Where to store a HD gun?

[Boilermaker]

I've been looking around my bedroom for the last week looking for a good place to hide/store my 9mm for home defense. The reason I'm asking is because last weekend someone broke into my buddies house which is just a few blocks away. They completely ransacked the bedroom, flipped over the bed, pulled out all the droor's and ripped out all of the clothes from the closet. As I walked in there I could only think that if that happened to my house someone would probably be carrying around my 9mm right now. I do have a safe that I store my other guns in, and right now I keep my 9mm in the nightstand. This just seems like a really obvious place to look. This gun is my carry gun but I don't carry all the time so it is there alone a lot. I'm not as worried about getting broke into b/c I have a dog and he's all over the door when people come, but that doesn't mean it can't happen and that the dog will protect the house. The best place I've found so far is above my computer desk, because it is about 6' high and has trim around the top that would hide it. Where have you found to be the best place to store you HD gun?

[natjohnb]

If you have a nightstand next to you bed, mount a holster to the rear of the nightstand and keep the pistol there.

It gives you really quick access and is not in plain view.

[AK103K]

Mines in its holster, in my pants, by the bed when I'm in bed. No need to leave it.

If you cant take it with you, get one of the better lock boxes and lag screw it down to the floor by the bed.

[hpg]

I won't post here but I'll PM you a great one.hpg

[Dwight55]

If I am only going to work, . . . anticipate coming straight home, . . . I usually don't take my weapon with me because of the anti gun policy of my employer.

When I don't take it, . . . it goes straight into the gun safe. I don't fear someone breaking in and stealing it, . . . but rather that they would break in, . . . find it, . . . be waiting for me when I get home, . . . and use my own gun on me or my family.

A good safe is the best place for my weapon when I cannot take it with me.

May God bless,
Dwight

[jfrey123]

It can get rather tedious... But when I know I'm leaving, I lock it up. When I get home, and I'm in the bedroom anyway getting slippers and what not, I get it out and put it in it's nighttime sleeping spot by the bed.

So for me, it works best to leave them locked up when I'm away, and bring out my favorite home defender when I get back. Right now I've only got a wall mounted locking gun rack, but it holds pistols too. No safe as of yet, but my next project is a small locking gun box to put my HD gun into. That way I'm not having to undo my whole collection everytime. But, even with that gun box screwed down to the wall, I'm still leaving the pistol out in it's nighttime spot when I'm home.

[allenomics]

Locked safe, bolted to the floor, especially if you have kids.

[Thunderhawk88]

You could try one of these....
http://www.titangunvault.com/

[tegemu]

I have been leaving my HD guns out when I leave the house but after reading the responses to this post I believe I shall start putting them in the safe. Thanx guys.

[GodblessAmerica]

I'm with Dwight here. In order to secure an unsecured firearm when you are not at home you basically have two choices. You can take it with you or you can secure it in your existing safe. I'd suggest the latter if you can't carry all the time, as long as your existing safe is bolted down as well. I think in your described circumstance you would be much better off to secure the handgun rather than try to hide it.

[rb4browns]

I bought myself a little fire resistant safe at Staples for $150. I am keeping my XD9 and ammo in there (my new S&W 642 will join its big brother when I pick it up tomorrow as well :D ), along with some other important documents and stuff. I am a little concerned about moisture in therw so I ordered some industrial strength dessicant from www.zorb-it.com for $10. The peace of mind alone knowing my gun is safe from someone breaking in and stealing it is worth the price alone. I can deal with losing $500 but I don't even want to think about God forbid someone hurting an innocent person with my gun if it was stolen.

At night my 9mm is loaded by my bed, but by day is safe and secure!

[outlaw6]

I have two kids (12 and 6) so 24hr lockup is in order. I have a lock box under my bed and one in the living room. Each contain 1 handgun w/spare mag. All my other guns sleep in the gun safes in the den.

Having a gun in a lock box certainly isn't optimal for quick access but with kids, you have to compromise.

[whip1]

If you are at home, either wear it, or leave it in the night stand. If you are away, and not carring it, put it in the safe. Even if it's in the lockbox, the theif can still take the whole box, and open it later.

[Haterade]

Do you have kids?

If you do, then you should probably be locking your gun in some kind of safe. Some people already linked some good ones. I have seen some chick in a gunstore open one of those finger-touch jobbies in under 1 second.

This is a good one.
http://www.gunvault.com/

If not... hmmm.. My gf's place got tossed a few months back. They opened and tossed every nightstand drawer into the middle of the room. Velcro your holster to the back of the nightstand. They probably won't roll it. They'll toss your mattress... that's easy. Velcro a holster to the back of your headboard, if possible.... they won't pull it away from the wall in most cases.

You mentioned your computer monitor. Would a crook search behind your monitor for anything? Doubt it. Seems like a good spot. Leave a broken MP3 player on your computer desk... they'll grab that and move on....

Do you have an attic? Bury the sucker in a baggie in some insulation. Nobody will look there. Or you could bolt one of those floor mounted heat vents to the floor and hide your gun behind it. You won't be able to get at it easy, but nobody will look there.

[22-rimfire]

My home defense gun is quite accessible in my bedroom. IF my house gets robbed, it will likely be stolen. Your idea about the computer sounds pretty good. Another place is keeping it on the bottom of the night stand, but it gets to be a pain placing it there every day and eventually you won't. If you have a safe, keep it there during the day. Burgler types know the normal places to store valuables. Guns aren't the only things that they will be looking for. Loosing that particular gun is the least of my worries.