Ever recover a firearm stolen from you?

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LocoGringo

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I hope this is the right place to post this, but if not, move it where it belongs.

I had a pistol stolen out of my car back in 2011 and I reported it stolen as soon as I discovered it. I got a call the other night from someone at 12:35 am that it had been recovered and I should contact the local PD. Since it was so early in the morning/late at night, I didn't remember all of the information, but I did call the next day to get as much info as I could. Apparently, a PD by law must notify the owner within a certain period of time if a recovery has occurred which is why my call came when it did.

The person in the department couldn't tell me anything specific about the case, but took my relevant info to pass on to the investigating officer so that he could call me and let me know what is happening. I was also told that it may take 6 months to a year to actually get the pistol back, depending on how long the case takes to be resolved. I'm in no hurry as I have been without this pistol for 9 years, what's another year? I am curious and a bit afraid of the history of this pistol in the last 9 years.

I'm curious if anyone else has experienced something similar and how it went for you.
 
I haven't but a couple of friends have. I know part of the story of each.

The first guy had a .22 rifle stolen. Over time he looked for an exact replacement. One day at a gunshow he found one. Showing how good his memory was he thought the s/n looked familiar and called his wife who looked up the s/n in their records. Turned out to be his stolen rifle. The police were called and they came to the show and picked up the rifle from the dealer. I didn't hear beyond this.

Another friend had a 9mm pistol stolen. A few months later he got a phone call from the cops or sherriff(can't remember). They told him his pistol had been pawned at a local pawn shop and they were notifying him. He could go to the pawn shop and try to get his gun back from them but not to expect much cooperation or take them to court for it w/o a guarantee of getting it back. Great laws we have in Arkansas concerning pawn shops.:fire: They are if you're a pawn shop!:barf: AFAIK he didn't pursue it since insurance had paid off and he had bought another one.
 
Several stolen by a young lout. I got half of them back a couple of nights later when he wrecked his stolen car with guns in trunk. Police recognized my stuff, called me to the scene, and handed them over with no formalities. I got the rest when they pulled them out of his room at Momma's house. No evidence room hangup you find in most cases. Probably because he was a minor and no real case to be made.
 
Pops had one stolen from vehicle.
Insurance (NRA) paid........minor hassle as the place in MI said we had to go by MI rules (we in diff state).
couple yrs later I think, cops call and say a father found it in his kids room, kid said he bought it.
Kids supposed dad takes to local PD, it comes up hot........and daddio is gone.

He knew.
Was a Colt Trooper .22 lr 8". My dad's 22 IHMSA gun.
It was not damaged (surprisingly).
IIRC pops paid back the insurance company.

A guy at work last week said his PD called him, got 2 he had stolen back. Good shape too. Couple yrs after.
Stopped a punk and found em in his car (both stolen guns still together).
That was weird, but it worked out.

Why you always record the serial numbers. Might get lucky and have em returned in good condition. But...........don't get your hopes up. They might show up and be trashed.
 
One minor point for any gun owner recovering a weapon that's been reported stolen... Make sure that whoever you reported it to (whatever agency...) cancels that stolen message... Very important for piece of mind (and a lot less hassle if someone with a badge somewhere else has cause to check that firearm... Stolen messages are nationwide and must be removed by the issuing agency (no one else can remove a stolen message from NCIC..). I've actually recovered firearms that had been in the system (reported stolen...) for more than forty years...

Back when I was a cop I was on both sides of that issue... There you are out on the street, you check the serial number on a firearm, are told it's an active stolen message - and the person who has it tells you it's his and was recovered...

In some cases the owner recovers their weapon and never bothers to tell whatever agency he (or she) reported it to originally.. In other cases the agency itself (remember police outfits range from a two man department - all the way up to outfits with many, many sworn - and every one of them at different levels of skill and discipline...).

Lastly, whenever a firearm reported stolen is recovered the original agency that entered it in the system is responsible to notify the owner.... We're a pretty mobile society these days -if you move and never notify them of your new address - you'll never get the notice... After a month or two with no response - that weapon will be destroyed (at least that was my agency's policy...).
 
