Training Value #6-Competition

Training Value 6-Competition

In competition there are several points that can help with your training.

Safe Gun Handling Becomes Second Nature

In competitive shooting, safety isn’t just a rule, it’s a culture. Under the constant supervision of a Range Officer (RO), every shooter is held to the highest safety standards. Only one person handles a loaded firearm at a time, and any lapse in safety results in an immediate disqualification. It’s a high-stakes lesson, and it sticks. You quickly learn to treat your firearm with unwavering respect, and the accountability of your shooting peers reinforces those habits. These safety skills don’t stay on the range; they follow you everywhere you carry.

You’ll Truly Know Your Gun and Gear

Competitive shooting forces you to live with your gear under pressure. You’ll learn exactly how your holster, magazines, and firearms perform when adrenaline’s high and every second counts. Even if you don’t compete with your carry gun, the insights you gain, like drawing technique, reload efficiency, and gear placement, translate directly to your daily setup. By the time you’ve run a few matches, your gear won’t just feel familiar, it’ll feel like an extension of you.

You’ll Build Speed Without Sacrificing Accuracy

Let’s be clear: accuracy is everything. You can’t stop a threat (or win a match) if you can’t hit your target. Competitive shooting teaches you to prioritize precision under pressure, while also pushing you to develop the speed needed for tasks like drawing and reloading. You’ll learn when to go fast with a quick sight picture and when to slow down for that crucial shot. Through competition, you don’t just learn your limits, you expand them.

You can Master Movement and Learn to Use Cover

Real gunfights are fluid, fast, and chaotic. Standing still isn’t an option. That’s where competitive shooting shines. Sports like IDPA and USPSA demand smart movement, the effective use of cover, and split-second decision-making. You’ll learn how to navigate angles, corners, and barriers in ways that mimic real-life threats. And while match props aren’t real cover, the skills you build, like using terrain to your advantage, are as real as it gets.

Your Mindset Will Sharpen and So Will Your Decisions

Competition creates pressure and pressure builds character. Every match puts you in a situation where you must analyze, plan, execute, and adjust. You’ll learn to think fast, adapt quickly, and stay calm under stress. While self-defense scenarios are more chaotic, the mindset you cultivate in competition — focused, prepared, and decisive — can give you a critical edge when the stakes are real. And knowing your moral and legal boundaries before a crisis hit gives you the clarity to act decisively when it does.

Trigger Time is Time Well Spent

There’s no shortcut to skill. Whether you’re training for competition or self-defense, you need time behind the trigger. Competitive shooting gives you that time, but with a structure that challenges you, pushes your limits, and holds you accountable. With every match, you become safer, faster, and more precise. It’s not just practice; it’s performance under pressure. And that’s where real growth happens!

Competition can make you better if you let it.

While competition won’t replace self-defense training, it will make you significantly more prepared. 

At first glance, the two may look similar. Both involve a firearm. Both require safety, accuracy, speed, and gun handling.

That surface similarity can mislead people.

Competition shooting tests performance under match conditions. Self-defense firearms training prepares the armed citizen for lawful survival during a violent encounter. Those are very different goals.

A competition shooter may become very skilled with a firearm. Many competitive shooters handle guns extremely well. Their practice can improve speed, accuracy, movement, transitions, and confidence under pressure.

However, winning a match does not automatically prepare a person for a criminal attack. Match pressure and life-or-death pressure do not create the same problem.

Likewise, a self-defense student should not ignore skill-building drills. Hard skills matter. The question is not whether competition has value. The question is whether competition training and self-defense training solve the same problem.

They do not.

In competition, rules control the match. Break a rule and you may receive a penalty, lose points, or get disqualified.

That can feel disappointing, but you still go home.

In self-defense, the rules are laws. Break those laws and the consequences can change your life forever.

You may survive the attack and still face arrest, prosecution, civil litigation, bankruptcy, or prison. That is why defensive firearms training must include the legal side of force.

A responsible armed citizen must understand that deadly force requires more than fear. The facts must support the decision.

In many self-defense discussions, instructors refer to factors such as ability, opportunity, intent, and preclusion. Those concepts help students think through whether a threat is immediate, serious, and unavoidable.

The law matters before the gun comes out. It matters while the gun is out. Most importantly, it still matters after the threat stops.

