Where'd I put my gun???

[LooseGrouper]

Okay, it's confession time. Yesterday I went to the range. I took two handguns plus ammo. Since I don't have a range bag, I use an old backpack. One of the pistols has it's factory plastic case, but the other I wrapped up in an old towel to protect it and put it in the pack as well.

All went fairly well at the range (I actually surprised myself by shooting decently for a change!) but when I got home I was tired and pretty much went straight to bed without unpacking my "range bag." When I got up this morning and decided to start cleaning, guess what...my P226 is nowhere to be found! After freaking out for about a minute I went down to check my car. Sure enough there it is, wrapped in the old towel. I'd left it sitting in the vehicle all night. Sure, it had been locked up, but I felt (and still feel) very silly for slacking on the awareness. If I could forget to put it into the bag, I could just have easily left it sitting on the range bench. Anyway, just thought I'd share a little of my stupidity and see if anyone would commiserate.

Anyone else have similar experiences?

 

[shermacman]

That is the most irresponsible, idiotic, foolish story I have ever heard. You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a disgrace to the gun-toting race.

The closest thing I have ever done to match your story is when we ran out of ammo at the pistol range. I jumped into my truck and raced off to WalMart. Walked into the store with my .22 Winchester rifle loose in the truck bed....

I am sure you would agree with me that was nowhere near as bad as what you did...

 

[Biker]

One time my wife and I decided to go out to our favorite resteraunt for a bit of dinner and upon leaving and walking to our car I remembered that I had left my Glock on the seat in the booth where we were eating in the resteraunt. I told my wife to wait in the car while I ran back to get the gun, and when I returned, I discovered that someone had shot her!
Biker

 

[LooseGrouper]

You are a disgrace to the gun-toting race.

Wait a minute...gun-toting is a race??? HOLY CRAP! I'm a racist, and I didn't even know it!!!

Now I really feel bad about myself...

Yeah, I know it's not the worst thing ever, but I can just imagine this being the one time someone breaks into my car for CDs or something and then SURPRISE!! Some thug now has a really nice new tool with which to ply his trade...

 

[armoredman]

A friend of mine left his truck with his Smith 686 and Colt Gold Cup hidden while he went to pay for gas. He was inside for about 10 minutes. Returned to broken window and no guns. He/PD never found them...keep em ON you.

 

[psyopspec]

Okay, it's confession time.

Look, if you're asking about what I did Saturday night, none of the sheep actually died and the midget is expected to make a full recovery.

Seriously though, leaving a gun in a locked car over night isn't really the crime the century. Sure, it coulda been worse. Chalk it up to a wake-up call and never let it happen again, you'll be alright.

 

[straightShot]

What? No range bag? You'll need to fix that! Time for an American made shooting bag: www.StraightShotShooting.com

Even with a range or Pro-Shooter's bag, however, one needs to count pistols when leaving the range. I do it every time for fear of leaving one behind.

Shoot straight,

straightShot

 

[rms/pa]

range bag???? we don neeed no stinkin bag.

get some milsurp gas mask bags, found mine for
$.50 at a paint gun store. nice wide shoulder straps. good snaps to close.

rms/pa

 

[mics357]

oh my goodness I'd call that a brainfart I might forget something trivial like that boy we had a while back, ol' whats his name , but my weapons always make it home safely.

 

[Zach S]

One night I stopped at a gas station to buy a pack of smokes, and realized that I'd left my pistol, a stainless cocked and locked Kimber, sitting on the passenger seat. No, my windows werent tinted.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Well, I lose the guns around the house and shops all the time. Does that count.

 

[Preacherman]

A lady friend of mine, back in South Africa, bought a new Star .380 ACP pistol and had me meet her at the range to show her the basics. I left early, and she stayed on to shoot some more. That evening, she called me in tears... seems she'd put the gun on the roof of her car while putting other bags, etc. in the back seat, and had driven off without removing the gun. Needless to say, it wasn't anywhere to be found when she went back to the range to check...

 

[Standing Wolf]

...none of the sheep actually died and the midget is expected to make a full recovery.

Better luck next week end, eh?

 

[GRB]

Hypotetically speaking this could have happened:

I left one in the john once at work on top of the paper roll holder. I realized it about 15 minutes later and mad a mad dash to the men's room. I got there to find the pistol still there where I had left it and; I also found a newspaper laying on the floor and some other evidence of subsequent use that I did not leave in the commode. To this day I wonder what the guy was thinking as he grabbed for the toilet paper and saw my pistol sitting there Lots of people who were agency employees but not LEOs also worked in my building). Looked to me as if he made a hasty retreat leaving his newspaper and a bit of a mes behind.

In real life I will admit this did happen:

Another time, I put my pistol into a motel safe deposit box and went out to the pool for a last dip with my wife and daughter before checking out. Well, we got about 60 miles or so down the road when suddenly all the bells and whistles went off and I realized I was light on the left. Another 60 miles back to the motel and another 60 miles back to the point of realization! My wife let me have it the whole time and for a change I took it.

