[john917v]

My dad had 2 rifles, a Mossberg 300ATR camo in .270 Win, and a Marlin .22lr semi (not sure what model, but it used a straight/non-rotary magazine, had a covered front sight, and was stainless and synthetic), until they were stolen by a burglar last month. They were hidden in a closet (you had to move clothes to see them). Not sure where exactly I'm going, but I want to advise everyone else to be safe about hiding their firearms.

[Sky]

So sorry for his loss I had several guns stolen after a hurricane a few years back. Some I had since childhood. It is like a nagging thorn in your side when someone takes your stuff like that.

[Ruger Redhawk]

I hate hearing this.


Your best bet is invest in a safe. Hiding just doesn't get it when they have time to snoop around. I guess you learned that last month. You can get decent gun safe for under 1000.00. Make sure you bolt it down.

I had my house broken into several years go. The theif tried to get in my Prosteel safe. He pried the dial off,beat the lock ,sheered the sheer pin off in the handle. He never got in it and apparently he was there for awhile. That right there my safe more then paid for itself.

[dogtown tom]

john917v ... but I want to advise everyone else to be safe about hiding their firearms.

I had one of my customers call me last Sunday to tell me three handguns were stolen "sometime". She thinks it was her daughters ex boyfriend who might have had a key to the house. Whoever did it left other firearms alone and even placed a BB gun into one box so it would still feel as if a real handgun was in the box. My customer was very surprised that any of her hidden guns were discovered.

There is no "safe" place to hide firearms other than a gun safe.
You don't have to be a professional thief to know where people tend to hide their valuables.
Heck, even Jason Voorhees knows to look in the closet.:D


The best protection?
-a safe
-big loud dog
-nosy neighbors
-motion activated lighting
-locked doors and windows
-thorny bushes under your windows
-loud alarm

Don't rely on only one of the above....the more layers of security you have the better. And when all else fails.....insurance to replace your loss.

[MinnMooney]

O.P. :
They were hidden in a closet (you had to move clothes to see them).

Years ago, my neighborhood formed a "Watch" and called the county sheriff's office for advice. A deputy came out to address a gathering of neighbors.
First thing he said was, "Don't raise your hands or say anything but - If you have rifles/shotguns in your house, I'd bet you have one or all in the master bedroom closet "hidden" behind some hanging clothes." :what: That's one of the first places that any burglar will look. Next - dresser drawers and under the mattress for valuables. Then they'll look in the freezer for "hidden" money. After that, it gets more individual.
I think every person in that room went home and "rearrainged" where they hid their valuables. Strange how we all think alike, isn't it? :D

[jonmerritt]

Wow, I don't use any of those hiding places:what:

[MinnMooney]

Congrats. You evidently think a little outside of the box. Here's your medal.

[Guns and more]

First rule. Don't let anyone know you have anything.
Second rule. Lock it up.

[gun guy]

a safe is by far the best, but many people dont have a grand to lay out for a gun safe. if its just a handgun or two consider a modestly priced roller chest. they are often on sale for $100-$200, can be locked and even bolted to an interior beam in a closet. used in conjunction with a trigger lock, at least you won't walk into your own weapon. it also makes a handy place to store ammo, range gear, cleaning gear, etc. while not nearly as sturdy as a safe, it will deter a smash an grab punk from merely opening a drawer. nothing is 100% but its a suggestion,

[bigalexe]

Are my guns venerable? Yes!

Do I care... Well consider that the medical equipment in the same room as my guns, and my custom PC and LCD TV which are both closer to the points of entry are all worth more than any of my guns and by that I mean street value.

[Limeyfellow]

I hate it when that happens. My uncle's firearms got stolen by one guy he tried to help out. He got them all back luckily but the authentic Kentucky rifle that been in the family for as long as they have been in the US.

My uncle of course caught him running away with them, so he did the only thing possible for a former WW2 Marine. Pulled out the Japanese Katana he took of Iwo Jima and ran after him threatening to cut him in half.

My neighbour's renters stole a bunch of WW2 firearms, including a fully automatic MP40, several M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, and numerous other nice toys. Rather sad on that. The MP40 was awesome to shoot.

[JTHunter]

Interesting posts. While I have a safe, it isn't a gunsafe. It is also in a metal shed "polebarn" (30' x 50') about 100' behind the house. I do have MD lights on both house & barn (walk-thru door has a deadbolt & regular locks), thorny bushes around the house, and handguns in almost every room. :evil:
As I'm "semi-retired", I come and go at irregular intervals. While all but 2 of the handguns are concealed in various rooms, a shotty and an AK are on a wall rack by the bed and another shotty and the rifles are in a "typical" gun cabinet.
Most of my neighbors are older than I am and we're on a dead-end street. We also have a "contact list" of all the neighbors so we can call & warn each other about bad weather, etc. Not a full "watch" program, but we're working on it. ;)

[Buck Snort]

First rule. Don't let anyone know you have anything.
Second rule. Lock it up.
Sage advice.

