Gun safe combo mostly done?

[joelansing]

So I have a decent size 22 gun gun safe in the bedroom. Bolted to the hardwood floor, and the joists in the wall. It's in a corner so not much prying room. For quick access I've started to do the first 2 numbers of the combination and leave it that way. Just turn to the the last number and pop it open. I have a stay at home wife that loves the idea. I keep a loaded 9MM on the top shelf in it. I also have 3 and 4 year old children. They kinda avoid our room and especially the gun safe since I made it clear when moving it in that it was their "time out box". :) The kids have never shown any interest in it at all, and I've never seen them go in our room to play. Am I bad? or is this a sweet idea? When they start hitting 8-10 years old I'll rethink it. But for now it seems great.

- Joe

[BWHaas]

My main question would be if you could turn the dial while trying to unlock the safe and get it open without knowing the last number? My oldest is 6 and she's starting to figure that stuff out now so it's not too long away for you. If not, then its fine. The loaded 9mm seems like its out of the way that they can't climb to get it or anything, and it probably has some safety on or something right?

It all comes down to how you educate your children, nothing else really matters. Just my $.02.

[damiscul]

teach your kids to fear and respect guns and to know that they dont touch them they dont show anyone else them and if they do bad things will happen, then your kids will be fine and they will understand that it is something that needs to be highly respected and also highly enjoyed to shoot in a safe environment. hope that makes you feel better but i would definitely be able to keep that safe easily accessible for anyone who needs to be able to get into there, aka you and your wife. Hope that helps Good luck!

[unclejoe]

. . . "just turn to the last number and it pops open" . . . sounds like a bad, VERY bad idea. And you have little children around?

Either the safe is locked or its not. Do you really want to take that chance?

Reminds me of a man telling me at a gun range once that he keeps all his double action revolvers loaded with only five rounds and the chamber lined up so that with the first pull of the trigger, the hammer lands on an empty chamber. 'Safer' that way, he said . . .

If quick access to a self defense pistol is what you want, get one of those lock boxes that has the 4 buttons on the top and allows for a six sequence combination to open. No numbers to remember. Dunhams has them for @$100 . . .

[who dat]

. . . "just turn to the last number and it pops open" . . . sounds like a bad, VERY bad idea. And you have little children around?

Either the safe is locked or its not. Do you really want to take that chance?

Reminds me of a man telling me at a gun range once that he keeps all his double action revolvers loaded with only five rounds and the chamber lined up so that with the first pull of the trigger, the hammer lands on an empty chamber. 'Safer' that way, he said . . .

If quick access to a self defense pistol is what you want, get one of those lock boxes that has the 4 buttons on the top and allows for a six sequence combination to open. No numbers to remember. Dunhams has them for @$100 . . .:yeahthat:

...and drop the time out box story. Truth will work better than fiction any day. Once they find out your little deception, they will never believe you again. In the meantime, they're more likely to investigate what you really keep in there and that will get ugly if you're not teaching them gun safety.

I don't even want to imagine what would happen if they start playing "time out" and put themselves in the safe.

[Jerbear1098]

The "time out box" idea is great. You also need to get the NRA Eddie the Eagle tape and play it for them, until they can recite by heart, and tell you what it means. I still have my tape around, and when someone comes over with little kids, I ask the parents if I can show it to them.

We responsible gun owners keep our tools out of the reach of children. The problem lies in the irresponsible people that leave firearms around. We can't be with our kids 24/7, so we need to empower them with knowledge. If my kids, when they were younger, were at someones house that had a gun laying around, I would hope they remembered what I taught them, and left the building.

My guns are locked up, but I have my daily carry holstered by my bed at night.
My kids are grown. 17& 14. They do have the number to the gun safe and know how to use ALL the firearms in that safe. Just in case the sheet hits the fan.

They have been shooting shotgun sports since they were 7 years old. They began shooting ATA registered trap at the age of 13 & 10. Also made them learn to clean they own gear.

The most important issue, is to remove the curiosity factor about firearms. Once done, they are less likely to play with them.

Good luck and that you for being responsible.

[_DK_]

. . . "just turn to the last number and it pops open" . . . sounds like a bad, VERY bad idea. And you have little children around?

Either the safe is locked or its not. Do you really want to take that chance?

Reminds me of a man telling me at a gun range once that he keeps all his double action revolvers loaded with only five rounds and the chamber lined up so that with the first pull of the trigger, the hammer lands on an empty chamber. 'Safer' that way, he said . . .

