What is safer for kids handgun or shotgun?

Question

I know that nothing is 100% safe. I know that kids will find anything. BUT i think shotgun are safer to have because they bigger and harder to get self shot. what do you think? what is saver to keep around the house with kids?

Answer 1

any gun as long as you keep it un loaded, with a trigger lock, a shot lock and keep it in a gun safe and buy a lock box for the ammunition and the ammo hiden some place were they can't find it like basment or attic.



as for which is safer i would rather go with a shot gun because newer models have a lot built in saftey devices and some companies even give you a lock.

Answer 2

Shotgun... for sure.

And your logic is right on. (And shotguns shells are less likely to make it through wall and hit people in the next room)

Whatever you get the two most important rules are:

Never keep a firearm loaded.

Never keep the ammo and firearm stored together.



There are safes that are made with seperate locking doors for getting to firearms and ammo. Safes are good things, a lock is your friend.



Now, if you go the handgun route...get something that can be dropped without going off. Sigs have a plate built into the safety that goes inbetween pin and primer...Glocks have a trigger safety that is off when the trigger is touched...I'd feel safer with a Sig...research the gun...they make push button safes for pistols/ammo that can be opened quickly...I'd use a safe with a pistol. And they also now make pistol ammo that won't go through 2 sheets of dry wall...It's expensive...but having a seperate clip/speedloader loaded with for in house use is worth it.



I grew up in a house where the shotgun was hidden on top of the cabnet. I kknew that because I had seen it being taken down once or twice, but it was unloaded. what I didn't find out until I was told when I was older was where the shells were. Taped to the backside of the cabnet fram by the doors upper hinge (the top shelf had pots, pans, steamer...stuff like that...kids get plates, bowls, glasses, forks and spoons)



I'd use a shotgun. Locks are good. Never loaded. Never together.



And remember Education is the Best way to keep your kids safe.



(sorry about the typo's...spellcheck is not working)

Answer 3

Either one can be just as safe or just as dangerous. I am assuming this is going to be used for home defense so I would suggest getting a safe. It will keep the gun(s) locked and out of reach for young ones and close to you at night for the protection purpose.



I would however suggest a handgun. The safes are less expensive and tactically speaking the handgun I think is better. Although both play important yet very different roles. (Guns and Ammo: Book of Personal Defense).



Both I would strongly suggest a safety course for you and your spouse and a defense class as well. Once your kids are old enough to grasp do's and don'ts I would teach them about the guns, what they can do, what to do when or if they see one in the open. Never to touch them unless supervised by you. I have friends who have started their kids on safety and how to use pistols and rifles at the age of 5.



But your head is the ultimate safety...It is the first safety to be engaged. Start there and your family will be safe.

Answer 4

If it were me, I'd go with a handgun. Handguns provide you with more versatility, in the sense that they can be used for home protection or carried for personal protection outside the home, and can be wielded more easily in tight spaces.



Pertinent to your question, Stack-On electronic, programmable combo, pistol safes can be had for the $40 range, whereas long guns require a considerably more-expensive and larger cabinet to be able to be secured and out of sight. In my opinion, that is a better option than simply pulling a small cable through the action or trying to hide it, then worrying about whether you can find it, or the key, if you ever need the gun, or whether they can find it, or the key, when you're not home.



Pistol safes can be lag-bolted directly to a stud, from inside the safe, and are very strong boxes. The model I have allows for a variable combination of one digit to six digits at my discretion, and will lockout for a time if the wrong combination is entered three times.



Other, slightly more-expensive models, are equipped with soft red nightlights for your use, and very loud alarms in addition to lockout functions for "unauthorized" fingers, as well as a different key tone the next time you use it, to let you know someone was trying.

Answer 5

you are starting from a totally incorrect angle.



There is no feature of a firearm that makes it more or less 'kid safe'



You want to keep your firearms safe around kids? Great. You have 3 tasks.



#1 Any firearm on your person must be secured behind LOCK AND KEY...and not a key the kids can easily get.



#2 You must impart structure and rules upon the kids regarding firearms that they are NOT TO BE TOUCHED, NOT TO BE PLAYED WITH, OR THE WRATH OF THE PARENT WILL BE UNLEASHED. And I mean serious wrath, not 'didn't do your homework' wrath.



#3 demystify the firearm. This means whenever the kid asks, no matter how bothersome, you go, unlock the firearm, unload it, and allow the kid to LOOK at it, and even touch it, all the while keeping total control over it and where it points. The kids will get sick of this game 'bug daddy whenever he is on the phone!' pretty quick, and the gun won't be some object of wonder, but 'just that boring old gun'

Answer 6

It depends on how old the children are. If they are 14 and under keep a shot gun. It is bigger and heavier and they are less likely to shoot themselves or someone else. If they are older than 14 then either type, but no matter what keep the gun in a safe place. If you have a safe store the gun in there, also make sure that the safety is always on unless you are using it. This probably sounds like something that everyone has heard already, but It is necessary to sayjust because some people are not all too bright.

Answer 7

No gun is safe with kids around if it's left out in the open. Get a safe and keep them locked up (the guns, not the kids). At the very least, use trigger locks so the guns can't be fired. The best thing to do is teach your kids gun safety and make them familiar with gun. How they work, etc. Also make sure they understand guns are dangerous if handled improperly. If kids understand guns and gun safety, they won't play with them. If they aren't familiar with guns, they will be curious and want to learn on their own. That can lead to disaster. When you feel they are old enough to safely handle guns, take them out and let them shoot a BB gun. Then move to a .22 after they show they can safely handle the BB gun. Make sure they use eye and ear protection and teach them safety above all.