[SaxonPig]

The 1st time my home was burglarized (note the "1st time") the bastards turned over everything I owned. All closets were emptied with clothes thrown in the middle of the bedroom floors. All drawers dumped out. All cabinets emptied. Nothing was undisturbed.

If you think you can hide something from a burglar, forget it. I lost 23 guns in that first hit. Bought a safe and lost no guns the next two times the [redacted colloquial name for naughty people] broke into my home.

Add to the above two instances of vehicle theft; two hit and runs; one armed robbery; a burglary at my business; two physical assaults; two credit card thefts (one rectal orifice ran up $4,000 in charges which I did not have to pay but caused me much trouble to correct); arson (detached garage was burned down) and most recently (last May) a pick-pocket got my wallet with $1,400 in it.

Ask me why my policy is that all criminals should be killed on sight. Go ahead, ask me.

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Wow Saxon, thats horrible!:eek:

[TexasRifleman]

Ask me why my policy is that all criminals should be killed on sight. Go ahead, ask me.

I think I'd rather ask where you live and why you haven't moved. That's awful, sorry for your loss(es).

[Rail Driver]

The 1st time my home was burglarized...(snip)

Sounds to me like it's long past time to move to a different part of town or else find new friends. 8 out of 10 burglaries, robberies, etc (obviously no citation for the statistic, but the actual scientifically achieved statistic is out there I just don't feel like looking for it) are committed by someone known to the victim.

How many of your "friends" know what you've got?

[heeler]

My situation mirrors SaxonPig's.
Every time my home was burglarized(3 times) they turned everything upside down and inside out looking for "hidden" things.
A good safe that's bolted down is the answer and keep all your I.D. things such as credit cards,check book,SS,etc in it.
Yes that places all your eggs in one basket,but at least it's a strong steel basket.
Much stronger than the "hidden" place you have stashed it which they will more than likely find and then steal.

[Officers'Wife]

Hi Ruger.

He pried the dial off,beat the lock ,sheered the sheer pin off in the handle. He never got in it and apparently he was there for awhile. That right there my safe more then paid for itself.

I have to ask this... How did you get it open after all that?

[john917v]

The rifles weren't mine-they were my dad's. He owns a house and had a couple of housemates (people who rent out a room), 1 or more left on unagreeable terms. I told him not to tell ANYONE ABOUT HIS FIREARMS/PRICEY TOYS (good fishing tackle, nitro r/c trucks, etc), but he "knows when a guy's good or bad." I told him that a lot of crooks (maybe most) don't look like crackheads in need of a fix....they gotta 'stay in business'

[DustyVermonter]

You don't happen to belong to the NRA do you? If yes, then you are covered for $1000 in firearm insurance, whether it be an overturned duck boat, irrepairable damage, theft or any kind of loss, whatever the case may be. I am not exactly sure what steps to take to get your payment, but its just another good incentive be a member. in any case, get a good safe or an alarm, some people in this world are just plain ol' evil, rotten, worthless scumsuckers that have absolutely no place amongst us honest, moral-minded, respectable people and they belong in jail.

[dougw47]

In my burglary in the '80's, I thought I had good homeowner's insurance. Turned out...not so much.

Some policies put limits on personal property like you would not believe. It would really be to you advantage to make a generic list of your valuables, especially jewelry, coins and firearms...and ascribe a value to each one, take or send it to your agent and learn what to expect if, God Forbid, you should suffer a catastrophic loss.

Here is an example of what my company allowed me, the adjust said he was being generous...but I did not agree.

O/U English Engraved 12ga...value, $1,500, he allowed me $200
Colt Series 70 .45 with $1,000 worth of custom work, he allowed me $200
S&W Custom Shop Mod. 29...$200, Model 27, 200, Model 25 Cent. 44-40, 200
Model 19, ...$100, Model 14, 100, Model 65, 100, Model 66, 100...I'll stop, I am getting sick all over again.

I honestly felt like I was RAPED twice, once by the burglar...and then the adj.

If you have insurance, get in writing what they agree the value of each item is...if you can. Agreed values will save a lot of hassle, and nobody has a receipt for the special rifle grandpa gave you in 1960, or the AR you picked up at the gun show...etc. Log book, serial numbers, where obtained and when, snapshots, and video log protects you from scumbag-low balling.

Check for off-premises coverage and limits...yes they have 'em! Find out!

