any reason to unload a pistol before locking it up? - Page 2

1BadF350 · March 14, 2005, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Well, a gun that's unloaded and cocked,ain't good for nothin!

LOL, I see I'm not the only John Wayne fan here...

Coltdriver · March 14, 2005, 05:51 PM

I have a mossberg combo night stand next to my bed.

In it is a DA 9mm ready to go.

Round in the chamber, no safety.

You get woke up in the middle of the night with an intruder in your house who is safe because your gun is unloaded??

Archie · March 14, 2005, 06:22 PM

Aside from the beating of the 'first round', loading and unloading a gun are the most dangerous things one can do.

More 'Accidental' 'Negligent' or 'Unplanned' (pick the one you like best, or least, as the case may be) discharges happen when loading or unloading than any other activity.

Para Bellum · March 14, 2005, 06:35 PM

they can open a safe but can't rack a slide until they're pretty grown.

Dre_sa · April 26, 2005, 04:14 PM

i keep my 1911 between my pillows, so i can get to it in a hurry, with an empty chamber. i also lock my door with a broomstick under the handle. im a heavy sleeper so i gotta give myself as much time as possible. it takes me 10 seconds to get my gun from my safe. too long in my books.

in south africa i have to wait until my life (or someone elses) is in immediate danger. so if bg does come through the door im ready and waiting with a loaded fire arm. i'll put a knife in his hand if he was unarmed. you guys in the states atleast have competant gun laws, i gotta find loop holes and some corrups LEO's.

as for your question, ive heard that single stack mags are fine to leave loaded for long periods of time, double stack is the problem. so unload your gun when you lock it up, if only to save the springs.

stephen426 · April 26, 2005, 04:57 PM

I don't have any kiddies yet but my wife and I are planning to start a family in the near future. Right now, we both have handguns next to our side of the bed plus a Remington 870 (loaded but chamber empty) in the closet. If things were to get really ugly, I also have an AR-15 (unloaded but with loaded mags in my tactical case) in my other closet. That is just where I happen to store the thing anyways.

When we do have kids, I plan to keep everything unloaded except for guns I will have stored in one of those nightstand safes. Those are the ones with 4 buttons on the top and have a hand print so you can access it easily. The safe locks you out after 3 attempts but I figure older kids will be able to crack them eventually. It does give some kind of special beep if it went into lockdown mode so you could tell if it did go into lockdown mode. I will teach the kiddies about firearm safety and shooting to make them safer around guns and decrease their unsupervised curiousity.

Please give me any comments or suggestions on this plan of action.

jonathon · April 26, 2005, 05:21 PM

Keep it loaded.. only reason IMHO to lock a gun up is to keep it from being stolen, or if you have EXTREMLY small or irresponsible kids.

Speaking for myself, I've been incharge of all the ammo and guns in the family since 10, but then again, I had it ingrained in my skull on how to be safe.

KurtC · April 26, 2005, 05:22 PM

Any firearm that is not your first line of defense should be stored unloaded if there is even the slightest risk of exposure to fire. Ammunition in the magazine will just burn, but the round in the chamber becomes a hazard to everyone.

spacemanspiff · April 26, 2005, 05:46 PM

i live on the edge.
my kimber is kept loaded, cocked/locked, my sig is kept chambered and decocked, my AR and shotgun are saftied and unchambered. in case of fire, well, i suppose my smoke detectors would wake me up, that is, if i hadnt removed them so i could cook in peace and quiet.

now, if i have to leave my weapon someplace, and about the only reason i can think of to do so is if i'm going to have a few drinks, or maybe going into a building where carrying is verboten, i unload and unchamber. either the magazine goes with me, or its stashed somewhere else. should someone steal a gun out of the glove compartment, they will need to find their own ammo and feed device.

since i dryfire every single day, i see no harm in loading/unloading chambering/unchambering. i do like to rotate the magazine in my AR, so that happens at least once a week after doing some blasting at the range.

