In the report above, the reporter holds up a key to one of those small cable locks that comes with most firearms. It’s flimsier than a paper clip. She says “experts tell me that you should keep the key on you at all times . . . that way you’ll ensure that this gun is never used for the wrong reasons.” Rubbish. Both the lock and the argument. Well the argument sucks because of the cable lock. Anyone older than a toddler can defeat the standard issue “gun lock” in seconds. That’s why you must view . . .
all guns as unlocked. Seriously. Even when you move up from a cable lock to a finger safe, gun cabinet and/or a proper gun safe, you must assume that your gun or guns are never 100 percent secure. There is always a chance that they will be stolen or “borrowed” by an unauthorized user — which can have tragic consequences.
Kids are clever enough to defeat any storage system, whether it’s a locked liquor cabinet or a full-on gun safe. And criminals will use force to steal your weapons — against your safe or you. Like gun safety, gun security is between your ears. Here are my four rules of gun security.
1. Train your children and significant other to respect firearms.
Ignorance = curiosity, not bliss. Familiarize your kids and SO with firearms. Have them shoot (or shoot for them) a watermelon or something similar so they appreciate a gun’s destructive capabilities. The more they understand firearms, the less likely they are to play with them or handle them improperly.
At the same time, teach your loved ones to know and practice The Four Rules of Gun Safety. And monitor their mental health. If a loved one’s suffering from depression and/or caught up in drug abuse, consider removing your guns from the home. (Same goes for your own mental state.)
2. Increase your firearms-related situational awareness when people enter your home: friends, extended family, cleaners, workmen, etc.
You don’t have to shadow friends and strangers, but become aware of the heightened risk. Take appropriate action. For example, you might want to temporarily move a gun out of a smaller “finger” safe into a full-size gun safe (if you have one). Or hide the finger safe.
3. Alarm your house – use your alarm system!
An alarm system will stop most burglars when you’re away from home. Set your alarm system when you leave and, especially, at night. (I prefer perimeter-only systems.) To deal with so-called “hot” burglaries, make sure you have an alarm system with a “panic button” to trigger the alarm. Equally important . . .
4. Home carry
If bad guys invade your home while you’re there, they’re going to want your guns. If they get control of the situation they will force you to unlock your gun safe. At that point, they will be well-armed and disinclined to leave a witness or witnesses.
It’s a rare occurrence — of course and thankfully — but one that has to be stopped at the earliest possible moment. I recommend a small gun for home carry, one that’s comfortable beyond any other other consideration. One that you will carry.