Vehicle B and E.

Never actually heard of it happening to anyone I know. I have had a car broken into, well - actually I think they just smashed my windows for the heck of it, didn't have anything worth taking in the car at the time, either time - happened twice in 25 years. Actually, a 3rd time - but the auto was left unlocked by a passenger, someone just opened the door tried to pry out the radio - but, failed.

I don't go out of my way to overly secure my regular auto firearm. It was not expensive, and if someone took it, I'd just replace it and keep doing the exact same thing, but here in NH - you can drive with a loaded firearm in your lap while driving if you so choose. I don't go to that extreme, but just use that as an example of how little restrictions or laws are now placed on this. You just have a right to have it/them, and if you're not waving it in someone's face threatening them, you can pretty much do as you please.

Happened to me twice. Once in 2013 was my fault. My normal routine is to bring the gun in the house when I get home but I left one in the truck overnight unlocked. No break-in, just open doors. That gun was recovered one month later on some drug dealers in the next county to the south. Believe it or not that case still hasn't gone to trial and I won't get it back until it does. I talked to someone in their office earlier this week and they expect the trial this spring.

In 2017 I left a gun in my truck to go in the post office. Afterward my wife and I ate lunch and I just left it in the truck. I didn't notice it missing until I got home. Called police and they were able to see someone enter my truck and remove the gun on a security camera located near where I parked. Not enough detail to make an arrest and no tag number.

But this time there is zero doubt that my truck was locked. Thieves can purchase devices that will steal the signal from your remote if you lock the doors with it. They then clone another remote and use it to unlock your door. Pretty sure that is how they got in. I've since learned NOT to lock doors with the remote, only unlock them. I now lock the doors by pushing the button on the door before leaving. The guy who took this one was a pro.

I got a call this fall from our local police notifying me that gun had been recovered in Baltimore with contact info and a case number. I called them twice, left a message and they never returned my calls. I'm certain that I'd have to drive to Baltimore to get it and doing that would cost more than it is worth anyway. They can keep it.

I'm pretty sure I know who took the 1st gun. I live in a pretty good area in a rural part of the county, but 2 years after my 1st gun was stolen I walked out early one Sunday to get the paper to find the top of my Jeep ripped open. Someone had gone through all 3 vehicles in my driveway, as well as every vehicle within 1/2 mile in either direction. He broke some windows to enter some and did get 2 guns from others. He took 2 cheap knives out of my Jeep and truck.

The cop who took the report KNEW exactly who did it and made an arrest before lunch. I was called to the station to identify one of the knives and get it back. It was a local 23 year old kid I knew who had gotten messed up with meth. He had been arrested 2 years earlier for doing the same thing and is probably the one who took my gun. He probably either sold it, or traded it for drugs to the guy who had it on him when arrested. He had just gotten out of jail for that. The cops knew he was out and knew he'd go back to the same thing.

I have never had my vehicle broken into, but my wife had a pistol stolen out of her car by her addict uncle. That taught her to finally start locking her doors even if she was just stopping off at home for a couple minutes. That also taught me to write down serial numbers as soon as I purchase a used gun. She had only had the pistol a few days and it was bought face to face so we had no way to get the serial number to report it stolen. I even called the guy I bought it from and he didn’t have a record of the serial number either.

I have had multiple vehicle break-ins but I have never had a gun stolen. I do not normally leave firearms in my vehicles. When I do, like when camping, I am not far away from the vehicle and the guns are locked up in the vehicle. I used to keep them in an across the bed toolbox in my truck.

I've had one car broken into, no guns stolen.

They did a story on the news last night about car break ins in Co Springs and provided the following numbers

According to records obtained from CSPD, auto burglaries hit a new high in 2019 with 4,667 reported.

However, that's only slightly higher than the previous years.

There were 4,350 in 2018.

There were 3,812 in 2017.

There were 4,452 in 2016.

I think the frequency in break ins is dependent on location. I worked in the Bronx and my car was broken into several times. I lost a radio, twice, change, and even prescription glasses, go figure.

I never lost a gun because my agency's regulations prohibited leaving a weapon in a parked car. There was no excuse, and it was cause to be brought up on charges, with an extremely good chance of loss of employment.

Since retired, I believe it's good policy and never leave a weapon in a vehicle.

I have personally seen an officer sued civilly for damages caused when his nephew stole his gun and shot someone. In our litigious society it's not hard to imagine being sued or even prosecuted for failing to properly safeguard your weapon.

I have never had one of my cars broken into.

