THE FOLLOWING IS PERSONAL PREFERENCE AND NOT SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE:
My theory is that anyone who comes into your house in the dead of night means to do you bodily harm. Burglars will likely hit your house in the daytime when they assume no one will be home. Accordingly, I keep three things on my nightstand:
My cellphone.
A Surefire flashlight.
And my Sig 9mm with 13 rounds of +P.
I personally do not ever keep a round chambered.
In the daytime when I'm out, my guns are locked in a safe and I have the only key.
(Except for the pistol I may or may not be carrying).
I keep mine on the night stand. Safety off, no round in the chamber. I have a dog but she doesn’t really bark. She makes huffing noises when she hears something so I don’t count on her to wake me up! :~/ Locking the door is a good idea. I should start doing that.
Would y’all mind discussing why you don’t keep a round chambered? I can’t think of any good reason not to (unless you’re talking about a SA revolver) and a lot of good reasons why you should, so your posts had me curious.
Do you keep a spare key around? How about a biometric lock?
I’m with you 100% except that I am an avid rabid 1911 user, and it stays at condition 1. One in the chamber and in a IWB holster modified with velcro and stuck to the headboard base leg on my side of the bed (out of sight but not of close/quick reach)
I know .. people always cringe at condition 1, but the 1911 is inherently safe anyway. (NO Firearm is safe loaded or unloaded)
No ... I don’t want to let the inrtuder know he has a surprise waiting. Along that line most CCW people forget ... concealing is tactical .. I don’t want anyone to know I carry either. I like to be the one in control.
Important. Cellphone mandatory ...phone lines can be cut especially with alarm systems involved.
Daytime every thing goes into the safe, including the Mossberg 5065. It hangs conveniently alongside the bedrail ... In reality I am more apt to grab that first ...
I carry a Sig P250 with medium grips. Currently configured 9mm but will go to 45 when the conversion is out. I have large hands .... but 1911 is too large to carry comfortably ... the sig works wonderfully IWB.