rojasj

I'm wondering if I Can get some advice on the safest way to store a loaded shotgun. have a Sentry Home Defense center and the shotgun is stored in there. However being a newbie to firearms and also having a seven year old girl I want to be sure that y shotgun is loaded and ready but at the same time safe from accidental discharge.

I plan on keeping the magazine tube fully loaded and of course the safety in the on position so that the trigger cannot be accidentally pulled. My thought is too keep the forend closest to the receiver so that the bolt is all the way in the receiver and I can visually see that a shell is not loaded and ready. Is this safe or somewhat unsafe?

Please feel free to correct any terms I may not have used correctly.

tx gun runner

The 1st thing to do is to take your girl out with you when shoot it and maybe blowup a watermelon to her show the damage it will do. 2nd thing NEVER have ammo in that shotgun for any reason in the house around children . Lock shotgun in a safe and lock ammo up in a different room . The only loaded firearm in that house must be carried on your person . Remember the ammo alone can harm someone if not handle properly . NEVER hide a gun , lock it up if you have children . You can go to a gun shop or police station and get a FREE lock cable for your gun . Even teen's will play with them when your not home ,

303Lithgow

I only keep one loaded firearm (pistol) in the house and if its not on me its in an unlocked drawer. No children are in the house but on the rare occasions someone comes over Its on me or I lock it in a drawer and lock the hobby room. Don't rule out putting a bolt lock on your bedroom door.

tx gun runner

Like this

Beerman

Couldnt have said it better.

303Lithgow

Similar but a little differant. This uses the same key as to the front door but other keys to the front door will not open this doors. That way I only need one key but guests get a key that won't work here.



Scratches on the door is from my cat who figured out how to open it. He hates it when I'm in the hobby room with the door closed.

Bustah_c

Good advice all around.

rojasj

Thanks for the advice folks and please excuse my ignorance with my next question. If my shotgun is for home protection (I guess I should have stated that before) shouldn't it be kept with the safety on and shells in the magazine tube but not in the receiver?

Let's say that for someone were to get into our single level home I don't think I would have enough time to load the shotgun before the intruder is upon me or the family.

Thanks again....

303Lithgow

A shotgun for primary home protection in your situation might not be the best solution. A pistol carried on you might be better. I don't have kids in my home but don't keep the shotgun loaded because I don't think unattended firearms should be loaded. A shotgun three doors down whether its loaded or not isn't going to do you much good. The time to get to it will be a lot longer than the time it takes to load it.

Plus I think your idea of having a round in the tube but not chambered with the action open requires less effort than if the round was in the tube but the action closed. So for safety its better to have the action closed. Plus it keeps it cleaner. Few people store firearms with the action open. At least I don't.

But you are on the right track thinking this all through.

north country gal

That's a tough call and entirely your decision.

With kids in the house, though, I vote for keeping the gun locked up, preferably in a gun safe. You could keep the shotgun in the safe, in that condition, certainly, but I, myself, would not be comfortable having any gun in the house that is not locked up and totally inaccessible when there are kids, around. If you get a gun safe with a keypad lock, you can get the safe open very quickly. Won't take any more time than digging the gun out of a closet or other hiding place and then messing with a cable lock.

303Lithgow

I often will keep my safe and steel firearm cabinet locked but with the key in the lock. It makes it quick and easy to get to and also quick and easy to grab the key and go. But that might not work in your situation.

tx gun runner

I NEVER recomment a shotgun for home defense it is too hard to carry around room from room and if it is more then 6 steps from you it is useless , you will be dead before you get to it if they kick your door in . . A loaded shotgun in a house with children is a NO NO in my book . The only loaded gun in a house with children is a pistol you are carrying on your person or locked in a mini-vault which no key is needed like in paste .

http://www.gunvault.com/minivault-gv1000s.html

rojasj

I'm with you on keeping unattended firearms unloaded. It's locked in a safe in my closet. I guess the visual security of being able to see an empty action just makes me feel better since I'm still new to this and dumb mistakes are a no no. But you're right if I keep the action closed I have to release the action control and the saftey. If I keep the action open all that needs to happen is for the forend to slide up and a round is loaded.

rojasj

Oh no, the shotgun would be in the safe where it now lives. There is no way on earth I would keep loaded just laying around especially with a kid in the house. I guess I should have stated that the 870 lives in a gun safe that is closed. The safe is in my closet which is right next to our bed. My Guillema is whether or not I should keep it in the safe with ammo in the magazine tube or not.

rojasj

Yup I'll be geeitng one of those for my S&W M&P as soon a it gets back from S&W.

303Lithgow

I don't store any of my firearms loaded yet all firearms should be treated like they are loaded.

rojasj

I agree 100% on treating all firearms as they are loaded. When I take the shotgun out of the safe I know it's not loaded but I do not let my guard down. The safety is always on, I quadruple check it to be sure it is not loaded and then I still point it in a safe direction with my finger off the trigger. I do not allow our daughter to be near it when it is out and she has to be in another room clear away from the shotgun. If I move it I point it at the floor away from my feet. I'd rather loose part of my floor than anyone.

Terry_P

Locked in the safe then your idea of shells in the pipe with none in the chamber isn't out of the question as long as you don't forget it's loaded and give no one else (friends, etc,) access without first unloading. I personally don't keep guns loaded in my safe but that is just my own rule as I have a couple revolvers around in the house ready to go but we have no children in the home and it is just my wife and myself. When the relatives grandkids come over then everything is unloaded and in the safe. Any surprise visitors with kids don't get in the house until I have unloaded and stored everything in the safe. They don't like it then don't surprise me.

tx gun runner

This is my house carry holster . You can slide or shift to any position and it being high it don't get in the way of any task you need to do . I forget I have it on . I switched back to my Glock 27 for house carry and I carry my Glock 23C for my CCW outside .