Firearms in your home??
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We have firearms in our home that are kept in a locked cabinet. The only one that stays loaded is the shotgun and that is simply so it is ready in the case it is needed for home protection. Gun safety and education is the biggest essential to having guns in the home and both can be taught at a very early age. My two year old daughter knows that guns cause "owies" and she should not touch them (if they are out of the cabinet to be cleaned, etc. otherwise she can't get to them so this is a non-issue for us); as she gets older and has more comprehension she will learn actual gun safety and learn how to handle them properly.
"Accidents" happen because people do not handle the guns properly and are not taught proper gun safety. With the right education and precautionary measures they are great to have for home protection and as many said before me can be fun to shoot as well!
^^ I agree with this. I am terrified of guns but I have forced myself to learn to use them in case I would ever need to protect myself and my daughter at home when my husband travels.0 -
Appreciating the advice. He is not just looking to have the guns but also in getting a license to conceal them. He has nothing to shoot at. We live in the city. We don't even have a large yard to shoot cans at. I want him to have his grandpa's guns cuz I know how much they mean, but why ammo and a license to carry? I just don't get it I guess.
Guys like guns, lol! Talk to him more about it, he can explain to you why he wants to do that. Also, having a concealed carry permit is a good thing to have. Sometimes carrying a gun on your hip can attract the wrong kind of attention, especially in a city setting. Being able to carry concealed allows him to be able to defend himself (and you!) if he ever needed to without causing undue alarm that most people living in urban settings would experience upon seeing a holstered gun on someone's belt.0 -
First I would say is to calm yourself down and determine what it is about them that terrifies you. Determine what would make you comfortable if at all with them in the house i.e. all in a gun safe, trigger locks on the gun(s) and the ammo in a separate desk safe, gun training to get you comfortable with the gun(s), keeping them at his parents/friends house, etc. Then calmly tell your boyfriend how you feel and that he needs to recognize that this is important to you. Having grown up with them in the house and shooting them since the age of 6 or so, I'm OK with them. I'm NOT OK with untrained people having them at their disposal, that's what causes a lot of deaths/injury with home invasions.
I would also check out your state/county/city laws in regards to the gun(s) and make sure if you do keep them in the house that you follow them i.e. in Illinois we have to have a F.O.I.D. Firearm Owner's ID card to even have a gun (even without ammo) in our possession. In the city of Chicago you are not allowed to have a gun unless you are a police officer.
Whatever you do, don't compromise on something that makes you feel uncomfortable.0 -
We keep them and I feel better about them being in my house. That being said, they are locked in a safe and unloaded, some people say that defeats the purpose but if you load a clip and leave it next to the gun it literally takes 2 seconds to load and chamber if you know what you are doing, if you don't (i.e. my 4 year old) then they can't hurt themselves if they somehow got in the safe. I would also say that if you are going to have them in the house, go to a range and have someone teach you gun safety, it's a priority if you are going to have them.0
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Appreciating the advice. He is not just looking to have the guns but also in getting a license to conceal them. He has nothing to shoot at. We live in the city. We don't even have a large yard to shoot cans at. I want him to have his grandpa's guns cuz I know how much they mean, but why ammo and a license to carry? I just don't get it I guess.
Guns serve a very real purpose - they cannot do you any good locked away disassembled without ammo... It sounds as if you BF has intention of getting properly trained to carry the weapon responsibly and that is a good thing. I live in a city too and we own over 20 guns (handguns, rifles, shotguns) - we have guns for protection and sport. We also have 2 children who have learned and continue to learn the skills related to gun handling and marksmanship. Safety is a top priority - the kids have even been known to correct grandpa on his weapon handling (always double check the weapon yourself, never trust someone else telling you it's unloaded)... Shooting is done at a range here in town or we drive to appropriate place outside of town. Everyone in my family carries and no one has ever had the occasion to have to use their weapon, but there is nothing wrong with being educated and prepared.0 -
Did your dad take you out to shoot them and teach you about proper gun safety and handling? When we hide things from our kids it only serves to increase their curiosity.
My dad taught my brother and I how to operate and safely handle a gun when we were 10 & 8. I owned my first shotgun at 12 and first handgun at 14, and kept them both in my room. I NEVER played with them (and neither did my younger brother) because we were taught how destructive they were, and how to properly handle them.
Education is always better than ignorance.