**tyme** · April 26, 2005, 05:59 PM

Why not unload guns before locking them up? There's the fire issue, and even if they're loaded would you use one in an emergency without checking?

Whatever you do, be consistent. All guns are always loaded, except when you really need one...

Texas Gun Runner · April 26, 2005, 06:22 PM

Stephen426, your plan with your future kids regarding gun training sounds pretty well thought out. I have 4 stepchildren, and they all know how to load/unload, shoot, and handle weapons safely and responsibly. Once you kill the curiosity of handling and shooting guns, you don't have to worry about what will happen if they do happen upon a firearm. Train them early, and they will be safer and smarter concerning guns.

steelersfan0000 · April 26, 2005, 07:25 PM

I have all of my other guns locked up in a safe place. But i keep my home defense gun loaded in the drawer next to my bed. I am not really woried about keeping it loaded though seeing that i dont have any little chilluns running around here.

payne · April 26, 2005, 08:31 PM

I keep my XD loaded with one in the chamber. I do this cause it's always on safety till you grab the gun. Love that grip-trigger safety combo! I have no kids so thats not a problem. Do want to have them one day. I will have a gun safe by then and definatly keep all guns in there except the one on me. That's until i judge them responsiable enough to have and handle their own guns.

Anyone able to say why you can keep single stacks loaded longer without adversely affecting the spring than you can a double stack?

Rojoe67 · April 26, 2005, 08:51 PM

Takes me about 5 seconds to unlock, slide mag in and rack......... I often put myself to the test... give or take a second but 5 is not long in my view...Sure some others say it's too long.... situation dictates in most incidents... In my case the K9 will keep MR or MRS BG busy for 5 or 6 seconds + I put my life on it.... Yep, I'm that sure of Grif......even if he takes a bullet for me which I think would happen if the BG could break free or got the edge on him. I guess at that point all rules of nice have also left me....... I am sure of my ability. I would think 99% of BG's won't come in with a dog barking his a** off and snapping his teeth at the fool. Now, for the idiot that still wants to come in, we have other options to curb his criminal intent.

I have 3 kids and then add a neighborhood of kid's friends in and out all day long.......that means for me.... when not on my person it is locked up and mag sits on a top shelf positioned for me to access quick but not seen from even standing on a chair... This is just my set up and works well for me...

Mannlicher · April 27, 2005, 06:15 AM

The only time I unload a gun is when I am cleaning it, or I just emptied it shooting. I keep all my guns, handguns and long guns, loaded. That way there is never a question about is it loaded or not.

Duxman · April 27, 2005, 08:54 AM

There are some very good opinions in this post, both for and against. The main question you must ask yourself is:

If you have a CC permit and walk around with your weapon locked and loaded, (Condition one) - why wouldn't you do the same when you are at home? (Unless you have small kids and roomies not trained in firearms)

Statistically speaking, since we spend more time at home (unless you walk or drive around unsafe areas on a constant basis), the more likely encounter an armed person would face is a intruder / thief in their home. Given this probability, I choose to keep my weapons locked and loaded, out of plain sight, but easily accessable to me in case of an emergency.

In high stress situations, the less preparation you have to do (whether the weapon is loaded or not etc.) the better.

After all, this is not a video game. You get it wrong - you die.

March 14, 2005, 06:22 PM	#28
Archie Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2000 Location: Hastings, Nebrasksa - the Hear Posts: 2,209	I leave mine loaded... Aside from the beating of the 'first round', loading and unloading a gun are the most dangerous things one can do. More 'Accidental' 'Negligent' or 'Unplanned' (pick the one you like best, or least, as the case may be) discharges happen when loading or unloading than any other activity. __________________ There ain't no free lunch, except Jesus. Archie Check out updated journal at http://oldmanmontgomery.wordpress.com/

March 14, 2005, 06:35 PM	#29
Para Bellum Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2005 Location: right there Posts: 1,882	Kids they can open a safe but can't rack a slide until they're pretty grown. __________________ Si vis pacem - para bellum If you want peace - prepare for war

