Dumb HD questions

[rdsmith3 19]

I am new here. I'm waiting on my FID to purchase a shotgun for HD. I'm thinking through how I am actually going to use this.

 

I have several kids at home, so I will keep the shotgun locked in a gun cabinet that is in my bedroom closet. I have a small flashlight and the cabinet key in a safe place that I can grab quickly so I can get to the shotgun quickly.

 

Should I keep the shotgun loaded while it's in the cabinet? This would save precious time when I need to use it. I don't want to be fumbling in the dark trying to load the shotgun while someone is coming up the stairs. OTOH, what if there is an earthquake -- is it even possible for the shotgun to discharge? (Remington 870)

 

Should I keep extra shells in the same cabinet as the shotgun? I don't really understand the recommendation or conventional wisdom for storing ammo separate from the gun.

 

In the future, I will also be getting a handgun, so there are similar questions regarding that.

 

Thanks.

[Krdshrk 3,878]

I keep my Mossberg loaded with 5 in the tube, but none in the chamber and the safety is on. That should be sufficient for you if it's locked up in the cabinet.

[lunker 274]

The pump shotgun has the excellent quality of quick and sure chambering in a motion that requires only gross motor skills. Like Nick said, fill the tube up with ammo. If you ever need it in a hurry, it should be an automatic reflex that you rack it. This leaves it unable to be accidentally fired when in your safe. I would leave the safety off on the shotgun, as the fine motor skills required to manipulate a safety might be lacking in a quick response situation.

My answer for handguns would depend on what kind you would leave in the safe (i.e. single/double action, double action only, single action only, striker fired, etc).

 

 

Oh, and not a dumb question at all. A pretty thoughtful one.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

 

 

Oh, and not a dumb question at all. A pretty thoughtful one.

 

 

You know that sounds just so different with your new Avatar, but I do agree, good questions.

[PDM 91]

It all comes down to your personal comfort level and situation -- what are your kids like, how old are they, how responsible are they, have you openly discussed firearms with them and why they should never go near one without you around, etc. I have three kids (13 and under) and personally feel comfortable leaving my Remington 870 (plain vanilla with a wooden stock, 18" replacement barrel) loaded with 4 rounds in the tube but without a round in the chamber in my gun cabinet just as others have suggested. I have a buttstock sleeve with another 5 rounds on the gun. Also, keep in mind that you have the option of setting the 870 so that you won't be able to rack the slide without engaging the slide release. My cabinet has a key lock, which is kept in a small combination key safe right on top of the cabinet. I didn't feel comfortable leaving my key anywhere my kids could potentially easily get to it, and didn't think I'd be able to have on my person at all times. I can get to it in under 30 seconds. I depend on having some advanced warning of a break-in via my alarm system which is armed every night. I recommend hanging a light on the 870 using a barrel clamp, with a pressure pad attached. Makes for an affordable, reliable and very effective HD gun without all the tacticool doo dads. Good luck and stay safe!

[rdsmith3 19]

Thanks for the responses. So if I keep the magazine fully loaded, but the chamber empty, then I'll still have six shells at my disposal. The "drawback" to this for HD, depending on your perspective, is that I would be racking the slide to get the first round in the chamber. This sound will either send the bad guy running in terror or alert him to where I am. Perhaps I am over-thinking this.

 

Right now the keys for the locked cabinet are in a very inaccessible place, but when my youngest son, 5, gets older I may have to re-think this. He is an extremely inquisitive and resourceful child (he has already hacked my password for iTunes and cracked the PIN for his sister's iPad, and he cannot read yet).

 

With the chamber empty, there shouldn't be any accidental discharge.

[jgofnj 5]

I would be more inclined to believe the sound of a shotgun being racked would scare the daylights out of any thief. Most probably think a home in NJ won;t even have a gun at all.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

I would be more inclined to believe the sound of a shotgun being racked would scare the daylights out of any thief. Most probably think a home in NJ won;t even have a gun at all.

 

 

I agree that sound should stop most people in there tracks, but you have no idea what sized can of worms you just opened with that comment..

 

No, nothing bad, but the racking of a shotgun to scare people away has been :thsmiley_deadhorse: :thsmiley_deadhorse:

[Dan 177]

I agree with others, keep it loaded, empty chamber. One quick rack and you are ready to defend yourself and your family.

 

Personally I'm not with the whole key thing. If you are going to do that, make sure you practice getting at the shotgun quickly with your flashlight and key. maybe set the alarm for 3:30am and use that as your "go get shotgun" exercise a few nights a month until it becomes a memory reflex.

 

My BR HD gun is a HG in a Gunvault Mini. The little electronically controlled lockboxes that uses finger-push input to open. It is all tactile, and you do not need any lights to use it, of course provided you can get your hand on the safe... like being right on your bedstand. Check it out.

[rdsmith3 19]

 

Personally I'm not with the whole key thing. If you are going to do that, make sure you practice getting at the shotgun quickly with your flashlight and key. maybe set the alarm for 3:30am and use that as your "go get shotgun" exercise a few nights a month until it becomes a memory reflex.