Competition can be helpful.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

 

Gun Cleaning: When and How Often?

 As an instructor, I’m often asked this question: "How often do guns need to be cleaned?" or "When do you clean your guns?"

The answer to these questions depends on a number of factors, including the type of gun you own, how often you use it, and the environment in which you use it and the ammo you use. However, there are some general guidelines that can help you determine how often you need to clean your guns.

We’ll discuss the importance of gun cleaning, the different factors that affect how often you need to clean your guns, and the best practices for cleaning your guns.  

Whether you’re a new gun owner or you’ve been shooting for years, read on to learn more about how often you should clean your guns.

Gun Type	How Often to Clean	Reason
Handgun	After every use	To prevent rust and keep the gun in good working order
Rifle	After every 50 rounds	To prevent carbon build-up and keep the gun in good working order
Shotgun	After every 100 rounds	To prevent rust and keep the gun in good working order

 

Factors to Consider When Determining How Often to Clean a Gun

There are factors to consider when determining how often to clean a gun. These are:

• Type of gun: The type of gun you have will affect how often it needs to be cleaned. For example, a handgun that is used for self-defense may only need to be cleaned once a month, while a rifle that is used for hunting may need to be cleaned after every use.
• How often the gun is used: The more often a gun is used, the more often it will need to be cleaned. This is because the gun will accumulate more dirt, dust, and debris from being fired.
• Environment in which the gun is used: The environment in which a gun is used can also affect how often it needs to be cleaned. For example, a gun that is used in a dusty environment will need to be cleaned more often than a gun that is used in a clean environment.
• Ammunition used:  Are you using lead?  Or are you using jacketed bullets?  Lead is usually more dirty on a gun.  Some combination bullets a pretty dirty too.
• Level of maintenance required: The level of maintenance required for a gun will also affect how often it needs to be cleaned. A gun that is well-maintained and cared for will need to be cleaned less often than a gun that is not properly maintained.

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how often to clean a gun. The best way to determine how often to clean your gun is to consult the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Recommended Cleaning Schedules for Different Types of Guns

The following is a general guide to recommended cleaning schedules for different types of guns:

• Handguns: Handguns should be cleaned after every use. This is because handguns are typically used for self-defense, and they may be exposed to dirt, dust, and debris when they are drawn from a holster.
• Rifles: Rifles should be cleaned after every three to five uses. This is because rifles are typically used for hunting, and they may be exposed to dirt, dust, and debris when they are used in the field.
• Shotguns: Shotguns should be cleaned after every five to ten uses. This is because shotguns are typically used for hunting and sporting clays, and they may be exposed to dirt, dust, and debris when they are used in the field.

It is important to note that these are just general guidelines. The specific cleaning schedule that you need to follow will depend on the type of gun you have, how often you use it, and the environment in which you use it.

Cleaning your gun is an important part of gun safety and maintenance. By following these suggestions, you can help to keep your gun in good working order.

Please don’t ask if I follow these suggestions.  I like to be honest!

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Training Value Part 3-Dry Fire

I have Dry fired for years.  Problem is, I never really had a regular program for dry firing.  I've just started to put together my own dry fire program.  A collection of steps to do it safely, and a collection of drills to work on areas I'm concerned about and to give variety.  As I was researching Dry Fire I came across the following article.  I liked the way they have evaluated Dry Fire to see what skills it helps with.  I include a portion of this article because I think they at Dryfire Mag did a much better job than I could have.  Dryfire Mag is a tool to help in Dry Firing.  I've never used the product but it looks very promising.

From Dryfire Mag 

https://dryfiremag.com/blogs/dryfiremag-blog/dry-fire-vs-live-fire

DRY FIRE VS. LIVE FIRE: WHAT SKILLS TRANSFER THE BEST?              August 08, 2025

 

SKILLS THAT TRANSFER WELL FROM DRY FIRE

The good news is: most foundational shooting skills transfer extremely well from dry fire to live fire. These include:

1. Trigger Control

This is the single most transferable skill.

Dry fire allows you to isolate your trigger press without the noise, recoil, or blast of live fire. You can watch your front sight (or red dot) and get immediate visual feedback on whether you’re moving the gun during the press.