Answer 8

Trigger locks, slide locks, anything that will make the gun useless is not good. Keeping any gun inside a locked safe preferably with a number pad or button combination is good. Remember, when seconds count....you do not want to be looking for trigger lock keys or something... Keeping the gun in a safe will prevent any unauthorized use of a firearm. If trigger locks were so good, police would use them. I have yet to meet an officer that does. See my answer in the other question you asked.

Answer 9

Logic dictates that it would be harder t shoot ones self with a full size rifle or shotgun that it would be to put a pistol in your own face. If you have KIDS it wont matter and a shot gun point blank range vs a 357 ....there going to be dead either way.

Do your self a favor friend. LOCK UP YOUR GUNS. trigger lock, and then in a locked storage box or gun safe. put the ammo some where else and lock it up too. then hide the keys in an other locked box and hide those keys in your pocket at all times. I DO. your guns deserve to be kept safe and so do your children.

Answer 10

If by "safer" you mean which is easier to handle and avoid misfire, then the answer is definitely shotgun. If by "safer" you mean with less deadly force, then the answer is handgun.



Shotguns are by far the most deadly firepower within reach of the hands of an ordinary civilian, if used properly and with the right ammunition. The police and federal agents make use of them in shootouts. If you want to start your kids out, how about getting them a rifle that takes .22 rounds? You get the best of both worlds and something kids can handle without being thrown against the wall from the recoil. Only problem is that rifles are harder to clean and require more careful storage. (Humidity leads to easy rust and corrosion)



If you go with a shotgun, start them out with a pump action gun and birdshot ammo. This has much less recoil than buckshot and slugs, and therefore it is easier to handle. Make sure to get 2 3/4 in. rounds for a smooth bore barrel, since not all guns take 3 in. or rifled rounds.



Handguns are not preferred as starters. They are very hard to handle and easy to accidentally discharge, but if you want to start them out, then go with a .38 revolver or a .22 pistol.





My first gun was a BB gun at age 12, but I worked my way up to shooting rifled slugs with Remington 870. I shot my first rifle while in Boy Scouts. Ignore the naysayers who say that a gun is "always dangerous" around a kid. A gun is only dangerous if the child's parents fail to educate their children and the weapon is left unsecured. A properly trained 11-13 year-old can handle himself or herself with any kind of weapon, but even untrained adult can be dangerous around any weapon if uneducated about firearms.

Answer 11

Depends on the kids, depends on the gun. I have a pistol with a "grip safety," a Springfield XD. My son literally cannot shoot it, even if there was a round in the chamber. I could literally leave that gun on the floor, loaded, no round in the chamber, and know that my kids wouldn't be able to shoot it. (I wouldn't, by the way, I'm just saying.) But I don't think they could do much with a pump action shotgun, either.

Answer 12

any gun is safe around kids



remember, its not up to the gun to teach the kids safety around the gun. its up to the parents. and a child can be around a gun at any age- it's just a matter of how well the parent/s have taught the kid.



its safe if the gun is unloaded with the ammo somewhere else, and the action closed, with the safety on, but that won't do no good if the kids see that the gun/s are used when only something bad happens- so, its the parent's right to teach the kids that guns are fun and safe, just teach them common sense around them and don't do nothing drastic when first teaching them

Answer 13

Guns are inanimate objects. The operator either uses them in a responsible way or an irresponsible way. Trigger locks and gun safes will help prevent tragedies. However, the only surefire thing that will prevent kids (or anybody) from hurting themselves or others with a gun is education. Teach your kids proper gun safety early and reinforce it often, use trigger locks, keep your ammo stored separately in a locked container, and use a gun safe.

Answer 14

i have all the above and i believe that if you as the owner practice excellent gun safety i.e. trigger locks. a safe cabinet or lock box, don't keep your ammo and guns together and when they(the children) are old enough let them ask all the questions that they want about what ever fire arms you may have that way the curiosity is gone and they don't come across them and decide to start playing with them

i hope i answered you question

Answer 15

Any gun should be stored separate from it's ammo. Also when children are in the house a trigger lock should be in place on all firearms. Keep children away from fire arms. The firearms should be locked in a gun cabinet or gun safe.

Answer 16

1

Answer 17

sage i got my first .20 guage when i was 10 and i was perectly fine, do you mean what is safer for kids to own? or just to have in the house? if you just keep it in the house buy a s&w 500 magnum and a barret .50 as long as you keep them in a gun cabinet. keep em locked up and youll be fine.

Answer 18

Actually any Firearm can be safe for Kids providing they are instructed, trained, and familiarized properly with the ones that you have in the home.*

Answer 19

I would say a shot gun, as its less likely to misfire, and Kids can't get it out of the house with out you noticing. But a hand gun has many advantages over a shot gun, you could get a gun safe.

Answer 20

Shotgun, harder for kids to use. I would get a safe or good gun lock

Answer 21

less likely to show n tell w / long gun no safe,, cable locks fairly simple // add d ring to anchor,,if closet stored ,,allin depends on kids an possable ( nosy) ? friends

Answer 22

i would keep an auto loader shot gun,i would keep the clip where they cant get to it.the gun is usless with out it,unless you teach them to manuly load a shel directly in to the chamber,an auto loader is the best in home defense weapon,no freeze ups when trying to reload or pump an action for second shot

Answer 23

u can keep any gun as long as u got a gun safe that they cannot open. and only one key that u should always have with u

Answer 24

well if you're taking the precautions that you should be (hiding the gun, keeping ammo away from the gun) they would be equaly safe. But this is america and I'm sure you're not going to take the time to do all that, I think little Billy would be better off with the loaded shotgun in plain sight.

Answer 25

A rifle with a lever or bolt action.... that way it's harder for the kids to load.... and also, harder to shoot themselves with.

Answer 26

shotgun duh

Answer 27

first of all how old are your kids 14 and under no guns in house