Do you leave loaded firearms unattended?

[jmra]

un·at·tend·ed
adjective
not noticed or dealt with.
synonyms: ignored, disregarded, neglected, abandoned

None of my firearms have ever been nor will they ever be "unattended".

[Oldgringo]

I've got 'cocked and locked firearms in both ends of the house and in both vehicle plus the one on my hip. I most surely hope that I never have to use any of 'em.' Oh BTW, kids ain't welcome.

We took an older couple over to Nacogdoches a couple Sunday evenings ago for a visitation in a funeral home. Upon arriving back home for coffee and a piece of pie, I took my Compact 1911 off my hip and put it in my desk. The other woman asked somewhat aghast, "...did you take a gun to the funeral home...? I replied, "...yes, it's the same one I wore to church this morning...". We then had coffee and pie and talked about dead people and funerals. It was a laugh a minute.

[BigGuy]

I responded, "Never OK." But I may have had a different idea of what was meant by "unattended." Like others have said, I don't consider an item resting where I intentionally placed it unattended. When I head to the head during the night, I don't consider the pistol on my night stand unattended. I'm sure there are legal and grammatical arguments against my definition. But my working definition would be that until it is reasonably available to somebody else, it's not unattended. It is stored where I left it.
Now, we can talk about adequate storage, but that's another topic IMHO.

[jimlongley]

I've got 'cocked and locked firearms in both ends of the house and in both vehicle plus the one on my hip. I most surely hope that I never have to use any of 'em.' Oh BTW, kids ain't welcome.

As long as it is in my home, it isn't "left". It is stored where it is supposed to be and how it is stored and whether it is loaded is my decision. I have no little kids and nobody is dropping any off without an adult of my household there.

Also

And I don't run around the house every time we leave, or come back, putting guns in the safe or taking them out. They are "stored" where they are for ready access, which reminds me, I was going to get a shotgun mount for over the bedroom door.

[TexasCajun]

With a clever and inquisitive 2yr old, my pistols are either: loaded and carried on-body, loaded and secured in a quick-access safe, or unloaded and locked in a more secure safe. And as my son has cousins and friends around his age, children are welcome but not left unattended.

[Charlies.Contingency]

I must ask, since there are so far 9 voters that said they do not believe in leaving loaded firearms unattended.

What do you do whenever you go to a place and it is 30.06 posted? Having the ammunition readily available is almost as bad as having it loaded. Do you California travel your guns with separate lock boxes?

I believe it is okay as long as there are no children, and they are always left unattended with another party present that is not authorized to have access. When my daughter is not around, I will have my duty gun readily available, but when she is around, or I am home, I leave it loaded in a quick access safe. If I have a co-worker over that I trust, or a close friend, I will leave my firearms available if not on my person, in plain view, and make sure they know where it is, what it is, and that there is one in the chamber.

Again though, kiddos around, or somebody I would not have pick up my gun a know they will handle it responsibly, locked up or on person. Somebody I trust, readily available.

[karder]

Every household is different so I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. I don't consider a loaded gun, kept for quick access in an emergency "unattended". Obviously, households with children have to make considerations that households with adults only don't. In my case, I used to keep a 12 gauge handy in the bedroom, but these days I keep everything locked in the safe except what my wife and I are carrying. She has her 9mm in her purse and I have my .40 in a shoulder holster on my person. We don't have any kids to consider and in the event of a break-in while we are away, I don't want any easily accessible weapons available to an intruder. In the rare event children visit our home, she puts her purse in the safe and I just wear
my rig as normal.

I edited to add I voted "okay in any situation" because it is up to the gun owner to assess the situation, make a decision and be responsible.

[winters]

I don't have kids and im not married. I leave atleast one gun loaded by my bed. good luck getting me to change

[CoffeeNut]

I leave my home defense gun loaded and "unattended" most of the time. If I'm leaving for work it goes into the safe but otherwise it is always at the ready. If anyone comes over it usually gets put away or moved and I'll be carrying concealed.

[BobCat]

I leave my carry pistol on the nightstand next to me at night. Otherwise it is on my person.
If I have to leave it in the truck to go into a "posted" location, I take the slide stop out and with me. Pistol is disabled - can't be fired, so it really is not a pistol any more, it is a slide that will fall off the frame if picked up.

Long story - nobody is making you read this, so if it is a waste of time, you wasted it, I didn't.

Years ago when my wife and I lived near San Jose, CA, there was a very nasty criminal known as the "night stalker" loose - in Southern CA but there are nice roads there, he could show up anywhere.
I kept a loaded .357 mag Ruger Security Six in my dresser drawer in the bedroom. Did not take it to work - no carry there, too much hassle, it was safe in the drawer, nobody was supposed to be in the bedroom but my wife and me.

"Supposed" is slippery. One day I came home from work and my wife and the neighbor lady were in the kitchen having coffee. Neighbor kid - neighbor lady's daughter, about 8 years old, was loose in the house, playing with the cats.
She could easily have gone in the bedroom, started snooping (just a kid, kids are inquisitive) and found that loaded revolver.

She didn't.

No harm - but in my mind it was a lucky break.

Since then I make it a point to never assume "nobody will get to it" - innocent things can spiral out of control, and before you know it, you're saying things like, "Oh no! If I'd only done thus and such, none of this would have happened!"

Edited to add: All my other guns are locked up. My wife tends to her little Smith, she knows were it is and how to use it, not my business - buy all my guns are secured.

[jmra]

I have four younguns living at home (ages from 3 to 12) although I do teach gun safety, I still can't take the chance of leaving an armed gun, hidden or otherwise, out for them to have access to. If its not on my hip or immediate control then its locked up.

I've never seen an armed gun before.

[chuck j]

There is just me and my 16 year old daughter , we have a 9mm and 1903 Colt hidden with easy access if in a hurry . I lay my carry gun on my chest of drawers at night. All modern guns are locked up if there are ANY kids or teenagers at the house . I trust her with weapons , she handles a pistol like it's a baby bird , more of a stickler for safety than me .

[rbwhatever1]

Nope. I'm with others here. I can see them all and they're ready to go. I will unload a Model 66 and put it in storage. It has zero utility now. The rest will be unloaded, cleaned, lightly oiled, reloaded and put back in their places since it's going to rain today. No shooting unless I'm forced.

Chili or beef stew? That's the only decision I need to make today! I also may be forced to go to the store...