Promised Land Homestead

Kids and Gun Safety

One of the presiding excuses I hear from people about why they don't own a gun is the perceived danger to children.  So I thought I would address how we have tackled this problem.  First of all, I respect a parent who cares enough about their children to fear for their safety.  That is more than some dead beat parents can boast.  But that desire for their safety should drive a parent towards gun ownership, not away from it.  The main problem is the gun-hating media.  For years we've been bombarded by stories of kids who shot themselves or a sibling/friend with the parent's gun, and have been frightened into thinking that you must ban guns completely from your home in order to be a responsible parent.  To some extent, stories like this are useful in that they drive parent gun owners to seriously consider how to protect their children from such an incident.  Unfortunately, it is also used as ammunition (pun intended) by the anti-gun lobby to both frighten parents away from guns, and pressure lawmakers to enact asinine laws mandating gun locks that make the firearme totally unsuitable for self-defense. 

More children are killed every year by swimming pools or cars than by their parent's guns.  Parents should not let an irrational fear drive them to give up firearms.  There are practical and inexpensive ways to protect your children from your gun while also protecting them with your gun.

When my children were babies we kept a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver on a high shelf in our bedroom closet.  While my children were still barely able to walk, this was a viable solution.  However, as our childrens' climbing skills improved and our collection of pistols increased, we wanted to take more precautions.  Texas law requires that parents either keep guns unloaded (completely, not just keeping the magazine full and leaving the chamber empty) or to secure loaded firearms in a safe or with a trigger lock.  Both options make it extremely difficult to access your firearms quickly in a self-defense situation.  Our solution was two fold.  We either keep our firearm on us at all times, or it is secured in a "quick access safe". 

Keeping the firearm on us at all times may seem extreme, but it serves several purposes.  First, and most important, it makes the firearm inaccessible to the kids.  My wife's gun is carried in a hidden holster under her pants.  It doesn't even have the ability to fall out.  Should could do somersaults (although they're not advisable when pregnant) and the thing is not going anywhere.  Second, it makes the firearm immediately accessible from anywhere in the house.  If a similar situation as the one in the previous post occurred, she wouldn't have to try to make it to the bedroom safe before they caught her.  It's right there ready to go.  Lastly, it gets us in the habit of carrying all the time.  I'm a big proponent of carrying your firearm everywhere it is permitted by law.  If carrying becomes a daily habit, we're much less likely to forget it.

But I don't prefer sleeping with my gun on, so a solution had to be found for night time.  A quick access safe was our answer.

It's a nifty little safe that has 4 buttons across the top to correspond with your four primary fingers on either hand.  You punch in a simple 4-button sequence of your choice and the front door springs open.  It's not as easy as pulling one out of a nightstand drawer, but it's better than nothing, and brings us into compliance with state law.

The last thing that must be stated is that no amount of safes or trigger locks can substitute for educating your children about guns and gun safety.  My children hear constantly about how dangerous guns are, and we talk about any instances in the news of a child shooting themselves accidentally to drive the point home.  The goal is not to scare them away from guns but to instill a sober respect for them and the damage they can do.  I make it a point to let my children handle a gun (unloaded of course) anytime they ask, so they know they don't have to sneak into our room behind our backs when they're curious.  However, they're required to recite the 4 Rules of Gun Safety beforehand.

Some logical and easy practices can be instituted in your home to make your children safe from firearms, while also giving you the ability to protect them with them.

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9:28 AM, Sunday, November 9, 2008 .. Posted by morningsunshine

ok - I want my gun, and I want it now. dh and I have been discussing this for a few years, and I am in URGENT mode now. Can you link to the type of gun and holster your wife carries? I am assuming it is a fairly small one? I like the idea that she just carries it EVERYWHERE she goes, around the house and everything. That picture has been turning in my mind since I read this post a few days ago. We live far away from everything, and while there is a Sheriff's employee (is he a deputy - I dunno, but he drives the car, and parks it at his house) close, but that is relative - about 7-10 minutes away. I LIKE the idea of having my own protection on my hip. call me a throwback to the old west, but there we are.

ps - I am adding you to my friends. I like your posts!

Edited by morningsunshine on Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 9:28 AM

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11:50 AM, Wednesday, November 12, 2008 .. Posted by dsw3131

I'm sorry it took so long to reply. I didn't know this post had a comment until today.

My wife carries a Kel-Tec P3AT. It is an extremely small .380 caliber pistol. It is so small and light that is almost disappears on her. I will say that since the gun is so small, it kicks quite a bit and is less accurate than bigger guns. However, it works well for what it was designed for: close-up self-defense situations.

She carries it in a Smart Carry holster (www.smartcarry.com), which straps around your waist and carries the gun in a pouch under your pants or skirt in the front. It works in almost any wardrobe, which is why she got it. It is extremely comfortable to carry the gun in. It doesn't work if your dresses or pants are especially tight, but it is unnoticable in most clothes.

The .380 caliber is widely considered to be the smallest acceptable round for self-defense. Anything smaller (.32 ACP, .22) is just too small. The P3AT is very reasonably priced and reliable. Ruger makes an almost exact copy called the LCP. It is practically the same price but some people consider Ruger to be a better manufacturer. The LCPs are currently hard to come by because they are so popular. I think the P3AT is a great gun. I would feel safe carrying it.

Please let me know if you have any more questions. I don't mind answering them.