Exercise Your 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms, but Keep Your Handgun Safe!

One of the founding principles of the United States of America, as found in the Second Amendment of the Constitution is that the "right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Though the world has changed a lot since 1787, does that mean that our rights have changed? The nature of man has not changed, there have always been good and bad people, those who wish us the best and others who wish us the worst. There are a lot of questions about how the 2nd Amendment is interpreted regarding many things like automatic weapons, but today I just want to take a look at handguns, and how to keep your handgun safe if you own one.

One of the great things about the beginning of America, was that the people were excited to be out from underneath the thumb of an oppressive government. They wanted to be self ruled, and under a structure of government, people were trusted to make the decisions that were best for them as long as it did not infringe upon others rights. A lot of that is missing today. We are not even trusted to be smart enough to decide if we should wear a seat belt or not when we get in our car. So should it be a big surprise that handgun ownership is a hot topic? But in June of last year (2008), the US Supreme Court, in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller, upheld the decision that Americans have the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.

As reflected in the news, there are people who violate the right to bear arms which results in the injury and death of innocent bystanders. But these people are the exception, not the rule. Many are concerned with accidents in the home with handguns and children, but there are so many ways that individuals can keep a handgun safe from accident, that there is little reason to fear. Owning a handgun should bring a feeling of safety and confidence in the ability to protect ones family, not fear.

If you can afford a handgun, you can afford a handgun safe. They are not that expensive and worth the peace of mind that it brings to your home. Though you can find a small standard type safe that has a combination lock, this is unusual in a safe that is designed with a handgun in mind. If you need your handgun, you need it quickly and do not want to mess with a combo lock during a surge of adrenaline. Most handgun safes come with one of three different options.

The first is a key. This is a great option as long as you always know where the key is to be found. It does no good if you have a burglar in your home to have your handgun safe close by and the key downstairs on the kitchen table on your key ring. You also don't want the key kept with the safe, or it is easy for curious children to find and get in to. There is no set solution to this dilemma, you have to find what works best for you.

Personally, I would rather not worry about a key, so an electronic or mechanical lock is a good solution. A five button mechanical lock has 1081 possible combinations. Just punch in the combination, and you have quick access to the contents inside.

But what if you have a brain cramp when under pressure? Remembering a five digit combo may not be best for you. Then, go with the latest and coolest thing on the market, the biometric handgun safe. As you've probably seen in TV shows and in the movies, these safes use basic fingerprint recognition to open the safe. Depending upon the model and brand, most biometric safes will recognize anywhere from 5 to 30 different fingerprints. It makes for quick and easy access, especially when you are under pressure. Just make sure that you heed any low battery warnings! If you need your pistol quickly and you forgot to replace the batteries to your handgun safe when warned, that is as bad as wondering where the key is! Luckily, the battery life on a biometric safe is very long and some even have an external power supply options, so this really is not much of a problem.

If you choose to exercise your 2nd Amendment right by owning a gun, just keep it secure in a handgun safe. That way you get security and peace of mind.