Nightstand gun question

[Roland Thunder]

For everyone that keeps a gun in/on their nightstand while they sleep at night, I would pose this question:

Do you have the magazine in your gun and a round in the chamber while you sleep or do you keep the magazine outside the gun until you need it?

[JC57]

"Nightstand" guns in my house are revolvers, so 6 rounds in the chambers.

Not actually kept in the nightstands, but readily accessible in the bedroom.
Burglars know about nightstands and desk drawers.

If I kept one of my semi-autos in the bedroom it would be loaded and chambered. I wouldn't want to have to try to fumble with a magazine or racking a slide in the dark after being startled awake by the sounds of an intruder.

[old bear]

Same here except I have two of them, for a total of 12 rounds of .357 Magnum ammo.

If I kept one of my semi-autos in the bedroom it would be loaded and chambered. I wouldn't want to have to try to fumble with a magazine or racking a slide in the dark after being startled awake by the sounds of an intruder.

No time to fumble to load a weapon in the middle of the night, I believe that if I need a gun in the middle of the night, I need it NOW.

[Unistat76]

I have basically the same set up. I keep the .357 in a holster on a nylon belt with a quick release buckle. I also have an 870 ready to go, tube loaded, empty chamber. My wife has her 642 on hand as well.

[LockedBreech]

PX4 in a holster with the safety activated, full mag, one in the chamber.

[orionengnr]

Do you have the magazine in your gun and a round in the chamber while you sleep or do you keep the magazine outside the gun until you need it?

Seriously?

Why would you keep an unloaded gun next to you? If you wake up with one or more intruders in your home, alarm blaring, dogs barking, general mayhem...what makes you think you have the presence of mind to realize that your gun is a useless club, and be aware enough to rectify that situation?

Any gun outside the safe is loaded and ready to use. Whether a revolver or a semi-auto, if it is on my nightstand or on my hip, it is ready to serve it's primary function.

Anything less is riding around without a seatbelt. When you see the wreck coming your way, you'll have the time and presence of mind to buckle up...right?

[C0untZer0]

This subject has come up on another thread.

To me, if I'm serious about needing a pistol for HD, then it is loaded with a round in the chamber.

I know myself well enough that I am not going to be able to wake up from a sound sleep and start loading the thing and racking it.

What assumptions are being made in that situation ? That you become aware of an intruder the very first second he enters your house?

To each his own, but my opinion is that if you feel that you can load your pistol for HD, then you've already made a threat assesment of what you're going to be facing. Hopefully reality doesn't run contrary to your assumptions.

[TylerD45ACP]

Agreed. I have a S&W 5906 9mm with 15 115gr. Hornaday FXT's within arms reach of me when I am sleeping at all times. One is in the pipe its ready to go.

[irish52084]

Loaded, condition 1. Sits next to my cell phone for easy access. I keep it the same way I carry it except for it's not in the holster on the nightstand.

[youngunz4life]

nightstand gun in our home equals two loaded, 5 shot revolvers (or at least one).

[TheNocturnus]

Of course! They are always loaded and ready to go.

[TylerD45ACP]

They have to be. Imagine a guy grabbing you attacking you in bed and you get your pistol in hand. Do you really want to pipe a round or have time to NO! I want to be able to make the threat go away by pulling the trigger asap.

[Jeremiah/Az]

I live alone & ALL my guns are always loaded. I have a gun hidden in every room. The rest, except for my carry, are locked up when I leave home. And yes, there are 2 loaded guns on my nightstand, a semi & a revolver just in case of a malf.

[WC145]

My duty gun, a 1911, cocked and locked, is on the nightstand every night.

[10Ringmagic]

I have one of those little handgun safes that hold just one pistol sitting on my dresser, the lock is operated by a five button Simplex lock. I have had this for over twenty years.

Whatever gun resides in that box is fully loaded, if it is a semi auto then it has a full magazine and one chambered, revolver have a cylinder full.

