How to Use a Gun Safety Lock

How to Use a Gun Safety Lock: They work very well, but only if you use them properly. Some surveys show up to 10% of American gun-owners who also have children at home have at least one gun that’s loaded and unlocked.

Gun locks are not very expensive, costing just $10 or a little more. But here’s the thing: not all cable gun locks fit all guns.

A cable lock works pretty simply. All you do is put the safety on, pass the cable through the barrel and into the chamber, and also through the magazine, and then lock it together in the padlock.

Cable Locks Do Not Damage Your Gun

Some people worry that this could happen. In fact, it does not. Your firearm does not experience any damage when you use a cable lock. Some people wonder whether their recoil spring will experience damage when a cable lock is used. If you want to err on the safe side, just slowly close the slide on the cable. Most are covered by nylon, plastic, or rubber, so there’s very little to worry about in the way of damage.

Advantages of Cable Locks

Cable locks work very well because they prevent the firearm from being loaded and the chamber closed. Trigger locks work too, but in general they’re a little easier for curious young children to break through.

Disadvantages of Cable Locks

As we hinted at before, they don’t work well with every type of firearm. They work great for pistols. But if you’re storing a break action shotgun, or bolt-action rifle, for example, cable locks are not long enough to work.

The Real Point of Cable Locks…

Don’t view cable locks as a substitute for taking other safety precautions! Any type of lock can be defeated when someone is determined enough and has plenty of time on their hands. The point of cable locks is to prevent your children from using firearms. They are just another precautionary safety step.

And another thing to think about is the fact they hinder you in the event of a home invasion. It’ll take some time to use a key, open the padlock, remove the cable, and insert ammunition into your handgun. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use a cable lock, but it is another thing to think about. However, if your primary goal is to own a firearm with children in your household, cable locks make good sense.

That’s the rundown on cable locks. They’re another helpful precaution.