Low cost firearm policies are available, some through the NRA and other private companies.

Don't expect the police to help much...some now-a-days will not even come out to the scene for a burglary, and may require you to come in a fill out an incident report..."For Insurance Purposes Only." I knew who robbed me, had witnesses and everything. He was never questioned and due to sloppy input of the stolen items information on the system...none of the 27 weapons were ever recovered in 30 years so far.

The drug addict still lives in the old neighborhood, and I heard someone shot him during a home invasion...he is suing the homeowner now. Go figure!

[bsctov]

@ Ruger Redhawk - He's just lucky you weren't home ;)

[DustyVermonter]

Dougw47, that really burns my ass, too bad when people aren't trained to take head shots huh? My best bud's father owns the general store and this little scumbag in town has robbed the place 5-6 times and the last time his girlfriend used the digital camera he stole out of the place to take a picture of herself in the mirror and post it on facebook, the cops didn't do jack squat, probably due to the fact that the responding officer was the same one to bust my friends dad with 5 lbs of marijuana 30 yrs ago before he went legit and started running the store. He hooks a car battery up to the door knobs now and hopes for the best. I have a safe and have everybody convinced that I have motion cameras that will transmit an image to my "second phone" that I carry at all times. It also alerts me if there's any movement in my house so I can race home and check it out. He he (twists mustache)

[bsctov]

He hooks a car battery up to the door knobs now and hopes for the best.

Involuntary Manslaughter charge/ possibly killing a family member by accident.

[Jefferson Herb]

I've had a few thefts over the yrs,camera,chainsaw,motorcycle.I agree,ask me why I find rehabilitating a tweeker is best done without their physc meds?Let them climb the walls ,if they survive the home invasion.

[fiddleharp]

Here's a cheap, nifty little gadget no home should be without: http://www.defensedevices.com/autodialer-alarm.html
I have one of these, and if the motion detector senses an intruder, the unit dials my cell phone number. If I'm in town, whoever is in my house had better hurry up with their burglary, because their lives depend on how quickly they can get out of there!
You can program up to five additional phone numbers into this thing, so your trusted neighbors can get in on the fun as well. :evil:

[Kindrox]

I think I'd rather ask where you live and why you haven't moved. That's awful, sorry for your loss(es).

Saxon seems a little beyond the pale, but it is my understanding that if you get burgled once and they get good stuff, they keep coming back expecting you to replace what they got the first time with more good stuff.

I have heard of two local cases like this that got hit three times, every couple months.

[SaxonPig]

The first burglary was only the crime at that address. The rest occurred at several different homes in a couple of states. At next house I was burglarized after 3 days. I get hit no matter where I live.

[Sky]

Wow that would make me a hermit with a kill zone of at least 100yrds set with trip wires motion sensors and claymores...or at least try to move from the state/city/ local area..No I can't get claymores and probably can't afford property like that..reality verses fantasy

[john917v]

My dad isn't an NRA member, but he has home owners insurance. They wanted receipts, when he had only bought the Mossy at a store, the .22 was from a friend. I knew more about the model names than he did, and he didn't have the serial #'s. Im glad I don't live with him anymore (Im kinda young) my MK2, 917v, Maverick 88 in 12GA and Savage 12fv would all be in some ass' hands, being sold for pennies on my hard-earned dollars. They may not be worth much-the Savage 12fv is the only one to break the $300 mark at $550, but I love the heck out of em.

[Zoidberg523]

They may not be worth much-the Savage 12fv is the only one to break the $300 mark at $550, but I love the heck out of em.

Same here - most of my firearms are not very valuable (monetarily) , but the thought of them in someone else's inept, greasy, thieving hands gives me the urge to vomit.

I had someone steal the first firearm I ever owned - a Savage Model 64G, along with a Stevens Model 87A, a O.L. Mossberg and Sons Model 44, a Mosin Nagant 91/30 (that I took my first deer with, and that my mom - not anti-gun, but simply uninterested in guns - bought me), and my first shotgun - a 12 gauge Stevens Model 77. Never got them back, and because I was under 18 at the time and had no insurance, I didn't get jack squat for them. It's one of the worst feelings in the world to know that someone undeserving has your things, will never give them back, and that you will receive zero compensation for them. :fire:

I myself am in favor of old-world punishment as far as thievery goes. Those caught stealing for the first time (we're not talking CD's or candy from a supermarket here, but other people's hard-earned possessions) ought to have the thumb of their dominant hand cut off. Next time - their dominant hand itself. If they still have not learned a lesson, remove the other hand when they are caught for the third time: No tax-payed stay at the big house with 3 meals and a bunk, and NO health care (except to cauterize the cuts - which could be done cheaply with a hot 1950's radiator).

