I have observed that there are two schools of thought regarding storage of a gun used for daily carry.

1) Unload and secure the ammunition separately

2) Leave the gun in the holster and put the holster in the safe

It is my observation that, within both law enforcement and within the carry community, there are people who subscribe to each school of thought.

According to the first school of thought, 1) loaded guns shouldn't be left lying around even if they're lying around in the safe, and besides 2) you should personally be sure your gun is in ready to fire condition before depending upon it, and the only way to do that is to chamber a round.

According to the second school of thought, 1) unholstering, unloading and reloading and reholstering a gun poses some risk of AD even if done correctly, however small, and 2) especially with an auto, all that unloading and rechambering causes wear and tear on the two cartridges in rotation in the chamber which can lead to feeding problems at the worst possible moment, and 3) if you can't trust the security of your safe, get a better safe.

Who's right?

The folks who, like me, leave it loaded in the gun box, I think.

I vote #2 and for the reasons stated.

I would vote for #2 if I had a safe, since I don't and since we have no children and few visitors, they sit quietly in various locations, ready.

One important safety rule is leave guns unloaded when not in use. All the handguns I carry regularly I consider in use unless I am cleaning them or using them for dry practice. If I need a gun out of my storage area ready to go it is stored in a holster. If it is a gun not in use it is in a case, box, or not holstered. All my in use guns are in holsters and have the trigger covered. It is all about safety.

Yup. Sitting, unmoving, in a gun box in the (one would hope) unlikely situation would would need it is "in use," every bit as much (if not as conveniently) as it's "in use" when it's in the holster on the hip or in the pocket.

#2 for any carry gun or quick access gun period.

My method is having two safes. I have a stand up floor safe. that has no loaded guns in it. I have a small shelf size safe that I keep carry guns in,these are loaded.

The way I see it, all guns are always loaded.

I leave my carry gun loaded, in a holster, in a nightstand. I have no children and if I have any vistors and do not have my gun on my person it will be unloaded and cased.

When I put on my gun in the morning, I do a chamber check.

My carry gun goes to the night stand. Since I'm super paranoid of me doing something stupid in my sleep, I do not keep a round in the chamber while it is there.

I don't carry every time I leave my apartment, so I see no need for it to be loaded while I am not home.

My carry gun stays loaded and holstered next to the bed (unless it's on me which it is when I am awake and not at work), my BUG is loaded and holstered on the nightstand (unless it is in my pocket).

The gun under my pillow is loaded, safed and holstered with the hammer back, the rifle behind the bedroom door is loaded and safed, the shotgun in the LR is loaded (10+1 00 Buck) and safed, the desk gun is loaded and holstered, the chair gun is loaded and stowed, the bathroom gun is a revolver (Ziplocked for preservation).

All my other guns are locked up unloaded and most are partially diasassembled. I don't want anyone to think I'm being unsafe after all.

ETA: Oh, and the kitchen gun is under the loaded and stowed under the sink (again, in a Ziplock),

All guns in the safe are unloaded. All social work guns are loaded and holstered when not in the safe. The social Shotgun has a loaded tube empty chamber and is kept out of reach of short people and kids.

Everything is always loaded and I don't mean that figuratively.

AR is the only thing with nothing in the chamber, a 30 round magazine sits in the well with the bolt open and dust cover closed, safety on. Tapping the bolt realease will chamber the first round.

Everything but my most frequent carry is in the safe, locked.

My most frequent carry stays in its holster for the most part, round in chamber over full mag, safety off hammer down (DA/SA) . . . it travels around the abode with me. As I sit at the computer, it is on the coffee table that sits beside my desk chair easy arms reach. When I go to bed it goes with me to sit on top the nightstand. I may go to the bathroom or change a diaper in the other room & leave the pistol in its place, but if I am going to be in a room for any significant ammount of time, it comes with me.

My logic - one of the rules of gun safety is to always treat every gun as if it is loaded . . . and if you adhere to that there is no reason for it to not actually be loaded. When it isn't hypothetically loaded, your apt to actually take care where you point the muzzle and how you interact with the inside of the trigger guard. Good habits are good to cultivate. Conversely, doing the whole unloading and what not is just an excuse to be careless . . . "well it isn't loaded" BANG! Is something I never want in my house.

All guns in our house are unloaded...except the Kel-tec that's never too far away. If my P3 at doesn't buy me enough time to get to the others and load a mag...well, I'm screwed anyway.



I almost hate to talk about my little lesson on treating every gun as a loaded gun...but this happened to three people that should have known better...hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.

Back in the 70's I had a hard sided case to transport my Smith Model 19 with. I always unloaded it...but never lock the case.

i had ordered a set of "Night Sights" that were fairly popular then. When they arrived I went to the gun shop and gave the gunsmith my case, to which he said...it's locked. I never lock that..and opened it up.

He installed the sights and the three of us went to the basement to check them out in the dark. We all three handle the gun. Came back upstairs and when the gunsmith looked down the sights...just past my head...well, I can still see those Super Vel Hollow Points peeking out of the cylinders at me.

I still get chills when I think about how stupid I was to lock the case, thinking that this would remind me the gun was loaded. Since then, I've never left a loaded gun unattended...locked or unlocked.

The "nightstand" gun is always loaded. The guns in the safe are loaded if they're in my carry regimen. My S&W 28-2 is unloaded since I do not carry it. There are no kids in the house. My wife stays away from the guns. Sometimes my son brings his GF and her child over. I know when they are coming and I make double sure every gun is in the safe when the child is here.