Firearm storage practices
Veterans discussed their firearm storage practices and the extent to which they keep their firearms accessible, out of reach, or locked up. Some Veterans talked about the decision to keep their firearms accessible to protect their family. For many, the presence of children in the home is an important factor in how they decide to store their firearms. Veterans who are not living with children often view the benefit of having ready access to a firearm for protection as outweighing the risk of an unintentional injury. Regardless of how Veterans store their firearms, many talked about the inherent responsibility that comes with keeping a firearm in the home. As Chris explains, “There’s a responsibility to owning a firearm. Because other people come into my home, I have the responsibility to make sure that, because I have firearms, they are kept safely.”
Maintaining easy access to firearms for protection
For Jessica, keeping her firearms accessible to protect her family is important.
For Jessica, keeping her firearms accessible to protect her family is important.
My gun culture is one of safety first and it’s almost meditative to be able to go out and shoot because it requires so much of your concentration; for me, it has everything to do with being able to defend my family in an emergency. I mean we have guns stashed all over the place in my house and at very high levels, so that my six-year-old child cannot get them.
I’m very aspirational in what I want gun culture to mean. And I get very excited when I meet other gun owners who feel the same way that I do, who are not--I get very excited when I meet other firearm owners who aren’t about showing off, that it’s about a quiet strength and a reassurance that owning guns gives you, and who identify with wanting to feel safe in their home, and knowing they can protect their family, and that’s what it’s about. It’s about... it’s about safety, it’s not about aggression.
Evan feels firearm safety devices could impact his ability to protect his family.
Evan feels firearm safety devices could impact his ability to protect his family.
Like me and my family and friends, we don’t use trigger safeties. We don’t use those cable locks. We think they’re ridiculous. Then you do have some parents out there who have little kids who refuse to teach their kids gun safety or whatnot. I do think that since they refuse to teach their kids about firearms that they do need to keep theirs locked up. I mean, if you’re not going to teach your kids firearm safety, at least keep your guns locked up. If you want to teach your kids firearm safety, you don’t need to worry about locking them. That’s just how I look at it. Growing up, my parents, I had access to their firearms at any given time, and millions and millions of other Americans were raised like me and my brother, and we don’t go out and shoot people because were taught at a young age. So, it varies from case to case on whether or not people want to use trigger locks or those cable locks. To me, I think they’re ridiculous in my case.
Hypothetically speaking, somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night, and you need to grab your firearm real quick to protect you and your family. You may not have that time to remove that trigger safety or remove that cable lock and then load your firearm. It’s a hindrance in my opinion. It slows you down from being able to protect yourself and the ones you love.
Nick talks about the accessibility of his firearms.
Nick talks about the accessibility of his firearms.
Yeah. I have three guns. I have one under my bed right next to me. It’s in a lock box. It’s a digital lock box so I can unlock it with a code. And then I have another – I have another one in another place. And then I have the one that I everyday carry. So yeah, for sure.
Jack describes the places where he keeps his firearms accessible.
Jack describes the places where he keeps his firearms accessible.
I have a pistol that lays on my nightstand, by my bed. Where I sit right here in my recliner. I have one right here on the lower shelf of the end table. And the back door is what everybody uses. And, it’s just a few feet away. There’s another one in the kitchen, beside – between the wall and a wooden box full of kitchen knives. Where you wouldn’t see it. If you weren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t see it. And in the closet behind me I have a shotgun, an AR15. But the only thing that I could – and I’m not a paranoid person at all. But you know, it’s like at church – I retired from preaching over four years ago. But at church, when church shootings started. If anybody comes in our church and begins to shoot people, there will be pistols that will come out from several different directions. And you can’t stop him from killing the first one or two, before he can draw. But he won’t kill half a dozen. Because he would be brought down. So, our church is, like I said, we – and when it comes time for services, that we lock the door, and we have a couple men who sit near the door. So, if anybody comes in late we know who they are. If we don’t, “Who are you?” “Well, I’m so and so’s granddaughter from Chicago visiting.” But in other words, we have security. And I want to have security in my home.
William A maintains easy access to his firearms only because he does not have children in the home.
William A maintains easy access to his firearms only because he does not have children in the home.
