ckyllo,
That is generally good advice but it doesn't work in all states. In Texas for example there is generally a limit on contents of 60% of the value of the home.
So if you have $100,000 coverage on the house, you get $60,000 on contents in a Homeowners policy. It is extremely difficult to get an insurer to raise that amount above the 60%. It can be done but most insurers don't want to.
Also, keep in mind that in most states the coverage for personal property only covers things while they are in the house, and the list of covered acts is limited.
So, if you are travelling and you have some firearms with you, your coverage may be limited.
And, the fact is, you cannot buy "all risk" Homeowners insurance in the United States any more, not for any reasonable premium at all. None of the major carriers like Allstate, State Farm, Farmers, etc even offer "all risk" policies, at any price.
The recent abundance of mold claims on homeowners policies has killed the "all risk" so things like loss or confiscation of firearms would not be covered, only named perils in the policy.
Also riot, civil insurrection, and civil confiscation are not covered in nearly all cases, these are usually specifically excluded (Katrina would have killed that). Imagine coming back to New Orleans and finding your house broken into and everything gone. There's a good chance you have no coverage against looters. There will be some interesting lawsuits against insurance companies after Katrina to see how that plays out.
Keep in mind also that in a total loss of the home, that coverage may leave you way under insured. If for example you had this $60,000 contents coverage, and in addition to all your furniture, TVs, towels, clothes, etc you had $20,000 worth of guns in your home, you would get a check from the insurance company for $60,000 for contents, even though you'd very likely have much more than $60,000 of stuff to replace.
Even NRA and other firearms specific policies only cover named perils like theft, robbery, fire etc. I have never seen one that would cover "all risks" like mysterious disappearance, similar to what you can buy for jewelry.
Insurance companies offer something called "Scheduled Personal Property" add ons for things like expensive watches, wedding rings, whatever. Some companies offer this for firearms, some do not. The cost of this coverage is usually high, because it is as close to "all risk" as you can get. In most cases it is not a good buy for the money. It's worth checking into certainly because it does offer good coverage. Most insurers however limit this SPP coverage to things like Furs, Jewelry, and Antiques. Some require appraisals as well.
This is by far the best way to get coverage if your insurer sells such a thing.
It's off and on state by state.
So, it's a lot more complicated than it sounds with "I'll just let my homeowners cover it".
If you are acting under the assumption that it will all be OK because you have Homeowners insurance, you might look into it a little more. It's doubtful you would be fully compensated in a total loss of your home.
Lots to think about.