[TailGator]

Loaded and chambered. If there is anyone in the house except my wife and me, it is in a quick-access box, which takes around 1 to 1.5 seconds to open. But I brook no other delays in my ability to defend myself and my family.

[KenL]

Magazine in, chamber loaded.

My fire extinguishers are all full and checked too, and I don't really intend to use them either. But it's nice to know that they're ready to go if I do need them.

[Roland Thunder]

Originally Posted by orionengnr

Seriously?

Why would you keep an unloaded gun next to you? If you wake up with one or more intruders in your home, alarm blaring, dogs barking, general mayhem...what makes you think you have the presence of mind to realize that your gun is a useless club, and be aware enough to rectify that situation?

I didn't say mine was unloaded, I asked the repondants if theirs were. My wife and I have a disagreement about this. She doesn't like the idea of a loaded gun in the nightstand, I do. I wanted to show here what everyone else is doing.

[FAS1]

Mine is chambered with a loaded magazine and a couple spare mags sitting in the bottom. The gun is holstered so the trigger stays covered which I think is a plus if having to grab your gun in the dark. It's mounted to my bed frame and the gun when presented is right next to my pillow. Could even leave the door open since no kids in the house for even faster access.

[C0untZer0]

My fire extinguishers are all full and checked too, and I don't really intend to use them either. But it's nice to know that they're ready to go if I do need them.

I saw a fire extinguisher discharge in college - it really makes a mess when it goes off.

Have you thought about keeping them empty? It would avoid the mess of an accidental discharge. Also, they weigh a lot less when empty - if one were to fall on someone's foot it might be the difference between a bruise or broken bones...

[Skans]

My nightstand gun is a Glock 17 - has been for 20 years or so. I do not leave a round in the chamber, but I do leave the magazine in the gun. I have a small child. Two things I would mention:

1. I would like to change to a different gun for my nightstand. The only reason I haven't done this yet is because I like the night sights on the Glock (they work good enough, even after 20+ years). I really just need to buck-up and put some night sights on a different gun.

2. I really would rather have a DA/SA for a night stand gun, so I could leave one in the pipe with no worry.

[GM1967]

Unloaded, with empty magazine in the gun. Loaded magazine in the same drawer.

Seriously?

Why would you keep an unloaded gun next to you? If you wake up with one or more intruders in your home, alarm blaring, dogs barking, general mayhem...what makes you think you have the presence of mind to realize that your gun is a useless club, and be aware enough to rectify that situation?

Because I have kids. This is one of many compromises people with children have to make in such circumstances. I would prefer to have my gun loaded and chambered, but until I get a quick access pistol safe, this is the way I am doing it.

Furthermore, I know how quick I can get into action after waking up, and I am confident I can access the gun, dump the empty mag, slap in the loaded mag, and chamber a round, quickly and in the dark. I expect I'll wake up when the intruder breaks in, or when the dog starts barking. If by some chance the intruder is already in my bedroom when I wake up, or trying to (awkwardly) climb in my bedroom window, I'll grab the warhammer I have in the corner next to the nightstand (it doesn't need loading)

[Roland Thunder]

Originally Posted by 10Ringmagic

I have one of those little handgun safes that hold just one pistol sitting on my dresser, the lock is operated by a five button Simplex lock. I have had this for over twenty years.

Whatever gun resides in that box is fully loaded, if it is a semi auto then it has a full magazine and one chambered, revolver have a cylinder full.

I like this idea. Where can I get a safe like this with a push button lock? How many guns does it hold? How much are they?

[C0untZer0]

The nightstand gun safe I am working on looks like a hightstand but it's really a giant spring loaded magazine that delivers handguns instead of bullets.

So you open the top and a gun pops up, you grab that gun and the gun beneath pops up... It holds 11 pistols but I'm working on a high-capacity version that holds 16.

It's my next million dollar idea...

[Silent Titan]

condition 1 all the time, no exceptions. If someone is in my place I need instant firepower, not give me a minute to rack the slide and pray everything goes as planned.