It’s purely mechanical – no electronics – no batteries or circuits to fail – and the five buttons arranged in a short row can be namipulated in a fraction of a second, in the dark, for immediate access.

The lock secures a 12-gauge steel (read: acetylene torch to cut) metal box, through-bolted (from inside the box) to the floor.

Here’s one identical to mine except that the steel is even thicker (10 gauge):

http://www.ftknox.com/pistolboxes/

My long guns are in a security cabinet screwed from inside to a wall stud behind, double-padlocked.

Two answers:

1. Quick access lockboxes, using the Simplex lock, the Gunvault style electronic lock, or biometric locks.

2. Teach kids gun safety, and make handling guns safely, under appropriate adult supervision, part of their lives, rather than some mysterious, forbidden adult thing for them to try when the folks aren’t around.

Orthogonally: drowning accidents among kids drop dramatically when the kids learn how to swim. Locking up the pool is the fallback; water safety is more important.

Amid all the talk about gun models – I would like to emphasize the importance of securely storing your gun.

Here in Israel they are very strict about the need to lock your gun up when it’s not in use – if your firearm is involved in an incident and you didn’t taken the steps necessary to secure it – you are (rightly!) in big trouble.

Maybe less glamorous than discussing the guns – but just as important, if not moreso.

Great post, and best of luck in this endeavor. Two thoughts to pass on.

1) A cousin of mine (by marriage), a survivor of Auschwitz, became a life member of the NRA when he came to America after the war, and could never understand how any sane Jew could support gun control. He had a small business in Manhattan, and I’m pretty sure he had some form of “protection” stashed in his van, though I never saw it. He once took me and my daughter on a memorable tour of the NRA museum when it was in downtown DC. Time marches on; the NRA museum is now in NoVa, and Les, like so many survivors, has gone to meet his maker.

2) Do your homework if you are thinking about joining the JPFO. They are to the NRA as the NRA is to the Brady Campaign–seriously hard-core.

An unloaded, locked-up gun doesn’t help much for home protection/break-in. It might only help if there was some civil unrest that gave you a warning to take it out (Katrina).

They make quick-access mini gun safes for handguns that work with fingerprint recognition or quick combinations. Not sure if they have similar locks for long gun cabinets, but a place like Cabela’s may have it.

The key is to teach your kid(s) proper respect for guns, without making them seem like some forbidden fruit. Just like you would do with kitchen knives or a power tool. Even though my guns are inaccessible to her, I don’t worry about my 4yo daughter, if she ever found one. She sees me with them frequently, and knows not to touch. I’d worry more about her friends.

Then, I also tell them that their lives as they know it will come to a screeching halt if I ever catch them playing with them or showing them to a friend. This put the fear of God into them, since I never talked like that before.

I never had problem #1, so I guess it worked. They know that dear old Dad can be a cuddly teddy bear or a raving maniac, it’s up to them. So they have made good choices along the way to keep the beast in hibernation.

I haven’t touched it since I don’t really feel like exploring it when my small children are around.* Hubby has a couple weeks off in Dec. so I will set up a time to meet up with someone who can teach me how to use and clean it.

*Once I know what I’m doing, I’ll be more willing for them to see it and learn. I don’t think me fumbling with it would be very beneficial!

I’m still unsure how a gun can be handy enough to get to in a hurry and still be safe from the kids…

Don’t look too far ahead until you know how interested you are in shooting and what kind of shooting you’re interested in. Answers will present themselves in vast waves of unsolicited advice…

A.L.

Instead I suggest you find a local range in the Richmond area with a good selection of rental guns. Get a membership and start shooting through their rental case. This is the easiest and cheapest way I know of to get experience with a wide variety of firearms. After that, buy what you like and can afford.

Anyway, one way to relieve some of the stress surrounding your decision to buy the one gun that’s “just right” for you is to resign yourself to the likelihood that you’ll eventually own several.