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Owning a firearm for self-defense is only helpful if you can store that weapon in a safe and quickly accessible way. While you want your guns to be safe and secure, they don't serve their purpose if you can’t access them quickly at a crucial moment.
Home invasion is the most common scenario when people think of situations when they would want access to their guns. A U.S.Department of Justice study showed that in 28% of the 3.7 million household burglaries each year, a household member was present during the break-in, and 65% of these break-ins happened during the day.
Furthermore, 26% of those people became the victim of a violent crime during the home invasion. Since 61% of the offenders in these cases were unarmed, having quick access to a firearm could potentially turn the tables.
However, having a quickly accessible firearm is different than having one that is easily accessible. Nearly 500 people die each year in unintentional shootings, so it is vital to make sure that your firearms are inaccessible to children or other people who should not have access.
Spartan Blog: Storing Guns and Firearms: Everything You Need to Know
The good news is you don’t have to choose between having your guns secured or accessible. It is possible to have both. Choose options that allow quick access while preventing unauthorized access, such as a quick access firearm safe with a biometric lock.
Keeping your firearms and ammunition organized and clean in a safe space like a rifle safe is the best possible scenario. One way to achieve this is to have them on mounts in a safe. Take special care to lock up any weapons that you keep loaded. That way, they won’t accidentally be found by children.
You have several options for achieving both security and accessibility. A few of them are listed below.
A biometric safe is one way to have your guns accessible when you need them while also maintaining security from any unauthorized access. Biometric safes only unlock by scanning your fingerprint or eye or through voice recognition. These measures ensure that only the people specifically allowed can open the safe.
While it may not seem connected to gun accessibility, having your gun safe organized is crucial. Having quick access to firearms means being able to find what you need without a lot of time or effort.
Imagine needing to access your handgun very quickly, but it is located behind several other guns in your gun safe. This situation can keep you from finding what you need when you need it.
On the other hand, when you know where to locate each gun in the safe, you have fast access to whichever one you need.
Another viable security option is having a room for your guns, especially if you have several. This room is also a safe place to keep any other valuables you own to give them an added measure of protection in case of a home invasion.
A security door will protect the entire room, and you can safely and freely display your collection inside. Often, this means mounting guns on the walls with gun mounts.
When planning the room, make sure to allow space for the proper mounting of each firearm, whether it be with rifle mounts or handgun mounts.
Spartan Blog: DIY Gun Storage Ideas
Over half of gun owners in the U.S. do not safely store all of their guns, though that number increases to 55% in households that include children.
One study looked at households with children and at least one unlocked gun. It is estimated that if half of these households secured all their weapons, unintentional deaths and gun suicides in youth could be reduced by one-third.
Each year, up to half a million firearms are stolen, and many become illegally sold to people who cannot legally purchase a gun. A U.S. Department of Justice study found that 90% of prisoners who had been in possession of a gun during their offense had obtained it from a source other than a retail sale.
Laws about gun storage vary from state to state. The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission cannot require locking devices for firearms, so it is left to each state to establish its own laws.
In Washington, gun owners are legally liable for unauthorized access to firearms they own. Unauthorized individuals include felons and minors.
Thirteen states have enacted laws regarding firearm locking devices. Of those states, only Massachusetts and Oregon require all firearms to have a lock in place while stored. Other states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, and New York, have a similar requirement but only in specific situations.
Even if your state does not have laws regarding gun locks, if an injury or death results from use of your firearm, the victim or their family could file a claim against you. They would need to prove that you breached a duty you owed, resulting in the death or injury.
The best way to avoid this legal liability is to practice gun safety. Keep your self-defense weapons in a rifle safe or pistol safe secured with a biometric lock or electronic lock. Keep all other weapons fortified in a gun cabinet or lock box.
You should clean a gun after each use. However, if you keep the gun in storage and don’t use it regularly, you should still clean it every six months. Furthermore, you should clean any gun after it is exposed to moisture. It’s a good idea to go through your gun cabinet twice a year, cleaning every gun.
Gun safety is the primary concern when storing guns. If you don’t have a safe, wall mounts are options for safe handgun or riflestorage. You can keep your handgun safe in a lock box tucked away under your bed instead of a pistol safe. Your safe rifle storage could include a mount above a door frame or behind a door or curtain.
The best place to store a gun safe depends on your concerns. If a fast-access gun safe is your priority, your bedroom is a good option. However, burglars often search the bedroom first, so if that is a concern, you may prefer to keep it in a guest room or basement.
Guns not being used for self-defense should be stored unloaded, uncocked, locked, and out of sight. However, self-defense weapons need to be ready in a quick open gun safe, so they are accessible if needed. You also need to keep your guns and ammunition away from any moisture.
No, it is the act of loading and unloading a magazine that wears out the spring. With good quality ammunition and magazines, there is no concern with leaving it loaded.
Quick access gun safes are ideal for storing weapons safely while maintaining access to them. If you don’t have a gun safe, quick access can be provided through wall mounts in a gun storage area. Make sure to properly install the mounts and secure the room with an electronic lock or another security measure.