All You Need to Know About Properly Storing Your Guns

If you have a firearm at home, the last thing you want is your kids getting their hands on a loaded weapon or the firearm falling into the hands of an intruder.

Whether you choose to believe it or not, improper storage of guns is causing serious problems in the US. It is estimated that there were about 220 instances of unintentional shootings by children, which resulted in 92 deaths and 135 injuries in 2022. What’s saddening is the fact that most of these incidents could have been avoided, had the guns been properly stored.

Investing money on the right firearm and upgrading it to suit your unique requirements isn't everything. It is equally important to invest money on proper storage for your firearm.

This article will discuss in detail how to store your guns securely, and other related information every gun owner ought to know!

Choosing the right storage solution for your gun

Finding the right storage solution for your gun can get tricky, especially if you own more than one gun. The best way to go about this is to classify your guns into:

1. Defence Guns
2. Non-Defence Guns

Defense guns, as the name suggests are guns which are intended to be used for protecting your family and yourself in a crisis. The key to storing defence gun safe is to ensure that they are easily accessible to you yet kept out of reach of your children & intruders.

Non-Defense guns are those rifles & firearms you won’t be using in an emergency. The key to storing these guns is to store them somewhere safe away from the sight of children and intruders.

Safely storing a defence gun.

As said earlier, the key to storing a defence gun is to ensure that they are easily accessible to you yet kept out of reach of your children or an intruder.

1. Gun Safes

Gun safes are the most secured storage option on our list. Depending on how much money you are willing to spend, you can get a gun safe that can be secured with a biometric lock or a combination lock. The key is to keep the gun safe in a location that you can easily access in the event of an emergency.

Before you invest money on a gun safe ensure that

• The safe has a good quality locking mechanism. We would always recommend using an electronic system if you can afford it.
• You buy a gun safe that is fireproof and has excellent fire rating.
• The safe is made from a thick gauged steel. Ideally, you would need a safe made out of a steel gauge of at least 9.

Gun safes can also be used to store your non-defence guns. It’s just that you need to ensure that the safe has adequate space to accommodate your non-defence guns.

Remember that gun safes are not cheap, but they are a worthwhile investment!

2. Trigger Locks

Trigger locks are a simple yet affordable way to prevent your gun from being used by someone else. Today most weapons are sold along with a trigger lock right in the box. If you haven’t got one, you can buy one for around $20.

A trigger lock works by clamping down your gun’s trigger to prevent it from being used or manipulated. It is important to note that these locks come into direct contact with the trigger, and they can’t be used in a loaded weapon.

If you were to use a firearm secured by a trigger lock, you would first have to remove the lock and load your gun before you can use it. Trigger locks are effective against unintentional discharges, but it provides almost zero protection against theft. 

Safely storing a non-defence gun.

Unlike the defence guns, you won't generally need access to these guns in case of emergency. The key is to store these weapons away from children and intruders. These are mostly heavy-duty safes, and they tend to fall on the pricey side.

As said earlier, gun safes can also be used to store your non-defence guns. It is just that you need to ensure that the safe has an excellent place to accommodate your guns.

Another way to safely store a non-defence gun is to render it temporarily un-usable and then store it. You can make the gun temporarily un-usable by

• Removing the bolt from your rifle
• Changing the firing pin
• Disassemble the gun and keep the parts separately

How to Properly Store Your Firearm

Investing money on safe storage for your gun is not enough; you must also invest money on storing the weapon properly. Here is how you should properly store your weapon.

1. Remove any moisture from the gun & safe

If you have used guns enough, you would know that rust is its worst enemy. Ideally, you should also be investing money on a dehumidifier for your gun safe to ensure that the gun stays dry throughout the storage period.

Similarly, while storing the weapon, ensure that you don't touch any of its metal parts with bare hands. There are high chances for your body oils to cause rusty fingerprint spots on the gun’s metal parts.

2. Properly lubricate the gun

Before you store your weapon, ensure that you adequately lubricate the barrel, bolt carrier group, and other parts. This will help avoid adhesion of abrasives & rusting.

Also, ensure that you never store a loaded gun. Ideally, you should remove the bolt carrier group and other removable parts from your rifle before you store them. You should also open the safe once in a while to ensure that there are no signs of rusting.

Here are some additional tips to ensure safe storage of your firearms

• Never leave a firearm out in the open, especially if you have children at home.
• Never store a loaded weapon in the storage or anywhere near children.
• Keep your gun storage area free from dust, moisture, and dirt.
• Never let your kid fiddle with your firearm.

Conclusion

As always, whenever you purchase a firearm, ensure that you spend money on getting proper storage for your guns. The storage options covered in the article are the popular ones that are used by veterans & arms enthusiasts.

If you are planning to get your first firearm or are planning to upgrade, visit Siberian Tactical for firearms from different manufacturers and popular gun brands like Beretta. You can also check out their website for the best deals on firearms and accessories.