Ever Loss or had a Gun Stolen?

[Schutzen]

I was robbed in 2011. 9 handguns were stolen. They had waited outside watching me waiting for me to leave the room with the safe open. I did, they slipped the outside door lock, grabbed what they could carry, and ran. I turned in all the serial numbers and the police recovered 6 of the 9 within a week. The other 3 are still out here.

By the way, 4 of them were sold to another "collector" for $400. Each of the 4 was worth $400+. Sometimes gun guys are not the good guys.

 

[BSA1]

My first thought was 200,000 stolen guns represented 200,000 separate burglaries. Then I realize that in many home burglaries more than one gun are stolen hence the actual number of break-ins are much smaller.

Headlines such as this is a good example of how anti-gun media and groups use misleading statistics to generate emotional responses.

 

[22-rimfire]

I had a Glock 23 stolen from my vehicle in Knoxville TN which was part of about a $5,000 haul. It was never recovered to my knowledge and I didn't turn it into to insurance company. A police report was completed.

 

[simonstough]

A good friend of mine had most of her guns stolen in a break in a few years ago, she got them back the next day when she went to the theifs house and took them back, 13 months ago i had my landlord try to steal one of my handguns but he was stupid and actually showed me my gun offering to sell it to me. My wife and i packed our stuff and left that day.

 

[Praxidike]

Seems like a recurring theme from a lot of people who have had guns stolen at least that at some point in time the gun owner displayed their guns to the thieves.

 

[Jim Watson]

There was a thread recently about the guy who eventually got his stolen gun returned but defaced with permanently scratched in evidence numbers.

 

[happygeek]

According to the ATF, about 200 thousand (give or take) firearms are lost or stolen each year. I some what frequent a few firearm related forms, but I do not recall hearing many, if any, stories or complaints from members who have had firearms stolen.

Being that it's reported by the ATF and regurgitated by many anti-gun advocates, one would think if gun owners collectively had almost 200 thousand firearms lost or stolen from them each and every year that the subject would be brought up more often...

Of those 190,342 lost and stolen firearms reported, 16,667 (9% of the total reported) were the result of thefts/losses from FFLs. Of the 16,667 firearms reported as lost or stolen from a FFL, a total of 10,915 firearms were reported as lost. The remaining 5,762 were reported as stolen.

So you have a little less than 180,000 stolen out of a, last I heard, privately owned population of ~300,000,000. That's 0.06%.

I was disappointed to follow the link and find no mention from the ATF as to how many guns are stolen from various government agencies. It only gives numbers for private individuals and FFLs.

 

[WestKentucky]

When I was new to concealed carry I bought a keltec p11 and the pocket clip. That gun vanished while I was squirrel hunting with it in my back pocket. Called a buddy with a PD bloodhound and the dog lost our scent so no tracking and locating the gun. Been looking for it for 6 years now.

 

[Spats McGee]

On October 30, 2009 (which I remember because it was the day before Halloween and I was still in private practice), someone broke into my house and stole my brand new Springfield Arms GI 1911. I'd owned it about 3 weeks and it ran like a top. I hadn't told anyone in town that I owned it, so I'm not sure how the thieves knew. I'm not convinced that they did know. They passed up what few other items of value I owned, some of which were in plain view.

 

[SimplyChad]

1911 and whole CHL kit disappeared from under my truck seat one night. Doors were locked and everything, no break no alarm no nothing. Just a missing gun. Then one day I came home from Afghanistan to find several safes missing.... Exwife's Lawyers said it wasn't theft judge agreed....

 

[orionengnr]

Exhibit A:

Lost a Taurus M66 in a burglary of my truck in August of 1989. Same burglars (could tell by means of entry) returned twice more over the next several months, taking nothing.

Exhibit B:

1911 and whole CHL kit disappeared from under my truck seat one night. Doors were locked and everything, no break no alarm no nothing. Just a missing gun.

Exhibit C:

I had a Glock 23 stolen from my vehicle in Knoxville TN

Exhibit D:

Yes, an HK P 30. I believed the Hospital sign that said no guns allowed and I left mine in my car in the parking lot. Wrong decision.

Are we seeing a pattern yet? I can find quite a few more, but these were plucked from this thread and serve to prove the point. "Truck guns" are one of the worst ideas ever, for exactly this reason.

 

[jrdolall]

I had two Remington 700s stolen back in the late 90s. Both were in gun cases in my locked storage building with all my other hunting stuff for a hunt the next morning. Whoever it was broke a window and took the two cases as well as my backpack. Had to be some sort of "inside job" because it wasn't a basic smash and grab.
Those two guns were completely irreplaceable for me as I got both of them from people that are no longer with us. If I EVER find out who did that I don't want to say what I might do! I can replace guns but I can't replace the heirlooms.

 

[mgmorden]

I've had one go missing about 8 years ago. Possibly lost - possibly stolen. I took 3-4 handguns out to the range. I always took them in hard cases. Got done shooting, packed up, and had to make several trips to my car to get everything loaded. I didn't go to unload everything from the cases until a few days later and one of the cases was empty when I opened it.

I suppose I could have left the gun at the range (though it seems unlikely), or the other possibility is another shooter opened the case and removed the gun when I was walking back to my car. Regardless, it was reported to the local sheriff's office as stolen. Doubt I'll ever see it again though.

 

[goste]

I had a 9mm pistol stolen 7/2005. Had it out of the safe on my lunch hour, and stuffed it in a dresser drawer, when I went back to work. Step son had a bunch of people over that afternoon, and left the house with a bunch of people still there.

Came home after work, and it was gone along with some of my wifes jewelry. called the police gave them the number. Went to get a police report couple weeks later, and found out it was recoverd in a drug raid.

