A good spot to store a firearm is never an open or easily accessible place like a drawer, closet shelf, under a bed, or in a vehicle glovebox; it should be locked, unloaded, and kept away from children and unauthorized people. The safest choice is a tamper-resistant locked gun safe, lock box, or cabinet, with ammunition stored separately in its own locked location.

Core safety rules

  • Store every firearm unloaded when not in use, and verify the chamber and magazine are empty before putting it away.
  • Use a locking device (safe, lock box, cable/trigger lock) that prevents the gun from being fired by anyone who finds it.
  • Keep ammunition locked in a separate place from the firearm, not in the same container or nearby shelf.

Good storage locations

  • A heavy, bolted-down gun safe in a low-traffic area (e.g., dedicated closet, secure interior room) that children and visitors cannot enter freely.
  • A certified lock box secured to furniture or the structure of the home, placed out of sight and reachable only by a responsible adult with the key or code.
  • For defensive access, a quick-access safe (biometric or keypad) that still fully encloses and locks the firearm, rather than leaving it loose in a drawer or on a nightstand.

Places that are not good spots

  • Bedside tables, under pillows or mattresses, closet shelves, or visible spots like on top of furniture, even if you live alone.
  • Unlocked boxes, bags, or cases that children, guests, or burglars could easily open or carry off.
  • Vehicles (glovebox, center console, under a seat) unless absolutely necessary and then only in a locked container secured to the vehicle.

If the question is a multiple choice item

If this is from a quiz asking “which of the following would be a good spot to store a firearm?”, the correct option will be something like:

“In an unloaded condition, inside a locked gun safe or lock box, with ammunition stored separately in another locked location.”

Any answer that mentions an unlocked drawer, visible shelf, under a bed, pillow, or car compartment would be unsafe and should be rejected.