Insurance/theft documents

How do you document your firearms for insurance or theft claims? How do you prove they are yours? I ask about the prove it’s yours because an ex friend of mine inherited his dads shotgun which had a trigger lock on it. He trusted a “friend” to remove it and I explained to him those are pretty much stuck on here. He called the guy back and said he was coming to get it and the guy said what shotgun? Told my buddy where to go and that he didn’t have a shotgun. Buddy called the sheriff and they asked for proof. He said all he could do was describe it and they told him he was out of luck.

 

I can vouch for the shotgun. His dad passed away when he was 16-17, he quit hunting due to his passing and his mom had them. She finally let him have them when he was 30. I was there when she gave them to him. That was the only one out of like 6 that had a lock on it.

 

Thats a tough position to be in. I keep a list of my firearms with serial numbers and descriptions. I also keep receipts from purchases and I keep any boxes. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to keep pictures stored on a SD card or something.

 

For the guy who got ripped off... file a police report - then take the offender to small claims court... Some things need to be done - and if the facts are as stated the thief needs to have some quality court time...

 

A few years back, I got 2 ATF documents from the gunstore.

It was a printed out paper with brand, model, type, serial number, and caliber. I filled it out in pen. One I keep at home with other important documents, the other I put at a relatives house.

One could also draft an email to yourself with a listing like this, and save it in the draft folder. Attach photos if you like. If your email gets hacked, no ones looking at your draft subject labeled Grandma's recipes.

Regarding the stolen gun, get an attorney and subpoena video camera footage of the drop off time with him exiting the vehicle with it. He'll need to be quick, as storage gets expensive for video. Didn't he get a receipt?

 

We have single digits of guns. They're all on our homeowners insurance and the serial numbers and descriptions are in our file at our insurance company.

 

I have 2 thumbdrives with pics and serial numbers plus 2 hard copies of serial numbers. One set is in my safe and the other set is in a trusted friend's safe.

 

I just went through all my handguns with camscanner, and saved PDFs on my phone. Then emailed the pdfs to myself. Picture of the gun, and picture of the serial number.

Quick and easy.

Doesn't prove I own them, but supports I had them in my possession on that date.

 

If you give the police a SN chances are pretty good it can be recovered. With no serial number it is almost impossible to get it back. I have a description along with SN's in a database stored on my computer as well as printed hardcopies.

I've had 2 guns stolen. One was recovered 1 month later in a neighboring county, but I couldn't get it back until after the trial. Eight years later, but I do have it.

The other was recovered about 15 months later, but 700 miles from home in Baltimore. It was a $250 gun and not worth driving 1400 miles and spending at least one night on the road. I told them they could keep it.

I didn't file an insurance claim on either gun. It was cheaper to just go buy another one. Insurance companies are looking for ways to increase premiums or cancel customers. Theft and fire claims are looked at harshly. Even if it isn't fraud (which happens a lot) they consider such claims as preventable and don't like to pay out. If it is something weather related, they will pay out a lot faster.

 

As others have said PHOTO ALL of Your guns ,serial #'s List em ,with their appropriate firearm . I'd place ALL of that data onto a disc as well as Thumb drive perhaps #2 Thumb drives kept safely elsewhere . If LEO needed Proof , they would have That Firearm photo along with Serial #'s but I'd NOT give them any more than was necessary . As in that single firearm info ONLY ,they needn't be bothered with additional firearms you own . IF You don't have of keep receipts and want a record of ownership . Perhaps a family heirloom or such ,have local PD or Sheriff's Dept. Run serial # for You ,comes back clean have a Deputy note that on a report and Keep the Report along with photo ID .

Known as Indisputable evidence .

 

The offender was a very violent person and my buddy met this guy through another friend. When he told me he met Cory through a friend I told him stay away from the guy. He says well he hunts and says he could get that trigger lock off so I gave him the shotgun as he said it will be a few days. When my buddy called him he was met with what shotgun and a hail of threats if he called or came around. I felt so bad for him. I called the guy cause he knew me through my best friend and he said prove to the sheriff I took the shotgun cause that shotgun has been gone when the idiot gave it to me.

 

This was several years ago, we don’t talk anymore but the guy who took it admitted to selling it and is a real class act. It was brought up about insurance and I got to thinking about that and then some other friends loaning someone a deer rifle. If that person decided not to return it how would you prove it. Basically same situation.

 

I go a step further...
I fill in the serial numbers and barrel stamp with baby powder, easier to read, and put both my current driver's license and receipt in the pic too.
If you are really anal, put the gun and license on a daily newspaper with the date showing in those pics.
jmo,
.

 

I have a rather detailed spreadsheet (it began life as a DBII product, and has climbed "up" the various software formats over the last four decades).
The safe has a big manila envelope with receipts, of the same span. Most of those are old enough to have faded away too, so, it's good that the spreadsheet remains.

 

That is what I have done. Using a Word document, I arranged pictures of both left & right sides of all of my guns as well as any "special conditions" of a particular gun. Many of these guns are inherited from two different sources so underneath each pair of pictures, I typed some of that history, date acquired, and the serial number(s) and locations. A couple of the pictures have been Photoshopped to add colored arrows to point to certain locations where some numbers can be found. Sets have been printed with one set of pages going to my brother and S-i-L and one in my own safe with the original on both my computer, an external HD, and a thumb drive.

 

I think it's real easy to see WHAT went wrong and HOW to prevent this sort of thing happening to any of us . Kind of like Monday morning quarter backs 20/20 hindsight . I'm Glad Axis ll brought this up ,as it should be Front and Center on EVERY GUN OWNER'S LIST OF TOO DO !.
You own them KEEP records of their ownership ,too damn many firearms are stolen every year and end up in less than desirable hands !!.
It really boils down to ,IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS GUN OWNERS . Kind of like a vehicle IF it's registered too YOU ,YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE for it or until you notify your DMV of it's status .

 

For what your insurance company would need to cover losses in the event of theft or fire/flood damage, it would be best to talk to your insurance agent. They can tell you exactly what they would require.

 

HD photos of the items, and their serial number was an insurance rec. to me years ago. Storing photos in a cloud can ensure they don't vanish in a fire, flood, or tornado.

As far as submitting a claim, you can hope your company driving the claims process will not make you jump through massive hoops every step of the way. Some ins. cos. are a better choice. Lower insurance cost? Maybe not.

 

Check your home owners policy, but most only cover $2500 for valuable articles like firearms, jewelery, art work, etc. You need to buy a personal articles rider for the value of the firearms, to get it you will need a list with values, a serial number and receipt for individual guns over a certain amount usually $2500. Do not assume they are covered under a regular policy.

Here is a good article on insuring firearms:

https://www.nrawomen.com/content/do-you-have-gun-insurance-and-an-inventory/