In case of theft do you.....

[Rmart30]

In case of theft do you..... have all your serial #'s written down?

How many of us could actually dig up the original sales receipt from gun purchases?

This stuck in my head the other night watching one of the "cops shows". Firearm was stolen but the victim while they knew what model gun it was they could not produce a serial #..... Cop told them, with no serial #, there is no way to likely find it or add it to the stolen data base.

I updated my records the other night, wrote s/n down, and took pictures of s/n's also on digital camera and stored the pictures on a SD card along with all the other pictures of my home and tools for insurance purposes.

Hope I never have the need for my list or pictures...but it could be a hours time well spent and very helpful one day if it ever happened.

Just curious as to who else has thought about or does record their #'s...

 

[Cannonball888]

I only keep S/Ns and receipts. No pics.

 

[Rokyudai]

I use this:

http://www.somanyroads.org/gunsafe/

This free database software will allow you to pretty much record any info you can possibly need. I back it up to cd rom and thumb drive.


Rok

 

[TexasRifleman]

Just curious as to who else has thought about or does record their #'s...

I do that with more than firearms. Every once in a while I'll get out the camcorder and just walk through the house, identifying everything as I narrate. Paid xxx for this, got it at yyy, here's the serial number, etc.

Furniture, TVs, towels, tools, silverware. As for guns I hold video them, then hold the serial number up to the camera. Also keep a spreadsheet for big ticekt stuff like guns, TVs, cameras and computers.

Throw the tape in the safe deposit box and done.

Never know when you might have to prove what was in the house for insurance or whatever.

 

[rcmodel]

I have serials numbers & everything else concerning each gun, including pictures, on a spreadsheet, and a back-up disk, and hard copy.

I have receipts in a loose-lief ring binder dating back to the 1960's.

rcmodel

 

[jad0110]

I just keep an Excel spreadsheet documenting:

Make
Model
Caliber
Barrel length
Serial #
Condition (NIB or Used)
Mfg Dte Date (if known)
Purchase Date
Seller
Purchase Price
Date Sold
Price Sold
Buyer
Repairs/comments

I backup this spreadsheet to my external Free Agent HD, and I also print a copy whenever the log changes and keep it locked up. I also use this spreadsheet file to track rounds fired, ammo brand, failures, detail cleanings etc...

 

[GingerGuy]

Sure can, serial numbers, pricing, rounds shot.

 

[jakemccoy]

Everything's on redundant back up online and locally.

 

[searcher451]

Write it all down, make multiple copies in various formats, stash at least one copy outside the home, and be ready in the event that your house burns to the ground or some other tragedy befalls you. I just updated my insurance policy and made sure that everything was recorded there as well. I have a written copy of everything I own in the gun safe, in a safe deposit box in a bank, with the insurer, and in another separate location as well. You cannot be too careful these days.

 

[jjbduke2004]

I use Google's spreadsheet so if my computer equipment is gone with the guns I'm OK.

 

[novaDAK]

I keep a database in Excel on my computer which is backed up on several other computers I have access to. Includes Make, Model, Caliber, S/N, Country of Origin, and Notes (like date purchased/sold).
I don't have pics or date purchased for every gun, but I do keep the recipts in a secure location.

 

[MinnMooney]

Insurance? We don't need no stinkin' insurance !!

I updated my records the other night, wrote s/n down, and took pictures of s/n's also on digital camera and stored the pictures on a SD card along with all the other pictures of my home and tools for insurance purposes.

I did the same thing several months ago but not for insurance purposes. (I'm not registering my guns, even with an insurance company! Your collection isn't insured unless they are documented ahead of time with the ins. co.)

I'm totally self-insured. Insurance is a rip and if you can see your way through to NOT paying those horrendous premiums and taking a chance on being self-insured then do it. I save about $1500 on each of my 2 homes and about $5000 on health insurance every year. I've been saving the premiums for 12-14 years now so I have about $175,000 (incl. accrued interest) in bank accounts. I take safety measures to minimize my risk quotient and will accept a loss if or when it ever does happen.