[Mac's Precision]

Saxon....

No offense buddy...but you have a cloud of ***** over your head! Man....you have had more bad experiences than any 10 people should have.

Uh....I'd buy you a beer....but I might be a little nervous to sit with you for fear of lightning strike...or drive by fruiting.

Holy Cow man.... WATCH YOUR 6!

Cheers
Mac.

[SaxonPig]

It absolutely AMAZES me how often people lose guns and don't have the serial numbers recorded. My best friend recently had several guns stolen and he has no clue what the serials are so the chances of recovery are nil. They won't even be recognized as stolen guns by future buyers.

Here are my missing guns:

Stolen Guns:
Ithaca M51 510056499
S&W M29-2 N306868
DWM Luger Dated 1918 4859
S&W M27-2 N392847
Manurhian P-38 223842
Colt Gold Cup 70N76880
1851 Colt replica 3012
Colt Python V24573
Remington O/U Derringer 53
Colt Diamondback D80674
Winchester M70 G1234135
Colt Frontier Scout 132214P
Remington M30S 19485
Savage M72 A952825
Mossberg M500 H071780
CZ BRNO Mauser 34630 7x57


I once asked a cop investigating a home burglary why I was victimized so often. He said; "You have nice things and aren't home 24/7, that's all it takes to attract the attention of thieves."

[CoRoMo]

So you were able to recover a handful of those 23 guns?

[killchain]

first rule. Don't let anyone know you have anything.
Second rule. Lock it up.

+8,000,545

[killchain]

Kind of on topic:

Does anyone else come home to an unlocked door, walk in on their family all wearing headphones and scream, "I COULD BE A RAPIST STEALING DAD'S GUNS?!"

...I HATE it when my wife leaves the door unlocked and has her headphones on. HATE IT.

Hahaha.

[SaxonPig]

CoRoMo- 16 are still missing. Three were recovered within the first year. One was returned 16 years later. Of the remaining three, two were so old they did not have serial numbers and one was not recorded (still don't know how that happened).

[john917v]

Killchain, wear a ski mask, and different clothes and come in one day. Or, come in earlier than you normally do, also wearing a ski mask, and scare the daylights out of her...assuming she doesn't have gun(s) readily available-don't want anyone harmed. Also, regardless of where you live-nice, big house, apartments in a sketchy part of town, or anywhere in between, thieves can (and probably will be there) Sure, they go to nice places to steal, but they LIVE (usually) in the not-so-nice places...

[Creade]

My neighbour's renters stole a bunch of WW2 firearms, including a fully automatic MP40, several M1 Garands, M1 Carbines, and numerous other nice toys. Rather sad on that. The MP40 was awesome to shoot.

A class III license, funds to afford a class III firearm, and funds to shoot it, but not the common sense or cash to pickup a quality safe and lock them up?

[CoRoMo]

He wouldn't need a class III license to own a full auto MP40, only to engage in the business of dealing.

[06]

SaxonPig, I can fully sympathize with you and I have exactly the same feelings about thieves as you. Last time they hit me they ran off with my prized Colt AR, mini 14, 308 Mauser, and a bunch of quick sell items. To top it off they tossed my 50 ton jack through a new duo-pane window to gain entry. Adjacent to it was on old single pane that had not been replaced yet. We were at church and oddly enough was teaching SS about being a witness and that people knew where you were on Sunday morning. Yep, they did.

[Nick5182]

I have to agree with Guns and More. My Dad was in Law Enforcement for many years, and one thing he's always told us is "Don't tell ANYBODY anything you don't want the whole world to know." And he's right about that.

[Azb]

Are my guns venerable? Yes!

Do I care... Well consider that the medical equipment in the same room as my guns, and my custom PC and LCD TV which are both closer to the points of entry are all worth more than any of my guns and by that I mean street value.
You should care. You could come home to a bad guy aiming your gun at you.

Or worse, the bad guy could use your gun on me.

Try to think past your own immediate needs!

Az

[Azb]

I am constantly amazed at the stories on the internet of folks having guns stolen from nightstands, bedroom closets, glove compartments, etc. These are the first places you look if you are stealing guns! The only time my gun spends any time on the nightstand is if I'm sleeping next to it.

I'm extremely paranoid. I have a safe, bolted to the concrete floor. Hidden behind a bunch of crap in a secret room, and the secret room has a deadbolt lock. Just to be safe, all ammo (except that on my person) is stored in another safe in a different location. My worst nightmare is having someone in my family killed by one of my own guns.

I won't mention the burglar alarm or internet cameras that I can watch on my iPhone.

I want pictures of who took my stuff. If they're lucky, the cops will find them first.

Az