Secure Gun Storage & Gun Cable Lock Instructions

Five Simple Actions Can Help Protect Kids

Everytown for Gun Safety launched the Be SMART campaign to take action to promote responsible gun ownership and reduce child gun deaths. The campaign focuses on education and awareness about child gun deaths and secure gun storage. Be SMART volunteers encourage parents and caretakers to “Be SMART” and take these five simple steps to help prevent shootings by children:

Securing Guns is Essential to Home and Community Safety

Everyone, from parents to community leaders, wants to keep children and teens safe. Kids will be kids, so it’s safest to assume that a curious, impulsive or determined child or teen could find and handle an unsecured gun, even if they’ve been told not to. When guns aren’t properly stored, tragedy can strike—whether it’s a child finding a firearm and injuring or killing themselves (intentionally or unintentionally), or someone stealing it and using it to commit crime. This is why the Be SMART message emphasizes the importance of secure gun storage. Think of secure gun storage as just another step you can take to help protect your family and community.

A SMART adult makes sure all guns are stored securely both at home and in vehicles. That means they’re stored unloaded, locked, and if possible, kept separate from ammunition when not in use—so that they are inaccessible to kids. Thankfully, there are plenty of secure gun storage options that are easy to use and effective at preventing unauthorized access. In addition, with all the varieties of storage technology, there is sure to be an affordable option that fits your needs—from lockboxes, to gun safes, to devices with biometric authentication.

Best Practices

Types of Storage

FAQ

Visit the Be SMART for Kids site

How to Use a Cable Gun Lock (Instructions & Art by Mark Schneider & Hannah Madden)

Using a cable lock to lock your gun prevents it from being loaded and fired. Plus, it’s an easy, relatively cheap way to keep your guns safe while in storage. In this article, we’ll tell you exactly how to use a cable gun lock on pistols, shotguns, rifles, and revolvers. Keep reading to lock up your firearm to keep yourself and your family safe.

Things You Should Know

  • Always unload your firearm and put the safety on before locking it up.
  • For pistols, thread the cable lock through the ejection port and out the empty magazine slot. For shotguns and rifles, thread the cable lock through the ejection port and out the loading port.
  • To lock a revolver, thread the cable lock through the barrel, if you can. If not, thread the cable lock through 2 chambers in the cylinder.

  • Store the key to the cable lock separately from your firearm.

    Unload the gun and put the safety on.

  • Take out the magazine if it has one, then double check that the chamber is empty. If your gun has a safety, put that on as well.

  • To follow gun safety rules, always treat every gun like it’s loaded, even if you know it isn’t. Never point a gun at someone else, and keep your firearms away from children at all times.

    Unlock the cable lock.

    Your cable lock will most likely come in the “locked” position with the key inside the lock. Turn the key to unlock the cable from the locking mechanism, and set the key aside.

    Thread the cable through the ejection port of the gun.

    If you’re locking up a pistol, rack the slide to keep the chamber open. Then, slide the end of the cable through the ejection port of the gun.

  • For a shotgun or a rifle, thread the cable lock through the ejection port and out of the loading port.

  • If you’re locking up a revolver, thread the cable through the barrel if possible. If not, thread the cable through 2 chambers in the cylinder instead. You can also thread the cable around the frame.

    Bring the cable out of the empty magazine slot.

    Guide the cable out through the magazine slot, which is still empty. Your gun now cannot be loaded or fired without taking the cable lock off.

    Connect the cable lock and lock it with the key.

    Grab the end of the cable lock that you pushed through your gun and connect it to the locking mechanism of the cable lock. Take the cable lock key and twist it clockwise to lock the cable lock to itself.

  • Make sure that the cable lock is secure by tugging on the locking mechanism after you lock it. If the cable releases and opens up, try locking it again.

  • Some cable locks have a 3-digit combo instead of a key. If yours has a combination lock, simply scramble the numbers to lock it.

    Store the key separately from your firearms.

    Now that your gun is locked with a cable lock, you can store it safely in a gun safe away from children. Store the key to your cable lock in a separate spot to keep it away from your firearms and any ammunition.

    Unlock the cable lock with the key when needed.

    Whenever you want to use your gun, simply grab the key and twist it in the locking mechanism to unlock it. Then, pull the cable lock out of the gun. You can now load and fire your gun like normal.