I've had 2 stolen. Both were recovered, but I don't have either back, yet. The 1st one was taken October 2013 and recovered one month later in the next county south of here. The guys who had it were arrested in a drug sting. I was notified by our local county PD and I contacted the PD in the other county.

The case still hasn't gone to trial and they won't release my gun until after the trial. I started calling every 2-3 months to check. Lately it's been about once per year. I talked to the guy last in January and he told me the trial was scheduled for March at the time. Over the years I've developed a pretty good relationship with the corporal who runs the evidence room. He remembers me when I call. But due to the Covid issues all non-essential court proceedings have been delayed. It was a G19 that I'll get back someday. Not worried about it being hurt too bad in the meantime.

The 2nd one was taken in 2017. About 15 months later in 2018 I got a call from local PD informing me the gun had been recovered in Baltimore. I had a contact number with Baltimore PD which I called twice and left messages. They never returned my calls. It was a $200 Ruger LC9s. I'd have to drive to Baltimore to get it back anyway. They can keep it.
 
jmr40 said:
I've had 2 stolen. Both were recovered, but I don't have either back, yet. The 1st one was taken October 2013 and recovered one month later in the next county south of here. The guys who had it were arrested in a drug sting. I was notified by our local county PD and I contacted the PD in the other county.

The case still hasn't gone to trial and they won't release my gun until after the trial. I started calling every 2-3 months to check. Lately it's been about once per year. I talked to the guy last in January and he told me the trial was scheduled for March at the time. Over the years I've developed a pretty good relationship with the corporal who runs the evidence room. He remembers me when I call. But due to the Covid issues all non-essential court proceedings have been delayed. It was a G19 that I'll get back someday. Not worried about it being hurt too bad in the meantime.

The 2nd one was taken in 2017. About 15 months later in 2018 I got a call from local PD informing me the gun had been recovered in Baltimore. I had a contact number with Baltimore PD which I called twice and left messages. They never returned my calls. It was a $200 Ruger LC9s. I'd have to drive to Baltimore to get it back anyway. They can keep it.
Click to expand...

So basically, the firearm is still stolen, just now stolen by the authorities.
 
Ruger Mk II, stolen from my work truck atop Mt. Lemmon in Tucson.

Recovered by ranger, and wound up with the Pima Co. Sheriff.

Returned to me about a year later after perp was tried, completely wrapped up in layer after layer of masking tape. No damage.
 
For the guy who got dissed by the Baltimore cops (and anyone else getting poor or non-existent service from a police or other government agency...). Get your facts together and write a letter to whoever is in charge (yeah, the head of the agency...). Stick to the facts and quietly state how disappointed you are in their response. Make sure to copy your attorney and note it at the end of the letter along with all the info needed to contact you...

Most outfits have screw-ups and all it takes is for someone to make a mistake that results in a bad outcome for the citizen. When they hear of a problem they’ll do everything possible to make it right. Are there agencies that have a deliberate policy of not returning firearms to their owners? Sure hope not but in today’s world, particularly with a place like Baltimore... I wouldn’t be surprised...
 
For the guy who got dissed by the Baltimore cops
Click to expand...

My calls weren't returned. I have no idea why, and it could be a legitimate reason. But even if they had returned the calls and been extremely professional about it the outcome wouldn't change.

Anytime something like this happens the gun owner has to go to the agency who has the firearm and have it returned in person. They won't ship to a FFL here in GA. I'm not going to spend a full day driving 700 miles, pay to spend at least one night on the road, and drive another 700 miles back home to recover pistol I paid $200 for.

If it were a much more expansive gun or something with family history I'd have kept calling, or writing until I got the gun back in my possession.
 
Conelrad said:
Ruger Mk II, stolen from my work truck atop Mt. Lemmon in Tucson.

Recovered by ranger, and wound up with the Pima Co. Sheriff.

Returned to me about a year later after perp was tried, completely wrapped up in layer after layer of masking tape. No damage.
Click to expand...
Wow. I hope he got the death penalty for making you peel all that tape off.
 
Had a revolver stolen in a vehicle burglary at my house in 1989. I was working for a police department at the time, but did not live in my own jurisdiction, so reported it to the appropriate agency (county sheriff's office.)

