Lighted locks for firearms

A firearm locking assembly (10) for preventing unauthorized access to a trigger (12) located within a trigger guard (14) of a firearm (16), said firearm locking assembly (10) comprising:

• a housing (18) defining an enclosure having aperture (20);
• a locking plate (28), defining a plane(P) and including a locking member (32) extendable behind the trigger (2), said locking plate (28) matingly engageable with said housing (18) Such that said housing (18) and said locking plate (28) matingly engage on either side of the trigger (12) and the trigger guard (14) of the firearm (16);
• a lock (22) for locking said locking plate to said housing (18);
• an unlocking mechanism (24) for unlocking said locking plate (28) from said housing (18), said unlocking mechanism (24) including a keypad (40) for receiving an input code, said firearm locking assembly (10) characterized by
• an illuminator (6) directed at said keypad (44) for illuminating said keypad (44) to input said input code correctly into said keypad (44).

A method for unlocking a trigger (12) of a firearm (16) locked within an electronic lock (10) having an illumination source (26) and keypad (44) for entering a combination, the method comprising the steps of:

• activating the illumination source (26) to illuminate the keypad (44);
• entering a predetermined code into said keypad (44);
• and
• pulling the electronic lock. (10) apart to access said trigger (12) of said firearm (16).