Why it is Critical for Gun Owners to Own Gun Safes

If you are a gun owner, you should already know that it is standard practice to keep guns locked away in guns safes. The right to bear arms is a right many Americans choose to exercise. However, even though we are legally allowed to own and carry guns in the United States, there are certain responsibilities that must be upheld. Gun safes for gun owners or other child safety provisions are mandatory in some states, yet it should always be considered good gun safety practice to keep one’s guns locked away whenever they are not in use. Below you will find detailed reasons why a gun safe can ultimately benefit you as a gun owner, but also those around you.

Robberies and Break-ins

While a gun may help protect you and your home from intruders, a gun can also be used against you. Leaving weapons lying around actually makes you more vulnerable to having those weapons not just taken, but used to harm you. Imagine you are in your home and an intruder breaks in through your bedroom window while you are in your living room. If you gun were to be left out on your bedroom dresser, for example, you would be left defenseless and likely be hurt in a botched robbery attempt with your own weapon. There are hundreds of possible scenarios that can be avoided involving others using your guns against you. The easiest way to prevent pretty much all of them from manifesting into reality is to responsibly keep your guns locked and out of sight. If you can learn to expect the unexpected, you will never have to feel sorry later or regret not locking up your guns in the first place. Leaving your guns out poses too much of a risk if the wrong person were to enter your home.

Protect Yourself

Even if someone else does not get a handle on your guns and harm you, there is always the change that an accidental firing or some other mishap may leave you injured or deceased. Gun owners, unfortunately, hurt themselves all the time. This may be due to inexperience, not paying attention, or other problems such as poor handling or inefficient training. You can learn to take the best possible care of your weapons and handle them responsibly by always locking them in a gun safe. By creating a routine for before and after you use your guns, you will diminish the risk that you will hurt yourself. Making it a habit to place your gun or guns back in their proper place in a gun safe after use will help you take the procedure of handling them more seriously. Gun safety ultimately starts with the gun owners themselves. You can protect your rights as a gun owner, but also your own life if you purchase a safe to store and keep your weapons. 

Protect Family Members and Roommates

If you live with family or roommates, making sure they are protected from your weapons should be a number one priority. Keeping your guns locked away when others live in the same vicinity should be considered mandatory. You cannot have your eyes on your weapons at all times or be sure who may be snooping around when you are not home. Even if you trust your housemates or your adult family member, it should not make a difference in your decision to keep your guns locked away. Similarly, if other household members have had gun training, this should also not sway you to skip out on a gun safe. Any kind of accident can happen anytime. The only sure way to make sure you are the only one who has access to your weapons is to keep them locked away when they are not in use. Especially when you are not home, you do not want to take the risk that someone in your household will mishandle your weapons or injure themselves or someone else.

Protect Children 

The number one reason a gun safe must be present in your home if you own guns is to protect children and those who do not know better. Children should not be expected to stay away from guns simply because they have been told to stay away. Families take a major risk and also offer a major disservice to their children by only educating them on gun safety without also locking up the guns in a gun safe. Children are naturally curious and may be incentivized by friends or playmates to mishandle or play with guns, even when they were taught or urged not to. Do not rely on your word or the threat of punishment alone to be enough to keep your children away from guns. 
There is no excuse to not have a gun safe if you have children in your home and also own weapons. Responsible gun owners with children living in their homes know to keep their guns locked away at all times when not in use, no matter what. The risks are far too high to consider anything other than a professional, secure gun safe if you truly want to protect your children and any friends they may bring into your home. For the sake of your own children and the protection of anyone that comes into your home, a gun safe is a necessary investment.