Gonna be a grandpa--concerned about safety

[ironhorse]

Found out this week I am gonna be a "pappy" (1st time)....Since i have joined the pafoa websight I have been evaluating my strategies for personnel protection. I what to keep my shotguns hiden in my main rooms. And a few other plans like that.. But a few things I am concerned about...
1. obviously is keeping the guns safe so no harm comes to the child..
2. Keeping them accessable and easy to grab in case they are needed suddenly..
3. keeping loaded guns around (I usually don't have them loaded)
4. Having some spread throughout my home so I don't have to run to get one.

Getting more concerned about personnal defense as I get older..........
And especially want to take care to protect everyone from accidents and curiousosity..

What is your opinions on a great strategy for grand kids, and having protection spread throughout your home..?

[danp]

Well, the fact that you are consciously thinking about the issue means you've taken the first right step.

Firearm safety is of paramount importance when dealing with anyone, but especially with children who by their very nature are extremely curious and and will touch things that are foreign to them.

Leaving firearms unlocked around the house while a positive thing for home safety could absolutely be detrimental in this case. Assuming the child will not be living in your home offers you the ability to do this, but I would highly suggest collecting the guns and locking them up when they are visiting.

Ultimately I don't believe you can not rely on anything but inaccessibility when it comes to child firearm safety until they are of an age where they can be taught to fully understand and comprehend how to properly use firearms, and this is an area where one mistake can go horribly wrong in a split second.

All rights come with the necessity to express them responsibly.

Once old enough I would suggest educating the child on the safe use of firearm ownership if possible. They key is to take away the mysterious curiosity of firearms and replace it with knowledge.

One parent I know has a very simple rule with his children that he claims has worked very well: If you want to see my guns you can ask me anytime and we will take them out of the safe and look at/shoot them, but if I ever find out you were trying to do so behind my back you're in big trouble. This allows them to satisfy their natural curiosity about guns because they know they can see them whenever (removing the need to "sneak into dad's guns"), but it creates a situation where it can be done safely and with supervision.

Congratulations on your blessing, I'm sure everything will be A-OK as long as you use common sense!

[Emptymag]

Originally Posted by danp

...One parent I know has a very simple rule with his children that he claims has worked very well: If you want to see my guns you can ask me anytime and we will take them out of the safe and look at/shoot them, but if I ever find out you were trying to do so behind my back you're in big trouble. This allows them to satisfy their natural curiosity about guns because they know they can see them whenever (removing the need to "sneak into dad's guns"), but it creates a situation where it can be done safely and with supervision.

This is how it worked in my home as a child too.
My father had the wooden "display" case with his rifles behind glass and a few handguns in the drawer below. Both "secured" with a simple lock and the key was kept on top of the case. Anytime he opened the case, I was there. What's THAT do? Where do the bullets go? Can I HOLD it? He answered my questions and I was happy. He showed me where the key was kept and told me that if I ever wanted to see anything, I just had to ask and he would open the case for me. At no time did I EVER attempt to open that case without permission. If I had, I'd likely be typing this standing up because my ass would STILL be stinging!

ironhorse,
I'm sure you'll get some good input here. A quick-access safe works well for handguns, ( http://www.gunvault.com/ ) but I have no suggestions for shotguns. I know there are options out there that allow long guns to be secured in closets and such, but I have no first-hand experience with any of them.

[ironhorse]

That's the way I brought my two girls up , as well. But I never kept them anywhere but in the gun case. Now That I have more of a collection , we went out and purchased a gun safe, with the primary consideration being " When the grandkids came along......."

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by ironhorse

1. obviously is keeping the guns safe so no harm comes to the child..
2. Keeping them accessable and easy to grab in case they are needed suddenly..
3. keeping loaded guns around (I usually don't have them loaded)
4. Having some spread throughout my home so I don't have to run to get one.

