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Old May 14, 2011, 06:32 AM   #1
theblakester
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HD shotgun storage

What's your situation? kids, single, married? How/where do you keep it? Under bed, closet, same room, in a safe? Loaded, unloaded? 1 in the chamber? trigger lock, safety? etc
Is there 1 proper way to store an HD shotgun? How do you keep yours and why?
I'm single w/ no kids. I keep mine about 8 feet from where I lay my head at night. Full mag tube, 1 in the receiver, safety off, chamber open. All I have to do is rack the slide forward (schuck!!) and I'm ready to go. It's not in a position where it can fall over or to where it could get hit by the vacuum cleaner etc and cause the chamber to close, which would create a sticky situation. My roomies know the deal, and I really don't see how there could be an accident w/ this set up. I want as many rounds in the gun as possible. But still, for safety reasons, I'm thinking about switching my set up to "cruiser ready" (empty gun, cycle action, pull trigger so hammer is down and you don't have to hit the slide release to cycle the gun, load mag tube, safety off).
Thoughts?
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Old May 14, 2011, 07:48 AM   #2
spacecoast
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  • married, 1 young teen child
  • both wife and child trained on gun safety
  • gun has sign taped to it saying "loaded, hands off" as reminder to anyone seeing it
  • 8 feet away
  • out of sight but easily retrieved
  • full magazine
  • not chambered
  • safety on

All I have to do is get out of bed, find my glasses, reach for the gun, chamber a round and flip the safety off. I practice once in a while to reinforce what I need to do.

Last edited by spacecoast; May 14, 2011 at 07:55 AM.
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Old May 14, 2011, 10:12 AM   #3
natman
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Quote:
# married, 1 young teen child
# both wife and child trained on gun safety
Your child may be trained. Can you vouch for every one of their friends?
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Old May 14, 2011, 11:10 AM   #4
spacecoast
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Good grief... yes, adequate protections are in place. We actually have control of our house and our child. I realize that's highly unusual.
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Old May 14, 2011, 12:14 PM   #5
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Why is your safety on if your chamber is empty? Just one more thing to fumble with half asleep, and possibly without your glasses and adrenaline rushing.........
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Old May 14, 2011, 06:31 PM   #6
Scattergun Bob
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Cruiser Ready, Hammer down on an empty chamber, safety off or on depending on your preference, magazine full or one down your preference. Why change 75 years of perfection!

Good Luck & Be Safe
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Old May 14, 2011, 09:52 PM   #7
Bucks Gun Shop
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Married.
Two kids (17 and 13) who teach hunter safety with me.
Shotgun is inside doored Jewelry Mirror (48"x18"x5") mounted on wall 3' to the side of my bed.
Shotgun is locked using a ShotLocker which is bolted to wall into studs. Three buttons must be pressed to release.
Shotgun is fully loaded, one in chamber, safety off.
Shotlocker does not allow you to get your finger on the trigger, nor does it allow you to manipulate the bolt.
Takes me exactly 4 seconds from wake up to ready and have practiced it dozens and dozens of times.
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Old May 15, 2011, 12:01 AM   #8
ClydeFrog
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Home defense shotgun storage...

If I were in that position, I'd secure the room broom, unloaded in a locked Plano, Pelican or Dockosil gun case.
When I was in the home or apt for a bit, I'd load a few tactical or LE 12ga rounds and keep it "crusier ready". I'd put it back in the gun case or maybe a VooDoo Tactical shotgun scabbard(if no kids or untrained adults lived there too). For extra security I might add a cable lock or TSA type security lock also.
I don't advise using a 12ga for general defense but if I had one, I would take those measures.

Safety & theft or loss would be the big issues.

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Old May 15, 2011, 12:19 AM   #9
theblakester
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why is your safety on if your chamber is empty? Just one more thing to fumble with half asleep, and possibly without your glasses and adrenaline rushing.........
+1 once oz lead. Now you have 2 ounces of lead
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Old May 15, 2011, 05:54 AM   #10
spacecoast
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Quote:
Why is your safety on if your chamber is empty? Just one more thing to fumble with half asleep, and possibly without your glasses and adrenaline rushing
Because you asked... If I am not fully awake by the time I need to be pulling a trigger then maybe I shouldn't be pulling it.
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Old May 15, 2011, 12:22 PM   #11
swinokur
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unlocked in a Stack On cabinet 5 feet from bed.

cruiser ready

single no small children
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Old May 15, 2011, 02:43 PM   #12
egor20
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Benelli M3 a the bottom of the bed, and a savage 350 in a cabinet in the barn.
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Old May 15, 2011, 03:27 PM   #13
HKFan9
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Single, live alone.... right next to my bed.... next to the loaded AR-15.
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Old May 15, 2011, 09:53 PM   #14
theblakester
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Quote:
Quote:
Why is your safety on if your chamber is empty? Just one more thing to fumble with half asleep, and possibly without your glasses and adrenaline rushing

