How Do "You" keep track of and safeguard your guns?

My Airedale has run of the house.

Comfortably_Numb said:

I just kill everybody that comes I to steal them.

Click to expand...

Yes, but then you have a mess to clean up, and then there’s the smell. Have you tried rock salt?

forgot to mention an 8 camera, 2TB HD color/zoom/night vision/audio motion detect hard-wired security system as well

When I travel to shoots, I only stop at places to eat where I can sit inside and see my truck. Alas, no fine dining while traveling.

When stopping overnight, all gun cases go inside the motel and I get a ground level room where I can see my truck. I try to find motels with outside door access to the room versus going through the lobby. When staying more than one night, I put the "Do Not Bother" on the door and pickup towels at the desk as needed.

At shoots, my pistol that I am shooting, goes into the truck which is locked when I am not around.

Don't they make some sort of tracking chip these days that you could put under your buttplate or something? Or is that just TV fiction?

Scota4570 said:

Truth is that if your guns are stolen they are gone forever 99% of the time. IN many area the cops will not make an effort to return guns to the owner. They are extremely eager to destroy them. Antiques, ultra valuable collectables, muzzle loaders, they all get the torch asap.

Click to expand...

We are? They do?

I live, and police, in The People's Republic of Maryland in one of the most Marxist of counties, this state is only outdone by CA, NJ, MA, DC and NYC for Marxist-Leninist thinking process..., so IF you live in the referenced states or cities, that quote is true, but the rest of the country (OK so I forgot to put Chicago on that list)..., not so much.

Most guns don't get returned because most gun owners can't give us a serial number... so it doesn't go into the national computer as stolen and where from. It's really pitiful, and very very common. When there is a serial number for entry (or a unique identifying number you put on the item), when it's a firearm, it's in the computer for a long long time, unless recovered.

Then when the serial number is traced, for most states it's only linked to the store where it was sold. Now here in the PRoMd, we can trace a handgun serial number through the state purchase system IF it was bought here. If you bought it in another state, and moved into Maryland, then we'd not have a record of the handgun. But in other states IF the gunshop is still in business, and if they can find the record that they sold the gun to you, and you haven't moved out of state, you will get it back.

Also, the bad guys often take off the serial numbers, and unless the gun is connected to a violent felony such as homicide or robbery or rape..., there isn't the money to do an acid-wash to raise those serial numbers. Once in a while there is a seriously well informed bad guy, who takes a metal number punch or two, obscures the serial numbers first, and then entirely removes them, to prevent an acid-wash to raise the serial number.

Now with BP guns and rifles, that are not serialized..., you can write your info under the butt-plate on the stock, but very little chance that the officer or deputy is going to think to look there for info. He/She isn't going to pull the barrel, either. So that only works if somebody looks (probably a buyer, or you if you spot your stolen gun), and is honest enough to report it if they find it might belong to somebody else. Is a guy who drops two-grand at an auction for an authentic Hacker Martin or Hershel House rifle for his collection going to double-check to see if it's stolen, or is he going to assume the auction house verified all was legit?

IF you are going to mark your gun or rifle, or any other property, mark it with your driver's license number, and indicate it as such. (NOT your social security number unless your state uses that for the driver's license number). Mine would read "MD OLN" (which tells the officer its a Maryland Operator License Number), then the number as it appears on my license, including any dashes. Because even if you move, especially to another state, an officer can find a current address for you and contact you. The first place the officer will look will be on the left side of the barrel, but if you don't want to mar the barrel, I'd suggest the butt plate or the toe plate. You folks with heavily engraved metal..., are probably out-o-luck.




LD

Thanks Dave for posting. I tried in every instance of a recovered gun to get it back to the owner. But as Dave said without the serial # or other identifying mark it is a tuff thing to do.

All my guns are insured. What is required by the insurance company is pictures, value, serial # if any and a description. I trade alot of them so I have a blanket policy on them also. I use a 3 ring folder with a page for each gun. I gave a folder to the insurance company also. When a gun is traded or sold I delete that gun from that folder. When a new gun arrives a new page is added and the insurance co gets a new page also.

My safe came from the military it is 5/8" steel weighs over 2500lbs but it doesn't hold them all. Barred windows steel doors double locks and black out curtains . But if they want in they will get in.

This was awhile ago but one of the Sargent's had a Colt pistol stolen at a gun show in Illinois 22 years later it was returned to him after being recovered in a armed robbery. Thats the longest I have heard of.