April 26, 2005, 04:14 PM	#30
Dre_sa Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2005 Location: Left coast Posts: 610	time delay i keep my 1911 between my pillows, so i can get to it in a hurry, with an empty chamber. i also lock my door with a broomstick under the handle. im a heavy sleeper so i gotta give myself as much time as possible. it takes me 10 seconds to get my gun from my safe. too long in my books. in south africa i have to wait until my life (or someone elses) is in immediate danger. so if bg does come through the door im ready and waiting with a loaded fire arm. i'll put a knife in his hand if he was unarmed. you guys in the states atleast have competant gun laws, i gotta find loop holes and some corrups LEO's. as for your question, ive heard that single stack mags are fine to leave loaded for long periods of time, double stack is the problem. so unload your gun when you lock it up, if only to save the springs.

April 26, 2005, 04:57 PM	#31
stephen426 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Posts: 3,840	I don't have any kiddies yet but my wife and I are planning to start a family in the near future. Right now, we both have handguns next to our side of the bed plus a Remington 870 (loaded but chamber empty) in the closet. If things were to get really ugly, I also have an AR-15 (unloaded but with loaded mags in my tactical case) in my other closet. That is just where I happen to store the thing anyways. When we do have kids, I plan to keep everything unloaded except for guns I will have stored in one of those nightstand safes. Those are the ones with 4 buttons on the top and have a hand print so you can access it easily. The safe locks you out after 3 attempts but I figure older kids will be able to crack them eventually. It does give some kind of special beep if it went into lockdown mode so you could tell if it did go into lockdown mode. I will teach the kiddies about firearm safety and shooting to make them safer around guns and decrease their unsupervised curiousity. Please give me any comments or suggestions on this plan of action. __________________ The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

April 26, 2005, 05:21 PM	#32
jonathon Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2005 Location: Washougal, Washington. YEHAW! Posts: 1,872	Keep it loaded.. only reason IMHO to lock a gun up is to keep it from being stolen, or if you have EXTREMLY small or irresponsible kids. Speaking for myself, I've been incharge of all the ammo and guns in the family since 10, but then again, I had it ingrained in my skull on how to be safe. __________________ Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good More CZ M52 info than you can shake a stick at!

March 14, 2005, 05:51 PM	#27
Coltdriver Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2001 Posts: 683	I have a mossberg combo night stand next to my bed. In it is a DA 9mm ready to go. Round in the chamber, no safety. You get woke up in the middle of the night with an intruder in your house who is safe because your gun is unloaded??

April 26, 2005, 05:22 PM	#33
KurtC Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Posts: 476	Any firearm that is not your first line of defense should be stored unloaded if there is even the slightest risk of exposure to fire. Ammunition in the magazine will just burn, but the round in the chamber becomes a hazard to everyone.

April 26, 2005, 05:46 PM	#34
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	i live on the edge. my kimber is kept loaded, cocked/locked, my sig is kept chambered and decocked, my AR and shotgun are saftied and unchambered. in case of fire, well, i suppose my smoke detectors would wake me up, that is, if i hadnt removed them so i could cook in peace and quiet. now, if i have to leave my weapon someplace, and about the only reason i can think of to do so is if i'm going to have a few drinks, or maybe going into a building where carrying is verboten, i unload and unchamber. either the magazine goes with me, or its stashed somewhere else. should someone steal a gun out of the glove compartment, they will need to find their own ammo and feed device. since i dryfire every single day, i see no harm in loading/unloading chambering/unchambering. i do like to rotate the magazine in my AR, so that happens at least once a week after doing some blasting at the range. __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard Last edited by spacemanspiff; April 26, 2005 at 07:01 PM. Reason: CLARIFYING STATEMENT

April 26, 2005, 05:59 PM	#35
tyme Staff Join Date: October 13, 2001 Posts: 3,355	Why not unload guns before locking them up? There's the fire issue, and even if they're loaded would you use one in an emergency without checking? Whatever you do, be consistent. All guns are always loaded, except when you really need one... __________________ “The egg hatched...” “...the egg hatched... and a hundred baby spiders came out...” (blade runner) “Who are you?” “A friend. I'm here to prevent you from making a mistake.” “You have no idea what I'm doing here, friend.” “In specific terms, no, but I swore an oath to protect the world...” (continuum) “It's a goal you won't understand until later. Your job is to make sure he doesn't achieve the goal.” (bsg)

