Balancing child safe and accessablity

[Harleybabe]

When I grew up, the hand guns were under the mattress. Long guns in closet. If I got near them I would not be able to sit down for a week. End of story, no concerns. My friends did NOT go in my fathers room. That's it, that's all it was and it worked.

NOW as the parent.... I wonder how to balance gun safety vs keeping one close for safety.

My kid is 8. She is like me, in that she KNOWS she better not get anywhere near the guns. But I know I cannot assume that her friends will feel the same.

How do I keep one handy for security and be sure it will be used by ME and ME alone??? Locks are great, safes are safe.... but if someone makes it necessary to get to the gun, they are NOT going to patiently wait while I unlock it or the safe.

[RPMO6]

Carry your pistol on yourself.

[Dansjeep2000]

Most of the day the most secure and handy place for it to be is on your hip. At night if the night stand drawer isn't secure enough, then look into a Bio-Metric safe. They have come down in price alot.

[RPMO6]

You can also load in a safe as well as one of those finger touch strong boxes.

[jeffegg2]

The lead post says to be safe, put your ammo not with your gun but in another location.

Is anyone actually doing this?

What is the point of having it locked and ready if it is not loaded?

[Daniels]

I just got a GunVault from Magnum Force down in Monroe. Was the cheapest I could find locally. I love it. Keeps my pistols secure but is very fast to get into.

[EricF517]

Teach her how to shoot, take some water filled bottles with red food dye and show her what they can do. That is what I did with mine and at 10 they were left around the house loaded, unless her friends were coming around. It is easier for me since she is only here part time so I know when friends are coming over.

I agree with RP about carrying it on you. When you go to bed on the nightstand it goes.

[intheburbs]

quick-access safes. My Homak gun cabinet in my office has one. Gunvault minivault in my MBR, Meijer $30 lock boxes with keycode in several locations around the house.

I can be armed in <5 seconds from just about anywhere in my house, yet not a single firearm is unsecured. Maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but I moved here from a safe-storage state (CT).

[gidaeon]

I also use a quick access safe secured high for "ready" pistol.. It takes maybe two seconds for the door to flip open by muscle memory in the dark. In an emergency IMO more time would spent becoming alert or getting to a gun if you were sleeping. Plus, there is no substitute for progressive teaching with kids ie., 4 rules, ask before touching\"de-fanging the snake", ect.,

[EricF517]

Does anyone have the fingerprint lock box? If so how do you like it as a friend of mine was looking at one.

[PhotoTom]

Does anyone have the fingerprint lock box? If so how do you like it as a friend of mine was looking at one.

I have one. I like it. Some say they are too slow to access the contents...it does take a couple of seconds for the scan and the subsequent unlocking. Also, the motorized latch is not silent.

I keep mine in my car, so for the purpose, it works great!

[Buzzcat]

My kid is 8. She is like me, in that she KNOWS she better not get anywhere near the guns. But I know I cannot assume that her friends will feel the same.

How do I keep one handy for security and be sure it will be used by ME and ME alone??? .


Simple... don't let your daughter bring juvenile delinquents into the house.

[intheburbs]

Does anyone have the fingerprint lock box? If so how do you like it as a friend of mine was looking at one.

Everything I've seen tells me that's not 100% reliable technology yet. Plus, the Mythbusters were able to use a photocopied picture of a finger and it opened the safe.

[Tallbear]

How do I keep one handy for security and be sure it will be used by ME and ME alone??? Locks are great, safes are safe.... but if someone makes it necessary to get to the gun, they are NOT going to patiently wait while I unlock it or the safe.

Store it loaded with a Piecekeeper. You can have it unlocked and ready to protect yourself and your family in less than 3 seconds. They're for sale in the MGO store.

http://www.thepiecekeeper.net/

http://www.migunowners.org/forum/products.php?pg=2

[PhotoTom]

Plus, the Mythbusters were able to use a photocopied picture of a finger and it opened the safe.

If it was the episode I recall...there was a LOT more to it than that!

[jeepinrrt]

If it was the episode I recall...there was a LOT more to it than that!
:lolup: Yes, it was not as simple as a "photocopy" or a "tape" lifted print.

[intheburbs]

If it was the episode I recall...there was a LOT more to it than that!

Well, this is what I found HERE (http://mythbustersresults.com/episode59) on the Mythbusters site:


The optical fingerprint reader the Mythbusters installed can be fooled by a paper copy of an approved fingerprint.

confirmed

Licking the paper sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.

