New to guns...

[ousooner81]

Hello all! I'm new to guns and purchased a Remington 870 express today for home protection. My question, which I know I risk getting laughed out of the forums, but do you recommend storing the gun loaded without any ammo in the chamber? What is a proper stowing place for a gun of this magnitude? I don't have a case yet or a gun locker. I plan on stowing in the top of my closet, which is high and elevated. Thank you all for your input and help!

Patrick

[Tombstonejim]

Well I guess an 870 is a gun of magnitude. Depends on your perspective.

I would keep it next to the bed with the magazine full.

I keep mine in a gun cabinet magazine full, along with about 10 others also loaded.

But, I also keep an AR 15 behind the bedroom door, a Rossi lever gun next to the bed, and a SW MP 40 on the night stand. My wife keeps a glock 19 on her side. All Are loaded and ready to fire. An unloaded weapon is kinda useless.

And I am not poking fun at you. We simply do not have enough info for better advice. Where do you live? Whats the threat? Here in Cochise County the threat level s high.

[Achilles11B]

No one will laugh at you here, the guys here are pretty respectful and are always happy to help out someone new to firearm ownership. There's never harm in asking a question and the guys here are quite knowledgeable in a variety of areas.

As for keeping the weapon stored, there are some things to consider. Do you have any kids? If so, I recommend a trigger lock. I'd advise against keeping it on a shelf in the closet, because if you needed to get it quickly in a low- or no-light situation, it could fall and possibly discharge. I keep a Mossberg 500 with five in the tube (chamber empty) under my bed for HD, perhaps that's an option that would work better.

[ousooner81]

I should have stated that I have 3 little ones (ages 2, 1, and a newborn) so just keeping it behind the door or next to the bed is not an option. Thanks for your input!

[ousooner81]

Yes, I have a trigger lock so that will make it possible to keep it in a low area. Thanks!

[Marlin009]

I should have stated that I have 3 little ones (ages 2, 1, and a newborn) so just keeping it behind the door or next to the bed is not an option. Thanks for your input!

It is if it isn't loaded. Keep the shells where you can easily get to them. Learn to load it quickly. It's not the best option but it's not the worst either.

[Shootin Chef]

If the Mrs. is ok with it, consider mounting it on the wall of the bedroom, perhaps over the door if at all possible. I keep a short barrel 12 ga against the wall beside the bed, but I don't have children.

There are many gun hook options that allow wall mounting, it's safe and out of reach of the little ones.

[aarondhgraham]

No one will laugh at you here, the guys here are pretty respectful and are always happy to help out someone new to firearm ownership.

Unless of course you are a frothing at the mouth Sooner fan,,,
In which case we (I) will taunt and tease you at every opportunity.

But seriously, welcome to the forum,,,
From a frothing at the mouth Cowboys fan.

Aarond

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Children and firearms mean a certain amount of compromise is necessary between ready access and safety. I think your current solution (magazine loaded, no round in chamber, stored in a high place) is a viable option.

However, if you would like to have faster access to it, while still keeping it safe there are many childproof safety lock devices similar to the Lifejacket that let you store a longgun near or on a bed; but make it impossible for a child to use it. Most are under $40 as well. They will also slow your access to the firearm; but if you get to move it from the closet to someplace more convenient, that may not be a bad trade.

You might ask this question in Shotguns as there are a lot of people there who are familiar with the 870 and safe storage of it around children.

[kraigwy]

I'll stick to addressing your Rem 870.

That is the gun we used in LE. The way I taught it to be carried, cocked, on safe, with an empty chamber and the mag loaded. It takes a split second to get it into battery.

If the gun is cocked, you can't work the action unless you hit the mag release. Small kids as you mentioned aren't gonna figure this out.

It takes a tad be of training to get the gun in battery, you just practice grabbing your gun hitting the mag release (or lock) working the action as you release the safety.

Heck this is the same procedure I used when I use to do a lot of duck/goose hunting. I never hunt with a round in the chamber (regardless what I'm hunting). Its quick enough to get the gun in action. If it works for flushing birds it will work for bandits.

Again small kids wont figure this out. What you do have to worry about with kids and Cops (they are a lot alike) is them dropping something down the barrel. I've inspected a lot of police shotguns over the years, I've found pencils, cigarette butts, wads of paper, and everything you can imagine poked down the barrel.

Put some electrical tape over the barrel, it wont slow down the shot going out but it will slow down things going in. You wouldn't believe how a pencil will jam a pump shotgun.

[Wrangler]

I believe magazine full chamber empty is more than enough. The simple sound of a good shotgun action is enough to stop plenty of people in their tracks.

I also seriously recommend you practice with this weapon a ton before you rely on it as protection for you and your family.

[NESHOOTER]

Good advice on the posters above and SHOW YOUR WIFE HOW TO USE IT gameload will generally handle most of the need. But I use 00 & 000 buckshot. I have no small children yet but a infant grandson, I have taught my grown kids when they were small (took them to the range and the sound blast kept their attention and were more reserve) as they were growing I educated them in proper handling and shooting of them.

[atlctyslkr]

I don't store any of my long guns loaded. That being said if I was going to rely on a long gun for self defense I would probably keep the gun under the bed and hide the ammo in a nearby secure place preferably with a combo lock. I know that adds seconds but children are more likely to find and play with a gun than you are to have a home invasion.

[Achilles11B]

Wrangler hit it right on the head. Regardless on how you choose to store it, the key to being proficient is to train, train, train. Don't let a break-in be the time to iron out kinks in your HD plan.