I have to second this opinion. I was never comfortable with guns before, but my husband owns a handgun and wanted to have it loaded in the house for safety. I asked my husband to teach me about gun safety (he knows a lot.. military teaches you all about that), and he showed me how to operate and handle his gun. Now that I know how to load a magazine, how to properly clear the weapon, and how to handle it (guns should be treated as if they are ALWAYS LOADED and ready to fire) I'm much more comfortable having the gun in the house. Since it's just the two of us living together, we keep it in a dresser drawer, loaded (yes, with one in the chamber), all by itself for easy access. This is for my protection, mostly, since my husband has to travel a lot for work and I frequently am at home by myself for weeks at a time. Guns in the home can be perfectly safe if you understand how to operate and store them properly. Not to mention, learning how to shoot his gun when we went to the range was even more empowering. Contrary to popular belief, guns don't go off by themselves, lol. You have to pull the trigger.
to each his and her own but I would strongly encourage you not to leave it chambered, it takes no time to chamber a round in the case you need it and in a stressful situation you can easily discharge the weapon when unintended. Also leaving a round chambered for long periods can mess up your gun, at the very least rotate your rounds that are chambered from time to time.0 -
Gun safes, child locks and proper training. Guns are our friends... When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.0
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Gun safes, child locks and proper training. Guns are our friends... When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
Amen0 -
to each his and her own but I would strongly encourage you not to leave it chambered, it takes no time to chamber a round in the case you need it and in a stressful situation you can easily discharge the weapon when unintended. Also leaving a round chambered for long periods can mess up your gun, at the very least rotate your rounds that are chambered from time to time.
It depends on the level of training. If you have run countless drills on how to chamber a round in your sleep (figuratively) then I totally agree, but under severe duress of an intruder in your house, or bedroom, the vast majority of casual gun owners will freeze and may become a victim. All the more reason for more training, if you ask me. :-)0 -
Gun safes, child locks and proper training. Guns are our friends... When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.
^^^THIS^^^
My wife would shoot me (literally) if I tried to take her gun.
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My boyfriend and I have a total of 3 handguns, 1 shotgun and 3 rifles (mine is a Rueger, he owns two AR-15's). I have never felt SAFER, honestly. We have a big ole' safe that we loaded into our walk-in closet and it is always locked unless one of us is getting a firearm out. Now, I wouldn't feel this way if we were not CONSTANTLY practicing good firearm etiquette. We ALWAYS make sure that our guns are unloaded before walking around the apartment with them. We do not "dry fire" or point our weapons at anyone or anything. You just have to be smart with your tools and it will be fine.
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A gun in the home that is unloaded, trigger-guarded and dismantled should just be given away. Keep big rocks in your house if you need protection - because that's all that gun is good for.
I don't know why you would be afraid of a gun in the home - loaded or not (UNLESS you have children). That's like being afraid of your gas stove or truck in the garage. In the wrong hands, untrained, uninformed and used improperly - those 2 things will kill just as fast.
My husband and I both have CCW's. We are NRA instructors - Eddie Eagle gun safe program for kids, RTBAV for non-firearem protection, and basic pistol. Informed, trained, knowledgeable people do not shoot others by "accident". Guns don't go off by themselves. They go off when people who are using them improperly fire them.
As to women who refuse to let guns in their homes because of children: I would NEVER, EVER, E V E R allow my child to be in your home or play with your children. Why? Because MY children would be trained and know what to do if and when they find a firearm. They stop - don't touch - leave the area - tell an adult. You children will want to pick them up and play with them and kill my child. Statistics show that cops' kids don't kill their playmates - but children of gun-a-phobics do. They're drawn to the gun like a moth to a flame. What you can't have - you want.
Finally - I was car jacked by 2 men several years ago. They went free - WITH my car. 2 weeks later, the 1 guy jacked an old man's car at the 7-11 and beat him nearly to death. Lucky I was alive - HOWEVER, if I'd have been carrying that night, those 2 fine young men would be #123456 and #56789 and residents of San Quentin, instead of running the streets jacking and killing more defenseless people.
If you don't want a gun, that's fine, but PLEASE, get a grip on you fear that a gun will jump off the shelf and shoot you. It won't. I promise. Oh - and one more statistic: women make the best and safest shooters. They listen, they pay attention and they obey the rules. It's the men who think they know what they're doing (and often times don't) who have more incidents.0 -
That comment - about having it and freezing up - is a WELL known occurrence. We train students to drill-drill-drill. Practice, be aware, think of situations ahead of time. If you do it 5-6 times a month - it's muscle memory. Before I owned a gun, I lived in a condo and got a call from my neighbor who came home and found a man in her condo - hiding under the bed. I broke out in a cold sweat and literally couldn't move from my bed. I was terrified that he'd come out of her place and run to mine. Dogs? Alarms? Telephone 911? Sure - all great untl you're face to face with a live person in your home (and I did come home and interrupted an in-home robbery). Trying to get out of bed, find the gun on that shelf, the ammunition on another shelf, and marry the two together will be the longest 2 minutes of your life. Hopefully it won't be the LAST 2 minutes of your life.0
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OH HEELLLLLLLLLLLL NO!!!!!!!!