If quick access to a self defense pistol is what you want, get one of those lock boxes that has the 4 buttons on the top and allows for a six sequence combination to open. No numbers to remember. Dunhams has them for @$100 . . .

Looks like he wrote "just turn to the last number and pop it open" not "just turn to the last number and it pops open" like you quoted BIG difference to me.

If its a gun safe and combos like i've seen at the stores you never "feel" the tumbler hit that last number, so unless you turn that handle you don't know its unlocked.

[ranttrmike]

You need to teach kids YOUNG. Both of mine (20 years old, and 12 years old) have been exposed to guns since birth.

I will wait until after dinner (on occasion, not daily), take out one and sit down and clean it at the dinner table while we all talk. The talk turns quickly to DO NOT TOUCH, THIS ISNT A TOY, ITS ALWAYS TO BE TREATED AS IF ITS LOADED, and this will HURT and KILL you or others.

As they get older, I let them hold it, teach them the "finger up" method of keeping your finger off the trigger, I talk about the friend of my oldest daughter that was shot and killed by his best friend when they found dad's gun and decided to play cops n robbers with it. I make sure they see news stories about unfortunate kids who weren't taught about guns.

So the story goes, the older they get, the more they get taught. Hunters safety is done the moment they are old enough for the class. In class, or after, depending on the class we go shooting. They shoot every gun I have at least once.

I firmly believe that guns made simple and apparent from birth, through life, mystery of the big shiny objects removed from "mystery" to reality is the best way. Neither of my kids has ever touched a gun without me there and with my permission. I have friends who have used this method and nobody has had an issue with a child touching a gun.

I firmly believe that if you hide them, keep em out of sight and say "adults only", the kids WILL investigate, will play, and will get into trouble. I have friends who use this "method" and I have been told numerous times how they have come home to find the rifle in the wrong place in the cabinet or the combo lock fiddled with.

Oh, and one more thing, no toy guns anywhere, anytime. Toy guns teach the WRONG idea (of course I have two girls so that wasnt even an issue). If you want a "toy" gun, start at the age they get curious with a BB gun in the backyard, hours of fun and teaches safety!

[BWHaas]

I firmly believe that if you hide them, keep em out of sight and say "adults only", the kids WILL investigate, will play, and will get into trouble. I have friends who use this "method" and I have been told numerous times how they have come home to find the rifle in the wrong place in the cabinet or the combo lock fiddled with.

Oh, and one more thing, no toy guns anywhere, anytime. Toy guns teach the WRONG idea (of course I have two girls so that wasnt even an issue). If you want a "toy" gun, start at the age they get curious with a BB gun in the backyard, hours of fun and teaches safety!
Well said my friend. I have three girls and don't have the toy gun problem either. The thought behind this whole thing is that they know what is in the safe so why go in there? I know that my friends father was a retired military officer and had a "cool room" with guns and swords and knives and we would always try to get in there because we never knew what was in there. When I was 13 he showed us and to this day, I am still impressed.

[CnA]

-snip-
Oh, and one more thing, no toy guns anywhere, anytime. Toy guns teach the WRONG idea (of course I have two girls so that wasnt even an issue). If you want a "toy" gun, start at the age they get curious with a BB gun in the backyard, hours of fun and teaches safety!

I completely disagree. This is the ideals of anti's that have worked it's way into responsible peoples lives because this has been hammered by anti so long and passionately. The saying, "If you tell a lie long enough, people believe it." is very true in this case.

Just take a look at society 20, 30 and longer years ago. Toy guns were everywhere. Kids were not taught the wrong idea by them.

The problem today is the avoidance and evil label of firearms brought on by the antis. Parents are not teaching their kids about handling firearms, they are telling them they are bad, never touch them, then kids become curious.

[Daniels]

Oh, and one more thing, no toy guns anywhere, anytime. Toy guns teach the WRONG idea (of course I have two girls so that wasnt even an issue). If you want a "toy" gun, start at the age they get curious with a BB gun in the backyard, hours of fun and teaches safety!

Wow. I grew up playing with toy guns and never had a problem with them teaching me and wrong ideas.

[Jack-w-1911]

Wow. I grew up playing with toy guns and never had a problem with them teaching me and wrong ideas.
Me neither. I have two daughters, and the four of us (the whole family) use to play around with toy dart guns; shooting at targets and most of the time each other. Good times. I highly recommend it. :uzi:

[ranttrmike]

I completely disagree. This is the ideals of anti's that have worked it's way into responsible peoples lives because this has been hammered by anti so long and passionately. The saying, "If you tell a lie long enough, people believe it." is very true in this case.

