What was he doing with loaded weapons where a three-year-old could get them?

I grew up in a house with guns. My grandfather was a police chief, my dad was small arms repair (read that guns) in the Army, and none of us ever were hurt by, or hurt anyone else with, any of the family weapons. We were taught to respect them as weapons, never treat them as toys, never to point one at anyone, even if you *knew* it wasn't loaded, etc. And they were NOT kept where a three-year-old could get at them.