Absolutely, absolutely. If you, if you have young children, or young adults in your house anywhere. I don’t have any of that stuff because I don’t have any kids at my house, and my wife knows how to use my weapons and I know how to use my weapons, and I’m not going to be fuddling for a key if somebody breaks into my house. But, if you’ve got kids, yeah, you’re damn right, you put a lock, a trigger lock on it. Put it in a safe. Every safety measure should be taken. Not for me, I don’t have kids. Responsibility is a big, big part of owning a weapon and I am very responsible. And if I had any kids, my guns are all locked up in a safe. My granddaughter comes over, my guns are locked up in a safe. There’s no way in a high closet. There’s nothing, it’s locked up in a safe.
Keeping firearms stored when not in use
Mike talks about safely storing firearms by separating the weapons from the ammunition.
Mike talks about safely storing firearms by separating the weapons from the ammunition.
So, I have friends that are Veterans that have firearms, and like I said, I have two firearms. I, personally, my firearms, I have two handguns. They have, the ammunition is not right close to them. My firearms are in a gun safe, and they stay in the safe unless I’m gonna’ take them somewhere to shoot. I do believe that safety is paramount to people having firearms, whether we’re Veterans or not.
So, it has been, the culture has been my life for a long time. I’m not gonna’ get rid of firearms, but I do very much believe that safety is needed for those of us that choose to own firearms.
Jim says that firearm owners should keep their weapons locked up.
Jim says that firearm owners should keep their weapons locked up.
There should be…they…the weapons should be secure, should be locked up if you’re a firearm owner. If they get in the hands of the wrong people, then what do you do? Duck?
Jeff feels all owners should keep their firearms locked to prevent crime.
Jeff feels all owners should keep their firearms locked to prevent crime.
As far as crime goes, just locking them down. If I am the owner of the firearm, it should be locked. I have keys to my car. Everywhere I go, I lock the doors and keep the keys in my pocket. No one is going to take my truck unless they breach it and steal it. My firearm should be locked down like that.
If anybody is trying to get in here, I can keep them out until the sheriff shows up. So, there is a hesitancy. I don’t think it should, not, I don’t really want to condemn anyone else. But I don’t fully agree with that, you know, I need to have it strapped to my hip when I am sitting on the commode. I mean, I understand planning for the worst, but you’ve got to look objectively at reality to see what the threat actually is. And if I’m living in a community where objectively the threat is that bad, I’m moving. I’m not even... I’m leaving.
Safely storing firearms to protect children
Nick describes how he stores his firearms “out of reach” from his younger family members.
Nick describes how he stores his firearms “out of reach” from his younger family members.
So, speaking of the safety part, I’m really, really safe with my firearm, you know? Like because I have—you know, I visit family. I have nephews, things of that nature. I make sure that the firearm is not in reach in any way, shape, or form. I store it somewhere where they—they don’t see it, or I leave it somewhere where they can’t even get to it. I’m just mindful of where I’m taking it. I’m just very mindful. I don’t take it into every store, into every venue and to every event. I just don’t do that because I feel like, you know, I could - that’s when I feel like you can cause unnecessary attention and trouble to yourself taking them in places you may – you necessarily don’t really need it. Just – I just – I pay attention to where I’m going, you know? I look it up, see, like, what it looks like and all that, what the energy and vibe is gonna be.
Darrell says that parents who have firearms in the house need to be responsible for how they are stored.
Darrell says that parents who have firearms in the house need to be responsible for how they are stored.
I think if you have, if you keep guns in your house, I mean to me, it’s the responsibility of the owner, or the parents, or whoever to keep it locked up, to keep it in a safe, or to keep the gun trigger, you know, the trigger things on them or to keep them unloaded. You know what I’m saying. And just don’t have them laying around where, you know, some kid’s going to walk into his mom and dad’s, you know, nightstand and there’s a gun. Or it’s sitting on top of the dresser or they’re just laying around the house. To me, that’s just irresponsible on – on the people that – that do that. And you know your kids will find that. You’re not home. And even if they’re teenagers, they can find it if they go rummaging through your house and they find it. And then, you know, God forbid they shoot one another. Then you know you’ve got to live with that for the rest of your life. How do you do that? You know what I’m saying. How do you do that?
Jason describes how his views on keeping firearms within reach changed after having kids.
Jason describes how his views on keeping firearms within reach changed after having kids.
Yeah, before I had children, I definitely didn’t keep ‘em in a gun safe or in a gun cabinet. They were more, kind of, ready to go. I didn’t sleep with one under my pillow or anything like that. But once I had children, I realized that, yeah, it’s not just me in the house or my wife in the house anymore. And I still felt like I needed it to be in the house, but I didn’t feel like I needed it to be as accessible.