Safe Gun Storage With Kids at Home: The Safe We Use
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If there are little ones in your house, here is the question: where does it go when you're not holding it?
I'm not here to tell anyone whether to own a firearm. That's your call. This post is for the families who do, and who want the storage part handled without the guesswork.
So here is the short version of safe storage, the safe we use in our own bedroom, and how to pick one that fits your house.
Safe gun storage, the short version
The American Academy of Pediatrics keeps it simple for homes with kids:
Locked. Every time, not most of the time.
Unloaded.
Ammunition stored separately.
Two more things worth knowing.
Hiding it is not storing it. Kids are curious, and they find things. The AAP says tragedies have happened when kids found guns their parents thought were well hidden.
Talking to your kids matters, and it is not enough on its own. Have the talk. Then lock it up anyway.
And one question to ask before a playdate: is there an unlocked gun where my child will be playing? It feels awkward for about four seconds. Ask it anyway.
Read the AAP's guidance for parents →
What we use: the bed drawer safe
HOLEWOR sent us their slider safe to try. Ours is mounted in the bed drawer with the mount it came with.
Here is what I can tell you from setting it up:
You can unlock it three ways: key, code, or fingerprint.
Setting it up is super easy. One button underneath, then one to set the code and two to set the fingerprint.
It doesn't move when the drawer opens.
It comes with the batteries, and even the screwdriver for the battery compartment.
Close enough to reach. Locked away from little fingers.
Watch it in our bed drawer
Video not loading? Watch it on Instagram →
The pick: the HOLEWOR slider safe with the display, for beside the bed.
HOLEWOR makes more than one. Pick by where it needs to live.
The slider is the only one I've had my hands on. The rest of these come straight from the listings, so read the details before you buy.
Beside the bed, without the display
The same slider style, minus the screen. The listing says it opens by fingerprint, passcode or key, the bracket mounts left or right, and there's an extra slot for a magazine.
See the slider without the display →
Under a desk or a nightstand
This one drops down instead of sliding out. The listing shows three ways to mount it: on the left, on the right or from the top. It opens by fingerprint, passcode or backup key.
One you can carry from room to room
A lock box with a handle. The listing gives it fingerprint, passcode and backup keys, a light inside, and a USB-C port for backup power if the batteries die.
Small, with a security cable
The smallest of the group. The listing puts it at 11.4 x 7.1 x 2.5 inches and 4.65 pounds. It opens by fingerprint and comes with a steel cable, so you can tether it to something solid.
See the small safe with the cable →
Room for two
The listing calls this one a two-handgun safe. Fingerprint, keypad and an emergency key, an LCD display, and a steel security cable.
How to choose, in four questions
Where will it live? Bed frame, nightstand, desk, closet or car. That decides slider, drop-down or portable.
Who needs to open it? These fingerprint safes store more than one print, so both adults can get in. Keep the backup keys where the kids can't reach them, and not in the same drawer.
Will it stay put? Mount it or cable it. A lock box a child can carry off is only half done.
What does your state require? Storage laws are different from state to state. Look yours up.
One small step for today
Walk through your house at kid height. Look where a curious four-year-old would look. If you find something that should be locked and isn't, that's your one thing for today.
If a safe isn't in the budget this month, start with what you can do now. Project ChildSafe lays out the storage options.
See Project ChildSafe's storage options →
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