I was however once stuck in a mall security job for a couple of years and as such worked a dozen or more auto burglaries. This is in the north/central Florida area. Occasionally they were someone who had left the cars unlocked (never a good idea), but most were actual break-ins. Every case I can call to mind were because the vehicle driver had left something of apparent value in plain sight, typically shopping packages in the Christmas season, but also stuff like electronics, etc.

Nothing can guarantee your car will never be broken into anymore than nothing can guarantee your home won't be burglarized. Even banks are successfully robbed from time to time. You can however weight the odds in your favor and the best way to do that is also the easiest. Do not leave anything of apparent value where it can be seen through a window. Locking your doors should go without saying, but many do not. Personally I don't even classify those as break-ins.

jmr40 said:

But this time there is zero doubt that my truck was locked. Thieves can purchase devices that will steal the signal from your remote if you lock the doors with it. They then clone another remote and use it to unlock your door. Pretty sure that is how they got in. I've since learned NOT to lock doors with the remote, only unlock them. I now lock the doors by pushing the button on the door before leaving. The guy who took this one was a pro

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This is getting more common. I work for a car rental company and deal with lots of new vehicles.

Personally I have never had a vehicle broken into. Growing up however I recall at least 2 break ins on family cars, 2 attempted home break ins, and 1 stolen vehicle.

Its is very location dependent but in the STL area, malls and Busch stadium are very common. A group of teens will smash and grab and it results in stolen guns. I would bet 50% of pick up trucks have a handgun in them. Additionally, state parks and trail heads are targets for meth monkeys because they know the owner wont return for hours (and probably left gear)

Personally I don’t like the idea of arming somebody that could wait for me to return with the keys to it.

The police in my county just broke up three rings of thieves that were targeting vehicles for valuables including firearms. A fair number of the cars were unlocked and the thieves were captured by tips generated from home security cameras like Ring. They were in an out of a car in about one minute or so and then to the next one. They were striking early in the wee hours of the morning and one guy got into a gun battle with them when his car alarm went off. Fortunately no one was hurt. And yes, they stole over 50 guns total from the three crews that they captured. For that reason, the police asked folks to not leave firearms in cars unattended overnight.

A number of the subdivisions around here are banding together to get license plate cameras as a result.

I have had my cars broken into a number of times. Even in fairly nice/pricey areas of cities, you occasionally get miscreants who discover a neighborhood and will get into 30 cars in a single night.

The cops invariably say they were most likely looking for guns.

I've never had my car broken into any time except overnight. I don't sweat leaving a shooting bag and a couple of guns in the trunk (out of sight) during the daytime. I will not leave a loaded gun in the passenger compartment for any length of time, though. I don't believe in leaving loaded guns unattended anyway.

Oh, besides guns, the thieves were looking for and finding drugs, designer sunglasses, any cash or credit cards, and other expensive but small items easy to carry off.

In the early 2000s, I headed out to my apartment parking lot one morning to find a note from the police on the door saying that several cars in the lot had been broken into, and telling victims to call in what was missing. Sure enough, in the early morning light I could see several windows busted out. I had been in school at the time, and after stowing my pistol under my seat I'd been lazy ("just this one time") and not brought my gun in when I'd returned home the previous night. My heart had sunk before I stepped out and headed over to my vehicle, a 15-year old pickup truck. This was followed by relief when I didn't see any windows broken, and more relief when I reached under the seat to feel the P2000 still there.

My jalopy was one of only a few that were passed over; one of several reasons I still drive nondescript used cars to this day. I stopped leaving guns in cars for long periods after that; only as long as necessary while running into the post office or wherever.

Statistically, a couple years back the small city in the midwest where I was spending a lot of time for work at about 125 guns stolen from vehicles, with a resident population of about 100k.

I've only had a vehicle broken into once. And that's a relative term; I was 17 and left my truck unlocked while I was at church. Someone opened the door, took a portable CD Sony player and left $300 worth of fishing gear alone. I learned my lesson and lock my vehicles even when they're in my driveway now.

I have never had a gun stolen from a vehicle, but I have had things stolen once from a vehicle burglary. If I need to leave a gun in my vehicle it's also secured. I will never leave a gun in a vehicle overnight, I don't even leave my Oakleys!

Also, I have never needed to defend myself with my gun, but I will still carry it daily.

I currently live in a small affluent city of 6K adjacent to a large city. We have the "Nextdoor" community email, so lots of info about what's going on.

It's the kind of place where if a bicycle is stolen, it's usually found later because a kid "borrowed" it to cross town and later left it on someone's lawn.

About once a month there is news of objects in cars being stolen, usually on one block at a time. Our small police dept is on the email chain, the chief asks people to please lock your vehicles, even in your driveway, and every time people sheepishly admit their cars weren't locked.

