DC trying to get around the Heller ruling.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by KC911

I don't keep loaded guns everywhere, and I don't have kids around, but I do keep at least one loaded (.45 ACP) but not one in the chamber, and it's not easily found nor accessible, so I find that prudent in my circumstances. Most of mine are seperated from the ammo, and I probably wouldn't be as comfortable keeping a loaded revolver, but an "accident" simply isn't going to happen with the .45...it'd be an "on purpose" . I'm a nut when it comes to firearm safety...haven't picked one up without checking the chamber in 40 years, but imo some of the "rules" are for casual owners to adhere to, and they probably should.

I'd agree with this. One gun loaded, nothing in the chamber, inaccessible to just anybody.

Rick, I don't really think you're an idiot. Just another misguided conservative. Still kidding. But I just don't like to hear people talking as if their homes are littered with loaded handguns. Yes, I have a respect for guns that is similar to what Jeff described. And I like guns. I have killed many game animals. My household decisions are a function of my understanding of both guns......and humans. Indeed, sometimes you guys talk as if you are not aware of the frequency with which people are killed by their own guns. Same attitude as 18 year-old boys. Yes, you understand the danger (you say), but you KNOW it can't happen to you. And you think the gubmit is poised to take away everyone's guns. Get real. One loaded gun, nothing in the chamber, out of reach of anyone but myself......is a far as I will go in my own home. I can't tell you guys what to do, but this is my suggestion.

[Rick Lee]

If I ever have kids, I will keep my night table gun unchambered then. I think I was probably 9-10 yrs. old before I was strong enough to rack the slide back on my dad's night table Commander, though I never even thought about doing it without his permission. I have an accessible, ready-to-go handgun in two far corners of the house, one my home office, where I spend most of my day and the other the bedroom where I spend most of my night. There have been a lot of home invasions in Phoenix recently. Police don't do anything about those except take the report after it's all done. I'm not paranoid, but I'll never bet my life on a police response time when I can have a handgun within reach most of the time. There are far more things to worry about than guns. Swimming pools and cars with drivers on cell phones are exponentially more dangerous and more common.

[Superman]

I accept that. Again, I'm not categorically dismissing loaded guns in a house. I'm just EXTREMELY respectful. Respect bordering on fear. If someone's attitude toward them were less than that, then I would say there is a problem.

Higgins talks as if there were loaded guns lying everywhere around his house. I know him better than that. I think. Regardless of the degree of respect, regardless of the hours of training, loaded guns sprinkled around a house means someone is going to get hurt or killed. Hiding them in drawers reduces, but does not eliminate, that risk.

Enough. You guys understand guns and the danger. I assume, and believe, that appropriate precautions are taken within your households. And even if they were not, it's your household. 'nuff said.

[m21sniper]

OK, so you got a phobia about loaded guns in your house(i have 2). We'll add it to the list.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

CA has some of the most draconian gun laws in the country, but I still keep two within arm's reach of where I sleep - loaded, chambered and ready to go at any given time. Grab, point, squeeze. That's all it takes - and frankly that's all it SHOULD have to take. If someone kicks my door in or busts a screen in intent on robbing me or doing harm to me or my family (wife & 3 cats), I'll have SECONDS to arm myself, assess the situation and act. Not minutes to fart around with some stupid trigger lock or gun safe.

I see the model of our forefathers (called "Minutemen" because they could be ready for combat action in a minute or less) as a good one to have even in the modern day, even if the "combat" will likely be against a home invader rather than a bunch of redcoats.

I think any Minuteman alive today would admire my readiness in any case.

[nostatic]

I'm up to 3 guns, but still do not feel the need to have a loaded weapon in my house. Period. I find the "home invader" scenario to be incredibly low odds, and in fact you're more likely to have something bad happen. ymmv. I do however believe in being prepared for "urban unrest" or equivalent, likely during a large scale event like earthquake, riots, etc. In that case I'll have time to load my weapon. I do have a magazine loaded but it is separate from the guns and the guns are locked in a safe with trigger locks. Then again, I have an 11 year old around the house, but he now is shooting at the range with me and understands how serious gun safety is.

[KFC911]

Nostatic, that's probably prudent in your situation too. Although your son may be "responsible", I suspect he has friends over, etc. and "boys will be boys". Although I had hunting guns when I was his age, I was 18 before I owned (or had access) to my first handgun.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

If I ever have kids, I will keep my night table gun unchambered then. I think I was probably 9-10 yrs. old before I was strong enough to rack the slide back on my dad's night table Commander, though I never even thought about doing it without his permission. I have an accessible, ready-to-go handgun in two far corners of the house, one my home office, where I spend most of my day and the other the bedroom where I spend most of my night. There have been a lot of home invasions in Phoenix recently. Police don't do anything about those except take the report after it's all done. I'm not paranoid, but I'll never bet my life on a police response time when I can have a handgun within reach most of the time. There are far more things to worry about than guns. Swimming pools and cars with drivers on cell phones are exponentially more dangerous and more common.