In 1992, I received a call from that agency advising that my gun had been recovered. Officers from another agency had spotted a car suspected in a drive-by shooting, and the subsequent vehicle pursuit turned into four foot pursuits when the vehicle crashed. All four suspects threw down guns as they ran, mine being among them. Mine was determined not to have been the one used in the shooting and was not of any interest in any other investigations, so I was free to come and pick it up. I had since left LE and the county, but still lived within an hour and a half or so, so I did.

It was a little nicked up in the wood stocks and had a couple of minuscule rust spots, but still in good shape. It was a Taurus 66 purchased new in 1987. I still have it.
 
jmr40 writes:

I'm not going to spend a full day driving 700 miles, pay to spend at least one night on the road, and drive another 700 miles back home to recover pistol I paid $200 for.
Click to expand...

Especially considering that, once you leave the station, you're in Baltimore (Maryland!) with a handgun in your possession. ;)
 
@lemaymiami, I have moved twice since the pistol was stolen and never updated the report, but the cell number is how they contacted me and that hasn't changed since I got the cell phone in 2004. I'm guessing as long as they have an updated cell phone number, you're good.
 
Agreed... and here's a possible course of action for anyone with a firearm to recover that's a long way from where they're currently living... Simply ask whoever has the weapon if you can provide a power of attorney to someone there (an FFL...) to act for you in retrieving that firearm... Where I was that would be all that's needed to empower someone to act as your agent in the matter... Obviously the item either has to be valuable enough to make that sort of action worth doing (or have a high enough sentimental value...).

Like always when dealing with any kind of bureaucrat... walk the steps one at a time, jump the hurdles, and don't forget to say "Mother may I..."

I'd like to say that I was smart enough to figure this sort of stuff out back when I was a cop... but that's not the case. In the 25 years since I was a cop I have had the time and perspective to figure out a thing or two... The first was that any cop (or anyone else in the "system" is just another bureaucrat, bound by rules and procedures that they had no hand in creating... Only towards the end of my career was I in a position to actually make or modify the rules... and looking back I can see one or two that I never should have brought forward... but that's life...
 
I got back several that were stolen in 1991. They caught the guys the day they robbed my house but it was several months before they were returned. Even though the guns were recovered the same day my Marlin 1895 had the magazine tube bent enough it would only load two rounds. They had just thrown the guns in the bed of their pickup truck and tossed a case of soft drinks on top of them.
 
A lot of the guns I've recovered were not beat up and that includes an expensive AR-15 one guy left in his unlocked truck - don't be that guy. A few were trashed, including an early George Kellgren pistol that ended up on the west side of Chicago, 700 miles from where it was stolen. Its a special joy to recover a stolen firearm and return it to its owner.
 
Ive gotten two back over the years. One was a Model 60 S&W that was stolen out of a friends truck in about '75. I got it back about 18 months later. Apparently it was recovered the next day but then languished in the evidence room of the PD until a LEO friend of mine was looking through stuff one day and saw my name on it. He called me and I got it back undamaged. I'll keep my opinion of why that occurred to myself.
The second one was a 5 screw S&W pre Model 10 snub that I had gotten from a dear friend. It was stolen in a house burglary along with some long guns in about '78. I received a call from the Sheriff's department ten years after it was stolen and they told me it had been pawned. They picked it up and asked if I wanted it or wanted them to destroy it (Really?). I said I would come get it (I lived several hours away by then) and went to get it from them. The nice Stags it was wearing were gone, replaced by a beat up pair of wood stocks. I figured the pawn shop did that. The really weird part was when it was stolen it was loaded, and when I got it back all the original ammo was still with it??? I have them both to this day, however none of the long guns have ever surfaced.
 
Years ago an insurance company that I had ties with put a recovered stolen Colt AR-15 up for bids that they had already paid the owner for . So the insurance now owned the rifle. My bid was the highest ,so I basicaly won the rifle on a bid. The insurace company got cold feet and I never saw the rifle again. Don't have any idea where it is to this day. They never took my money so I guess it was never stolen from me , but I sure felt like something was stolen from me other than the time I spent trying to make it mine. That was along time ago before they had all these rules about selling a firearm.
 
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