Button placement forSanta Cruz gun lock

[Kirkpatrick]

I purchased a police surplus Santa Cruz Electronic shotgun lock clasp (it even had a key!) The shotgun is my weapon of choice to fire if I'm asleep, if a BG breaks in. (I put this post here because it doesn't matter if you tell me I should use another long gun, the same principles apply, see below). I use to keep it semi-hidden away from any valuables that would draw the eye away from it.

Well lately, I've been rethinking things. Because of people being shot and killed (both high profile & low profile) as a result of people not locking down their arsenals and because I think dying by being shot with my own gun would be a very embarrassing way to die, and I don't want to turn a case of breaking and entering in to a crime of Breaking and Entering while Illegally Armed, I want ALL my guns locked down, including my SD pistol and my shotgun, while retaining quick access to the SD weapons.

So everything is going great with the new lock. I've got it mounted so that the only way to get the gun out without open the lock would cause enough damage to the gun as to destroy it. The wiring was on the stupid side of simple. (Wow, I didn't mean to go on that ego trip there, I edited it, but didn't want to cover it up like it never happened) Everything was going okay until I asked myself one question, "Where should I hide the release button?" I've wired it so as to it opens immediately, unlike the LEO version of the circuit, which typically has a time delay switch. The button is currently mounted to the underside of the muzzle which is just above my pistol safe (its there in case it goes off, it will just hit a heavy steel object). But that is still too essay & quick to find.

I've thought about using a decoy, such as mounting a doorbell switch and wiring it in a way where it would even light up but that does nothing.

Any ideas?

[4V50 Gary]

Moved to a forum where it will get more foot traffic.

[Kirkpatrick]

Gary, thanks for the move. After a few trial runs and attempts at set-up I learned a few things.

Seeing as the gun is bolted to the wall on the "left" hand side, the button needs to be even further left to keep my hand and arm out of the path of the muzzle. The gun is mounted on the wall outside of my bedroom closet, (in an alcove kind of out of the line of sight), so I installed a receptacle inside the closet and just pulled the two wires from the Santa Cruz mount/lock into the inside and installed them to the 5amp fuse and the 12v, 3a power converter and attached it to the in closet plug. (I decided on not using a battery, mainly because it would only complicate things. I would still need a converter in use to recharge and in case of a power outage, I still have a key.)

Only the lock/mount and the button are on the outside (well and of course the gun). Plus, my light is now anchored rock solid to the tube. I took the wired pressure switch flashlight off and put on a small light that I can grab the gun by and can be operated with the tip of the finger of the hand on the pump.

Remember, this gun and the set up, are for indoor SD only, they have no other practical purpose (except for being kind of cool).

For me a shotgun is nice. I am a very heavy sleeper, so I don't want to sleep with the proverbial gun under my pillow. I need time to wake enough to identify the threat and can used the slightly more generous "spread" that the shotgun affords.

I'm thinking about hiding the button underneath the sheet rock paper or some such or having a hidden cover that activates it when you push.

By the way, seeing as the gun almost certainly won't be falling over or being dropped the 2 feet to the carpet, I don't see the advantage of not keeping it chambered because it isn't "drop safe".

This has been a fun and interesting project and I don't think its solely just a "feel good" or an "illusion of safety" idea. (Although, no one who does these things ever admits that that is what they are doing.)

I would really appreciate your input. Thanks guys and ladies.

Terry

[dakota.potts]

Is your closet near your bathroom? Have you thought about wiring it up to look like an extra bathroom switch since many have multiples already?

It seems like anything that would stop a person in your house from figuring it out would be overkill and potentially leave you with a shotgun that you can't unlock when you need it.

[Evan Thomas]

Get a standard light switch and wall plate, mount them next to the closet door, and wire the lock into that instead of the button. It'll look like a switch for a closet light.