Just take a look at society 20, 30 and longer years ago. Toy guns were everywhere. Kids were not taught the wrong idea by them.

The problem today is the avoidance and evil label of firearms brought on by the antis. Parents are not teaching their kids about handling firearms, they are telling them they are bad, never touch them, then kids become curious.


I am anything but Anti. What you have tho is a time/continuum problem here.

Back 20, 30 years ago things were much different, a kid could play with the toy guns and go hunting on the weekend with the real gun. Today's society doesn't allow for that, woodlands are too far away, daddy's too busy climbing the corporate ladder, and mommy's too busy keeping Biff and Lisa in soccer and ballet lessons.

Where's a kid in Detroit area going to go hunting? Oh I know, out his car window headed down Cass Ave. The social norms from back then have changed. Violence in video games and on TV have taught the kids that they shoot someone, and they get back up and are in the next game, or on the other side, shoot someone and get a really cool tat on your arm, you'll get out in 10 years and be 'spected by the homies.

Parents today don't take the time with kids like they used to, and kids today don't care much about "the old world" ways. They have Grand Theft Auto and Txt'ng, LOL, KMA and ROFLAMO.

A gun is a gun is a gun, toy or not, to the modern age. Teach them what real guns are, that people stay dead, and if you must give them a toy gun, make sure their mental capacity to tell the difference is there.

There are some DUMB and/or nieve kids and parents around today, thats why I said it the way I did. Parents don't take kids to funerals for fear of real life stigmatizing them, seeing granny dead in the casket will give them lifetime scars. Don't teach them about anything, just take away everything, hide it, keep it locked away...

Bad in school? Don't fret, go to ROTC and write an apology note and life's groovy, we won't tell mom and dad. They believe that real life is the same way. Fourteen years old, shot their best friend because mom and dad never taught them about guns..suddenly in jail and being charged as an adult slap in the face is what they get. They expect to write an apology note and go home, and instead get charged for murder 1 and in a cell with some guy named Bubba or Gunther, and while the gang bangers get out in 10 for good behavior, this poor kids in jail for life due a lack of parenting.

Our society doesn't teach real life hard knocks anymore, we have to worry about Timmy and Sally's fragile little mind. They wind up on the roof of the school, 16 years old, picking off teachers with an AK because mommy and daddy screwed up their lives with reality and made them get a job.

In this politically correct place we call civilization, we've let our kids down. We need to reclaim, stand up, and fix it before things go horribly wrong.

Now back to the Anti admonishment you gave, I am anything but. I have 4 handguns, 6 rifles, 2 girls (12 and 20) that hunt, an anti-gun/anti-hunting (now reformed) wife, CPL in my pocket, 2n'd amendment touting hanger-on of freedoms being taken away from us daily, get in my representatives face and state my case, big loud mouth is me.

Unfortunately, I have to say things the way I do sometimes because dumb parents (not implying anyone here is) raise dumb kids.

And sorry for my rant, but you cannot argue with what I said...

[Shoots2much]

Times do not change, morales do.
No offense but the left has been telling us "times change" to legitimize, what I consider to be, a very twisted agenda.

Its the same theory applied to video games, violent games are said to desensitize.
If the crime rate is any indicator, I have to agree.

[gijoecam]

I have to disagree with the guns are guns are guns comment. As a product of the 80s and 90s, I had the experience growing up of the pre and post computer/first person shooter games to enjoy. I also got to experience the childhood joys of playing cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, just plain war with the other kids in my neighborhood. We'd take over the three adjacent yards and hide around corners, ambush each others from the tree-tops, and argue about who shot who first. As we got older, Duke Nuk'em was just coming out, and we spent hours behind the computer blowing stuff up.

At this same time, my neighbor and one of my best friends went bird and small game hunting with his father pretty regular up in the U.P. My father was an FFL selling guns out of our basement. We used to shoot pistols at the range every couple of months, and reload on the weekends. We were all in cub scouts, and all outdoorsy types.

We all grew up around guns, both fake and real. We all knew the differences, and had responsible adults teaching us the rules. None of us has ever shot another human being, and all of us are well-adjusted men, avid hunters and outdoorsmen, family men, and I think most of us are NRA members as well. Heck, some of us still have those old plastic tommy guns and Uzis we used to play with. I'm hoping my next kid is a boy so I can have someone to pass those toys on to.