[dracothered]

Well, this is what I found HERE (http://mythbustersresults.com/episode59) on the Mythbusters site:


The optical fingerprint reader the Mythbusters installed can be fooled by a paper copy of an approved fingerprint.

confirmed

Licking the paper sample (to simulate sweat) was enough to fool the scanner.

Looks like the Air Date was August 23, 2006 for episode 59 when they were able to do that.

[jasonalun]

Looks like the Air Date was August 23, 2006 for episode 59 when they were able to do that.

I have a Barska Biometric Safe, and am very happy with it. It was only $189 from Amazon, and it works quickly and easily (about 3 seconds or so to open and get the gun out). It does make a bit of noise (a beep to activate the scanner and a beep when you are validated and a very quiet motor noise when it opens, but that doesn't bother me. There is a comment on Amazon on how you can disable the beeps, but of course you have to void the warranty to do that. Not sure I want to go that far. Maybe after the warranty expires I'll try it.
As for the Mythbusters thing, as long as you wipe the glass after each use, and don't let anyone photocopy your fingerprints (:scratch: ) you should be fine. My wife and I have a few fingers recorded in it just in case (it can take up to 30 fingerprints) and it has a key backup in case all goes wrong.

[jeffegg2]

I have a Barska Biometric Safe, and am very happy with it. It was only $189 from Amazon, and it works quickly and easily (about 3 seconds or so to open and get the gun out). It does make a bit of noise (a beep to activate the scanner and a beep when you are validated and a very quiet motor noise when it opens, but that doesn't bother me. There is a comment on Amazon on how you can disable the beeps, but of course you have to void the warranty to do that. Not sure I want to go that far. Maybe after the warranty expires I'll try it.
As for the Mythbusters thing, as long as you wipe the glass after each use, and don't let anyone photocopy your fingerprints (:scratch: ) you should be fine. My wife and I have a few fingers recorded in it just in case (it can take up to 30 fingerprints) and it has a key backup in case all goes wrong.

I don't understand why anyone would go to the trouble of creating your fingerprint to open the safe when you could just use a large screwdriver and a hammer?? They could also knock you out, then use your finger.:???:

[jasonalun]

I don't understand why anyone would go to the trouble of creating your fingerprint to open the safe when you could just use a large screwdriver and a hammer?? They could also knock you out, then use your finger.:???:

The objective is not to keep a crook from getting it, but my kids. If some psycho knows my gun is in there and manages to get to it before I do (but I don't see that happening), sure, he can just smash it open. It isn't a bank vault. Most of the affordable safes I've seen, combination or otherwise, could fairly easily be gotten into if a person really wanted to. But my children, or God forbid their friends, aren't going to be able to get into it.

[anthonyt]

Carry your pistol on yourself.

+1

I keep everything that I am not currently carrying, locked up. People often ask why I carry at home, and I tell them because I can think of no safer place for my pistol than on my hip. And really, home is no different than anywhere else... Chances are I won't need it, until I do.

[Hannibal]

Carry your pistol on yourself.

^ what he said.


I keep most of mine locked up in the big safe, a couple in the quick access safe, and one on me until bed time. At bed time, my carry gun is in reach but not easy for curious little hands to reach.

The best answer is to teach kids to respect firearms, tell them not to play with them, and keep the guns put away when you are not there to supervise their use.



+1

I keep everything that I am not currently carrying, locked up. People often ask why I carry at home, and I tell them because I can think of no safer place for my pistol than on my hip. And really, home is no different than anywhere else... Chances are I won't need it, until I do.


Exactly my point.

[rambro]

Simple... don't let your daughter bring juvenile delinquents into the house.

Easier said than done. I dont even have kids and i know this is not guaranteed.

I am 32, i remember being a teen like it was yesterday, i guess some folks forget quickly.

Think of all the kids at school you knew, that outwardly appeared like alter boys, and were split personality types when no adults were around.

I half a half dozen friends that never got caught doing anything, no record, nothing, but they were all about finding dads booze, stealing booze, and as young as 11 spending all day finding grandpas guns that were left to them, dads machete, etc. It was all about finding it. They didn't point it at anyone, they didn't fire it.

Don't be naive or think your kid wont do it, and sure as hell don't think your kids friends wont do stuff.