When you figure the percentage of homes that are total losses, you'll realize that your chance of a total catastrophy is less than 1% during your lifetime !! The chance of a partial loss is much greater but still only in the 10-15% catagory. Remember, a loss of at or slightly above your deductable is not covered anyway and many "total losses" are only partially covered by your insurance. (They become the owner of your property and get quite a handsome salvage fee just like you could if you were self-insured.)

This is longer than I started it out to be but I thought an explaination was in order since this is concidered radical in today's society (but was the norm 75-100 years ago).

 

[TexasRifleman]

Your collection isn't insured unless they are documented ahead of time with the ins. co.

And where do you get that little gem of (totally untrue by the way) information?

 

[mgregg85]

I keep paper records of all my guns in a binder but I might just upgrade with that gunsafe program.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Definitely not true about the insurance....I have both the supplemental policy through NRA and a rider on my home insurance...the supplemental policy only asked to list any individual guns that were worth over $1500 but the policy is for more than that...and the rider, from State Farm, doesn't ask for any firearm ID info at all.

And yes, for all my firearms as well as anything else valuable, I keep receipts, S/N's and photos and have it all electronically backed up in different spots (and not just at home). A thief might steal the paper receipts at the same time, but they won't get the info.

Also, for whoever said they keep their list backed up on the internet, I wouldn't recommend it. I have a hacker-type son that I'm pretty willing to bet could find the information if he really wanted it....I'm just saying you may not know who has access to a complete list of your guns.

 

[MinnMooney]

Little Gems

And where do you get that little gem of (totally untrue by the way) information?

I get it from darned near every insurance company that I call to get occasional quotes. They tell me that cash, jewelry, art and guns are among the items that are NOT COVERED beyond a base amount (the amount varies from one ins co to another but not the policy).

Texas Rifleman - You'd better call your insurance company or you'll be called "Texas Rifleless Man.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

The insurance company requires me to have Serial numbers & photos of all firearms. Also, a "security container". Guns are not included in my general homeowners policy. They call it a ryder or some such. It adds more money to my premium but I think it is worth the extra funds.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Texas Rifleman - You'd better call your insurance company or you'll be called "Texas Rifleless Man.

No need, I can actually read a policy. Riders do not always require the serial number or appraisal.

I also have the NRA policy which does not require serial numbers or appraisals unless the value is extremely high for a single item.

Even under standard homeowners policies there is a basic amount of coverage for firearms in most states, again with no requirement to document the firearms ahead of time. This all varies state by state of course.

The claim that firearms are never covered unless documented ahead of time with the insurance company is false. It's entirely possible you won't have ENOUGH coverage under a standard homeowners policy, sure. Generally you will need to be able to prove that you owned the firearms before the date of loss as well. If you do have coverage, not all states include firearms but many do.

 

[Chuck Spears]

I keep the sales receipt in a safe. Then I have a spreadsheet with all the info that I emailed to my internet email account. Then I scanned my sales receipts and emailed those to myself as well.

 

[LaVere]

We are so lucky here in Michigan. The State of Michigan keeps all of the information for us. We don't have to write anything or take picture of our guns or anything. We only have to take it to the local authority once then forever it is registered. Oh!, wait it not registered they said it is Safety inspected.

Just to make sure. I AM being very sarcastic. With humorist over tones.

No comment or replies needed please we are aware of the situation and working on change.

 

[jakemccoy]

People who don't understand private encryption keys tend to perpetuate misconceptions about online backup. The fact is that more and more businesses with documents worth millions more than my data use online backup, as opposed to CD's in bank vaults or hard drives over at dad's house. Let's imagine the worst possible situation where we need the backup (e.g., massive flood or earthquake). A bank vault or a hard drive over at dad's house updated once a month is substantially riskier than the average online backup service.

