There’s always going to be a debate in the forums and at shows on whether you should or should not store a loaded gun in a gun safe. For most weapons owners, the answer is always no, you should not store a loaded gun in a safe.
There’s plenty of arguments to be made for both sides, but a few of them stand out for us. This does not mean you cannot have a loaded magazine, and in a few situations there may be no choice but to lock up a loaded weapon, just make sure there is no cartridge in the chamber and that you remove it from the safe and unload the weapon as soon as possible.
Different Floors and Large Capacity for Collections
Some gun safes are for storage including collections and for hunting vs. home defense. These tend to be larger gun safes as capacity with protection is the goal of storage for this situation. These larger safes are also not likely to be stored near or in your bedroom, or even on the same floor as where you sleep since they are heavy and need additional support.
If the gun safe is filled with loaded weapons and an intruder breaks in, you just lost valuable time to get yourself to safety as they now have an arsenal ready to go. When the weapons are not loaded and ammo is separate, you buy yourself a bit more time to escape. If the weapons are loaded, your first goal should be to get to safety and not to your gun safe.
Cars and Trucks
Vehicle safes are for quick access, being able to defend yourself from animals when camping, and potential human threat situations. But they are also accessible by passengers in your vehicle. If it is a keypad lock, it only takes your child one time to learn the code and a bit of curiosity to gain access.
Yes, there is a feeling of security and safety knowing the firearm is there when you need it. But there is also a high risk as it becomes accessible to anyone with the code. This is also why you have concealed carry, you can have your firearm ready to go when you need it most with the car safe for backup storage or an alternative.
Bedside and Safety
One of the best arguments for keeping a loaded gun in a gun safe is bedside and under the bed safes for protection. There are patterns as to where burglars go first when breaking into a home, and the master bedroom is a top spot.
Having the extra seconds without needing to load the firearm matters, just like the time to unlock a safe. With that said, loading a magazine once you’ve trained your muscle memory will only take one to two seconds and that should be enough time for you to get to a protective position if you cannot escape.
We’re not going to minimize the severity of an intruder situation, but if it helps with a peace-of-mind, according to Arizona State University and the Bureau of Justice statistics, most burglaries occur without people being home as intruders do not want a confrontation. 65% of the invasions were from people the victim knew, and that is where the loaded vs. unloaded debate comes in.
If the person is someone you know, they may learn where you hide the key or your combinations. What happens if they go to the room knowing that is the loaded gun and access it before you can. The same applies to your significant other, they will likely know how to access the firearm and in these two cases the extra seconds work against you.
Corrosion
Leaving ammunition in a firearm increases the chances of corrosion making your firearm that is meant for protection or hunting unsafe to handle. It isn’t just corrosion from old ammunition that contains potassium chlorate or other corrosive materials, the corrosion of the firearm can come from not cleaning:
- Salt air and water if you had the firearm with you while hunting, hiking, or being near the shore
- Residue from practice shooting at the range
- No lubrication to act as a barrier to the rust and debris
Corroded firearms are hazardous, and storing them loaded with ammunition will likely increase the speed at which they corrode.
There are arguments to be made for both sides, but it is recommended to empty the chamber and always store your firearms without being loaded. The magazine can be ready to go, you’ll buy yourself extra time if the safe is in a different room, and you’ll keep tiny hands and curious visitors off of your firearms.