[jokester_143]

Have you thought about "hiding" it behind the headboard of your bed? Push it out a couple of inches, but make sure you can still grab it?

A cable lock, through the ejection port is what I use on my Mossberg with some buckshot in the tube. Keep the key somewhere secure, but readily available.

The Life Jacket posted about seems like a great alternative.

[T. O'Heir]

"...have 3 little ones..." None of 'em will be able to lift an 870, never mind be able to cycle it, now. That goes away if you keep feeding 'em.
'Up high' stops being of much use as they age, but it'll do for now. The two year old is the current issue. They are insatiably curious and can climb like monkeys. Removing any chairs in the room a 2 year old can move will help. Take out any 'reach extension devices' too.
Anything a kid is told he can't do/have/touch is like a magnet. Teaching kids to respect other people's stuff, even your stuff, and about firearms makes the fascination go away.
Get training for you and your lady first. Regular practice is required too. And remember that you are responsible for where any shot you take ends up.
Trigger locks involve a key or combination. Lose or forget either and you're SOL.
"...they are a lot alike..." And you can't smack either one. snicker.

[Buzzcook]

With kids in the house keep the ammo and guns separate and locked up.
Load the gun at night and unload it in the morning. It's not a lot of work.

[mo84]

I like buzzcooks sugestion

[Mello2u]

ousooner81

I should have stated that I have 3 little ones (ages 2, 1, and a newborn) so just keeping it behind the door or next to the bed is not an option. Thanks for your input!

You have to consider that your safety measures will have to change over time as your children grow and become more competent in overcoming your existing safety measures.

Do not under-estimate the ability of young children to find hidden firearms and ammunition. Do not think that a 6 year old can not defeat a child safety lock unless it has some key lock mechanism.

Find a way to train your children (when they are old enough) to never touch a firearm unless you or a responsible adult is there to supervise. If they encounter another child with a firearm, to get away as fast as possible.

I impressed two of my sons at a young age with the fact that handguns do real damage. I shoed them that handguns were not like how cartoons depict them. My two sons are two years apart in age. The older one was 6 and the younger one 4 when I set up a demonstration for them. I set up a gallon water jug for each of them and had each of them (one at a time) place their hands on the grip of a S&W model 19 with full .357 magnum 158gr loads, while I also held and controlled the handgun. With eye and hearing protection in place I fired the gun. The resulting recoil, noise, muzzle blast, and exploding water jug made an impression that never has left them. They KNEW that firearms were real and dangerous.

Of course, this was not the only training which I gave them; there was continuous safety training for them as they grew.

They are now 22 and 20 and still clearly remember that 1st training.

[DougNew]

our safety measures will have to change over time as your children grow and become more competent in overcoming your existing safety measures.

Great advice. Last fall, my three-year old twins learned that together, they could push our heavy living room chair over to the cabinet and then climb to the top. We lost another "safe" area (not for guns, but for breakables).

Find a way to train your children (when they are old enough) to never touch a firearm unless you or a responsible adult is there to supervise

As an addition to whatever locks or safety you choose, that's a good bit of advice, as are these:

With kids in the house keep the ammo and guns separate and locked up.
Load the gun at night and unload it in the morning. It's not a lot of work.

I know that adds seconds but children are more likely to find and play with a gun than you are to have a home invasion.

What suits you probably won't be the same as for what suits a single guy living alone. Only you know your needs and your kids; no one plan fits all homes and all families.


Finally, this, too, is good:

Regardless on how you choose to store it, the key to being proficient is to train, train, train

Do bring your 870 to the range! A little practice goes a long, long way.

[jersey_emt]

Originally Posted by kraigwy

If the gun is cocked, you can't work the action unless you hit the mag release. Small kids as you mentioned aren't gonna figure this out.

You should never rely on complexity of operating a firearm as a safety measure against unauthorized use by children. Do you really think betting on the chance that your kid won't find the slide release or safety switch/lever is a viable (or a responsible) option?

With children in the house, guns need to be inaccessible to them, not merely unloaded / loaded but not ready to fire / etc.

[chatman_55]

With kids, at night I'd keep it as close to you as you can, with a full magazine but empty chamber. And during the day simply keep it up in the closet unless you think there is a large risk in your area for a daytime break in. I personally keep my glock unchambered because of the kind of sleeper I am, I have grabbed it in the middle of the night before while still completely asleep but I know that if I racked the slide I would wake up instantly so it keeps me from doing something stupid in my sleep.

[Moondew]

Other than the kids aspect, a BG hearing you rack that round into a chamber will make them think twice! (Experience from LE).

You also want to have that moment to get your brain functioning and not pull the trigger while groggy because a lil one comes stumbling into the bedroom at night cause they had a nightmare and you turn it into a real one!

[Mutatio Nomenis]

I kept my ammo stored on the other side of my body. I was thinking that if it wasn't worth the 8 seconds to ready the weapon, then it wasn't worth 80 years in prison. Briefly gunless, I plan on adopting a policy of keeping the mag partially in the stashed gun so that should trouble strike, I just push it in, cock it, and open up.

[jules]

i was just wondering why you chose a long gun instead of a pistol. taking the kids into concideration it would be a lot easier to find hiding space for a pistol than a shotgun
not to mention, strictly worst case possible, if BG picked up a kid to stop you from shooting him, it would be much more possible to put one in his shoulder