·         Builds proper finger placement

·         Smooths out press mechanics

·         Reduces flinching habits

·         Improves shot anticipation

Pro tip: Use tools like the DryFireMag to simulate trigger reset without racking your slide between reps.

2. Sight Alignment & Sight Picture

Because dry fire gives you a chance to slow down and focus, it's excellent for reinforcing correct sight alignment and visual focus.

·         Helps build consistent alignment

·         Develops fast sight acquisition from the draw

·         Reduces over-confirmation of sights in close distances

·         Encourages more awareness of optic/dot movement

You’ll also learn how your sights behave during transitions, draws, and trigger presses—giving you crucial data you can’t always catch during live fire due to recoil and time pressure.

3. Draw Stroke / Presentation

Drawing from concealment or duty gear in a live environment can be rushed or rushed. Dry fire lets you refine mechanics, reduce wasted motion, and build consistency.

·         Improves grip acquisition

·         Refines speed to presentation

·         Allows high reps in short time

·         Reduces “fishing” for sights

A well-trained draw in dry fire translates directly into faster, more confident live fire performance.

4. Reloads (Emergency & Tactical)

Dry fire is ideal for working reloads, since you’re not under pressure from timers, loud bangs, or brass flying around.

·         Refines mag release & indexing

·         Helps develop 'muscle memory'

·         Perfect for running reps from concealment or gear

·         Enables repetition of specific reload types (speed, retention, admin)

5. Target Transitions

Even without recoil, dry fire allows you to practice visual and physical transitions between multiple targets—especially valuable if you use laser targets or reference points.

·         Builds eye-target-lead habits

·         Reduces over-travel

·         Improves timing and rhythm between shots

6. One-Handed Shooting & Manipulation

Whether dominant or support hand, dry fire gives you the chance to safely build confidence and control using either hand alone.

·         Develops strength and dexterity

·         Reinforces trigger discipline with either hand

·         Prepares you for injury-based scenarios or low-light tool use

7. Movement & Footwork

You can rehearse stepping into positions, slicing the pie around cover, or moving while staying on sights.

·         Practices movement into shooting position

·         Encourages balance and stability

·         Simulates real-world CQB or defensive movement

·         Helps prevent over-exposure in corners or barricades

SKILLS THAT DON’T FULLY TRANSFER FROM DRY FIRE

While dry fire is powerful, there are a few key elements it cannot fully replicate. Understanding these limitations will help you balance your training.

1. Recoil Management

Dry fire doesn’t produce recoil—so it won’t develop the timing, grip pressure, and follow-through required to shoot fast and flat.

·         No muzzle rise

·         No need to manage rapid cycling

·         No recovery between fast shots

This is one reason combining dry fire with live fire—even occasionally—is crucial for well-rounded skill development.

2. Follow-Up Shots (Cadence)

While you can practice simulated double taps or multi-shot drills in dry fire, the real recoil rhythm can only be felt on the range.

·         No recoil impulse

·         No true split-time feedback

·         No real dot/sight lift to control

3. Flinch / Recoil Anticipation Under Pressure

Dry fire helps reduce flinching, but it won’t expose your body to the startle effect of muzzle blast and recoil under real-world stress.

Some flinching only shows up when the bang happens—so live fire is still needed to diagnose and fix these issues fully.

4. Shot Accountability

Unless you're using a laser system or something like Mantis X, dry fire gives you limited feedback about where your shots would land.

·         No paper or steel hits

·         No confirmation of groupings or POI (Point of Impact)

This is where tools like the Smart DryFireMag or dry fire targets with integrated tech come in handy.

Some of the following drills may help in your Dry Fire program:

 1. Trigger Control Drill: Focus on smoothly pulling the trigger without disturbing your sight picture. Start with your firearm aimed at a stable target and slowly squeeze the trigger. Pay attention to any movement in your sights as you pull the trigger. This drill helps improve your trigger control, which is crucial for accurate shooting.

2. Draw and Fire Drill: Practice drawing your firearm from the holster and acquiring your target quickly. Begin with your hands at your sides, draw your firearm, and aim at your target, simulating a real-life scenario. This drill enhances your speed and accuracy, making you more proficient in defensive situations.

