Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    Prepare for a lengthy post...............

    Last night I experienced a rude awakening to my current defense setup. I've been storing a Rock Island 1911 commander in a GunVault next to my bed for home defense. The magazine was loaded, but there was not one in the chamber. I currently have a 3 year old running around and a 1 year old who is getting ready to walk, and I worry about one of them getting into the gunvault (it is a finger combination). I heard commotion outside my house yesterday around 11pm and also heard yelling. Thinking that the neighbors were fighting, I went back to bed. Shortly thereafter my doorbell downstairs started ringing. Concerned that whatever was happening outside was nothing good, I retrieved my 1911 from the safe. The lights were still off, and I racked the slide before heading downstairs. At this point I felt the slide jam, and it wouldn't go into battery. I released the magazine at which point the slide closed, and without checking to make sure that I had chambered a round, I headed downstairs.

    Fortunately there was no immediate danger downstairs, and I did not need to use my gun. I was somewhat shocked to discover later that the 1911 had never chambered a round when the slide jammed. I had been somewhat foggy/sleepyheaded when racking the slide, and I didn't stop to inspect the gun after it jammed in the dark. This really shook me up as I could have had a serious problem if I had needed to defend myself. The 1911 has never been 100% reliable, and it will no longer be doing nightstand duty. My current dilemma now is I'm thinking that I either need to keep a revolver in the nightstand or a semi-auto that has one in the pipe (My Glock 17). What do you guys think about this? Any ideas for storing a loaded (ready to fire) gun in such a way that I can be absolutely certain a child isn't going to hurt themselves with it? I did see the "magna trigger", but it is fairly expensive. Am I being paranoid? Is my gunvault enough?

    -Thanks

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    I have very young kids as well I would keep the loaded gun in the vault while your asleep. Those kids can be very stealthy at night.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    1. With kids that young in the house, which are younger than the age of reasoning and understanding - you should have some sort of lock box, vault, safe, etc. Once they get older and can understand guns, and you've taught them well, and they fully have proven themselves to be around guns alone - then you can leave them out.

    2. As for the 1911 - if it isn't 100%, do not rely on it for such duties. Get it tuned to cycle properly. ...this may mean using ammo it likes, not what you like. Also, if you are keeping the the 1911 loaded - it is meant to be carried and stored with 1 in the chamber chamber and the hammer cocked with thumb safety on.

    3. Pick the Glock or a revolver until #2 above is working properly, but please adhere to #1 about storing either.
    RIP: SFN, 1861, twoeggsup, Lambo, jamesjo, JayBell, 32 Magnum, Pro2A, mrwildroot, dregan, Frenchy, Fragger, ungawa, Mtn Jack, Grapeshot, R.W.J., PennsyPlinker, Statkowski, Deanimator, roland, aubie515

    Don't end up in my signature!

  4. #4
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    New Britain Township, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    I've heard that some of the GunVaults had a vulnerability:



    I would check yours for this problem.

  5. #5
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    Jul 2010
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    Hatboro, Pennsylvania
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    Quote Originally Posted by bac0nfat View Post
    I've heard that some of the GunVaults had a vulnerability:



    I would check yours for this problem.
    That's impressively stupid.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    Quote Originally Posted by knight0334 View Post
    1. With kids that young in the house, which are younger than the age of reasoning and understanding - you should have some sort of lock box, vault, safe, etc. Once they get older and can understand guns, and you've taught them well, and they fully have proven themselves to be around guns alone - then you can leave them out.

    2. As for the 1911 - if it isn't 100%, do not rely on it for such duties. Get it tuned to cycle properly. ...this may mean using ammo it likes, not what you like. Also, if you are keeping the the 1911 loaded - it is meant to be carried and stored with 1 in the chamber chamber and the hammer cocked with thumb safety on.

    3. Pick the Glock or a revolver until #2 above is working properly, but please adhere to #1 about storing either.

    I definitely agree with this. My concern is, do you think that the gunvault is enough protection to store a gun in condition 1 status, or should I figure out an even more extreme measure such as a magna trigger or something similar?

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    Quote Originally Posted by bac0nfat View Post
    I've heard that some of the GunVaults had a vulnerability:



    I would check yours for this problem.
    Has the company verified the problem and addressed it in later models?
    Rules are written in the stone,
    Break the rules and you get no bones,
    all you get is ridicule, laughter,
    and a trip to the house of pain.

  8. #8
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    May 2011
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    darn, I just bought one of those. I know what I am doing tonight.

    If anyone has any further info on this post it please. Ill do some searching now.

  9. #9
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    May 2011
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    Ok looked around quickly.

    Looks like people feel that this is either a fluke, defective unit or the poster modified the safe. On 2 other forms noone could reproduce this.

  10. #10
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    Feb 2010
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    Default Re: Storing a gun loaded w/kids in the house

    Quote Originally Posted by streaker69 View Post
    Has the company verified the problem and addressed it in later models?
    I think it might just have been a defective unit, because I've been unable to find any other claims of the same problem. However a google search shows a large number of complaints about GunVaults in general. Lots of people complaining about the latch getting stuck. I've never owned one so I can't say anything good or bad, I'm just parroting what I've heard. I have one of these:



    http://www.amazon.com/American-Secur.../dp/B004C47KRG

    I'm extremely happy with it. The lock has not failed me a single time, and I've had the original 9v battery from 3 years ago.

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