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After a quick search I couldn't find a previous topic, so if this is a repost forgive me. Are there any laws that I should know about regarding proper storage of firearms? Am I required to have locks on them or have some way of preventing intruders from having easy access? I have locks on all of my firearms and have them hidden (though that wouldn't do that much good.) Also, are there any laws regarding storage if there are minors in the house? There aren't currently, but occasionally I bring my carry gun with me if I stay over somewhere else. I currently move too frequently to get a large enough safe for my AR 15 to bolt to the floor. Thanks for your time.

mth91 wrote:After a quick search I couldn't find a previous topic, so if this is a repost forgive me. Are there any laws that I should know about regarding proper storage of firearms? Am I required to have locks on them or have some way of preventing intruders from having easy access? I have locks on all of my firearms and have them hidden (though that wouldn't do that much good.) Also, are there any laws regarding storage if there are minors in the house? There aren't currently, but occasionally I bring my carry gun with me if I stay over somewhere else. I currently move too frequently to get a large enough safe for my AR 15 to bolt to the floor. Thanks for your time.

What I was told in class is that legally you can't leave a loaded firearm where a minor can gain access. However common sense tells me if there's a minor, the firearm should be in a safe. And not just a safe where if you bang on the top it opens! (Look for YouTube videos)

Others might disagree

I don't have kids, but I leave atleast one weapon loaded at all times near my bed. I have 2 cars and I have a gun I keep loaded in each that never leaves it.other then locking my doors I don't have a safe for my car. I do have a safe for my apt for all my other guns that aren't being used at the time.

my one car I keep outside all the time is a beater and I dought even a criminal would break into it.

mth91 wrote:After a quick search I couldn't find a previous topic, so if this is a repost forgive me. Are there any laws that I should know about regarding proper storage of firearms? Am I required to have locks on them or have some way of preventing intruders from having easy access? I have locks on all of my firearms and have them hidden (though that wouldn't do that much good.) Also, are there any laws regarding storage if there are minors in the house? There aren't currently, but occasionally I bring my carry gun with me if I stay over somewhere else. I currently move too frequently to get a large enough safe for my AR 15 to bolt to the floor. Thanks for your time.

There are no laws or regulations specific to HOW you secure your firearms. Just that you have to keep them secured from minors. How you do that is entirely up to you.

My wife and I have nano vaults in our vehicles, so if we go somewhere and need to secure our guns, we use them. In the home they are always on us, so our physical presence secures them. We also have a double-lock gun cabinet (NOT a safe) for storing our extra firearms. Though, with the age of my children and the instruction they've had, it remains unlocked the majority of the time in case of a a problem arises moment. But when we are all gone for the day, its completely secured. And when we have friends with small children and/or children who are not raised around guns over for parties, dinner, etc, the cabinet is locked then too.

If you're too mobile to have a gun safe, perhaps something like a Pelican hard case for your AR and a cable lock to secure it to the seat frame old work.

Currently I keep my handgun on me or locked wherever I go. I just wanted to verify that there weren't any laws saying that I had to have a safe or have my AR bolted down somehow. Sometimes I leave one of my handguns on my desk since I'm the only person living in my apartment, so I wanted to make sure that wasn't illegal.

mth91 wrote:Currently I keep my handgun on me or locked wherever I go. I just wanted to verify that there weren't any laws saying that I had to have a safe or have my AR bolted down somehow. Sometimes I leave one of my handguns on my desk since I'm the only person living in my apartment, so I wanted to make sure that wasn't illegal.

Guess it all depends on which city, state you live in. On the other hand, very common sense says to keep all guns secured away from access by children, and idiot/psycho adults. If one never has kids in their house, then it would be a no-brainer to keep all guns locked...one should always be available within arms reach for immediate access (locked & loaded) to protect oneself/others from criminal types.

If one lives in the country and in a gun-friendly State...then, keep it handy 24/7/365.

JMO

There are teenagers I would trust with a loaded gun long before some adults.

Hypothetically, in a household with a mature teen, the parents could leave a loaded magazine near an unloaded gun when they go out for the evening. Neither the parents nor minor would break Texas law if she loads the gun after her parents leave. Everybody is happy except goblins who break into the wrong house.