3. Reloading Drill: Simulate reloading your firearm to improve your speed and efficiency. Use dummy rounds to practice ejecting the magazine, inserting a new one, and chambering a round. Consistent practice with this drill ensures you can reload quickly and smoothly, which is vital in high-stress situations.

4. Movement Drill: Work on moving and shooting to develop your ability to stay accurate while on the move. Set up multiple targets and practice shooting while walking, sidestepping, or even running. This drill improves your ability to maintain accuracy in dynamic environments.

By regularly incorporating these drills into your dry fire practice, you can develop essential shooting skills and become a more confident and effective shooter. The key is to practice consistently and focus on the fundamental aspects of shooting.

 

Using all the tools available you can maximize the time, energy, and money you put into your personal training and increasing your Training Value.

Semper Paratus 

Check 6

Burn

Gun Safety and Tennessee Teaching Gun Safety In Schools

 Gun safety training for kids should be at the top of everyone’s list.  You may ask, “Burn, my wife doesn’t like guns and doesn’t want one in the house.  Why would our kids need to learn gun safety?”

Not having guns in the house but teaching gun safety anyway is more important than a house full of guns and kids.  With no guns in the house the mystery of guns is very high.  In my house we taught kids gun safety and taught them to shoot at age 8, whether they were interested or not.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen an 8 year who would not want to shoot a gun!  But for us, I wanted our kids to be very familiar with guns to where they could be safe and not wonder what it feels like to shoot a gun.  Every time my kids expressed curiosity, I brought out a gun.  I taught them strict rules and enforced them. I reminded them until they were committed to memory.  I would ask questions like I do when I teach a class. “Why do we have Rule 2 (Never let the muzzle cover [point at] anything you are not willing to destroy)?”  “Because of rule 1 (All guns are always loaded.)”   The reason I did this was to tattoo these rules, and the reasons for the 4 rules, in their brains.  Occasionally I would throw a pistol or rifle on the bed and say to them, “Make it safe!”  They learned safety and there was no mystery in guns.  If every child in America knew gun safety rules and kept them, there would be a lot less accidents.  In my experience with adults, usually rule 3 and 2 are broken more often than the rest.

Why are these 4 rules different from other organizations’ rules? Because of Jeff Cooper, legendary instructor and founder of API, American Pistol Institute now known as Gunsite Academy. I will explain.

Gunsite’s rules are different but very similar to other organizations rules because Col. Cooper wanted a simple, standardized set of rules.  Having a universal set of safety rules gives us the advantage of better communication in training.  When everyone follows the same rules when referring to those rules it becomes simple. Everyone instantly knows what Rule 2 is.  This makes for lots of clarity in training. Everyone speaks the same language.

These are the rules:

Rule 1:

All guns are always loaded.

Some like to say, “treat guns as if, they are loaded.”  This is too ambiguous.  If all guns are always loaded, you will treat a gun accordingly even if you have cleared the weapon. It discourages bad behavior.

Rule 2:

Never let the muzzle cover (point at) anything you are not willing to destroy.

This rule is broken often with inexperienced people.  Pistols are harder to control than rifles but with deliberate attention, it can be achieved.

Rule 3.

Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard, until sights are on target.

Contrary to what TV and movies teach, guns don’t go off by themselves.  Someone (or something) must pull or press the trigger.  That’s the definition of a trigger.  If you never touch the trigger, the gun will not be discharged (Unless you’re Alex Baldwin, of course!).

Rule 4.

Know your target and what’s behind your target.

If you know what you’re shooting at and are willing to destroy it, then put your sights on the target and press the trigger.  Also, most people are not really sure what cover is.  Or in other words, what will stop a bullet.  Most items: walls, doors, appliances, cabinets, vehicle doors, tabletops, furniture, beds, won’t stop a bullet.  Hiding behind a car door like TV cops will get you killed.  The bad news is that there isn’t much in your house that will reliably stop a random bullet. However, brick, concrete, and cinder blocks effectively stop most common calibers. But each bullet takes out chunks, so it can only protect you for so long. Trees are highly effective.  A full water heater can effectively stop at least handgun rounds. The best place to take cover behind a car is behind the engine block and wheel. Bullets easily penetrate other areas of the car.

Stacks of paper are surprisingly good at stopping bullets. Example is: 9mm round, 7 inches of paper.  .50 BMG round, 3,187 sheets, about 7 reams of paper.

