Guns in the home

sunset+skies

DH hunts, so he has two guns and a crossbow in the house. All are locked up, in the basement, and the ammo is stored separately.

I love target shooting, and if handguns weren't so damned hard to get a permit for in Canada, I would own one. But again, it would be stored in a safe manner.

 My son will be taught gun safety, and will very likely be taught to shoot from a young age, and allowed to go hunting with his dad and grandfather when he's old enough. 

karypetersen

We are a gun family! I have my CHL and I carry, full loaded, at all times. In my purse and car. I have some with a safety and some without and it depends on where I am going for which one I will carry. We don't plan to change the way we handle and carry guns but to teach gun safety at an early age. The guns we have in the house are fully loaded but in a gun safe that only my husband and I have keys to. When I come home my gun moves from my purse to another safe in my nightstand that is unlocked either by my key or a code.

Also the sign I have hanging on the front of my house says "We don't dial 911" with a gun hanging from the bottom of it. Needless to say, not many people come up to our house since the sign was placed!

Yep, I am from Texas!  

ccorso

We have guns - they are locked up in one place with the amo in another.  I don't have an issue with it if they are stored properly

ikissedthecook

ashleah83:

ikissedthecook:

ashleah83:

luvbeingmom:

ikissedthecook:

However, I kind of like the idea of having a rifle or shot gun in the house, not so much for protection, but if we ever find ourselves in an apocolyptic type situation, we may need to hunt for food. I would want our family to have the tools neccessary to survive. I know that sounds completely outlandish and insane, but really, you never know.

exactly... i'd like to be prepared in zombie apocalypse or government take over 

 

Did you read Pride, Prejudice and Zombies???

I've seen it in the bookstores, and I really almost bought it but decided at the last minute it would probably be stupid and put it down. Is it a decent read?

It was silly but fun. I think if you like Pride & Prejudice you would like it, but if you don't it really is the same story.  Also I really liked The Other Boleyn Girl and Hunger Games but (don't all shoot me) I did not like Twilight.  If that gives you a sense of whether or not I have similar taste to you.

Stephanie Meyers, I think that's her name, can NOT write. I read the books, and I don't know why I continued after the first one other than pure curiosity, and her repetitve word use drove me bonkers!

caruso_60

There is an unloaded, locked up, handgun in my home when DH is home.  It's his gun for work.   I don't know where he keeps it.  My DH does not want us to have a gun in the home for protection.  He jokes that I will use it on him by mistake one night when he gets home from work.  (Sometimes I have no clue what day and what time he will get home)   I do not have a lot of experience with guns, so I would rather not have one in the house for protection.  I've got two very large, very loud, dogs.  If that doesn't deter someone I guess I'm screwed.  

JaqiDec04

DH and I have discussed this on numerous occasions. He wants to purchase a shotgun. Mostly, they are easy to shoot, load, and perfect aim isnt really required. Not to mention, the noise of you loading it alone would probably scare an intruder away.

We had guns in our home growing up. I never touched it. Not once. The consequences would have been severe. And the there were no firing pins in them anyway. Dad used them for hunting. 

justme04

I grew up on a farm so of course there were guns around.  Most of my family were hunters.  And I spent a couple of nights in my teenage years sleeping in the barn with a shotgun in the middle of winter to keep a watch out for coyotes.  I've also sat in the garden to knock off rabbits and groundhogs.  Taken care of a few raccoons in my time too.

My husband also grew up with guns.  Together we've decided that we don't want guns in our home....at least for the time being.  Perhaps we are more trusting in the "home defenese" topic since we both grew up in the country and now live outside a city

jengon

I come from Houston and DH comes from San Francisco, but we now live in a small town in AZ. I've never liked having guns in a house with kids. A friend of mine was accidently killed playing with one when I was about 14. But for safety I would consider it as long as safety classes were taken by the whole family (of course when baby gets old enough). DH wants one so bad, but I don't see the point since we live in a small town now. His mind still thinks in city life and I do too, but its just not as needed around here IMO. Still something I'm thinking over, but really don't want to do.

nicsigni

For us, it's a big fat NO. The idea of gun/children accidents scares the crap out of me!

