HELP! I lost my gun!

[.cheese.]

RandomFool - honest mistake. Crap happens unfortunately.

I disagree with those who say that you're not ready to own a gun. People do make mistakes. It doesn't matter if it's with a gun, a car, or anything. People are human... enough said. If this was the 5th time this had happened, then it would be different - but I highly doubt you'll ever make the same mistake again.

Not to mention I've heard the same story before essentially. The whole "gun on car roof" scenario seems to happen more often than I'd guess. I suppose I should feel fortunate that my gun goes on my him when I wake up and off when I go to bed. Habit makes things easy. There is no inbetween.

Glad it all worked out. Can you imagine the shock of the guy who reported it on the road?

 

[xpun8]

Whew!

RF,
Where was it found? (Exit #'s)

We all make mistakes, some more costly than others. I left my "planner" on the roof of my car (Kirkland Park Place), gone forever. One credit card was used at the (then) Texaco across the street for $15. Then they went to Bellevue Square and proceeded to spend more than $5000. That was all because I waited until I finished running my errands to call the CC company. I didn't loose too much money, thankfully. Five years later, guy from bar across the street from Key Arena calls me and asks if I am missing my planner. I had forgot that I lost it, but the guy new my name and my number and described a picture of my truck I'd sold more than 6 years before. Turns out the place was getting a new roof, the roofers gave it to the manager of the place. I went down to get it, I was surprised to find my Watermark fountain pen still in it, the nylon shell looked like it had spent 10 years in the Seattle "sun".

I glad everything worked out for you. Where are you shooting on Friday?

 

[TimboKhan]

JL, I think that was done by...no kidding...an Air Marshal! Another left their gun in the men's room.

Clearly, that air marshall is not ready to own a gun. I bet he is high strung too.

Look, it was a very stupid mistake, on that I think we all agree. The key word there is "mistake", and gun-related or not, we all make them. I am betting that many of us have made more than one, even. Everytime I see someone riding proudly upon their silver-maned stallion of morality about some facet of gun safety, I think about the fact that the sainted Jeff Cooper once had an accidental discharge.

Mistakes happen. Learn from it and move on.

 

[skinnyguy]

One thing I've learned over time, lost wallet, lots of coffee, camera, etc., if you want to set something on your car, put it on the hood. You'll see when you forget it and get in.

Once again, glad it all turned out good, and you learned something.

 

[RandomFool]

Posters who mention that I'll never do it again are right. I most certainly never will. This is exactly why I'm using a different/temporary name to post this story.

I'm a pretty tall guy, and the top of a car is perfect shelf height for me. *sigh*, I need to get a truck or van or something.

 

[jeepmor]

Of course, I once left a loaded, automatic rifle in the bathroom. So, it's possible I don't know what I'm talking about.

Boy, imagine sitting down to releive one's self and seeing that.



Glad you got it back and it went well with the LEOs. Thanks for posting pics. It looks like it took a tumble and went to a side of the road out of the way. I could just imagine seeing that on the freeway in the middle of the road.

911 call --- Umm, I think I just spotted a pistol in the road at exit 123. No I couldn't stop, it's rush hour, please send an officer before some meth head finds it and gets smeared by traffic trying to get it. On second thought, no rush.

 

[Cork]

All humans are falliable and make mistakes. Pilots run out of fuel and crash, we get off the wrong floors on elevators, take the coffee pot out while it is still dripping, forget to lock a door, most mistakes are just lapses without any consequences. You made a mistake and a honest citzen did the right thing.
Almost everyone who carries full time can be expected to have a Accidental Discharge in their lifetime, mine gave me nightmares for weeks. You actually were smart (knowing or not) in having the pistol unloaded so if a kid picked it up and played with it ...
Develop habits that help, for example I never carry a pistol in my briefcase, to much risk of forgetting it is there and taking into my office which is a serious infraction of company policy.
Cork

 

[ceetee]

Look on the bright side: It's a Taurus. Lifetime warranty. Even if it's not functioning 100%, mail it to Miami, and they'll fix it.

 

[Geno]

You need to get a holster, and put the thing away. You should never set a pistol or revolver on anything other than a vault shelf to lock it when not in use, or carry it in a holster when in use!

I have seen several newscasts of police who have walked off and left their service pistol 1) on top of car, 2) on the crusier seat, the door was open, keys in the ignition and engine running, 3) on top of candy machines, 4) in bathrooms, etc., etc. If it can happen to professionals, it can and will happen to everyone who risks it. Why? Simple, we are all distractable. Ergo, we handle that fact proactively.

Buy a holster.

 

[RandomFool]

Anyone know if Taurus will take a look at a problem I noticed on my PT145? The slide no longer locks ban on en empty mag? Also, the trigger when pullin in DA mode, doesn't reset on its own. I have to push it forward sometimes.

Darnit! I thought it came out alright.