There was even a woman seen a few times on camera sleeping in people's cars overnight and leaving a funk in it. Reminded me of the Seinfeld episode. lol

At this point nobody has admitted online to a weapon being stolen.

I don't leave my gun in the car, of course that has it's own risks.

I have had vehicles broken into four times, only once was anything stolen because after the first time I decided not to keep anything valuable in it. The most recent one was in my neighborhood which is very small and secluded in the county and it was the whole neighborhood that got hit. At least two of my neighbors had guns stolen from their trucks. One of them said he keeps a gun in his truck because he hunts, which I could maybe understand if he hunted every single day, but he doesn't so no real excuse for that gun to have been left in there, especially since I live in a climate that has heat and humidity.

EDIT TO ADD

First time my vehicle got broken into was at a movie theater where I was working when younger, they stole my car stereo and amplifier but couldn't get the subwoofers out.

Second and third time was a few years ago at an apartment complex I lived at, was not in a bad part of town by any means.

Fourth time, in my current neighborhood, out in the county, relatively secluded and quiet and no real crime statistics until a few months ago when the whole neighborhood got hit.

Perhaps we need to examine the penalties for stealing guns from cars?

Virginia Jim said:

Perhaps we need to examine the penalties for stealing guns from cars?

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Possession of a stolen firearm alone carries a five-year maximum penalty, depending on your state. What would you propose instead?

Let's see, over the last 4 decades . . .

1. 1976 Triumph Spitfire convertible: 1st time the theft of the stereo in the dash. 2nd time the theft of the entire rear panel with speakers attached. Both overnight and nothing else taken in either case. Houston, Texas late 1980s.
2. 1995 GMC Sonoma: Two bags of tools stolen from camper shell while carrying other tools into adjacent business in daylight. Was away from truck for 60 seconds. Nothing else taken. Dallas, Texas late 1990s.
3. 1999 Honda Civic Sedan: 1st time the theft of an aftermarket stereo in the dash. 2nd time the theft of an aftermarket stereo in the dash. Both overnight and nothing else taken in either case. Houston, Texas early 2000s.

#1 and #3 were my spouse's vehicles. #2 was my work truck and I had two guns within stowed in unusual locations.

Several years ago a co-worker of mine had his truck broken into while parked at a restaurant for lunch in Katy, Texas. He left his laptop bag on the rear seat in plain view. The thief got the laptop bag and a revolver he had in another bag under the driver's seat.

The best theft prevention I've come up with is to keep the factory stereo in the dash and don't leave anything tempting in view. It also helps to drive plain looking cars instead of nice vehicles where high end possessions are assumed to be or work trucks and vans where tools are assumed to be. I haven't had a break in since 2004, and I've carried guns in my cars plenty in that time.

Although, I must state that I almost never left guns in my vehicles overnight if parked outside. In a locked garage, yes. But almost never if not in a locked garage.

My daily driver is a beat-up 1995 Ford Ranger that I brought in 1996.
It wears dents, rusted out rear fenders and faded paint.

The first break-in was about 20 years ago while it was parked on the street in front of my house.

The second break-in was a few years ago while I was at work. Actually it was a clumsy attempt to steal my truck. The thief twisted the key ignition off with a pair if Channelocks but was unsuccessful in getting it started. When I discussing the incident with a police officer I told him I wondered why someone would want to steal a beat up truck like mine. He told me there are auto theft rings in Kansas City that will take old vehicles, chop the up and sell for scrap.

Since then I have quit leaving a firearm in it. My next vehicle is going to have to have space where I can build a false compartment to conceal and lock the gun in.

BearBrimstone said:

I have never had my vehicle broken into, but my wife had a pistol stolen out of her car by her addict uncle. That taught her to finally start locking her doors even if she was just stopping off at home for a couple minutes. That also taught me to write down serial numbers as soon as I purchase a used gun. She had only had the pistol a few days and it was bought face to face so we had no way to get the serial number to report it stolen. I even called the guy I bought it from and he didn’t have a record of the serial number either.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I learned this the hard way also. I have the original sales receipts that include serial numbers from all guns I have purchased.
I didn't have a receipt for my Dad's Colt Official Police .38 he had carried for 25 years on the JCPD before breaking his back on the job and retiring. I inherited it when he passed and as I mentioned before on here, some orc broke into my house and stole it. $#$%^^&%$#!!!!!!

Anyway..... ATF publishes a form, your tax dollars at work, most LGS's should have available for free, that is used for personal record keeping on any firearms owned. It's not filed or anything like that, just pre-printed for you to add the pertainent data on each firearm.

It's P3312.8 if anyone is interested.