My "kid" left home years ago...she is now 38 years old. Her bedside gun is chambered, as is mine...

[KFC911]

I think those of us brought up around guns (particularly in more rural areas) just have a different mindset, and learn gun responsibility from day one...at least I did.

[legion]

Can we get back on topic?

DC is blatantly ignoring a recent Supreme Court ruling.

[Hugh R]

I don't live where I would feel I need to keep a chambered gun within hands reach of my bed. I'd be afraid to shoot my wife or kid. I do have three dogs and a driveway alarm.

I'll go back to a point I made on a similar thread about DC. Why would you bother going the legal route there, when you can get one cash & carry on the street?

[Rick Lee]

Hugh, the places in DC where you could get a gun cash & carry on the street are not the places any law-abiding citizen would be caught dead. Imagine the worst neighborhood in LA and that's what a lot of DC is like. Some of those hoods are so bad that the cops won't even respond to 911 calls until daylight. You'd be better off getting a driver's license in VA with a friend's address on it and then buying a gun in a store there. VA has no registration and no waiting period. Besides, you don't often see quality guns in the hood. Most are junk guns and many have the serial # removed, which will get you a federal rap. For self-defense, you want the best you can afford and to know it will go BANG every time.

For a long time DC pretty much left gun folks alone in the city. Sure, it was illegal to possess. But if you used it to defend your home, they might take the gun, but you didn't get prosecuted. I've even heard of cases where the Secret Service saw someone carrying and left them alone, as long as they weren't in a sensitive area. When the Capitol Police got on me for parking illegally with a ton of ammo, powder and primers I had left on my back seat, which they could see from the sidewalk, they just gave me a parking ticket and didn't even ask to search the car when I went to talk with them. Of course, I was wearing a suit and looked as law abiding as the day is long.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

CA has some of the most draconian gun laws in the country, but I still keep two within arm's reach of where I sleep - loaded, chambered and ready to go at any given time. Grab, point, squeeze. That's all it takes - and frankly that's all it SHOULD have to take. If someone kicks my door in or busts a screen in intent on robbing me or doing harm to me or my family (wife & 3 cats), I'll have SECONDS to arm myself, assess the situation and act. Not minutes to fart around with some stupid trigger lock or gun safe.

I see the model of our forefathers (called "Minutemen" because they could be ready for combat action in a minute or less) as a good one to have even in the modern day, even if the "combat" will likely be against a home invader rather than a bunch of redcoats.

I think any Minuteman alive today would admire my readiness in any case.

They are not as bad as NY. I can in no way take a firearm to NY. They do not even recognize Peacible Journey law.

I have brought firearms to CA 3 times, and never had a problem.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by nostatic

I'm up to 3 guns, but still do not feel the need to have a loaded weapon in my house. Period. I find the "home invader" scenario to be incredibly low odds, and in fact you're more likely to have something bad happen. ymmv. I do however believe in being prepared for "urban unrest" or equivalent, likely during a large scale event like earthquake, riots, etc. In that case I'll have time to load my weapon. I do have a magazine loaded but it is separate from the guns and the guns are locked in a safe with trigger locks. Then again, I have an 11 year old around the house, but he now is shooting at the range with me and understands how serious gun safety is.

How likely are you to have a fire in your house? Do you keep your fire extinguisher loaded or empty? Do you have to rack the slide before using? Pulling the pin would be more like taking off the safety, so that doesn't count.

I Carry outside the house. I was uncomfortable with my pistol loaded at first. Then it was "explained" to me that it needed to be loaded to be useful. All the drama in the TV shows of racking the slide is drama. Police carry in Condition 1. You should too. Loaded, round in the chamber, Safety on.

[Rick Lee]

I've flown to CA a few times with a sidearm when I was gonna be driving to AZ or NV from there. Never a problem.

There was a case a few years ago where a guy was coming back from a hunting trip and his plane had to make an unscheduled landing in NJ. His rifle was confiscated when he had to claim and recheck his bags. NJ also ignores the Fed. Peaceable Journey Law. Unreal.

[red-beard]

I simply avoid NJ and NY. I no longer have business trips to NY.

I think part of the problem was he stayed overnight in NJ, then checked the guns in. IF he had stayed in PA, he might have been OK.