 

[hankpac]

This is a mistake that could have been prevented. I am wondering what made yoiu think the roof of the car was a god place for your gun. Nothing ever stays up there, even while loading up. the gun goes in a holster, or on the seat, while you are loading. Putting the weapon on top of the car just advertises to anyone that there is a gun.
It makes you look thoughtless and dangerous. Not to the bad guys, to the neighbors!.
Your post even says, you placed the gun on top of the car, THEN went and put another load of wash in the dryer. You turned your back on your own firearm without securing it.
This is a deadly tool. You better put some more thought into your routine. Yes life goes on, but it better not go on like before. This episode calls for some mature thought, and planning.

 

[kbarrett]

Anyone know if Taurus will take a look at a problem I noticed on my PT145? The slide no longer locks ban on en empty mag? Also, the trigger when pullin in DA mode, doesn't reset on its own. I have to push it forward sometimes.

Sounds like a busted return spring ... often pistol designers have them do double duty, as in putting tension on things like the empty mag slide lock mechanism.

If you aren't comfortable doing the work yourself, have a gunsmith find and replace the broken spring.


( I don't put stuff on the roof of my car anymore for similar reasons ... put it on the hood where you can see it if you are about to drive off. My last "crap on the roof" incident only cost me a stack of new CDs .... )

 

[mindwip]

As a general rule I never put anything on my roof, ever.


Glad you found it.

 

[Mr. James]

Happens to the best of us:

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Policeman drives away with weapon on the roof of his car

A Quincy, Mass. police officer lost his department-issued gun apparently after driving away without realizing he had placed the weapon on the roof of his car, officials said.

The officer, Declan Breslin, was reprimanded and placed on desk duty for several days as punishment for losing his weapon, which was picked up by other Quincy police officers who were investigating a car crash last month in the same area the gun was dropped, Police Chief Robert Crowley said.

The incident marks the second time in a month that a local public safety official has lost his handgun, but with drastically different results. Last week, a part-time Plymouth County sheriff’s deputy was fired for a similar mishap after leaving his gun in the restroom of a Pembroke Dunkin’ Donuts.

The deputy, Robert Greek, returned to the doughnut shop less than 45 minutes later, but the weapon was gone. When the gun was recovered, Scituate police revoked Greek’s license to carry a firearm, which prompted the sheriff’s department to fire him.

Not keeping a gun secure is a state crime and is grounds for local police to revoke a gun license.

After speaking to Breslin’s supervisors, Crowley decided to issue him a formal reprimand and place him on restricted duty for a short time.

‘‘We took into account his performance on the job, which has been superb,’’ Crowley said.

Crowley has been sharply criticized by gun owners for a tough policy on issuing gun permits to residents, and one advocate suggested that the punishment given to the Quincy officer shows a ‘‘great double-standard.’’ James Wallace, the executive director of the Gun Owners’ Action League, said the punishment given to Breslin isn’t the problem, saying he’d hate to see a police officer’s career harmed for what was clearly an accident.

‘‘But I’m certain in my heart that if this was one our members, not only would they have lost their license, but they would have been brought up on criminal charges by the chief,’’ Wallace said.

The gun was found less than 30 minutes after it fell from Breslin’s car near the intersection of Franklin and Water streets in Quincy Center, Crowley said.

At first, investigators thought a drunken-driving suspect who fled the scene of the crash may have thrown the gun out the window of the van he was driving. The handgun was found by the alleged victim of the crash, who saw the weapon in the street and kicked it to the side of the curb.

A check of the gun’s serial number showed that it was not reported lost and stolen, and it was quickly traced to Breslin, who was appointed a police officer in 2003. Crowley said Breslin was in the area caring for an ill family member while off-duty and packing his belongings into his car when he left the gun on his car’s roof.

http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2005/11/19/news/news04.txt

Same thing happened to a Virginia State Trooper in, I believe, Manassas, Virginia. Stopped to gas up the VSP car, unholstered his weapon to adjust his duty belt, and drove off with the gun on the roof. It slid off outside the gas station and was shortly recovered.

I guess you guys who come down hard on Random have never been in a traffic accident. If so, I guess y'all walk everywhere you go now. After all, you're unfit to drive a car.

Bob, who has littered the roadways with coffee mugs, day-planners, books, and athletic equipment.

 

[Jamie C.]

I'm a pretty tall guy, and the top of a car is perfect shelf height for me. *sigh*, I need to get a truck or van or something.

No sir, you need to work on becoming more conscious/aware of your gun, and what you're doing/have done with it.

Life and the "real world" are gonna present you with all sorts of handy, convenient places to set the thing down, and then throw all sorts of situations at you to make you forget all about it. It's your job to thwart ol' Murphy and not let that stuff get the better of you.

You got lucky this time... extremely so. Count your blessings, learn from it, and move on.


J.C.

