hijacked my husbands account to ask a serious question

[gillman7]

"Gun proof your kids, don't kid proof your guns"

+1, if a round is not chambered, that 1911 is no danger to your child. I have raised 7 kids around guns, watch them, teach them about them, but do not put you or your family in jeapordy by putting a lock in them. Instant fingerprint recognition safes are great, do not put trigger locks on them.

Don't nag him, thank him for caring enough to protect you and your family. I would suggest you taking some classes with him, or even alone, such as the Women's Only Class that TDSA offers. It is only a day long and pretty cheap. If you are interested and don't want to go alone, my wife will go with you. She has been wanting to go too. Education is the key, don't overreact. Good questions though!!

 

[poopgiggle]

Seconding the quick-access safe. I would personally stay away from anything that uses biometrics for access control since I don't want any technology that I need to rely on in an emergency to be too complex. Buttons are a lot harder to mess up than a fingerprint scanner.

If he keeps the guns magazine-loaded but not chamber-loaded, your daughter probably doesn't have the physical ability to make the gun ready to fire. That's not to say that you shouldn't lock them up, just that your daughter wasn't in as much danger as you seem to think.

If you cannot afford one make him put the guns high up somewhere. A lot of people keep a gun on the top shelf of the closet or in a high cabnet under towels or something. They will be out of reach and still quick to grab if you need it.

I would avoid this solution. Kids are incredibly resourceful, and "top shelf in the clost" is a prime target for curious kids looking for where you're hiding their Christmas presents.

 

[kinggabby]

I also keep my gun magazine-loaded but not chamber-loaded. My daughter is same 18 months.

 

[tntrex]

You go buy him the gun vault pistol safe and he will use it.

 

[inactive]

Another vote for a pistol lock box. I have a 26 month old and a 5 month old. I keep my pistols in the lock box any time they are not on my person.

I use lock box as it's not a safe. Just a PIN-activated lock box I got at Academy for $50 or so. It takes about 2 seconds to open it. It's very cheap piece of mind, and won't slow me enough to matter in most home defense situations.

 

[Werewolf]

+1, if a round is not chambered, that 1911 is no danger to your child. I have raised 7 kids around guns, watch them, teach them about them, but do not put you or your family in jeapordy by putting a lock in them. Instant fingerprint recognition safes are great, do not put trigger locks on them.

Don't nag him, thank him for caring enough to protect you and your family. I would suggest you taking some classes with him, or even alone, such as the Women's Only Class that TDSA offers. It is only a day long and pretty cheap. If you are interested and don't want to go alone, my wife will go with you. She has been wanting to go too. Education is the key, don't overreact. Good questions though!!

This ^^^^^^^^
Best response so far.

I will add - and probably get blasted for it - that there is absolutely no way that an 18m old child can fire a 1911 with no round in the chamber nor any type of revolver that doesn't have the hammer cocked. Shotgun shells on the floor - just another toy to an 18m old and way less dangerous than some of the toys out there that she could swallow and choke on.

It's never too early to start gun proofing your child but in my experience they won't really start to get it until age 3 or 4, maybe earlier. But even with gun proofed children it's never a bad idea to keep one's firearms locked up. If one chooses to keep one handy for home defense then that gun needs to always be under control by the one responsible for using it for HD.

And LASTLY: OP - it would be a big mistake, really big to go down the road where you forbid your husband to have guns in both of your's home. Agree on a safety plan and follow it. No ultimatums. They have a tendency to not ever turn out well.

 

[guns are dumb]

If a 1911 that is magazine loaded but not chamber loaded is not a danger, then why don't we point them at each other when they are unloaded, or look down their barrels, etc.? Because the first rule of gun ownership is that guns are always loaded.

"Here Sally, play with my unloaded 1911." Lulz.

 

[kroberts2131]

Its me now! I messed up this morning and I have admitted it fully. Jenn doesn't completely understand firearms but her worries are 100% justified. I have acquired a small floor safe from a friend that I'll use for now until I get a bed side box plus a real safe. We were just discussing last night how I really need to be a safe so this put me in my place. Thanks for the input though. I appreciate it.

 

[kroberts2131]

Also as far as the shotgun shell thing, I purchase a box of ammo every trip to wally world and when I buy shells I left the kiddo help me put them in the ammo can one by one. She thinks its fun, and its no harm. I just keep a few shells of buckshot in that drawer that she grabbed. Today humbled me though on my gun safety.

 

[zoomaster1]

I certainly understand your concern. A 1911 with no round in the chamber would be impossible for an 18 mo. old to rack the slide to chamber a round.Not knowing what the pocket gun is, can't say anything about that. BUT, being in a habit? of leaving the drawer open, is not a wise idea. To me, this is an open invitation for curiosity to take over in the not too distant future. I have a 14 yr. old, and keep my 1911 loaded and a round chambered on the headboard when I am home. I also keep my pocket gun loaded with a round chambered in the night stand (also 1911 style). She goes to the range with the wife and myself quit often, so she knows about gun safety, and I also bought her a .38 revolver about a month ago. Now when the grandkids come over, my carry gun is on me, and the pocket gun is unloaded and put out of reach. At the very least, maybe you both should get in the habit of closing the bedroom door and put one of those child-proof handles on the knob.