Did you know that US gun ownership has increased dramatically since the beginning of 2020? Many individuals have bought their first gun in the two years since the outbreak began.
Thankfully, there are an equivalent number of people taking weapons safety and security very seriously. You should consider a few factors when it comes to gun storage if you have just purchased a new firearm for the first time.
Keep reading to find out why gun storage is so critical and how to properly store your firearm to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
Gun Ownership: The Basic Considerations
There are a few storage essentials that apply to all types of firearms.
To begin with, they must be put away when they are not in use. Having a lock on your safe or secure locker is essential. Whatever kind of lock you use—key, combination, or biometric/fingerprint—make sure it’s safe and secure.
As a second consideration, it must be easy to get to your firearms in a pinch. No matter what its function, all safes must be simple to open in an emergency
Assume Every Firearm Is Ready to Fire
Assume that all firearms are constantly ready to fire. You should always verify for yourself whether or not a firearm is empty, even if someone claims it is. This will keep you in check and ensure that you never use a gun in an irresponsible way.
Moreover, stay away from the trigger, until such time as the right moment comes. You should only fire a loaded gun you’re aiming at a target. This prevents unintentional discharges.
You should never use a firearm in a careless manner. This, too, helps to avoid mishaps. As a general rule, you should keep your loaded weapon pointed away from you.
Be sure of your target and what lays in front of it, whether you’re shooting at a range or in self-defense situations. While firing your weapon, there is the risk that you may hit an object behind it.
Learn How to Use Your Firearm
Before carrying a gun, every shooter should have a firm grasp of these fundamentals.
Among other things, they teach you how to load, unload, and clear a malfunction from your rifle. It’s important to know how to load and shoot your handgun since no two firearms are precisely the same.
A gun might be destroyed or injure you if you use the wrong ammo. A single round of an incorrect caliber is all it takes to ruin a firearm. The ammo you’re using must fit your gun’s specifics to the tee. The instructions for your handgun should answer any queries you may have.
Be Aware of the Location of Your Gun
As well as keeping your handgun secure, having a designated storage location means you’ll always know where it is.
You don’t want to be in a scenario where you don’t know where your weapon is at all times. If you keep your handgun in a secure location, you won’t have to worry about intruders obtaining it.
Understanding Gun Storage
Even if you’ve honed your shooting skills, it doesn’t guarantee you’re safe.
To avoid misuse, new gun owners should lock up their weapons securely. To ensure that your weapon functions correctly, it is important to store it in a safe location.
Invest in a Gun Safe
There are instances when a small safe is all that is needed to keep a few handguns safe and secure. A quick-to-access safe that can be opened either by using a digital combination or a biometric fingerprint scanner is common among gun owners. You can see more types and gun safe options here.
These may come in handy if anything goes bump in the night and you need to protect yourself or your loved ones from an attack. How to keep a gun in an easily accessible area while keeping it locked up until it is required is a dilemma in home defense. That’s something a little safe next to the bed can manage.
Small safes that aren’t as high-tech may nonetheless be used for a variety of purposes. A tiny key-operated safe is ideal if you need to store a gun in the vehicle or travel by an airline with a handgun in a checked bag. The TSA has authorized almost every tiny safe on the market. You may check the TSA website if you aren’t sure.
How to Store a Gun: Large Firearms Edition
Moving up to a bigger model for long-term home storage and safekeeping of long weapons like rifles and shotguns is recommended.
The bigger safe, like the smaller one, requires a strong locking mechanism that can be readily opened by those who are permitted to do so while keeping the firearms out of the wrong hands.
With a large safe, you can store a lot of firearms and accessories, such as extra magazines and ammo. You can also store optics and cleaning materials in a large safe. Especially if you have a lot of firearms with a lot of extras, this is fantastic.
Due to these bigger safes’ lack of organizing choices inside them, items may become lost there and be unable to be found. As an example, if you have any firearms, you may find it difficult to keep them all accessible since they all end up resting against the back and sidewalls, deep within the dark safe.
Unmystifying Proper Gun Storage
As long as your gun isn’t locked or secured, it should be under your control (often this means it is holstered on you). Always store your firearms safely and in accordance with local regulations. If you’re not acquainted with the rules in your area, do some research.
Claiming ignorance of the law is not a legitimate defense in a court of law. We hope that our guide has given you a solid idea about gun storage. And, you can check out our hunting and guns sections for all of our additional tips and tricks.
