Lesson 2 of 6 · 7 min
Locked, unloaded, ammunition apart
Pediatricians and the firearm industry's own safety program say the same three things about a firearm that is not in use, and the CDC adds that hiding it is not storing it.
All guns in your home should be locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately.
Store your firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault or storage case when not in use, ensuring they are in a location inaccessible by children and cannot be handled by anyone without your permission.
Store your ammunition in a locked location separate from firearms
Hiding is not storing. The CDC says so plainly, and the AAP explains why:
Putting a firearm out of sight or out of reach is not safe storage and not enough
Even if you think you've hidden your gun well, chances are your child will find it. In fact, by as young as first grade, 4 out of 5 kids know where a gun is hidden in their home.
A cable or trigger lock helps, but it is a second layer, not the first:
A gun lock should be used as an additional safety precaution and not as a substitute for secure storage.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that the safest home for a child is one without guns.
The AAP gives that advice first and the storage rules above for homes that do keep guns. This class teaches the storage rules; whether to keep a firearm is your decision.
What it looks like at home
- Every firearm not in use is unloaded and inside something that locks: a safe, gun vault, lock box, locked cabinet or locked case.
- Ammunition is locked too, in a different place from the firearms.
- A cable or trigger lock is used as an extra layer on top of locked storage, not instead of it.
Our summary of the lines above. Check your home against it.
Check yourself
Not a certified class. It does not satisfy any permit, license, carry, purchase or hunter-education requirement, and it is not legal or medical advice.