Contrary to the argument that guns are an invaluable asset for home protection, they are in fact virtually useless. Proper weapon maintenance requires that the gun be “safe-kept” after use. That means the weapon should be checked to be sure it is unloaded and then securely “locked down.”
Locking down the weapon requires that it be secured, preferably under lock and key. Having checked the weapon to be sure it is unloaded, the ammunition should then be safe-kept in another locked location. This prevents an unauthorized user, whether a child, intoxicated individual, impulsive personality type or criminal, from creating mayhem while blasting away with the “home protection device.”
This is the dilemma we've discussed many times before. How can one keep his weapons accessible without endangering himself and the family?
So, if a loaded gun on the nightstand is not the answer, what is?So what happens when one hears window glass breaking as an intruder attempts to enter? If the firearm is safely secured, there won’t be enough time to confront a criminal with your weapon. A burglar is not going to wait while you unlock the gun and go to another location to load up with bullets. But to do otherwise, that is, ignore safe weapon handling practices and keep the gun on the nightstand fully loaded, only invites disaster.
While disaster from a burglary, or other violent crime, may strike once in a lifetime, the unsafe handling of a weapon invites disaster 365 days per year.
Lock the gun away, leave some lights on at night, secure all doors, get an inexpensive alarm system, give an orphaned dog a home, replace the weapon on the nightstand with a phone programmed with 911 or keep a long club under the bed.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
"Proper weapon maintenance requires that the gun be “safe-kept” after use. That means the weapon should be checked to be sure it is unloaded and then securely “locked down.”"
ReplyDeleteComplete bull.
It should be pretty obvious that any gun being used for protection needs to be loaded and at hand. At least it should be. Sadly, there are a lot of misguided, ignorant, or flat out stupid people who keep empty/locked-up/far-away guns around for "protection".
"So what happens when one hears window glass breaking as an intruder attempts to enter?"
Well, if you're the person who wrote the article, you go into helmet-fire mode, while fumbling with the lock on your safe, looking for the right magazine, loading it into the gun, and trying to chamber a round all while trying to dial 911. And by the time you get all that done, the intruder is stabbing you in the kidneys. A messy situation.
I on the other hand, will lean over in my chair, grab the rifle next to my desk, hit the panic button on the alarm, and take up a good defensive position. If the alarm doesn't stop the intruder, being shot hopefully will. My kidney's survive to fight another day.
"If the firearm is safely secured, there won’t be enough time to confront a criminal with your weapon. A burglar is not going to wait while you unlock the gun and go to another location to load up with bullets."
Duh. That's why my rifle is less than 6 ft from me. Loaded like it's supposed to be.
"But to do otherwise, that is, ignore safe weapon handling practices and keep the gun on the nightstand fully loaded, only invites disaster."
If your gun is small enough to fit on a nightstand, it's small enough to be worn. Wearing it keeps it ready for use and away from unauthorized people.
"Lock the gun away, leave some lights on at night, secure all doors, get an inexpensive alarm system, give an orphaned dog a home, replace the weapon on the nightstand with a phone programmed with 911 or keep a long club under the bed."
Or do all that while keeping the gun on or near you and be that much safer.
Hmm. Guess they don't know that there are ready access security containers.
ReplyDeleteSounds like typical antis writing about something they really don't understand.
Apparently this guy doesn't know what the word "maintenance" means. Someone send him a dictionary.....and a copy of the Heller decision.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of idiocy in that article is astounding.
ReplyDeleteHe even throws out the "im a gun owner but" line at the beginning.
And frankly, If I'm going to keep a weapon other than a firearm in my room it'd be a bladed weapon not a "club." A machete perhaps?
FatWhiteMan: "Guess they don't know that there are ready access security containers."
ReplyDeleteI now see them prominently displayed in almost every gunshop.
FatWhiteMan: "Sounds like typical antis writing about something they really don't understand."
Sounds like you nailed it.
I'm glad my family's security isn't up to the worthless likes of Anthony Iannarelli, Jr.