So, act accordingly. The sequence of the Four Rules isn’t arbitrary; it’s a deliberate progression that builds a layered approach to safety.

In Tennessee they have taken gun safety for children a step further.  They passed a law in 2024 requiring gun safety training in schools.  It started this year.  Since firearms are so prevalent in their state, they decided to take responsible action and use knowledge over trying to go against the Constitution and take away citizens’ rights.  It will succeed, I predict.  All states should follow Tennessee, but they probably won’t.  It’s amazing that no other state has done this.  They are quick to ban things but very short-sighted on educating children.  There is power in education but obviously law makers need more education themselves!

Please learn and live the safety rules of gun handling and shooting.  Teach them to everyone.  Stop negligent discharges and accidents.  Education and keeping rules will make the difference.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn

Gun Theft

 One concern we all share as responsible gun owners is keeping our guns out of the wrong hands. That can range from children who aren’t ready to handle the responsibility of gun safety to violent criminals looking to arm themselves.  Based on police experience, we want to share some ways you can protect against unauthorized access and loss of a firearm.

There is one particular experience a patrol officer had that demonstrates just how easily avoidable many of those gun thefts are.

This was in a primarily commercial district. There were several gyms near the county line, and just on the other side of the county line was a large apartment complex that housed more than its share of criminals. As a result, the LEO was taking multiple vehicle break-in reports every day at the gyms, sometimes in the double digits.

After talking to so many victims, seeing where the cars were in the parking lot, and gathering information on what was taken and from where, one fact jumped out. From victim interviews and surveillance tape, it became clear the suspects were scouting cars for visible valuables. So, the LEO created a little flier that looked like a parking ticket, and he would walk the parking lot looking in cars. When he noticed valuables visible in the car, he filled out the blanks on the “ticket”. It would then read something like “Patrol. Blue conducted an anti-theft patrol in this parking lot. He noticed the following unsecured valuables in your vehicle _____. Had a thief noticed it, he would have broken your window and, within seconds, stolen your items. Please secure your items in the locker room or hide them from view.”

It was amazing how often purses, laptop bags, and expensive electronics were visible from outside the car. But with the “ticket” reminders, he saw fewer and fewer exposed valuables. Break-ins at the gym plummeted dramatically, so he continued the practice at other locations and solved the problem for his beat until a covert unit could become available and catch the thieves in the act elsewhere.  

Criminals gain access to firearms in several ways, the two most common being vehicle break-ins and residential burglaries. While guns are sometimes stolen from gun stores (often by driving a car into the building) and by robbing someone known to be carrying a gun, today we’re focusing on how the average armed citizen can avoid the theft of an unattended firearm.

Vehicle break-ins come in two varieties: residential parking (i.e. in your own driveway or at the curb in front of your home) and parking lots. Both types of crimes tend to be clustered in certain areas of any given jurisdiction. If your local police or sheriff’s department has online crime reporting, you can often filter the crimes to see where they cluster in your area.

Residential vehicle break-ins occur more frequently in areas that are high in other types of crimes, particularly narcotics and vice offenses. Non-violent addicts who are looking to feed their habits will often target unoccupied vehicles due to the lower risk of both being confronted by property owners or detected by law enforcement. The neighborhoods that attract these types of criminals lack stores to shoplift from, often making cars the lowest hanging fruit for theft. Only the most desperate will smash a window just to rummage, hoping to find something of value. Most will scout cars for valuables or access them without needing to break a window. They will try door handles looking for an unlocked vehicle to go through and will look in the windows of locked cars to see if there’s anything of value. The “tool” they use to break windows is often a simple spark plug — the electrode acts like a window punch and will break a side window quite easily. They generally do not gain access to the trunk in a modern car that requires the keys to pop it open. The center console and glove box are the prime focus of the rummaging. Valuables under the seats are sometimes missed.

For low-crime residential areas, vehicle break-ins can still occur. The thieves are often younger and live in the area. Residents of the neighborhood generally have a suspicion as to who the likely culprits are. They tend to be the source of other issues in the neighborhood such as vandalism, noise complaints, and petty theft. If you can think of someone that fits this narrative within easy walking distance of your home, then you are at an elevated risk of a vehicle break-in.