1. obviously is keeping the guns safe so no harm comes to the child..
You wont teach the guns the differance between child and adult, but you can teach the child wright from wrong. When he/she gets old enough to start understanding, show them guns are not toys. This usually happens around age 3 to 4. Trips to the range dont hurt, make sure they have a toy. (doesnt have to be a gun) and can feel safe around guns. Sounds like training an animal, but noise is the first thing that will show them this is not a toy.

2. Keeping them accessable and easy to grab in case they are needed suddenly..
Keep them up high or locked in. I was 4 years old when I became concious of events. I was 5 when I started to shoot a pellet gun and a .22 coeey. At this point, the guns where very accessible exept for a .32 pistol. I knew where every gun in the house was. I knew I could take the .22 and Pellet gun outside to shoot, I knew where to go shoot. The only gun I did not know about was the .32... Dont fool yourself, its the only gun I played with like it was a toy! I made sure i put it back every time, I was blessed we had no bullets for it that I knew of. Your not going to be able to hide a gun well enough from a kid so they dont play with it unless they know about it and know its NOT a toy!!!
I cant stress this enough, this is not a toy! this is your gun, its also not a toy, but you can use this one... train train train! that is the beauty of the human mind, if you know where things are, if you know how to use them and if you know your involved in the use of them, you wont feel the need to go sneak for them. Training is 100% needed in youth. At that age, they learn so fast, make sure they learn right.

3. keeping loaded guns around (I usually don't have them loaded)
If you have a loaded gun, keep it on you, keep it in a room private to you.. IE: Study where the children dont go...
Same thing, kids should know about it, but know it is not a toy.
4. Having some spread throughout my home so I don't have to run to get one.

If you want one every where, why not just have one at the hip, like i said before. If the child understands this is not a toy, they wont play with it, they wont grab for it.
Training is the issue here, you need to train the child, yourself and the people around you that these are tools that will be in the house, you dont go hiding your steak knives do you? I bet if you hide even just one hunting knife, this is the one kids will want to bring to school, its also the one they will learn about cuts on. Train the kids on where things are, how to use them, who is allowed to use them and who is not. Include them in your shooting activities, have a pellet gun available to them when you go to the range. You might be surprised at how you might start shooting pellets too!

[farmplinker]

I keep my loaded handgun in a small handgun safe. I use a Gunvault brand safe that is quick to open. Is it impenetrable? No, but it would take some tools and some time, and the person breaking into it would have to be willing to destroy it. That is far beyond what a grandchild or visiting child would do.

Look up "gunvault" on google or ebay and go from there.

If you want to scatter guns around the house, you'll probably need to buy several.

[Azzy]

If you are going to use a handgun safe.. practice opening it in a few different ways / angles, just as much as you practice shooting your gun.

[OneLungMcClung]

Hey horse - first off, hats off to you for being concientuous and smart about the firearms.

My 2%: I have a "rifle box" which is a small, long safe (not fireproof), about 135 pounds, bolted x 4 to the wall and the floor. I am getting a fast access digital lock for it. Right ow I have a dial lock (a classic safe wheel), and it takes too long to get to my guns if I need em - which isnt a problem because I am single, no kids, so I leave it open while home.

Get yourself a low cost (or higher, if you prefer) safe, but definitely get a digital safe, put in a code you can remember, and, just like with your firearms, practice openning that lock till you can do it in under a second and a half!

Good luck PAPPY!! Congrats, btw!

[Broomhandle]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

If you want one every where, why not just have one at the hip,...

Great point Frenchy! We have young kids now and the guns are either in a safe, which is hidden, and they either have actions removed or trigger locks. If we need a gun it is in a holster or pack, or in a small lockup hidden in the "safe room".
I think scattering guns around is asking for trouble.

[Mike45]

As Frenchy and Broom said, if it ain't on my hip, then it is locked in the safe. Never can guess what kids will do. On my hip, it is always there if needed.
Be safe Grandpa...Mike45