We both grew up in the same town where mostly everyone hunts and has guns (including most of my family and our friends), but thankfully we both agree 100% on this issue. No guns for us.

The only possible reason for us to have one anyway would be "safety", but as PP said, by the time someone broke in and I ran to get the gun, unlocked whatever box it was in, got the bullets from wherever they were locked, loaded it... that would take quite some time.

Edited for grammar because I am brain dead today!

pumpkin_head

MH loves guns and needs them for his line of work.  He keeps them very far out of reach and under lock and key.  However, I do still feel a bit uneasy with them being in the house.

bunnyc1246

We have also been thinking about the guns in the home idea. My family didnt have any in the house, but my grandpa always let us shoot his once we were old enough. So Dh and I both know how to handle a gun properly, however, I dont think I would feel 100% safe with the gun being in the house unless it was under lock and key. We also live in a suburb outside of Houston, and Ive heard about the break ins and stuff. Well the tailgate off our truck got stolen a couple months ago so dh put up some motion lights out front. Then my car was left unlocked and my stuff got stolen out of it. ( yes my fault) so lately ive just not been feeling as safe, even in my little suburb, so we are considering getting a handgun and keeping it somewhere safe locked up, but easily accesible.

lynn97

gymnst1013:

We have a zillion.  OK I may be overstating, but MH is somewhat of a collector.  Most are locked away in his office as they are not the sort for home protection, but he does keep one in his office drawer.  I don't think it's loaded.

Our son will be taught gun safety from an early age and the one that we do have not locked away will not be readily accessible to him.

I think as long as the proper precautions are taken and the kids are taught safety and to respect the guns, there should be no problem.  I'm not at all concerned personally.

 

I feel the same way. I did insist on a gun safe which has already been ordered and will be stored in our detached garage. It will be locked at all times and our kid(s) will not have access to it.

jcsumm0

Wow, a lot more people own guns than I would have thought.

I have never touched a gun, and will never have one in my house.

And yes, my house has been broken into.  Does not change my mind a bit.

1momma

If we ever move off base, we would have at least a handgun in the house in a safe in the closet.  Any shotguns would be locked up somewhere else. 

amberpro

I don't have a problem with guns in the home.  I was raised with hunting rifles in the house (not handguns) and so was H.  We don't have any guns in our home now, but did when H worked as a police officer.  

 However... my mom works in insurance.  She has had MANY cases of gun accidents in the home.  She had said that of all the cases she has handled, the ones involving children mishandling the guns were NOT the children of the gun owners but friends.  Friends of the children who have not received that same gun education as the gun owner's child.  Now how I'm sure this, too, is preventable by proper gun storage, but I still found it an interesting point.  

ensorensen

We have multiple guns in our house and we plan on keeping them.  I have a conceled weapon permit and have taken gun saftey classes.  We have a gun cabinet that locks, although, we do have a couple guns around the house (in my closet and in my husbands closet).  I think as long as you are safe and responsible about it its fine.  My husband and I both grew up with guns in the house.  Once our daughter starts getting into stuff and walking around we will probably reconsider the guns in the closet and put them in the gun cabinet.

nicsigni

amberpro:

 However... my mom works in insurance.  She has had MANY cases of gun accidents in the home.  She had said that of all the cases she has handled, the ones involving children mishandling the guns were NOT the children of the gun owners but friends.  Friends of the children who have not received that same gun education as the gun owner's child.  Now how I'm sure this, too, is preventable by proper gun storage, but I still found it an interesting point.  

This frustrates and terrifies me. So I have to now teach my kid about guns because she might go over to a friend's house where there is a gun? And even if it is stored properly, when the kid gets older he or she will probably know how/be able to get it out and possibly "show it off" to friends. That's how accidents happen.

I hate guns.

And flame away, but I can't stand when people say (or post all over facebook) "guns don't kill people, people kill people."

