Why More Americans Want to Own Guns

[God of Mr. Hanky]

How would you feel about a restriction that requires you to keep any firearms - unloaded - under lock and key, and to have your arrangements inspected at random by the local police?  Bear in mind that if your gun safe is found to be unlocked (or your weapons loaded, or your guns and ammo stored in the same place), you will lose your firearm permit.  Because that is exactly the arrangement here, and no one - as far as I know - has found it to be objectionable.

Boru

They're doing that in many US States, although I'm not aware of any such random inspections. The last part sounds particularly creepy to me - there are many good reasons why our Constitution forbids government officials from entering a private home without a warrant! If something goes wrong on account of legal requirements not being followed, then of course you don't want to be that gun owner.

I'm all in favor of gun locks and safe storage where children do not have access to the gun in your home, but there are plenty of good ways for keeping your gun locked up safe. Most homes probably already have a sturdy cabinet which they can put a lock on, so forcing everyone to purchase an extra cabinet with the label "Gun Safe" (if that is what you are describing) would just be abusive. Therefore "Gun Lock" yes, "Gun Safe" no.

Also, there should be no storage requirements in homes where no children live, provided you don't allow guests to bring in their children without such measures in place.

If you have children in your home, and you really are going to use your gun to protect them when you hear footsteps much too heavy to be theirs, following the jimmying of your kitchen window, then you had better be able to have it ready fast. How can you realistically have time then to deal with so many fucking locks?    This would of course render your weapon pointless unless you sleep with it loaded, unlocked, and by your bed! Having your gun safely stored and locked when your kids are playing in the house is all well and good, but it's no good to have the government prohibiting the exercise of sensible judgement.