Gun Storage at Home: 3 Locations for Firearm Staging
- by Casy Smith
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Time to Read: 3 minutes
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When you concealed carry, you want to make sure you’re prepared to defend yourself in any situation. From extensive training to perfecting your concealed carry setup, you work hard to ensure you are prepared for any situation that comes your way.
However, are you prepared for a self-defense situation when you’re at home? It’s understandable if you don’t carry a firearm at home. After all, your house is a place to relax and feel at ease. So, when you don’t have your gun on you, what can you do to ensure you are ready to defend your home?
Creating a home defense plan with staged firearms can help you feel more at ease and prepared in the case of a home invasion. Furthermore, staging your guns at home can function as a way to store your guns without a safe. However, if you’re wondering “what is firearm staging,” stick with us to learn more about this tactic for successful gun storage at home.
What Is Firearm Staging?
Firearm staging is the strategic placement of a gun or multiple guns around your home, making them readily accessible for a self-defense situation. Usually, firearm staging implies that the weapon is hidden in a location that only the owner can access. Firearm staging allows you to arm yourself quickly and safely. The best way to stage a firearm with limited access is through locked concealment decor and furniture.
Where Should I Stage My Firearms?
Whenever you start your search for firearm staging locations, it’s best to review your floor plan. While you know your house like the back of your hand, getting a top-down view of your abode will let you plan more strategically. You can see every entrance and room in your home and can start mapping possible routes for firearm access.
Once you look at your home’s floor plan, you need to answer this question, “where would an intruder most likely break into my house?”
Staging Firearms Based on Research & Statistics
Securing your home from potential intruders is crucial to maintaining safe gun storage at home. According to statistics from ADP.com, the front door is the most common entry point for burglars, with 34% of them breaking into homes through the main entrance.
This makes it important to reinforce the security of your front door and other potential entry points, such as first-floor windows and back doors, before considering where to keep your gun for home defense.
By identifying and securing these areas, you can create a safe and strategic plan for gun storage at home while also ensuring a safe living environment for you and your family.
It’s a great idea to check these points of entry and secure them before you begin staging firearms. Once you’ve identified the intruder’s main potential entry points, the next question you need to answer is, “where do I spend most of my time when I’m at home?”
The 3 Top Places for Firearm Staging
While having a readily accessible firearm available in each room may sound like an ideal scenario, this isn’t practical for most.
Think through your typical day and determine where you spend most of your time. Then, you can stage your firearm there to increase its accessibility when an intrusion happens.
You want to zero in on a location that an intruder can’t immediately cut you off from. You may eliminate spaces near the points of entry we mentioned earlier, like your foyer, utility room or coat closet. Here are three locations you can stage your firearm:
1. Consider Shared Spaces: Living Rooms, Dens, & Dining Rooms
These spaces may be your first choice for firearm staging because they are open and centrally located. A living room is also ideal for staging a firearm due to the wall space they offer for larger firearms, like rifles for home defense.
Your living room and den areas may also have cabinet and shelf space for concealment decor for smaller firearms, like handguns.
Depending on your home’s layout, the biggest drawback of staging a firearm in your living or dining areas is their proximity to the front door, as an intruder can quickly cut them off.
If you choose to stage your firearm in a common space, you want to make sure there is plenty of distance between your self-defense weapon and an entry point.
2. Think about Central Hallways
While you may not devote much time to your hallway, you may have a centrally located corridor that is easily accessible from multiple rooms in the house. Halls also offer plenty of wall space for concealment flags or art.
3. Prioritize Bedrooms
We spend large chunks of time in our bedrooms and home offices. Whether you are working or sleeping, these rooms offer a great place to stage firearms due to the amount of time we spend in them and the ample space for various concealment options. Make sure to check out this article covering the top reasons you should use concealment furniture in your bedroom.
How Should I Store My Firearm When Staging It?
When it comes to safe gun storage at home, the proper storage of your firearms is essential. Once you have identified the best location for staging your firearm, it's important to consider how to store it securely.
The best way to store guns without a safe is to use locked concealment products that are hidden from view and inaccessible to unauthorized individuals. By ensuring that your firearm is securely stored in a concealed location, you can prevent accidents and unauthorized access, while also maintaining a safe living environment.
Additionally, it's important to always follow these four rules of firearm safety whenever you stage and draw your firearm from a staged location, ensuring that you and your family remain safe at all times.
Avoid Danger through Empty-Chamber Storage
Outside of the type of storage option you use, you need to store your firearm in a way that won’t cause harm in the event of a natural disaster. You should never store or stage a gun with a bullet in the chamber. Why do you want to avoid having a bullet in the chamber?
Even if your gun of choice has the safety on, a house fire can create enough heat for the gunpowder to ignite. Once the bullet is loaded into the chamber, heat from a fire can cause the bullet to travel in the direction of the barrel. This causes the gun to fire from its staged position, which can cause injury or death.
For an extra level of security, you can stage your firearm with a loaded clip outside of the gun. A concealment option with a customizable foam insert allows you to create a cutout for easy access to one or multiple magazines.
Find the Perfect Secure Storage Option for Your Home
Using a piece of home concealment furniture or decor allows you to customize how you stage your firearm. If you haven’t considered using a concealment flag for your staged setup, check out our article covering the top advantages of using concealment furniture for your staging needs.
If you’re considering a few storage options for your firearm staging setup, learn more about how we make our excellent concealment flags, art, decor and furniture.
Have questions? Check out our FAQs page for excellent tips, or visit our contact page to get in touch with one of our knowledgeable team members.