In more affluent neighborhoods, it’s generally kids looking for a thrill and hoping for money to buy something parents don’t know about. They usually travel in groups and are sometimes easier to catch since they are known to the neighborhood.

Those who live in rural settings generally have less to worry about. The low density of both people and potential targets means there’s little opportunity for scouting. Unfortunately, a quickly growing number of rural communities have issues with meth, pills, and heroin, so you still need to know your neighbors and be aware of anyone who heightens your risk.

The biggest step you can take in reducing your risk of a vehicle break-in in a residential setting is to not live in an area where they occur. I understand this seems self-evident and that where you live is often not entirely in your control, however, it’s worth mentioning, particularly if you are moving and will be renting. Run the crime stats for the neighborhood before you commit to it. Even for the most temporary lodging, like when I am choosing a hotel in an unfamiliar area, I will look at these sorts of crime stats for the neighborhood as well as reviews on travel websites. For a place you plan to live long-term, drive through the area in both the daytime and at night, watching for any suspicious activity.

Next is securing your vehicle. A garaged vehicle is much safer than one parked in a driveway, which can be marginally safer than one parked on the street, particularly if the driveway is longer, well lit, and the yard is fenced. It’s easier for criminals to scout while walking on a sidewalk and peering into curb-parked cars than going up into people’s yards or down long driveways.

Next is not advertising valuables. Thieves in our jurisdiction have targeted both marked and unmarked police cars since they know it’s very likely there are guns inside. They are often visible in a rack. Anyone with access to YouTube and Google can easily learn how to access a gun rack with a set of wire cutters and a 9v battery. If thieves, whether computer literate or not, can see valuables in your car, they will take note and go after them if the opportunity arises. Don’t leave bags, purses, electronics, cash, or weapons visible in the car. Not on the seats, not on the console, not on the floor. Hide, cover, or place in the trunk if it has to stay in your car.

While some vehicles are more secure than others, I haven’t noticed that any particular models are broken into more often than others with one notable exception. Early model Ford Super Duty Pickups are very easy to break into due to a security flaw in the external door handle, and because of that, they are more often targeted by professional thieves, both for break-ins and for auto theft. If you own a Super Duty, take the time to research the issue online and consider purchasing one of the aftermarket security upgrades to mitigate the problem. Some vehicles have a trunk that’s much easier to punch than others, but the overwhelming majority of break-ins involve the passenger compartment only.

I’d highly recommend not leaving firearms anywhere in a vehicle overnight, especially if it’s not garaged. If you absolutely must leave guns in the vehicle, lock them in a safe that is secured to the vehicle either permanently or via a cable lock with a high-quality padlock. This will deter all but the most dedicated thieves. The thieves that have been apprehended are sometimes carrying tools such a spark plug or other makeshift window punch and maybe a knife. They might also have a screwdriver and something to strike it with in order to punch car locks, but not wire cutters, pry bars, or the kind of tools needed to quickly force open a decent pistol safe.

While there are may very few reasons to leave a gun in your car when it’s parked at home, we can think of several reasons to leave a gun in a vehicle in a parking lot. Some states have a law that employers can’t prohibit a gun in your vehicle, but can prohibit them in the buildings. As a result, many citizens drive to and from work armed but must leave the firearm unattended in their vehicle while they are working. Additionally, every state has areas that are off limits for legal carry. Some are more restrictive than others. Finally, there are some places and activities that are just not conducive to carrying a firearm. I carry pretty much any time I’m awake, but even I haven’t figured out a good way to carry while swimming.

We should all assume there will be a time we have to leave our gun in the car and plan ahead, taking adequate precautions to keep that gun in the car and not let it fall into the hands of criminals. Layered security is the key. That could include a car alarm, parking in areas with more lighting and traffic (also a good personal security measure), and once again, making sure there is nothing of value visible from outside of the vehicle. You can use a small safe and cable lock that goes under the seat. Again, very few thieves carry the tools necessary to cut a cable. Given enough time, it could be pried into or otherwise defeated, but the combination of a car alarm and hidden safe are generally adequate precautions.

There are some people online saying it’s unwise to display NRA or other gun related stickers on your car as it advertises that there may be a gun inside.  While I’m not saying it has never happened anywhere, it has not been a factor in my area.