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, PA is always fine outside of Philly. I carry there all the time. Got my first CCW there in 1993.

[Jeff Higgins]

I seem to have left a bad impression with regards to how many guns are just laying around loaded in the Higgins abode. So, let me clear that up: None. I do have a revolver in my bedroom, and one downstairs in the garage. Anyone but myself, my wife, and my sons would have one hell of a time finding them. In contrast, any one of us could turn one up fast enough to actually be of help in an emergency. They are not locked up. They do not have trigger locks. By the nature of the revolver, there is always one "in the chamber". There is nothing to do to prepare them to shoot; no magazine to find and insert, no slide to rack, no key to find and turn, no combination to remember; nothing. They are ready to go as soon as one object, the gun itself, is in hand.

I could not imagine the stress involved in a situation where I could actually justify using one. I want as little to do as possible. Nothing else to find; nothing else to do. Retrieve the damn gun, try to stop shaking so bad, try to calm the heart rate, make sure my family is safely behind me with the threat in front. No bull*****. No locks to fuch with. No separately stored clip to first retrieve, then try to fumble into the gun. And it still ain't ready to go; the slide has to be racked. Maybe some bull***** little key has to be inserted into the grip and turned to free up some ill-conceived "child safety" device. No way; not in my house. No ******* way...

Anyone who has hunted much has experienced "buck fever". Stories abound about hunters cycling bolts until their gun is empty, never firing a shot. Wondering why the deer didn't drop, until they calm down and see the still loaded cartridges at their feet. And the deer isn't even shooting back.

We hear stories of professionals - highly trained ones at that - locking up, freaking out, or somehow not functioning when under the stress of an armed engagement. I'm no pro. I'm taught as many of us are: by my dad, my family, and others. I have no idea how I would react to a situation where I felt I needed a gun to defend home and hearth. I'm sure I would be scared *****less. I'm also sure I want as little to do, as little to screw up as possible.

These D.C. (and other) storage requirements are sheer and utter nonsense. One is not well and truly "armed" if there is "some assembly required". The folks writing such law have nary a clue. I do not feel in the least bit obligated to listen to them, or any other hand-wringing ninny that would effectively disarm me for the "safety of my children". Their real motives are all too transparent. And I resent the fact that they are hiding behind my kids.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I could not imagine the stress involved in a situation where I could actually justify using one. I want as little to do as possible. Nothing else to find; nothing else to do. Retrieve the damn gun, try to stop shaking so bad, try to calm the heart rate, make sure my family is safely behind me with the threat in front. No bull*****. No locks to fuch with. No separately stored clip to first retrieve, then try to fumble into the gun. And it still ain't ready to go; the slide has to be racked. Maybe some bull***** little key has to be inserted into the grip and turned to free up some ill-conceived "child safety" device. No way; not in my house. No ******* way...

Soooo true. The first practical shoot I did, sort of a Hogan's Alley thing, at the NRA range, I just about soiled my pants. I had a SIG P220, all ready to go in a holster. The instructor told me calmly what was going on and then suddenly started screaming at me, "They're in the house NOW!!!!!" Nothing at all like tv. I shot very well, but I was shaken up by having some stranger yell at me unexpectedly. I even did ok left handed from behind a door frame. But imagine having your life or your loved ones' lives depend on being cool-headed in a real life situation.

When I did an IDPA shoot a few years ago, you'd have been amazed by how many of the guys missed their first shot because it was from double-action, which almost no one practices. We were something like three yds. from the target and as soon as the buzzer sounded, folks went nuts. When things get stressful, you do not want to have to deal with unlocking a gun, finding the ammo and worrying about making it in time. I'd rather concentrate on my target ID, accuracy and staying alive and nothing else.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by BReif61

Thought so. Ain't "freedom" grand?

Heller should sue'm again.

he will, and he will win again

Do they want to have incessant lawsuits over this? It looks like they do, but that is just crazy. The "emergency" legislation clearly violates the decision just handed down. Why does the District of Columbia keep doing this?

Originally Posted by m21sniper

OK, so you got a phobia about loaded guns in your house(i have 2). We'll add it to the list.

you slay me

My father in law has loaded rifles behind the doors(open the door and it is concealed behind it) He shot and killed an intruder who was taking his young son out of the crib one night. Put a .44 in his melon, Super Blackhawk.

Home defense and hunting are apples and oranges. Treat every weapon you pick up as though it were loaded was the first thing they said at the last gun safety deal I attended

BTW, the SF gun ban, they knew it violated the State Constitution when they wrote it, tax dollars at work