page_title: Gun safety
section_title: Locks
hierarchical_section_title: Gun safety / Storage / Locks
context_page_description: Gun safety rules and practice recommendations are intended to avoid accidental discharge or negligent discharge, or the consequences of firearm malfunctions. Their purpose is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or property damage caused by improper possession, storage or handling of firearms. There were 47,000 unintentional firearm deaths worldwide in 2013.
context_section_description: There are several types of locks that serve to make it difficult to discharge a firearm. Locks are considered less effective than keeping firearms stored in a lockable safe since locks are more easily defeated than approved safes. An unauthorized handler can bypass the locked firearm at their leisure.  Some manufacturers, such as Taurus, build locks into the firearm itself.
  California effected regulations in 2000 that forced gun locks to be approved by a firearm safety device laboratory via California Penal Code Section 12088.  All gun locks under this code must receive extensive tests including saw, pick, pull, and many other tests in order to be approved for the state of California. If a lock passes the requirements then it is said to be California Department of Justice (CADOJ) approved.
  Trigger locks
  Trigger locks prevent trigger manipulation, however they do not guarantee that the firearm absolutely cannot be discharged (see above).  Some trigger locks are integrated into the design of the weapon, requiring no external parts besides the key.  Generally, two pieces come together from either side behind the trigger and are locked in place, which can be unlocked with a key or combination. This physically prevents the trigger from being depressed to discharge the weapon.  Other more commercially common types of trigger locks do not go behind the trigger, but encompass the full area within the trigger guard to making the trigger inaccessible to users.  Identilock is a gun attachment that completely covers and prevents access to the trigger, which makes it different from other trigger locks.
  There is controversy surrounding manufacturing standards, usage, and legislation of trigger locks. While supporters of trigger locks argue that they will save children from dying in gun accidents, critics point to demonstrations that some models can be removed by children with very little force and common household tools. Many firearms can go off if the gun is dropped. It is important to make sure to look for firearms that fully disengage the hammer when the safety is put on.  A former senior product manager at Master Lock, a trigger lock manufacturer, was quoted as saying "If you put a trigger lock on any loaded gun, you are making the gun more dangerous." Critics also point out that a trigger lock will increase the time it takes a gun owner to respond to a self-defense emergency. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a Washington, D.C. law that required handguns to be locked or otherwise kept inoperative within the home, saying that this "makes it impossible for citizens to use them for the core lawful purpose of self-defense."
  Although there are no universal standards for the design or testing of trigger locks, some jurisdictions, such as the state of California, maintain a list of approved trigger lock devices. In Canada, a trigger lock is one of the methods prescribed by law to secure a firearm during transport or storage.
  Chamber locks
  Chamber locks aim to block ammunition from being chambered, since most firearms typically cannot be discharged unless the ammunition is in the correct position. They are used to prevent live ammunition from being loaded into a firearm by blocking the chamber with a dummy cartridge or a chamber plug, which is sometimes wedged into place with the use of a tool, in essence jamming the gun.  Another type is one in which a steel rod locked into the safety cartridge with a key.  As long as the rod and safety cartridge are engaged, the dummy round cannot eject nor can live ammunition be loaded into the firearm.  Chamber locks work with most firearm types including revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns.  They are available in any caliber and length, and may include such features as unique keying, rapid removal, and rigorous testing and certification by major state departments such as the California Department of Justice.
  Some shooting ranges require the handler to insert a temporary chamber plug which often has a brightly colored external tag, to signal the chamber being devoid of ammunition and blo
caption: Trigger lock fitted to the trigger of a revolver
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