Frankly, I don't trust anyone when it comes to guns, and especially teenagers and careless adults. I had a work and hunting associate that had a 'stable' teenager, raised around guns all his life, right up until they had a knockdown argument over his 17 yr. old son's girlfriend, upon which son went into his parents bedroom, pulled his Dad's .357 out of the bedside drawer and promptly blew his own brains out. He could just as well turned the gun on his parents. This happened 18 + years ago. Other than losing his son, there were no consequences - today that would probably be a different story.

One of my daughters has a 'stable' teenage son, raised around guns and hunting his whole life, but has a temper. His Dad keeps a loaded handgun in an unlocked drawer as well as his rifles in a closet. The grandson just graduated from H.S. and is headed to college - I'll breath easier when he's gone. Not to be a blanket condemnation of all teenagers, but they have a tendency to make rash irrational decisions with little fore thought as to the consequences. In short my guns are either on my hip or locked up when ANYONE visits my home.

Although I still keep my guns safe, I am also glad that my youngest daughter turned 17 last month. At least I no longer have to worry about TPC §46.13.

tbrown wrote:There are teenagers I would trust with a loaded gun long before some adults.

Hypothetically, in a household with a mature teen, the parents could leave a loaded magazine near an unloaded gun when they go out for the evening. Neither the parents nor minor would break Texas law if she loads the gun after her parents leave. Everybody is happy except goblins who break into the wrong house.

This. There are many stories out there of Teens taking a firearm and sending Bad Guys scurrying. http://gunssavelives.net/category/self-defense/page/8/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; These stories could have been published differently, i.e. child raped/murdered, family robbed/murdered and etc. I don't know where that invisible line lies? But, I believe the first step should be education of your child, as well as knowing them. I was raised where firearms were always accessible and I raised my son the same way. I have also read where teens have taken firearms and done evil things with them. I don't know what is going on out there where children feel that they must cause a lot of hurt in order for them to feel. But I do know it isn't all of them, there are many kids out there that are very mature and settled, especially around firearms.

mth91 wrote:After a quick search I couldn't find a previous topic, so if this is a repost forgive me. Are there any laws that I should know about regarding proper storage of firearms? Am I required to have locks on them or have some way of preventing intruders from having easy access? I have locks on all of my firearms and have them hidden (though that wouldn't do that much good.) Also, are there any laws regarding storage if there are minors in the house? There aren't currently, but occasionally I bring my carry gun with me if I stay over somewhere else. I currently move too frequently to get a large enough safe for my AR 15 to bolt to the floor. Thanks for your time.

Don't leave a loaded gun unsecured where a minor can get it. Unload it, lock it up, or lock up the minors.

This is supposed to be covered in CHL class but maybe your instructor didn't have enough time.

How does all this work for all the minors that have used a gun to defend themselves or a family member? They, obviously, had access. Where charges not filed because of the legal use?

C-dub wrote:How does all this work for all the minors that have used a gun to defend themselves or a family member? They, obviously, had access. Where charges not filed because of the legal use?

Like that 12 year old sheriff's son in the Huston area a couple years ago. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lQg0SD_AT- ... Qg0SD_AT-k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

when my kids were little we only had a few guns, they were kept on the top shelf of a closet that had a dead bolt on it. We typically had the closet unlocked, but if little friends were over, we locked it. (we lived in the country, you never knew what could come up)

When they were teens and after the house was broken into, we had more guns, thankfully the thieves were blind and missed most of the guns, we got a gun safe. We immediately taught them the combination. If we weren't home, they needed to be able to defend themselves.

I now have a 20year old and a teen, I have considered letting her have a long gun in her room,

they have been raised around guns all their lives, if you teach them to respect guns, and to respect life, you're not going to have a problem.

My 18yo daughter has a model 60 .38 Smith in her nightstand. She is in the opposite side of the house from the master bedroom. She has instructions that if the alarm goes off in the middle of the night, she is to reach in the drawer and retreive the pistol and sit tight. If someone comes into her room unannounced and they don't belong there, she is to not pass go...not collect no $200...she is to squeeze the trigger. We have practiced at distances consistent with that from her bed to the door and she can keyhole with double action triggerpulls.