Proper Gun Storage Saves Lives
By PJ DelHomme
Let’s discuss the why and how when it comes to safely storing firearms. Your loved ones depend on it.
I grew up in the 1980s, and we always played with fake guns. It was great. We were out of the house, away from video games, and no one actually got shot. Then there was the time my “friend” showed me the real handgun his parents kept between the box springs and mattress. He pointed it right at me. That was 35 years ago, and I still think about it, especially now that I have little kids that age.
Today, there are nearly 400 million gun owners in the U.S., and about 42 percent of U.S. households have at least one gun in the house. That’s a lot of guns that can fall into the wrong hands if not properly stored. To help educate gun owners on proper gun storage, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) launched Project HomeSafe in 1999. “It started in just five cities,” says Bill Brassard, senior communications director at NSSF. Since then, the program has received more than $90 million in federal grant money to administer what is now called Project ChildSafe.
Project ChildSafe aims to provide real, tangible firearm safety solutions for every community. It works with 15,000 law enforcement units nationwide and provides free firearm safety kits, including a cable-style gun lock. NSSF also creates and compiles various videos, handouts, and articles on gun safety and storage.
Despite its name, Project ChildSafe isn’t just for children. Consider that more than 54 percent of suicides involved a firearm, and the numbers are rising among young people, says Brassard. “When we talk about secure storage, we’re creating time and space between a person in crisis who is attempting to access a firearm,” he says. “When a person can’t access one, this allows the crisis to subside or the person to get help, and a life is saved.”
Let’s take a look at their recommendations on how to store firearms safely and securely at home, in a vehicle, and on yourself.
Home Storage of Firearms
For gun storage at home, nothing beats a quality gun safe. Liberty Safe has a great breakdown of the five key features to look for in a good safe. You can buy the old standard combo lock safe, but today’s tech features biometric recognition (hand or fingerprint) making adult access quick and easy. As an added precaution, some gun owners use cable locks on their firearms while stored in the safe. Trigger locks are another option. Remove the bolt from bolt-action rifles and store it separately. NSSF recommends that you store ammunition separately from firearms.
Consider a standard or electronic lockbox if you don’t have many guns or want something less expensive and smaller than a safe. With integrated locks, these specially designed storage boxes provide reliable protection for firearms, which is essential if you need quick access to a gun. Some are specifically designed for quick access using biometric unlocking technology. “If you have a firearm for home protection, there are options for readiness,” Brassard says. “There are more resources than ever out there. There is no excuse for not using a safety device when you’re not in direct control of your firearm.”
There are even apps (GunAlert) that inform a gun owner if and when a firearm is moved. Apps like SIMTEK alert you if your gun safe is opened.
Vehicle Storage
A locked car is not a gun safe, and leaving a firearm in the center console or a glove box is not secure gun storage. The old days of riding around in a pickup with a couple of rifles hanging in the back window are no more.
Storing your firearm in the open in your vehicle is not only unsafe, but unsecure as well.
Here’s the good news. Companies build lockboxes specifically for various locations in your vehicle, including the center console. Lockboxes also allow gun owners to legally transport firearms outside the home. For electronic lockboxes, authorized users can set multiple codes and temporarily turn off access. Perhaps one of the coolest is the Headrest Safe. Both of these options are custom-fitted devices that provide concealment and security. If you’re transporting rifles and shotguns, consider cargo area storage options to provide concealment and protection from bumps and jostling. Some accommodate multiple firearms.
Off-Body Carry
Off-body carry is what it sounds like—carrying a handgun that’s not attached to your body, be it an ankle, waist belt, or shoulder holster. Generally speaking, it’s not a great idea because of numerous downsides. If a gun is in a bag like a purse or backpack, it can move around unless properly secured. Plus, what is the first thing a mugger is going to snatch? Your bag with a gun in it.
If you choose to off-body carry, you cannot put it down—ever. Pretend that purse or book bag is your pair of pants. It can never leave your body. The news has too many stories about kids finding a gun in their mom’s purse. If you are looking for off-body carry options, Eberlestock makes some quality options for the guys, and Gun Tote’n Mamas makes some nice handbags and purses.
National Safety Month
Don’t forget that June is National Safety Month, and NSSF is using June 1-7 to promote Gun Storage Check Week—a national campaign to encourage all gun owners to check their firearm storage practices. If you’d like to receive a free safety kit from Project ChildSafe, you can check it out here.
PJ DelHomme writes and edits content from western Montana. He runs Crazy Canyon Media and Crazy Canyon Journal.
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