A couple of questions for you well armed preppers out there; how do you all store your weapons? In a safe? Out in the open? Well hidden?
Also, in regards to the high tech electric "key pad" or thumb print gun safes, in the event of an emp, would these cases suddenly become inopperable, locking your weapons forever inside when you need them most? Or would they act as a faraday cage and protect the electronic mechanism?
See you all after.
I keep mine in a safe. I am a firm believer in the KISS principle. The simpler things are the better. Old fashioned combination lock on the safe and key lock on the ammo. My thinking is that IF you have to question how or IF something will function in a given situation.. IE EMP... then you shouldn't be taking the chance. Regardless of an EMP event the 2 examples you gave both require batteries... If they were to fail... same result.
Do you keep your ammo in the gun safe as well? I'm studying for my PAL license and they talk about how ammo and guns shouldn't be stored together, but they can be stored together in a safe that has ventilation? They just arnt very clear on it. They discuss "not having easy access to weapons and ammo", but it seems to me that it is kind of contradictory to the prepper mentality.
I was thinking that when I begin to aquire firearms and ammunition, I would keep the guns in a simple safe like you explained, with some ammunition. The bulk of my ammo would be locked some kind of a secure locking container, or possibly a second safe (although that would be pricey I think)
See you all after.
I keep my firearms in a gun safe, locked with a key. I would have like to get the top box to keep ammo locked in as well but I just keep some ammo in the main locker - it's full, and keep the rest in waterproof plastic ammo boxes. As my kids get older I will have to make sure all ammo is locked up tight. To keep costs down I would just get a simple gun locker from Canadian Tire.
One thing I did was I got one of those combination key storage locks to keep my locker keys in.
http://www.masterlock.com/products/product_details/5401D
Especially when the kids get older or if I have a B+E I know no one is getting into my locker.
I have an older sheet metal gun safe that I use for ammunition storage. I put wooden shelves in it to seperate types and calibers. I also have a solid steel case with a combination lock on it for my firearms. They are in different rooms on the same level of the house and each room can be locked as well for added security if I feel I need it. If you store ammunition with your firearms do NOT load your magazines. There have been cases where inspectors have charged people with having a loaded firearm because the magazine was loaded even though it wasn't in the firearm. Also have trigger locks on if the ammo and firearms are in the same safe.
Do you keep your ammo in the gun safe as well? I'm studying for my PAL license and they talk about how ammo and guns shouldn't be stored together, but they can be stored together in a safe that has ventilation? They just arnt very clear on it. They discuss "not having easy access to weapons and ammo", but it seems to me that it is kind of contradictory to the prepper mentality.
I was thinking that when I begin to acquire firearms and ammunition, I would keep the guns in a simple safe like you explained, with some ammunition. The bulk of my ammo would be locked some kind of a secure locking container, or possibly a second safe (although that would be pricey I think)
I think the prepper mentality is safty first, storing Ammo in your gun safe is fine, just have it in a locked metal ammo container. Make sure all your weapons have trigger locks ..And just to take the extra step with hand guns, make sure they are in a separate case that is also locked, and again trigger locks too, so that gives you 3 locks on your hand guns and two locks to get through on your long guns..And two locks too get through on your ammo storage.....Remember safty first, and fire arms for a prepper shouldn't be purchased to see how many gun fights you can get into, but for " defence self protection "... in the event your life is threatened....I personally take offence to the prepper mentality comment, the prepper mentality is to be prepared, self sufficient, and not to burden, what will be an over stretched emergency service's..that wont be able to help you unless you are a priority one call..
Just my thoughts....
Better to have it and not need it; then to need it and not have it...
I had to dig out my Firearms Safety Handbook from 2008 to look this up.Here are some quotes...
"In areas where it is legal to discharge a firearm, a non-restricted firearm used for predator control may be stored temporarily unlocked, and out in the open, as long as it is unloaded, and not readily accessible to ammunition"
"In a remote area where hunting might reasonably occur, a non-restricted firearm may be stored unlocked, out in the open and accessible to ammunition as long as the firearm is unloaded"
personal note on above...outside of hunting season, you would probably not be able show that hunting might reasonably occur. Note that neither situation allows for a loaded firearm.
"A non-restricted firearm may be stored only under the following conditions:
-It is unloaded and
-Rendered inoperable by using a secure locking device or
-By removing the bolt or bolt carrier or
-Stored in a securely locked container, receptacle, or room that cannot be easily broken open or into (reference to a drawing of a typical gun storage vault) and
-Not within easy access to ammunition, unless the ammunition is stored, together with or separately from the firearm, in a securely locked container or receptacle that cannot be easily broken open or into."
So to store non-restricted guns in a room...
the room must be secure enough that it cannot be easily broken into and the ammunition in this room must be further locked up.
to store in a gun vault...
the ammunition must be further locked up and preferably ventilated in order to reduce the risk of explosion during a fire.
To store in the open...
use a secure lock device such as trigger lock, cable lock or whatever reliably locks out firing the gun, and ammunition further locked away.
Without giving away too much.....
I have a gun safe in plain view. It would take a long time to break into or remove from it's location. It contains no guns. They are ....secured elsewhere.
And I'm pretty sure that right now ammo only has to be locked when it is stored WITH the firearms. Feel free to exceed the lowest level of compliance.
Funny thing though, when I went to the RCMP site to check the fact sheet was gone!!!!
Important Notice
The Canadian Firearms Program fact sheets concerning the Firearms Act are currently being revised. Updated versions will be posted as soon as possible.
Whatever we say today may not be relevant tomorrow.
Be advised..........
Ok, i'm confused...
If the firearms are locked up in a gun safe (that weighs 450lbs empty), the ammunition within it should also be locked up in a second case with a second locking mechanism? ie. in a gun box with a padlock?
How many safes are large enough to hold a couple rifles and ammo boxes?
You don't have to store the ammo in the same place as the guns, probably a good idea to have it somewhere else.
A toolbox with a lock is fine.
There are minimum requirements for legally storing your firearms but a safe is just the easiest.
I have two safes for both my non-restricted and restricted firearms.
I then found a used key'ed Stack-On sheet metal style safe for my ammunition. It is ventilated so the ammo stays cool and dry.
My defensive rounds like LE pistol Ammo(low energy hollow point) and non-lethal rubber shotgun rounds are stored with my firearms as part of the home defense plan.