Took over 5 years to get it back, the police were no help. Told me they didn't have it. Finally got the D.A's investigator to track it down, and it was returned to me, without the Mag. or holster..

 

[1SOW]

I find it interesting that so many here have experienced gun thefts first hand.
A neighbor recently showed me the Gun safe he hauled in with a hydraulic lift with four guys helping and installed it a 'home office' closet and bolted it to the floor.

He may have the best idea.

 

[Praxidike]

So you have a little less than 180,000 stolen out of a, last I heard, privately owned population of ~300,000,000. That's 0.06%.

I was disappointed to follow the link and find no mention from the ATF as to how many guns are stolen from various government agencies. It only gives numbers for private individuals and FFLs.

I believe that the 300m guesstimation includes military firearms.

 

[BSA1]

orionengnr,

I am having trouble deciding if you are a liberal or just misinformed. In response to your comments;

Exhibit A:

Quote:
Lost a Taurus M66 in a burglary of my truck in August of 1989. Same burglars (could tell by means of entry) returned twice more over the next several months, taking nothing.

Event occurred in 1989. Post 13.

Exhibit B:

Quote:
1911 and whole CHL kit disappeared from under my truck seat one night. Doors were locked and everything, no break no alarm no nothing. Just a missing gun.

No date given. Post 35.

Quote:
I had a Glock 23 stolen from my vehicle in Knoxville TN

No date given. Post 28.

Exhibit D:

Quote:
Yes, an HK P 30. I believed the Hospital sign that said no guns allowed and I left mine in my car in the parking lot. Wrong decision.

No date given. post 22.

Are we seeing a pattern yet? I can find quite a few more, but these were plucked from this thread and serve to prove the point. "Truck guns" are one of the worst ideas ever, for exactly this reason.

The "pattern" I see one of the thefts occurred 25 years ago with the others dates are unknown. So 4 thefts in 25 years seems like a insignificant number.

The pattern I did notice is the number of guns that were stolen in home burglaries. See Posts 7, 9, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 26, 29, 37 and 39. So if your are concerned about guns being stolen then to paraphrase your words "keeping firearms in your home is the worst idea ever."

Your same comments are challenged in the thread about "Truck Guns" and you have never responded to explain your position. Since you choose not to explain your position one can conclude that you are opposed to firearms outside of the home.

 

[george burns]

I had one taken also during a robbery. The best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut about your guns to strangers. Also I never went for the idea of leaving a gun in a car, in NY, you get your ass handed to you if you do that, and loose your license.
It's hard enough to hold on to your car , "even in a parking facility" let alone a gun.
When these kids see a nice car, you can bet they go through it as soon as you leave or as son as the car leaves your view.

 

[trapper1]

I lost a shotgun 20 years ago to Lake Erie. Wasn't as careful as I should have been in that layout boat. At least I almost had my limit of mallards before I got reckless.

 

[FROGO207]

Loaned a friend a rifle so that his underage son could use it to deer hunt that fall. After Christmas he said all the guns disappeared from the house that week but did not know when exactly he had last seen my rifle. I reported it stolen as I had the serial number---he did not have any of them for his. Another friend checked the local "unofficial pawn shops" and found some of them but not mine. Turns out an older brother that was a druggie had stolen and pawned it with help at least a month earlier using a local couple. When they were questioned by a group of us they told us of the LGS where mine had been pawned. It had been checked for being stolen at the time and then sold via Gunbroker already. LGS got it back and I am STILL waiting for it to go to court and get the rifle back after almost a year. The officer told me that I should let the PD do their job and I should just do mine, even though my friend and I had to do all the ground work FINDING the 7 missing firearms.

 

[AirForceShooter]

had 4 stolen Christmas ever last year.

Took my flat screen TV's too.

so far haven't gotten anything back

AFS

 

[Gaffer]

My son had a target rifle that I had given him stolen on 6/26/06 in a house burglary. It was a Anschutz Mod. 1413 Supermatch 54 Target rifle Serial No. 62688. Rifle e/w a Unertl 2” 20X Target Scope. The last we heard of it was the ATF told the local police that they knew where it was in Massachusetts but had bigger fish to fry than to go get it. I have talked to the ATF and they are of no help at all. As far as I am concerned they are as bad as the thieves. They cannot be trusted and you cannot believe anything they tell you. They write it off and expect the insurance to make you whole. They haven't a clue that such scopes are now collectors item and worth lots of money. Scumbags!

 

[happygeek]

I believe that the 300m guesstimation includes military firearms.

No, that's an estimate of privately owned guns.

“The number of privately owned guns in the U.S. is at an all-time high, upwards of 300 million, and now rises by about 10 million per year,” said the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action in a firearms safety fact sheet released Jan. 17, 2013.

The government tends to know about how many guns they have (I say about because theirs get stolen too).

 

[Deltaboy1984]

We had some stolen when I was a kid back in th 1970's we found them the next day hidden in some brush about a mile from the house . We never found the toaster ,mixer or other kitchen appliances they took.

 

[22-rimfire]

If you keep a gun in your vehicle, I think you need to decide what the purpose of it is. For me, it is a carry gun and when I choose not to carry, it is often inside my vehicle. Yes I had a gun stolen from a vehicle, but I don't believe that was the reason for the theft. It was there and it was taken.... that happened 20 years ago. The other stuff taken and the damage done to the vehicle was far more consequential.

Home burglaries seem to be the dominant place guns are stolen. I do not tell anyone I own guns except close friends or acquaintences and am always wary when I have to leave an outsider inside my home for some sort of work (TV, computer, telephone, hvac, etc.). I don't even like neighbor kids inside my home and I tend to keep my mouth shut about guns with kids since they talk talk talk at school.