ReplyDelete"Contrary to the argument that guns are an invaluable asset for home protection, they are in fact virtually useless. Proper weapon maintenance requires that the gun be “safe-kept” after use. That means the weapon should be checked to be sure it is unloaded and then securely “locked down.”"
ReplyDeleteThat's ridiculous. He's taking his opinion, ("You should lock up your gun unloaded for safety's sake") which is valid, and pretending that it is a rule of "proper weapon maintenance." That's ridiculous.
Do you suppose he could tell you how it benefits "weapon maintenance" to keep the gun unloaded under lock and key? Does it prevent corrosion? Does it prevent breakage?
What he means is that in his personal opinion, in his personal situation, it's important to keep a gun unloaded and locked down--therefore everyone else has to do the same, and therefore their guns are useless for defense.
Personally, all my guns except one are locked in safes, and the last one, when I'm not carrying it at home, is locked in a fast-access safe from Gunvault. It takes a few seconds to remove it and load it, after entering the keypad combination, but I do this because I have children in the house.
If I didn't have children, I wouldn't bother, and there would be absolutely nothing wrong with that. My wife and I handle firearms appropriately, so I'd have no worries about safety if there were no kids around.
"So what happens when one hears window glass breaking as an intruder attempts to enter?"
I wake up my wife and ask her to call 911. I open my safe (takes about a second, the door is spring-loaded) and load my pistol, then take it and my light to the door of our bedroom. The dogs sleep in our room with us, and if someone is breaking things in our house, they'll be freaking out. Again, if you don't have kids, you'd be better off staying right there in the room and calling out that you're armed, but I have children, so I open up so I have a clear view of the stairway. My stairway and landing are my bottleneck; no one can get to my children or my wife from the inside of the house without coming up those stairs.
It takes a longer to read that paragraph than it takes to carry it out. What's so complicated?
I can understand why mikeb and the writer of that nonsense might be confused.
ReplyDeleteI can't speak for anyone else(like the writer tries to) but this is my situation.
All of my guns are behind a locked driveway gate, inside a locked house, inside a locked room and inside a locked gun safe save two.
One pistol(revolver) and one shotgun(pump action 12 gauge).
These are not random choices. Both the revolver and the shotgun allow me to mix my loads(something semi-autos can be very picky about).
Revolver is a 6-shot and within 12 inches at anytime. First 2 shots are bird shot which will pepper any bad guy while being nonfatal in a .357 package. Hopefully the bad guy will change his mind before I fire the next 2 rounds which are jacketed hollow points. If that doesn't get his attention, the last 2 rounds are penetrators in case he seeks cover(which he should after being severly wounded).
Shotgun is the same story. Stays within the living room within reach and goes into the bedroom at night-night time. First 2 rounds out are bird shot, can be lethal for humans at close range but meant for waterfowl, next 2 rounds are 00-buck, no more Mr. nice guy. Last round is a penetrating slug if he seeks cover.
There other benefit to a revolver and a pump-action shotgun are that both give a very recognizable audible clue as to what I have in my possesion. Those who refuse to heed that audible information are not inside your home to offer you girl scout cookies.
Added benefit is that these rounds tend not to over-penetrate where they would pose a risk to close nieghbors.
Those who take home defense seriously have mapped out "zones of fire" within their home which do not have a nieghbor's house in line of sight. That's rule #4, know what your target is and what lies beyond.
Hope that helps you understand that some gun owners are not responsible, and some take self defense very very seriously.
Some might read this and conclude that I'm paranoid and dangerous. In reality, I've thought stuff through at length and made prepartions for the safety of myself, innocents around me and even the guy who just kicked in my door.
Hopefully, I won't ever have to fire in self defense AGAIN. But even when I do, the bad guy will have time to change his mind before I get to the CTJ rounds.
CTJ(come to Jesus).
kaveman, Thanks for that fascinating description of how you do it.
ReplyDeleteDon, Thanks for your description too.
ReplyDelete