 

 

 

I hear you. It's not my ideal scenario, either, but I'm just getting into firearm ownership and my money is going mostly to firearm(s), ammo, training, and range membership. A fancy safe is not in the budget yet.

 

I filed a notch in the top of the key so that I will have it turned the right way in the dark. The safe is only about three steps from my side of the bed. I have several other security measures in place that should give me some warning.

[dave545 15]

I hear you. It's not my ideal scenario, either, but I'm just getting into firearm ownership and my money is going mostly to firearm(s), ammo, training, and range membership. A fancy safe is not in the budget yet.

 

I filed a notch in the top of the key so that I will have it turned the right way in the dark. The safe is only about three steps from my side of the bed. I have several other security measures in place that should give me some warning.

^^^

not the best idea IMO a safe is invaluable to a firearm owner. a gun cabinet is light enough that it makes taking all of someones guns at once easier. i would suggest maybe cutting one firearm out of the budget and investing in a safe. Costco normally has some on sale for 500$ and they are 24 gun safes that are fire proof and weigh over 500 lbs. a wall cabinet is fine for what yo are thinking about with the shotgun but not as good for multiple gun and long term storage

[LorenzoS 100]

This might not be the answer you are looking for, but I believe a handgun is a better option for home defense for someone new to firearms. A long gun definitely has more terminal performance but also is more difficult to manipulate in close quarters, move through the house to find your kids if necessary, or to use one handed so the other hand is free to use a light, phone to call 911, open a door etc. Plus, you can get a quick access pistol safe from Vline or Gunvault that is affordable and will properly secure it from your kids while allowing reasonably efficient access.

 

I would say get yourself set up and trained with a handgun, then move on to the long gun after that.

[dave545 15]

lorenzo i have to argue ur opinion. a long gun might be larger but in the dead of night when you are just waking up and also have an amazing amount of adrenaline pumping aiming a hand gun accurately is to say the least hard. with a shotgun you will not have to aim as much as point since there is a much larger area that you can hit with a shotgun if using buckshot. down the road a handgun could be used but not in the beginning due to inexperience and difficulty of using a pistol in the dark when you cant see the sights and your hand is shaking like crazy from adrenaline. IMO

[lunker 274]

At ten feet, 00 buck pattern is still the size of a baseball. It's not that much bigger than a bullet. People think that they can just have the barrel of a shotgun pointed in the general direction, and it ain't so. Birdshot will pattern nicely, but doesn't have the terminal performance. It is worth researching to find what size buck/bird shot will give the best combination of spread and penetration.

[dave545 15]

yes at 10 feet it is still small but thats better than a dime and also if you are more than 10 feet maybe in the living room or down a hallway your pattern will expand very fast

[Dan 177]

One of the other posted made a good point as well... using a longgun for HD requires the use of two hands to use it effectively. You need to free up a hand to open doors and hold your flashlight (assume the badguys cut the power and phone lines of course).

 

I suppose if your plan is to barricade in the bedroom in a defensive position, it would work well. If you need to leave the room and protect family , I feel a longgun becomes a liability. Just my opinion.

 

You can get a decent HG for a little more money over a shotgun. You don't have to spend a fortune on a HG. Even going for a good used HG would suffice. Add in a $100 for a Gunvault and you have a quick, safe, and easy way to access it.

[lunker 274]

I agree. I just wanted to make a point that a shotgun is not a smart bomb. it still needs to be manipulated with precision, and that 00 buck may not be the best ammo choice for everyone.

[dave545 15]

Agreed whole hearted you still have to be able to handle the firearm and also i feel that sometimes a pump action shotgun is one of the easiest firearms to learn how to use i like 00 for the size and count but others might like smaller but i am very confident with my abilities with a shotgun

[LorenzoS 100]

I think in a situation where you are hunkered down in your safe room, barrel pointed at the door while you wait for the police, a long gun is for sure the way to go. But I also think that if you are forced to be on the move, like to go get your kid, the long gun becomes more problematic to use and requires much more training to manage effectively.

 

I am certainly not the final authority on this but that's my humble opinion. I think we're all agreeing for sure that it's most important to get proper training before considering yourself ready for either situation.

[dave545 15]

i can agree with if you are holding your child a pistol would be much easier to handle and i bet we could :thsmiley_deadhorse: for hours with different scenarios lol

[bulpup 98]

I like this.

http://wwww.mossberg.com/content.asp?id=519

 

keyed, I don't know about kIds and keys though. When i was a kid, if I saw this I would learn to pick the lock. You might have a few years before that happens.

 

I personally prefer a handgun for HD. The ability to extend or retract the bangy end without pointing it at the ground is just what I need for going around the corners in my house. In a different house it might not matter so much. When we did room clearing in the Army you are very aware that if you do it wrong someone WILL grab or deflect the barrel.

 

Without going into to much detail, look into "slicing the pie.". You should know the basics of it regardless of your situation. Then consider your house and its corners. What type of weapon would be easier to manuver in your house?

 

Then get some training. HD with any firearm when there is a kid in the house is an awesome responsibility and the onus is on you to learn best practices, if not become fully proficient.