Many of us choose to have a gun around the home. We think in terms of protecting ourselves and our loved ones from persons who would enter our homes without authorization. However, if we are not careful about how we care for the ammo that we’ve brought into the home, we could be creating a threat ourselves. Here are a few simple rules for keeping ammo around the house.

The first rule of thumb to observe is that one should never keep ammo in the same place as the gun it goes with. While you do want the ammo nearby in case of an emergency, you are asking for trouble by keeping both components in the same drawer or strongbox, even if the space is locked. Especially if there are young children in the home, it is a very bad idea to keep guns and ammo together. Store them separately, but within a reasonable distance from one another.

Next, never leave ammo in your gun. All it takes for some innocent observation to turn into a fatal accident is the presence of one bullet left in the chamber. Always make sure there is nothing left in the gun when are finished using it. Don’t rely on memory; visually check the chamber and remove bullets if necessary.

There are those that say as a practical way of storing ammo, you want to keep it in a cool dry place. A basement may do well, or in a closet near an air vent. Others believe that cold is more important and may urge keeping your ammo in a sealed container in the freezer. You may want to check with the manufacturer of your ammo to determine what temperature and humidity controls they recommend.

There is nothing wrong with keeping ammo around the house. In fact, it is only practical to keep some ammunition around the home when you own a gun. At the same time, it is important to use wisdom and prudence when it comes to storing the ammo. You want to strike that happy balance between having both your gun and the ammo within easy access should the situation call for it, but still be well away from the hands of anyone who does not need to play with either component. By looking around your home and taking adequate measures, along with a strong lock, you can responsibly keep ammo in your home.