Savvy About Survival: Hiding Home Guns in Plain Sight

The idea of packing iron around the house at home every day does not appeal to everyone. So, what are some alternatives to toting your favorite personal defense gun from room to room all the time? It may sound problematic to hide multiple guns around the house all day or night, but some other approaches can put defense guns within reach as needed.

By Dr. John J. Woods, a contributing author to SHTFBlog & Survival Cache

First of all, if you want a hide gun in every room of the house, then there is nothing wrong with that “overkill” concept as it were, but just be certain that your domicile is secure inside and that everyone residing there knows guns are hidden around the place and where exactly they reside. Ideally they will be trained in quick response actions as you cannot be home all the time.

If you have young children at home or school children in and out, then extra caution is needed to avoid accidents or misuse. One idea is to place firearms up in higher places not easily accessed by young prowling eyes and fingers.

In reverse, if you are retired and at home a lot, then you can pick your own strategies for placing easy to reach firearms so long as you can remember where they are. That is not as funny as it might seem. Us older folks often go to the garage, freezer or work room and forget why we are there. Deal with it.

The Home Scenarios

An investigation of national crime statistics does reveal an increase in home invasions over the past decade especially in certain high crime areas of America. Think also in terms of such crimes that could just as well impact your bug out location during a SHTF event. Wherever you reside at any given time is under the same potential threat. This extends to travel. Whether you stay in a motel, an RV camping area, an interstate highway rest area, a national park, or at any bug out location, the threat potential remains the same.

So, what is defined as a home invasion? We typically think of this crime as somebody breaking in our house while we are at work, school, shopping, or just gone. They steal easy to grab valuables or stuff to hock at a pawn shop or on the street, then are gone in a flash. Don’t ever discount securing your home against these crimes in the first place by installing extra locks, hardened secure doors, and monitored security systems.

Such break ins are one thing, but an invasion implies that somebody is at home at the time and therefore subject to the active threat. Often these threats can turn violent. Sexual assault, battery, and even death can result from such home invasions. “Leave no witnesses” is the standard mantra of scummier home invaders.

So, there you sit watching television in the den, office, or man cave, your wife is in the kitchen, or sewing room, and the kids are playing on their Wii. In such a scenario, you have little precious time or none to unlock a safe, open a locked gun closet, or other security practice to grab a gun to defend yourself in order to confront the threat that crashes violently into your house. Multiple Hornady gun vaults might be an option.

What you need is a defensive gun you can grip as you dash from your chair to the breeched entryway. It has to be conveniently placed and easy to grab virtually without thinking about it. It is a mindset for sure, that should be practiced.

See just how long it takes you to get out of your repose, grab a gun across the room, or in the TV controller console or off the top of a bookcase. Practice also lying on your bed, as though awakened at night, reading your favorite magazine in the restroom, or other common in home activities. Become comfortable in your movements, time response, and skills at getting into a defensive mode. It might stop an invasion and save lives.

Selecting Home Guns

Picking just the right home hiding gun is about as difficult as selecting ice cream at a Baskin-Robbins. There are a lot of flavors to choose from and a whole bunch of them are really good. This is a decision you have to make for yourself and other family members in terms of what you are comfortable with using, handling, loading, charging, aiming and shooting well especially in tight, pseudo-confined spaces such as down a hallway, or foyer, or room doorway.

The best probable choice would likely be a handgun, revolver or pistol in the category of a universal concealed weapon. That means small, easy to grip, handle, and to hide. Sure, I like a big Smith .44 Magnum with a 4-inch barrel, but it would not be the ideal handgun for this task. For this purpose, look at the 9mm or perhaps a .380 ACP with proper specialized defensive ammunition.

Related: The Unappreciated 10mm Auto

If you like and can handle a 1911 semi-auto in the .45 ACP, then more power (literally) to you. These are not choices anybody else can make for you. The same principle stands if your choice, or a secondary hide gun would be a shotgun in 12 or 20 gauge. Some even might be thinking a defensive rifle such as an AR-15 as a selection, but these could become problematic once a threat is already inside the house.

In this discussion, one also has to consider the issue of bullet penetration when shooting inside a dwelling. There is ammunition available now that is intended for interior defensive use. The penetration and bullet expansion is controlled so as not to overpower the construction materials of a typical house, therefore not creating a threat to innocents in other parts of the dwelling. If you question this, practice your ammo choices on some sheetrock, 2×4 lumber, and plywood, so you’ll know its capabilities.

Also consider now whether to reply on one gun model with multiples placed in the house, or a one or two gun approach. Whatever route you choose, make certain every participant in the family is fully versed and practiced with your in home hidden defensive gun(s) defensive plan.

Hiding Home Guns

Where to hide an easy to grab defensive weapon? Walk the house, tour every room, including the kitchen and bathrooms. Where do you spend the majority of your time in the house? Scan each room with the singular goal in mind to identify secure locations to place or hide a firearm. Maybe among the books in a bookshelf, on a fireplace mantle, down beside the cushion of a couch, next to the television or stereo system.

Nearby every entry door, maybe on an umbrella stand, or next to a flower vase on a table. Perhaps there is a foyer piece of furniture to hide it. At other entries, maybe hangers mounted above the doors, or a window sill. They may be placed visible inside, but never allow them to be spotted from the outside.

Be creative where you hide home guns, but always with safety in mind. Propping a shotgun in the corner of a room may be convenient, but not secure. Place them with care, and practice moving to those locations, and drawing the weapon into a defensive position. And then hope it never comes to that. But, if it should, you’ll be ready.

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