Should Your Home Defense Weapon Be Loaded?

[G8rHunter]

I was watching a video a few minutes ago and saw the the ten commandments of firearm safety by Remington. The 2nd commandment reads, "Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use." Maybe this commandment doesn't apply if you have it as a dedicated home defense weapon, then keeping it loaded means it has an ongoing potential use. I don't have children at home or I might think differently about whether I keep my gun loaded or unloaded. If I wake up hearing a noise and it's a prowler who has broken into my home, it seems too late to scramble to find the ammo for my gun. Why have a home defense weapon if it remains unloaded? I am open to everyone's thinking, and I did a search but found nothing on here to answer my question.

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[slimmer13]

Yes. Loaded and chambered. My HD gun is also my carry pistol though, so I never load or unload it except when shooting it.

 

[surevaliance]

Yes. Loaded and chambered. My HD gun is also my carry pistol though, so I never load or unload it except when shooting it.

Yep.
G26 gen.3: with spare mag - during the day; with "happy stick" - on the night stand.

 

[Rickenbacher39]

If your gun isn't loaded it is just a club.

 

[Alexx1401]

I was watching a video a few minutes ago and saw the the ten commandments of firearm safety by Remington. The 2nd commandment reads, "Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use." .

What you are reading is Lawyers. No gun Co is going to tell you different. Since we have become a society where every time someone does something stupid, they sue someone else.

 

[Pops1911]

Yep!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

It all depends on your household situation.
For me and where and how we live...I keep our house gun loaded.
What works in one household may not work in another...It is not my place to tell someone else what they need to do in their home...
Andy

 

[Camelfilter]

Cooper advocated four basic rules of gun safety:

• All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are.
• Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. ...
• Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. ...
• Identify your target, and what is behind it.

 

[Geardo]

My HD AR is loaded, 2x 30 rd mags with mag coupler.

CCW pistol on bed side table, full size pistol on battle belt under bedside table, next to armor.

Some of that will have to change with kiddos! Thinking concealed lockable safe inset into wall next to bed.

 

[No_Regerts]

I keep a loaded shotgun, with the safety on, on each level of the house at all times. My "bedside" gun is my edc pistol and it is either next to me as I sleep or on my hip. Every defensive firearm I own has a light attached.

 

[Cummins Diesel]

Condition 1 whether on my persons or on my nightstand- 24/7.

 

[officially5150]

Having little ones I've found that I sacrifice speed for the assurance that my firearms are not accessible by them and it's a give and take I am more than happy to live with,
Too many stories and situations with kids having access to firearms and ending so many lives in just one moment.
But every situation is different.
My firearms loaded status is one I hope no one ever has to find out.

 

[nammac]

Yes. Loaded and chambered. My HD gun is also my carry pistol though, so I never load or unload it except when shooting it.

^^^This... Plain and simple.

 

[Cummins Diesel]

Having little ones I've found that I sacrifice speed for the assurance that my firearms are not accessible by them and it's a give and take I am more than happy to live with,
Too many stories and situations with kids having access to firearms and ending so many lives in just one moment.
But every situation is different.
My firearms loaded status is one I hope no one ever has to find out.

I concur. Having raised 3 boys, I never left a firearm unattended. However, they saw my sidearm everyday and I taught them gun safety as soon as I felt they were ready. They are now young adults with families of their own. I keep my "tools" secure when they come over.

 

[CountryGent]

Yes. A defensive piece is worthless unloaded. With our situation we have had to take extra steps to insure they are secured, but quickly accessible to the adults. Non-defensive guns are unloaded before entering the home and locked up.

 

[TTSX]

All guns loaded all the time.

 

[UnionMillsNW]

Besides revolvers my home guns are "Condition 3" (magazine inserted no round in chamber) when I am home. My carry gun is Condition 1 when I leave the house.

One thing that was instilled early on by an old Marine Master Sergeant was "if the weapon isn't within arms reach you aren't in control". So anything that isn't in the room with me goes into the safe. This is a good rule for child safety too.

I believe it was the Portland Mall shooter that stole a rifle out of a friend's closet. That would be devastating to any of us (with the caveat being it's also important to not invite unstable people into your home)

So if the firearm is in use (i.e. in the room with you) then the gun should be loaded. Otherwise I believe it should be unloaded and locked up.

If there are other angles I haven't considered I'd love to hear some different perspectives and feedback.

Safe shooting!

 

[Mooseman]

I keep the gun Loaded without a round in the chamber for semi-autos , pump shotgun , and Bolt action rifles. It takes 1/2 a second to put a round in Battery ready to fire. My Duty / Security weapon is loaded and its DA for the first shot and ready to go , in my Vest Holster, hanging right inside my vault door ready to put on and run out the door. My revolvers are loaded and in the vault with the rest, My Ar-15's are all empty chambers with full mags. No kids to worry about here....

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Always. I think their rules are more for legal liability and ND reasons.

But for home defense, those extra seconds to load could be the winning or losing factor in an armed home invasion.

Best to have one firearm GTG.
I dont do the shotgun/rifle stuff anymore.. (Or do I?)
Mostly just a pistol I keep around me while home suffices for HD purposes.

*Note, I dont have young children or many guests over so its not an issue with my life style. If I had small children Id have a safe system in place so they couldn't get to it. Sadly, a family I know just suffered a loss of a child due to a loaded firearm with easy access. As pro 2A as I am Id have a hard time having anything within reach of a young kid.. young kids 6 and under just dont know better despite firearm safety education.
For most, nothing sticks when they are that young.

 

[Mister Bisley]

Most definitely and in more than one flavor