Quote:
Because you asked... If I am not fully awake by the time I need to be pulling a trigger then maybe I shouldn't be pulling it.
SPACECOAST,
Im no expert, but I'd put more emphasis on the adrenaline rushing through your body in a high stress situation. During a break in (high stress situation) the adrenaline might interfere w/ your ability to use your fine motor skills, and you might have difficulty finding and activating the safety, slide release, and/or trigger... especially in the dark and in a hurry (that's probably part of the reason one shouldnt have a finger on the trigger until he identified the target as a threat). Pumping the shotgun, however wouldn't require the use of fine motor skills. This is why "cruiser ready" in combination w/ lots of practice may be a favorable option.
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Old May 15, 2011, 10:17 PM   #15
catnphx
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Here are a few options:

Mossberg - I'm not a fan of keys


Shotlock - doesn't work with Ghost Ring Sights


Stack-On - construction needed; again, key lock (not a fan of keys)


V-Line Shotgun Case - Good combination lock;construction needed; only for SG's 40" or less
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Old May 15, 2011, 10:45 PM   #16
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Quote:
Why is your safety on if your chamber is empty? Just one more thing to fumble with half asleep, and possibly without your glasses and adrenaline rushing
Because you asked... If I am not fully awake by the time I need to be pulling a trigger then maybe I shouldn't be pulling it.
If the adrenaline rush and the action of racking a round in the chamber doesn't wake you up enough, what would?

As others have said - cruiser ready - you need to keep it as simple as possible
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Old May 17, 2011, 12:40 PM   #17
spacecoast
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Quote:
theblakester said...

Im no expert, but I'd put more emphasis ...
So the purpose of you asking the questions in the first place wasn't to learn what other people do, it was to critique what other people do, even though you are not an expert by your own admission. Cool.
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Old May 17, 2011, 01:07 PM   #18
zippy13
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If I were to use a pump shotgun, it would be in cruiser ready.
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Old May 17, 2011, 01:28 PM   #19
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Quote:
Cruiser Ready, Hammer down on an empty chamber, safety off...
This
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Old May 17, 2011, 07:47 PM   #20
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  1. Single
  2. Hanging on wall
  3. Cruiser-ready with four in the tube (Three #6 Shot and one #00 Buck)
  4. Lockable with padlock and tether (when I leave home or have company)
  5. About eight feet from where I lay my head at night
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Old May 18, 2011, 09:57 AM   #21
sirsloop
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* married, no kids
* wife hates guns but knows how to use them
* 3 feet away from the bed
* out of sight but easily retrieved
* full magazine, (4) 3" mag 00 Buck, 5 on a buttstock holder
* not chambered
* safety off
* trigger pulled disengaging slide lock
* rack n rock!
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Old May 19, 2011, 07:31 PM   #22
drail
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Down load the magazine by at least one round (or two) if you're going to store it loaded for long term. Shotgun mag springs WILL take a set if left fully compressed and can become so weak the last two rounds will not feed at all. This is not an internet rumor, ask any police armorer who works on riot guns stored in cruiser racks left loaded continuously. I store mine next to the bed muzzle down with 4 rounds in the mag, one in the chamber but with the bolt pulled back an inch and a half so that you can see the shell. Safety off. If I have to grab it I only need to run the forearm forward that inch and a half and I'm good to go. No fumbling for a safety. Just pick it up and "stretch it". It is very fast and can be done quietly if necessary. With the bolt unlocked and partially open the gun cannot fire even if it falls over. I have no kids and the wife is fully familiar with every gun I own.

Last edited by drail; May 19, 2011 at 07:39 PM.
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Old May 20, 2011, 09:48 AM   #23
deepvalley
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*Single but my nephews come by daily
*in a gun rack above their reach 4ft from my bed
*cruiser ready
*loaded with 00buck
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Old May 21, 2011, 05:47 PM   #24
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No-one else will handle my HD shotgun.

It is propped-up in a particular closet but a medium-frame semi-auto pistol is my go-to "bump-in-the-night" gun.

Five-round magazine is full (of 2-3/4" rounds but could hold as many 3") as is the Speed-Feed +4 stock, plus there are five more in the side-saddle (14 1-oz. rounds on board).

Hammer dropped on aluminum snap-cap in chamber. What's a safety? Pump-n-go.

Gehr

Last edited by Gehrhard; May 21, 2011 at 05:53 PM.
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Old May 22, 2011, 12:38 AM   #25
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mine is in a closet along the same wall as the closet door, flat against the wall leaning against the door frame (someone wouldn't see it just looking in the closet, friends/family mainly). But I am single with no children or anyone to worry about messing with it right now. It is cruiser ready with 4 00-buck reduced recoil loads. 3 more 00-buck and 2 full power slugs (turned the other direction so I know which is which) in a butt-cuff.

Not saying it's wrong, but I wouldn't keep my SD shotgun with the chamber opened. The risk is very low that something could find it's way in there or the shell might start to roll out (or at least enough to cause a jam) if you didn't pick up and hold it correctly while grabbing for it and racking forward, but there *is* a chance.
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