The most obvious answer for keeping your gun secure at home is a gun safe. While a well-made large gun safe is expensive, a pain to move, and can take up a lot of room, it’s also the best protection for your guns from any sort of unwanted access. While I was overseas, my Fort Knox safe protected my guns through two burglaries. Fort Knox even replaced a damaged faceplate for free when I returned.

Random thieves that break in will seldom have the tools required to get into a quality safe. If you’ve layered your security with an alarm or other ways to limit the amount of time a criminal is willing to spend in your house, it’s unlikely they will have time to get into your safe even if they do have the proper tools and knowledge. When larger gun safes are defeated, it’s because the thief was given plenty of time with it. That’s generally accomplished by simply stealing the entire safe and then opening it somewhere else. Cheaper safes and security cabinets are often relatively easy to pry open once they are laid on their backs. Bolting the safe down or framing it in so it’s not easily removed, combined with limiting the thief’s time via an alarm system will increase the effectiveness of any safe.

I’ve also seen small “quick-access” or nightstand type safes defeated in the home. Some of them do not require any tools to open. Simply slamming it repeatedly on the floor causes it to spring open or the locking mechanism to fail. This is an important measure of how easy it is to quickly defeat a small safe by even the most unprepared thief.  Any small safe must be secured in some way so it can’t be removed from the home and opened at a later time. Nightstands are often easy to break, again, by simply picking it up and smashing it on the floor. An eye-bolt sunk into a stud or into the floor for a cable or chain lock is significantly harder to defeat for a thief with limited tools.

A subset of gun safes are in-wall units. They can’t be stolen as an entire unit, so the thief would have to pry into it. Their safety can also be enhanced by hiding the unit behind a mirror or painting. Burglars do not routinely remove wall decorations, but they can be targeted if the thief knows what to look for. The more people who know about it, the higher the chances of the information reaching the wrong ears.

This moves us to the notion of hiding guns. This is the least secure method, of course, but if you must rely on it, there are areas that burglars do tend to search for hidden valuables more often and more thoroughly. These include:

• Under beds
• Dresser and desk drawers, sometimes pulling the drawers completely out to look behind them
• Refrigerators
• Kitchen cabinets
• Bookcases
• Closets, including clothes hanging in closets

Bedrooms and their attached closets almost always get the most attention when the thief has the time and inclination to search for additional valuables. I’ve seen dresser drawers pulled out and smashed apart as well as entire nightstands broken, presumably checking for false bottoms or hidden compartments.

I have no experience with safes that are built into shelves or otherwise disguised. My opinion is that the wall shelf option would be the best since things on the walls are rarely disturbed. I would be a bit more concerned about an item mimicking furniture that’s small enough to pick up, like a nightstand. Bookshelves or wall shelves are less likely to be smashed than a nightstand.

Finally, I’d like to end this article with a plea to keep guns secure from children not mature enough to understand the responsibilities of gun safety. Hidden is not secured. Kids are more resourceful and more observant than you think. Children who aren’t strong enough to pull the trigger in the traditional way still shoot themselves, often by pointing the gun at themselves, putting both thumbs through the trigger guard and their fingers on the backstrap, and squeezing. I’ve regretfully seen more than one child not yet old enough to attend school shoot themselves in the chest this way.

Guns left on nightstands, in shoe boxes in the closet, hidden on a magnet under an end table, and many more “stash guns” have all led to LEO’s responding to a child shot with a found handgun. Sometimes the victim is a child that lives in the home and sometimes they’re a visitor.

Please, don’t be the next household to have to go through that. Put your gun in a safe or keep it on your person in a holster. Don’t think it can’t happen to you or your child.

In summary, the best way to lower your risk of losing firearms to a thief is to keep them behind layered security. Vehicles are inherently less secure than homes, but the risk can be mitigated by keeping valuables out of sight, parking in higher traffic well-lit areas, and using a security device that requires tools and time to defeat. When not carried on your person, firearms in the home should ideally be stored in a safe that’s either too heavy to haul away or secured to the floor or wall. An alarm system will help ensure that burglars do not have time to search for and defeat those containers. Taking just a few extra measures can reduce the risk of your firearms falling into the wrong hands.

Semper Paratus

Check 6

Burn