When storing a handgun, which is the recommended practice?

The recommended practice for storing a handgun is to unload it and lock it up, keeping it separated from ammunition and uncased. This approach emphasizes safety, preventing accidental discharges and unauthorized access, particularly by children or unauthorized individuals. By unloading the firearm, the risk of it being fired unintentionally is greatly reduced.

Locking the handgun away helps safeguard it from theft and ensures that it is stored in a manner that complies with safety regulations and best practices. Keeping the ammunition separate further enhances safety by ensuring that even if someone accesses the stored firearm, they cannot immediately use it.

In contrast, keeping a handgun loaded in a case, storing it for quick access without proper security measures, or leaving it unsecured while uncased poses significant risks. These methods do not sufficiently prevent accidents or unauthorized access, highlighting why unloading and securely storing a firearm is the best practice.