Also, does this post make anyone else think of that scene from the sixth sense?

BellaBleu23

I don't believe in alarm systems, other than monitored smoke/fire alarms.  Most police departments these days will not even respond on house alarms unless certain circumstances are met due to the high number of false alarms.  Most alarm companies won't even report your alarm to the police for 10-20 minutes after it goes off (of course, they're not telling you this when they're signing you up!).  The fire dept, on the other hand, is required to immediately respond on all alarms.

That being said, I do believe in home protection, and we have multiple guns in the house.  I keep a shotgun and shells in my bedroom closet.  DH has several shotguns and rifles.  I bought him a handgun as a gift and he keeps it, loaded, safety on, in a lockbox in his nightstand.  PP are right that it's not for everyone - you have to be sure that in an emergency you could and would actually use the firearm to protect yourself.  As in, could you shoot someone?  And could you handle the investigation that would follow?

Our children will be taught gun safety.  

sunset+skies

jcsumm0:

Wow, a lot more people own guns than I would have thought.

I have never touched a gun, and will never have one in my house.

And yes, my house has been broken into.  Does not change my mind a bit.

I wasn't that surprised, but I'm Canadian, and my only extended stay in the US was 2 months in San Antonio, Texas. While I was there, about 85% of the people I encountered were carrying, or had one in their car, so the whole "Americans all have guns" stereotype was reinforced for me.  

 

cookierlr1

I have been amongst guns my whole life, my dad had about a dozen of them because he was an avid hunter. They were always very securely locked up and I'm guessing most of them were probably at my grandparents because I never knew they existed until I was older. I actually kind of want one more now that we are having a baby because I would want my DH to be able to protect him under whatever means necessary. I think if you are incredibly careful with it then there shouldn't be an issue.

js748899

I have been around guns my whole life. I think I was about 6 the first time I shot a gun. We have a shot gun and two hand guns in our house. The shot gun is in a case under the bed and both hand guns are loaded and in my husbands night stand. I feel 100% fine with having them there and ready to be used if need be. We both work nights and there are some nights where I am home all by myself and feel much safer knowing I have them. This will especially be true when I am here alone with our son and MH has to go back to work.

We both really enjoy shooting. It is something we do a lot as a hobby. I also have my concealed deadly weapon permit. We will teach our son gun safety at a very early age and will move the guns from the nigtstand once he is up and able to move around...but they will still be loaded and ready to fire. I feel very strongly about the right to protect yourself and your family.

The only way to feel comfortable around guns is to educate yourself. If you know how it works, comes apart, fires etc. you will not be timid or scared of them.

ChristinaMT4

sunset+skies:

jcsumm0:

Wow, a lot more people own guns than I would have thought.

I have never touched a gun, and will never have one in my house.

And yes, my house has been broken into.  Does not change my mind a bit.

I wasn't that surprised, but I'm Canadian, and my only extended stay in the US was 2 months in San Antonio, Texas. While I was there, about 85% of the people I encountered were carrying, or had one in their car, so the whole "Americans all have guns" stereotype was reinforced for me.  

 

 

It's definitely regional. I live in California and there isn't a big gun culture here. I know people who own them, but only a few and most are in law enforcement. It's also very, very difficult to get a concealed weapon permit in this state. I think you can only do it for work. My dad is a P.I. and had the option of getting one but chose not to. He's a former cop so he's carried before and is familiar with guns, but he doesn't like them at all.

Sunidaze

Honestly doesn't bother me at all...the house I grew up in had plenty of guns (not locked up, either).  DH has several guns and only within the last year bought a gun safe (it has a keypad to gain access - can't imagine a child would figure out the code too easily).

hoppermommy

We have them and only recently got a safe.  DH grew up with them and I always knew my dad had a couple.  I think it is like anything else that is a potential hazard for children, you have to teach them about it and make sure they aren't in any dangerous situations.  Just like you wouldn't leave chemicals lying around for your child to ingest, you don't leave a gun sitting around for them to shoot themselves.  It is another thing IMO that falls under parental supervision and responsibility.