Pistol stolen

[lions]

I remember reading a post on here about a gun making its way home after many years. I'm pretty sure it was in the rifle forum, maybe you could read it when you get blue to renew your optimism.

 

[SomeKid]

I have heard people talk of having a safe bolted to their vehicle. What kind of shop does it, how do you get it done right, and what kind of expense are you looking at?

 

[win71]

I wouldn't expect it to come home... even if it is recovered....

I've noticed several similar comments like this in the past and am somewhat surprised if true. About the fastest way to get fired from a police agency was to abscond with evidence or found property. Any firearm coming into police hands has a paper trail you wouldn't believe.
Anyway here is a post I made a year or so ago. I can't speak for all departments but we made every reasonable attempt to return firearms to their rightful owners.

This is a true story. In the 70's a truck driver jumped out of his chip truck and fled the scales. The scale officer came out to investigate and located two firearms in the cab. One, a customized o3a3. There were no serial numbers. The scale officer was also an FFL holder and part time gunsmith. He figured the rifle was worth quite a bit and the owner must have id'ed it somewhere so he began to take the stock off the action. Expecting to find a drivers license number or social security number, initials, or something, he found nothing. Still not ready to give up he took the recoil pad off. Underneath it tucked into a hole in the butt was a rolled up piece of paper. We unrolled it and written was something like, "This rifle was stolen from John Smith, 2231 Riverside Rd, City, State, and phone number". We called John, located in another state. He had filed a stolen report with his local authorities. He got his rifle back. We got the chip truck and never did locate the driver.

 

[AlaskaErik]

If I have to leave my pistol in the car, I lock it in a tethered gun box located under the passenger seat. So far, no problems.

 

[dalepres]

If I have to leave my pistol in the car, I lock it in a tethered gun box located under the passenger seat. So far, no problems.

Not having your car broken into is mostly a random accident. The test I'll be anxious to hear about is whether your gun survives a break-in if or when one happens.

 

[SouthronBoy]

The test I'll be anxious to hear about is whether your gun survives a break-in if or when one happens.

True 'dat.

 

[FCFC]

I don't see anything wrong with a tethered box or a mounted one.

Something, anything, in the way of securing a gun inside an unoccupied vehichle would seem to be a minimum responsibility.

Here's a story I ran across about an unsecured handgun being filched from an auto. Fairly irresponsible gun owner, I thought.


Gun found on teen at Hernando library
Pistol allegedly stolen from city's planning director two weeks ago

http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2008/07/29/news/doc488f058567069365106709.txt

 

[dalepres]

How do you secure yours in your vehicles, FCFC?

 

[bgeddes]

I had some guns stolen 20 some odd years ago. 10Ga Shotgun, Win Model 70, 10/22, and a Mark 11 Pistol. When I called the cops they came and I had the serial numbers for each and every gun. They caught the bad guy trying to pawn the Mark II. Never recovered any of them. Heartbreaking too, I tool my first deer with the model 70.

 

[emb]

I used to keep a .380 Colt Mustang Black Stallion in my truck. In my neighborhood there had never been any problems. One night 37 cars and trucks were broken into-all unlocked. Our dogs must have frightened the thieves, because they left the cash.

I had the serial number and gave it to the police. The pistol was recovered from a kid selling drugs out of the back of a van. One week later, a man stole a car and the police gave chase. The DA drove the stolen car back to his car where the polcie discovered the loot from the car burglaries. He gave up his accomplice who helped him burglarize the cars.

It took me 2 years to get my pistol back, and I know how to get it back. When I got it back, it was a mess. It had been stored in a plastic evidence bag, had that fingerprint stuff left on it and had been shot numerous times. It did clean up okay with some effort and complete tear down.

This is part of what prompted me to get my CCP. I never leave anything in my car that I care about-particularly a weapon. I was just glad that my pistol hadn't been used in some violent crime.

One of the guys that stole the weapon had been on probation after some jail time out of North Carolina for armed robbery. The other guy was also on probation here in Florida for many violent crimes from robbery to battery. The drug dealer was the best of the lot, but he was charged with and convicted of grand theft for being in possession of my pistol along with the other crimes.

All are now safely tucked away in various prisons where they belong. But these "nice" gentlemen were 10 feet from my door with my loaded pistol. My wife was up at the time of the burglary and went out into the yard (20 feet from my truck) to yell at the dogs to quit barking.

I do not leave my pistol in my truck if I can help it and never ever overnight.