Please dont take this as a fight agains handguns, locked up or in a bedstand. But kids are kids, they are programed to test boundrarys and limits, to explore and to challenge authorities (parents and later law). They will do so and the only thing i can do on the way is to minimize the danger.
As you say they are around enough thing anyway, and thats why i unplug all my powertools as soon as i or they used them, i take the keys out of any tractor,car etc. as soon as we are done with them.
I agree its more likely they get hurt playing around the farm, but if i did leave my hayfork upsidedown under the barn hatch, and some kid fell ower it, i shoot myself. The same thing if i would leave a firearm loaded and a frind of a frend from my kids found it and hurt anyone.

I know most people at the country in your continent probably are keeping a shotgun or handgun loaded, you are brought up this way and know it, in my eyes thats a perfect thing.

Here the possibility that a kid doesent even know what it is, is huge, and it only need to be one, probably one of you neighburs or your kids schoolmates, are from a less educated family , could also be quite large. Could you live with yourself is something happend? Nowing it could have been avoided. I couldnt.

My god i start to sound as my father.