 

[kellyj00]

i noticed the OP's progression from concerned fella to "darned gun doesn't work anymore."

Let's take a breath randomfool, and think about what could have been versus what is. You left a gun on top of your car. it fell off on the freeway and didn't injure anyone. Someone honest picked it up and turned it in. The police gave it back and didn't even give you a ticket, but note...you get a ticket if you make a stupid simple traffic mistake and get in a wreck.

Now, you're saying "it doesn't lock back when the magazine is empty" oh no! Holy hell what are you going to do now?! I'm not in your shoes, but I honestly would only be upset if I didn't get the gun back.... at least now you know it isn't going to be used for no good.

If you buy a new car, then take it out and hit a deer while driving home at night because you "don't want to stay in a hotel" then you're out $1000 (deductible) to get your brand new car back up to brand new again. It sucks, but hey, it's life... and that actually did happen to me, and my wife's 1 week old Nissan Sentra. Cost me $934! cash, out of pocket. It hurts, especially when she reminds me "the hotel was only $50"

Anyhow, take it to a gunsmith.... or send it off to taurus and say that they shipped it that way or something, you may get a laugh (and so will they). I did the same thing with the car, took it back to the dealer "didn't see this at first, I think you should fix it." fella just looked at it and scratched his chin "I can't believe I didn't see that!" deer hit us in the side.... no big deal, car handles really well, even when doing a 180. "it was a dealer trade! those jerks, they owe us a new car! we'll get this worked out" "dude, we hit a deer!" "oh, my gosh! you had me going...."

Just look at the bright side, at least you've got a conversation piece now....and one heck of a 'don't do this story'.... which reminds me of the time I left my lunch on the top of my car when I was a teenager.... folks kept honking and yelling at me before I figured it out. Still funny to me.

 

[Jamie C.]

Bob, who has littered the roadways with coffee mugs, day-planners, books, and athletic equipment.

Um, Bob? None of those things have near as much potential to ruin your life or someone else's if take a "worst case" sort of direction.

Comparing books, day planners, etc. to a firearm goes way past "apples and oranges".

I'm well aware that people new to carrying a gun have a "break-in" period where they have to get used to having the thing there, and keeping up with it... and also the old saying "Familiarity breeds contempt", which is what usually hangs us "old timers" out to dry.

I guess my point here is that people are making a big mistake ( and usually get caught by it ) when they treat a gun the same as any of the numerous, more mundane objects that we all leave strewn about the landscape as we go about our daily business.

As for the question "haven't you ever done anything stupid?"... Of course I have. Got the 2 ex-wives to prove it. However, I had a father, grandfather, and later on, Drill Instructors, that pretty much made sure I'd never do too much "stupid" with a gun.


J.C.

 

[physics]

I too am aware of my guns always. I do not ever want a situation like this or like any other to happen to me, so I am always paying attention to my weapon. ALWAYS. If you are carrying a weapon, you should be too, because by not paying attention, you can make the world less safe, rather than more.

However, I think that this can be chalked up as an "OH %#@&" moment, and we can all learn a little from this. I know I've learned a lesson here, and I'm willing to bet the OP did too. It's just a damn good thing that nobody got hurt, no quickie-marts got robbed, and the gun came back. LUCKY though.

 

[bogie]

Enough already.

Bonehead maneuver acknowledged, and with a decent outcome, for once.

If the thing isn't 100%, send it to a smith, with instruction to make it mechanically sound, but not to worry about cosmetics. You now own a gun you are not worried about scratching.

 

[Jeff]

Some thoughts:

1. Bob made a very good point. One I was also thinking. Most of us, who have been driving every day for many many years, will eventually make a mistake while driving. It could be a mistake that is either fatal or near-fatal. Our we unfit to drive cars?

2. RandomFool, hang that Taurus of yours above the mantle (or on the wall behind the TV). Make it a visible fixture of your living space, so you see it every day.

3. Drive a convertible.

 

[Bilt4Comfort]

but not to worry about cosmetics. You now own a gun you are not worried about scratching.

LMFAO!
Really though...it's a Taurus autoloader, it couldn't possibly be any worse now than out of the box new a week earlier. Put it on the shelf for good and go out and spend $150-$200 more than you did on the PT145 and get a pistol that you won't have to take advantage of the "lifetime warranty", sending it in monthly for repairs. (Taurus bashing rant complete)

Seriously though, there is a God and you should be thanking him endlessly that this didn't turn out different than it did.

 

[kd7nqb]

1. You made a BAD mistake but learned from it
2. You got REALLY lucky that it was turned in
3. Breath deep

 

[bsf]

This is an example of why I try not to set stuff on my vehicles. If I need to set something down, I try to set it in the vehicle. Coolers, eggs, milk, flashlights, book bags, cell phones; I have seen all of them riding on vehicles or on the road because someone forgot to pull them off before driving away.