I am SO THANKFUL and GRATEFUL that gun laws are more strict here (in Canada) than in the states. The stats speak for themselves... the more guns, the more gun accidents/injuries/deaths.
Sure, I could get trained and knowledgable about proper handling and keep it locked up but I'd rather not have to bother with all those extra precautions, I would REFUSE to have guns - any type of gun - in or near my house. All it takes is one person figuring out where the keys are, or someone accidentally forgetting to lock it up properly, for something to go terribly wrong or for the gun to be used for the wrong purpose (read: suicide or killing people!! seriously). Not to mention - yes in SOME cases guns can be used maybe to save a life in a B&E situation, however.... from my understanding, most of the time its a friend or family member mistaken for an intruder that gets shot.
To repeat my previous statement oh HELLL NO0 -
OH HEELLLLLLLLLLLL NO!!!!!!!!
I am SO THANKFUL and GRATEFUL that gun laws are more strict here (in Canada) than in the states. The stats speak for themselves... the more guns, the more gun accidents/injuries/deaths.
Sure, I could get trained and knowledgable about proper handling and keep it locked up but I'd rather not have to bother with all those extra precautions, I would REFUSE to have guns - any type of gun - in or near my house. All it takes is one person figuring out where the keys are, or someone accidentally forgetting to lock it up properly, for something to go terribly wrong or for the gun to be used for the wrong purpose (read: suicide or killing people!! seriously). Not to mention - yes in SOME cases guns can be used maybe to save a life in a B&E situation, however.... from my understanding, most of the time its a friend or family member mistaken for an intruder that gets shot.
To repeat my previous statement oh HELLL NO
I'm sorry your country doesn't allow you the simple freedom of owning a weapon. Best to keep them out of the hands of irresponsible people.0 -
ok everyone saying the same thing really and I get it. I do. But why guns? If you want protection why not learn a martial art? Kids can't take that from you and use it wrongly. Knowing that you don't have to worry about locks and ammo, etc... You will always be prepared, don't you think?0
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OH HEELLLLLLLLLLLL NO!!!!!!!!
I am SO THANKFUL and GRATEFUL that gun laws are more strict here (in Canada) than in the states. The stats speak for themselves... the more guns, the more gun accidents/injuries/deaths.
Sure, I could get trained and knowledgable about proper handling and keep it locked up but I'd rather not have to bother with all those extra precautions, I would REFUSE to have guns - any type of gun - in or near my house. All it takes is one person figuring out where the keys are, or someone accidentally forgetting to lock it up properly, for something to go terribly wrong or for the gun to be used for the wrong purpose (read: suicide or killing people!! seriously). Not to mention - yes in SOME cases guns can be used maybe to save a life in a B&E situation, however.... from my understanding, most of the time its a friend or family member mistaken for an intruder that gets shot.
To repeat my previous statement oh HELLL NO
I'm sorry your country doesn't allow you the simple freedom of owning a weapon. Best to keep them out of the hands of irresponsible people.
No need to feel sorry... It's one of the things I love about my country 0 -
You probably already have knives, a baseball bat, heck, even a frying pan at your house, and these are all things that can be used as weapons. A gun really isn't a whole lot different. With proper training, handling and stowage, it is a great thing to have around the house. I'm a big believer in "Guns don't kill people; people kill people".0
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double post!0
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OH HEELLLLLLLLLLLL NO!!!!!!!!
I am SO THANKFUL and GRATEFUL that gun laws are more strict here (in Canada) than in the states. The stats speak for themselves... the more guns, the more gun accidents/injuries/deaths.
Sure, I could get trained and knowledgable about proper handling and keep it locked up but I'd rather not have to bother with all those extra precautions, I would REFUSE to have guns - any type of gun - in or near my house. All it takes is one person figuring out where the keys are, or someone accidentally forgetting to lock it up properly, for something to go terribly wrong or for the gun to be used for the wrong purpose (read: suicide or killing people!! seriously). Not to mention - yes in SOME cases guns can be used maybe to save a life in a B&E situation, however.... from my understanding, most of the time its a friend or family member mistaken for an intruder that gets shot.
To repeat my previous statement oh HELLL NO
I'm sorry your country doesn't allow you the simple freedom of owning a weapon. Best to keep them out of the hands of irresponsible people.
No need to feel sorry... It's one of the things I love about my country
A responsible, law-abiding citizen never shot anyone outside of self-defense.0
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