Weapon retention does not just mean holding onto your gun and deploying it quickly in a reactive gunfight. It also means being able to immediately account for and control your weapon at all times.
Here is a scenario to consider:
You are visiting a friend’s house and staying overnight. Your friend has children in the house who may or may have not had any gun safety training. No quick access storage safe is available.
What are your options?
1)Leave the gun in the car
It is one option but the downsides are that you risk the gun being stolen if your car is broken into overnight if you are not using an additional storage safe for the car. Locked cars can be very easily broken into. The gun would also not be available in the event of an emergency when needed.
2)Keep the gun with you
This allows you to have the gun with you in the event of an emergency but you need to take precautions to prevent unauthorized access.
Be sure that the guest room you are staying in has a door that you can lock before you turn in for the night. If you need to use the bathroom at night, you need to lock the door behind you if you leave the gun in the room.
Keep in mind that most home interior locks can be opened from the outside with a bent paperclip. This will allow you to get back into the guest room.
If you choose to take the gun with you to the restroom, DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE GUN. Many United States Secret Service agents have lost their service weapons by leaving it in the bathroom.
Also make sure that your host is cool with you carrying in his or her home. We may not like it but, private homeowners generally have the right to disallow firearms on their property.