April 26, 2005, 06:22 PM	#36
Texas Gun Runner Member Join Date: March 6, 2005 Location: The Lone Star State Posts: 45	Stephen426, your plan with your future kids regarding gun training sounds pretty well thought out. I have 4 stepchildren, and they all know how to load/unload, shoot, and handle weapons safely and responsibly. Once you kill the curiosity of handling and shooting guns, you don't have to worry about what will happen if they do happen upon a firearm. Train them early, and they will be safer and smarter concerning guns. __________________ "I may get killed with my own gun, but he's gonna have to beat me to death with it, 'cause it's going to be empty." -Clint Smith "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." -Samuel Adams

April 26, 2005, 07:25 PM	#37
steelersfan0000 Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Location: OHIO Posts: 223	I have all of my other guns locked up in a safe place. But i keep my home defense gun loaded in the drawer next to my bed. I am not really woried about keeping it loaded though seeing that i dont have any little chilluns running around here.

April 26, 2005, 08:31 PM	#38
payne Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Location: SE US Posts: 519	I keep my XD loaded with one in the chamber. I do this cause it's always on safety till you grab the gun. Love that grip-trigger safety combo! I have no kids so thats not a problem. Do want to have them one day. I will have a gun safe by then and definatly keep all guns in there except the one on me. That's until i judge them responsiable enough to have and handle their own guns. Anyone able to say why you can keep single stacks loaded longer without adversely affecting the spring than you can a double stack? __________________ If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. - Sun Tzu

April 26, 2005, 08:51 PM	#39
Rojoe67 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2005 Location: Wolverine State Posts: 767	Mine is locked and unloaded..... Takes me about 5 seconds to unlock, slide mag in and rack......... I often put myself to the test... give or take a second but 5 is not long in my view...Sure some others say it's too long.... situation dictates in most incidents... In my case the K9 will keep MR or MRS BG busy for 5 or 6 seconds + I put my life on it.... Yep, I'm that sure of Grif......even if he takes a bullet for me which I think would happen if the BG could break free or got the edge on him. I guess at that point all rules of nice have also left me....... I am sure of my ability. I would think 99% of BG's won't come in with a dog barking his a** off and snapping his teeth at the fool. Now, for the idiot that still wants to come in, we have other options to curb his criminal intent. I have 3 kids and then add a neighborhood of kid's friends in and out all day long.......that means for me.... when not on my person it is locked up and mag sits on a top shelf positioned for me to access quick but not seen from even standing on a chair... This is just my set up and works well for me...

April 27, 2005, 06:15 AM	#40
Mannlicher Senior Member Join Date: July 8, 2001 Location: North Central Florida & Miami Posts: 3,209	The only time I unload a gun is when I am cleaning it, or I just emptied it shooting. I keep all my guns, handguns and long guns, loaded. That way there is never a question about is it loaded or not. __________________ Nemo Me Impune Lacesset "The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.".........Ronald Reagan

April 27, 2005, 08:54 AM	#41
Duxman Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2005 Location: VA Posts: 1,294	There are some very good opinions in this post, both for and against. The main question you must ask yourself is: If you have a CC permit and walk around with your weapon locked and loaded, (Condition one) - why wouldn't you do the same when you are at home? (Unless you have small kids and roomies not trained in firearms) Statistically speaking, since we spend more time at home (unless you walk or drive around unsafe areas on a constant basis), the more likely encounter an armed person would face is a intruder / thief in their home. Given this probability, I choose to keep my weapons locked and loaded, out of plain sight, but easily accessable to me in case of an emergency. In high stress situations, the less preparation you have to do (whether the weapon is loaded or not etc.) the better. After all, this is not a video game. You get it wrong - you die.