Best regards,
Glenn B

 

[myrockfight]

I left one in the john once at work on top of the paper roll holder. I realized it about 15 minutes later and mad a mad dash to the men's room. I got there to find the pistol still there where I had left it and; I also found a newspaper laying on the floor and some other evidence of subsequent use that I did not leave in the commode. To this day I wonder what the guy was thinking as he grabbed for the toilet paper and saw my pistol sitting there Lots of people who were agency employees but not LEOs also worked in my building). Looked to me as if he made a hasty retreat leaving his newspaper and a bit of a mes behind.

I am very, very, paranoid about doing this. I've got to be the worst with being preoccupied with something and laying down my keys - only to be running around trying to find them about 30 minutes later because I didn't think about where I put them. Hopefully being very paranoid will also make me stay very aware. I carry almost constantly when I am out and about. So this is a frequent thought.

Here is a little patented "Lavaratory Tactic'' of mine - when you sit down, set your pistol in the crotch of your pants instead of setting it on another object (the toilet tank, paper holder, or on a hook for those of you who heard about that). Using this tactic requires great care, however -

A. Must be in the pants. Some nosy shoe sighter/sheeple might be checking your footwear out and get an eyeful of your favorite carry and ruin your nice relaxing throne seating.

B. This one is important, much more - Take care to pick the gun back up before you stand up. Most sheeple, or even sheep dogs, don't take kindly to pistols skating across the bathroom floor.


This tactic works for me, because it keeps my attention on my pistol so that I do not trot out of the lav without my 2nd favorite little friend. Ahem...overly adequate friend. It is a .45

 

[MarkDido]

One time my wife and I decided to go out to our favorite resteraunt for a bit of dinner and upon leaving and walking to our car I remembered that I had left my Glock on the seat in the booth where we were eating in the resteraunt. I told my wife to wait in the car while I ran back to get the gun, and when I returned, I discovered that someone had shot her!
Biker

Too bad you live in Idaho.

If you lived in California, you'd probable get acquited!

 

[logical]

One time my wife and I decided to go out to our favorite resteraunt for a bit of dinner and upon leaving and walking to our car I remembered that I had left my Glock on the seat in the booth where we were eating in the resteraunt. I told my wife to wait in the car while I ran back to get the gun, and when I returned, I discovered that someone had shot her!

I really liked you when you were on that Beretta TV show. How was dinner?

 

[El Tejon]

Can't throw stones here. Left a 1911 on a hotel sink/cabinet at gun school once. Was digging for change for coffee at McDonald's when I realize I was without my pistol!

 

[RevDisk]

I once left my M16 in the latrine. Lucky for me, I had a concussion and my squad mates were keeping tabs on me. They 550 cord'd it to me and told me not to remove the cord until I was less loopy. In retrospect, perhaps it was not a bright idea for me to carry my rifle while I was knocked for a loop.


One weird thing. After I finished my deployment, for a couple weeks I'd wake up in a panic because I didn't have my rifle beside me. I eventually just slept with my SAR-1 hanging off my bed. My roommate said I'd reach out in my sleep, touch it, mumble something and go back to a deep sleep.

 

[Old NFO]

I think the line that applies is there are those who have, and those who will
Many years ago, we were deer hunting in SW Arkansas and had to cross a number of fences to get to the little meadow we wanted to hunt. I got there and realized I didn't have my shotgun anymore I had to go back about three fences to find it- still propped against the post where I had put it to hold the wire for my partners...

Talking about leaving guns in cars and trucks, we used to leave both pistols and rifles in our cars when I was growing up- Depending on season, either a 12 ga or a 30-30 was in the gun rack behind the seats, and a .45 ro SAA was normally either in the glove box or between the seats. Lots of times, we didn't even lock the cars/trucks, especially at school, because somebody might need to move the vehicle to get out...

Sigh, guess I'm just an old fart, but I really think those were better days... Granted there was no concealed carry, but the cops knew us and "knew" we carried- nothing was ever said.

 

[Byron Quick]

am very, very, paranoid about doing this. I've got to be the worst with being preoccupied with something and laying down my keys - only to be running around trying to find them about 30 minutes later because I didn't think about where I put them. Hopefully being very paranoid will also make me stay very aware. I carry almost constantly when I am out and about. So this is a frequent thought.

I do this, too. Therefore, I try to make habits of putting each item in a specific place...all the time. I still misplace things and sometimes don't find them for days. The last time it was my house keys. I couldn't find them for a week. Looked all over. Went into my glove box one day and there they were. I still don't know why I put them there. I never put them there. I like to keep my carry weapons in one of three places: On me, within arm's reach, or locked in a safe. But there's a couple of firearms that have spent the last few days in a range bag.