Jerry

My safe is a unattractive sheet metal box and it would never stop a thief. Locks and latches only work on honest folks.Unfortunately guns being locked up cant be displayed like they really should. Its sort of a trade off. Lock up or display. I wish there was a way to do both.I do have a smaller ,stronger and fireproof safe. But one thing I do
keep locked up is a piece of paper with the seriel numbers and plenty of pictures. Its an extremely strong little safe, the local hospital used it for narcotics. But too small for anything but several handguns. Sorry to say it guarantees nothing as far as the return of your stolen goods but it does help both the police and the insurance co.

For the bed of my truck I have a Diamond Back cover. Check them out. They are a great cover. Not cheap but neither is my gear. I have been known to lock a rifle in a pelican case with cable locks and log chain wrapped around it the entire length and padlock to a secure anchor in my truck. Each locking point on the case also has a padlock on it. It is so tightly snugged in that there is no wiggle room to get any leverage or momentum in getting the case out. I also use a grade 7 log chain. Sure if you had a bolt cutter and the right tools and time you could get it done

I also use a portable motion sensor with alarm. Use it in my truck and hotel room.

You can get a small portable motion sensor that pings your smart phone if it is triggered

They might get my stuff but it won’t be easy

I also have insurance from Collectables Insurance company. Fairly cheap IMO

I used to teach quite a few security terrorism classes after 911 for the haz mat community I always stressed that you don’t have to be the best but don’t be the easy target.

For my house I have other security measures that I won’t post publicly

Fleener

I spend quite a few nights in hotel rooms with my guns going to and from matches or hunting.

One time we were on spring break in FL at a condo on the beach. On the way home we were going to shoot in the Oakridge TN long range match. My two boys and I were hauling our hard cases into the lobby on the way to our condo and one lady asked us what musical instruments we played. Our elevator came and I did not have to answer

Fleener

Comfortably_Numb said:

Don't they make some sort of tracking chip these days that you could put under your buttplate or something? Or is that just TV fiction?

Click to expand...

Where do you guys shoot at, in Detroit

8 BORE said:

Where do you guys shoot at, in Detroit

Click to expand...

I'm not the one worried, but there seems to be a lot of others concerned.

Don't be so confident in you're big dollar high end safes. Go on Youtube and actually see how easy they are to break into.

That was sort of my point. The " high end" safes might slow a crook down a little but they're not going to stop anyone who is determined to deprive you of your property. I do think it may work on the young nephews though.

Yea all they do is stop the smash and grab robberies. If someone has a little time and motivation it only takes between 15 minutes and 30 minutes to get into those safes. Personally I'm moving away from them and to gun storage cabinets. I can move them easily unlike my big old "high security" safe and once bolted down are secure enough for my needs.

I have safes, an alarm system and a computer program to record all information concerning the weapons... and about everything else I own!

I need to get insurance and maybe another motion sensor to specifically cover my gun room.

I have safes, an alarm system and a computer program to record all information concerning the weapons... and about everything else I own!

I need to get insurance and maybe another motion sensor to specifically cover my gun room.

Click to expand...

Seeing you're location I can understand you're precautions. That's not necessary here fortunately.

jfaldo said:

Seeing you're location I can understand you're precautions. That's not necessary here fortunately.

Click to expand...

Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute here!

The city I live in requires every household to own a firearm! So there!

Oh wait... You're referring to the "Atlanta" part of my location... nevermind...

Now wait just a cotton pickin' minute here!

Click to expand...

Ha that's kinda funny. Of course I was referring to the fact that there's probably more crime around there in one week than a year maybe two years of crime in Wyoming.

FishDFly said:

When I travel to shoots, I only stop at places to eat where I can sit inside and see my truck. Alas, no fine dining while traveling.

When stopping overnight, all gun cases go inside the motel and I get a ground level room where I can see my truck. I try to find motels with outside door access to the room versus going through the lobby. When staying more than one night, I put the "Do Not Bother" on the door and pickup towels at the desk as needed.

At shoots, my pistol that I am shooting, goes into the truck which is locked when I am not around.

Click to expand...

I live about 80 miles from Memphis, TN. It seems that 2 or 3 times a year the TV news reports that a law enforcement vehicle has been broken into at a motel and one or several firearms stolen. Usually including "assault" weapons.

I guess they don't care because the taxpayers paid for them.