and took the rifle from him. I pointed it in a safe direction and started unloading it by actuating the action. The sound travelled and in an instant the adults entered the kitchen. My uncle and aunt saw me with the rifle and immediately starting accusing me of playing with it. My father asked them to let me tell what had happened. My informal firearms training, by my father, might have averted a tragedy that day. I have been the one to train my kids and now my grandkids and others in the safe handling of firearms. I keep them guns locked up, but one rule is that if any one of them want to see and hold one, I stop what I'm doing and open the safe and allow them to do so, while observing all the safety rules. I also tell them that no one is immune to correction and that when they see a violation of the safety rules, even by me, they need to say something.

Hopefully you don't know this by experience?

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Retired Career Security Guard

I am 68 years old and grew up in a mostly rural area with my dad’s guns in the house, hanging on a wall rack and behind the kitchen door. I remember helping my dad clean guns when I was 8 years old.
Got a powerful BB gun on my 7’th birthday, and my own Ithaca single shot .22 rifle when I was 8 1/2. Was allowed to go hunting by myself or with cousins my age when I was 9 or 10. Never any problems. Carried a sharp pocket knife at home and school all the time also. Never occurred to me to cut or shoot anybody at school or anywhere else.
I think more parents were familiar with guns in those days and took the time to teach safe gun habits.
I guess kids on average are just not as responsible now as they were then.
When I was a kid in the 1960’s and 1970’s, we did not have a safe and I never knew anyone who did. Never heard of anyone being shot by accident either.
Different times; different culture.

My dad did what you did.
Any time I wanted to look at or handle a guns, my dad ( or mom ) would stop what they were doing, if they could, and let me aim and examine it, which would satisfy my curiosity for the time being.

Depending on the family dynamics, making guns and other potentially dangerous objects the Forbidden Fruit can be counter productive.

Why not get a carry gun with a magazine disconnect?
When you are away from your gun, simply drop the magazine and stash it on the top shelf in the bedroom closet underneath a folded up pair of pants or something.
That way you don’t have to quit carrying.

When my child was very young, I always took him with me to shoot. As he got older I taught him about firearms and always added I would let him shoot whenever he thought he wanted to. All he had to do was ask. I allowed him to handle them and taught him all the safety rules. I have had gunsafes forever. As a LEO, I have always had one by my side. Firearms were never a mystery to my son. Consequently, he didn't have much desire to do more than shoot at the range. I had a bullet trap in my basement and I taught him to shoot with a Hi Standard Olympic and .22 CB caps in the basement. His education was long and constant. But he never had any desire to play with anything other than a baseball. When my wife and I weren't home he was at child care. I believe that if you take the mystery out of firearms, children will be less likely to try to find a way to get at them. Just my 2 cents worth and worth each one.

I do not believe that for a minute.
I someone has a kid that has a habit of going through everything in the house and digging around in someone else’s private stuff, they have other issues to deal with besides guns.
The permissive and neglectful upbringing of kids in our society today who end up lacking self-control and delayed gratification contributes to the unraveling of our society.

Like you, I have always been less concerned with protecting my guns from damage and more concerned with protecting them from unauthorized access - by my kids or anyone else.

I have 3 Homak double-locking gun cabinets - 2 that I use for my long guns, and one that I converted into a multi-shelf handgun storage cabinet.

These aren't really "gun safes". They have no fire-rating and a really determined thief, with the right tools, could probably break into them. But that is why I also have an ADT monitored home alarm system. Given the amount of time it would take to break one open, I think it is a safe bet that the local police will respond to an alarm LONG before any burglar can break into one of my gun cabinets.

BUT, more importantly, these locking gun cabinets always made sure that ALL of my guns have been safely locked away from inquisitive youngsters - and their friends. It's just a bonus that they are also safe from any smash-and-grab burglars.

I taught my kids from an early age to respect the power of firearms, and not to touch them without me present to supervise.

But at the same time, I have always been enough of a realist to understand that, despite my best efforts at teaching my kids gun safety, I couldn't just sit back and rely 100% on what I taught them to be the be-all-end-all fail-safe solution.

So, I've always kept my guns securely locked up, though not in a Fort Knox level "gun safe".

This two-tiered approach to both gun safety and security has worked well for me for the last 30 years.

JMO and, as always, YMMV...

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

The first real training I ever had on handguns and handgun safety was when I got my armed certification for G4S. The curriculum for the armed guard course was the NRA basic handgun safety course and they took a week to get through it.

I remember showing my neighbor a gun (S&W 6906) that I had recently purchased one day. This happened faster than I could stop it but he picked the gun up covered the muzzle with his offhand and pulled the trigger two or three times.

The gun was unloaded (thank God) but I learned a lesson that day. I learned that there are people out there to have absolutely no clue of firearm safety (And I was one of them.) I became a safety Nazi that day

I never handed another person a firearm again without specifically drawing attention to the fact that there was no magazine in the magazine well and directing their attention to the chamber and asking them to verify "You see there's no round in the chamber, right?"

So the point I'm trying to make here is that when it comes to firearms I believe you have to figure for the lowest common denominator. You have to plan for the idiot who's going to put his hand right in front of the muzzle of the gun and pull the trigger two or three times. You also have to plan for the idiot who's going to hand you a gun without dropping the magazine and locking the slide to the rear and showing you that it's clear.

That's why I so firmly believe in keeping my firearms under my direct personal control or locked up at all times.

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Retired Career Security Guard