Also, let's face it: if you use something like a bank vault, you aren't going to update the records immediately every time you get a new receipt. That system fails for my routine, which involves backing up at least once a day.

Here's an example of the type of security that dad's house doesn't provide...

http://www.idrive.com/online-backup-security.htm

Encryption:
All the data and user authentication information is transmitted over internet and stored in encrypted form. During installation, you are given a choice to have the system choose the encryption key or enter a private encryption key (known only to you). We recommend that you choose your own private encryption key option. Only the system-based encryption keys are stored on our servers, not your private encryption key.

The private encryption keys ensure that even IDrive personnel cannot access your confidential and sensitive data.

Physical Security:
The IDrive application is hosted at our world class Data Center in the United States which provides the physical environment necessary to keep the servers up and running 24 X 7.

These world-class facilities are custom designed with raised floors, HVAC temperature control systems with separate cooling zones and seismically braced racks. They offer the widest range of physical security features, including state-of-the-art smoke detection and fire suppression systems, motion sensors, 24 X 7 secured access, video camera surveillance and security breach alarms.

Network Security:
We have a periodic third party review of our network infrastructure to check for known application and service vulnerabilities.

Backups of backups:
User data resides on raid protected industry leading storage devices with multiple levels of redundancy. In addition, data is periodically backed up onto another set of devices for additional security.

Note: IDrive DOES NOT store the user defined encryption key anywhere on the server side. We therefore advise you to take a print of this private encryption key or archive this user defined encryption key in a safe location from where you can retrieve it. You cannot decrypt data backed up to IDrive without this private encryption key. Private encryption key option is available only for the Windows platform, and not for the Mac platform.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Jakemccoy....Hackers don't get in through the frontline million-bit passwords.....once when we threatened to send our son to military school, he responded in about 5 minutes, providing me with a list of names and SS#'s of the PARENTS of students enrolled in the school and asking me if I really wanted to provide this information to the school.....yeah maybe that information wasn't secure on the school's systems...and before you say it, it was only a couple of years ago.

Luckily the kid has never done anything else that I can confirm as illegal...but there was that one time I came home to find him smashing several CD's with a hammer...asked him if there was anything I need to be aware of...he said no...but the next day a bigtime teenage hacker was arrested in Germany.

Where were the CIA recruiters when I needed them? He would have worked for pennies if they stuck him in a dark cellar with all the newest toys and the Al Jazerra network wouldn't have been able to maintain a website for more than 2 hours for the past 7 years The country is overlooking a major American resource.

 

[Blackbeard]

I have an Excel sheet with:

Make
Model
Caliber
Serial No.
Purchase Date
Sale Price

I also have pics of each gun showing serial number, and scans of the original receipts. These are all backed up on DVD and kept in a safe deposit box. Yes, I can prove whose guns they are

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have the Barnes Ballistics software which allows me to list my weapons, enter weapon-specific information - including the serial number of each - into my computer. I can make a copy of the folder where the data is stored to keep off-site just in case my PC gets stolen, crashes, etc.

From the Barnes Bullets site:
"....before you order the Barnes Ballistics program, we suggest you join Barnes' new Copper Club. For the same $49.95 you'll get a hard copy of the Ballistics program--PLUS a Barnes hat, a hardcover copy of the Barnes Reloading Manual, access to new online data, and other valuable benefits. Click here for more information"

I have found the ballistics program to be a great help, especially if you have a chronograph, so you can get the exact trajectory for your bullet(s).

 

[M2 Carbine]

I use a Excel spread sheet and many pictures with many backups.

Your collection isn't insured unless they are documented ahead of time with the ins. co.)

Not necessarily true.
My homeowners insurance covers all property at replacement value (up to the policy limit).
I used it when my gun shop burned down. Seven guns were replaced, no questions asked. As were many thousands of rounds of ammo.