The bottom line is that the kids understand the difference between a toy and a real gun, and use them as such. It takes parental guidance, not some societal perception of the norm, to teach these kids what they need to know.

[unclejoe]

Looks like he wrote "just turn to the last number and pop it open" not "just turn to the last number and it pops open" like you quoted BIG difference to me.

If its a gun safe and combos like i've seen at the stores you never "feel" the tumbler hit that last number, so unless you turn that handle you don't know its unlocked.

. . . I stand corrected.

I have an old Mosler safe and it DOES stop at the last number so I was speaking (typing?) from personal experience . . .

[usmcsgt]

So I have a decent size 22 gun gun safe in the bedroom. Bolted to the hardwood floor, and the joists in the wall. It's in a corner so not much prying room. For quick access I've started to do the first 2 numbers of the combination and leave it that way. Just turn to the the last number and pop it open. I have a stay at home wife that loves the idea. I keep a loaded 9MM on the top shelf in it. I also have 3 and 4 year old children. They kinda avoid our room and especially the gun safe since I made it clear when moving it in that it was their "time out box". :) The kids have never shown any interest in it at all, and I've never seen them go in our room to play. Am I bad? or is this a sweet idea? When they start hitting 8-10 years old I'll rethink it. But for now it seems great.

- Joe

I know from personal experience when I was a child that showing interest and being interested in guns is a totally different thing. My brother and I were able to access a shotgun my dad had, played with it and ended up breaking it (which is how dad found out). It could have ended a lot worse. As a parent, it's a hard choice between protection of the family from the outside, and protection of the family from the inside. No one is going to argue that the best way to keep firearms out of the reach of children is to not have them in the home. Second best will be to have them locked up. Neither of these options will allow you to protect your home with a firearm though. I've talked with people who had firearms for protection and either couldn't get them in time because they were in another room, or had their bedside weapon used against them. Having your gun locked up in the basement when you need it isn't going to do you a bit of good. But, with children in the home do not trust your instinct that the children will be safe because they don't seem interested. It only takes once, and the loss of a child is not acceptable. The best prevention is education. Keep in mind, that even though you care about your children and keeping your guns out of their hands, their friends parents might not be as mindful. Educate your kids, teach them gun safety so they will always know. One more thing to keep in mind, "The Cornered Cat" website mentions that keeping a handgun out of the reach of a child is no harder than keeping that firearm on your person (holstered safely) at all times. This solves the quick access and safety issue in on felled swoop.

Food for thought.

[MLG]

Times have changed for many people. I think the thing that has changed the most, involves the adult teaching the child and leading by example.

My dad gave me my first pocket knife when I was about 7 years old with instructions and warnings of using it safely and not for playing with it, or he would take it away. It wasn't long before he saw me being stupid, took it and I never saw it again.

No 2nd chances, no warnings... just did what he warned me that he would do.

That may sound cruel but I can tell you, it was effective. He was a man of his word and didn't put up with any BS. He also didn't care if I was upset or crying and whinning that he was being unfair.

Alot of parents give in to their kids too often and at the wrong times, sending the wrong messages.

I never confused a toy gun for a real one, I played cowboys and indians and war on countless occaisions.. I also watched Wiley Coyote fall off the cliff time after time. Not one time did I ever confuse the "entertainment" component for the Real thing.

If a child is confused about the real thing and the toy thing... Someone did not do their job.

[hopeitsfast]

Times have changed for many people. I think the thing that has changed the most, involves the adult teaching the child and leading by example.

My dad gave me my first pocket knife when I was about 7 years old with instructions and warnings of using it safely and not for playing with it, or he would take it away. It wasn't long before he saw me being stupid, took it and I never saw it again.

No 2nd chances, no warnings... just did what he warned me that he would do.

That may sound cruel but I can tell you, it was effective. He was a man of his word and didn't put up with any BS. He also didn't care if I was upset or crying and whinning that he was being unfair.

Alot of parents give in to their kids too often and at the wrong times, sending the wrong messages.

I never confused a toy gun for a real one, I played cowboys and indians and war on countless occaisions.. I also watched Wiley Coyote fall off the cliff time after time. Not one time did I ever confuse the "entertainment" component for the Real thing.

If a child is confused about the real thing and the toy thing... Someone did not do their job.
Awesome post. Well said sir. :salute: