Stolen Guns recovered

[The Longhunter]

Just to add a footnote -- look at the actual gun and copy down the serial number from that.

I had a pistol stolen -- no problem, because I bought it from a dealer, and I had the box and paperwork. Gun showed up the next day at a pawn shop three miles down the road (basically first one they come to).

Good times, right? Nope the serial number on the gun was one digit off the one on the box. Dealer had lost FFL so all the records are in that warehouse with the Ark from Indiana Jones. Even though it was an unusual model, that one digit cost me a gun. Police would not help me retrieve it, or pursue the thieve who stole it (or tell me who it was).

So I took the serial number off every gun I own, and photoed the serial number, and put on a disc with several copies stored securely.

 

[Old Texan]

Just to add a footnote -- look at the actual gun and copy down the serial number from that.

I had a pistol stolen -- no problem, because I bought it from a dealer, and I had the box and paperwork. Gun showed up the next day at a pawn shop three miles down the road (basically first one they come to).

Good times, right? Nope the serial number on the gun was one digit off the one on the box. Dealer had lost FFL so all the records are in that warehouse with the Ark from Indiana Jones. Even though it was an unusual model, that one digit cost me a gun. Police would not help me retrieve it, or pursue the thieve who stole it (or tell me who it was).

So I took the serial number off every gun I own, and photoed the serial number, and put on a disc with several copies stored securely.

Good practice. I even due an "etching" with paper/dark soft pencil on the number, if possible, and stick it in the safe. Can't have enough proof is my theory......

 

[Doc_Holliday23]

One thing thing to consider is putting the pictures, serial numbers, etc. on a USB drive or in the cloud. For those who don't trust the cloud, password protect your USB drive and store it in a safe deposit box or at a friend or family member's house.

Agreed. I have an Excel spreadsheet with all of the guns I own and most of the ones I've sold. I list yar, make, model, caliber/gauge, where I got it, when I got it, and any notes or accessories. I keep it updated in a Dropbox folder along with pictures of each gun. Full shots of both sides of the gun, a closeup of the serial number, and pictures of any particular identifying marks.

 

[cramer]

Glad you got your guns back - interesting it was found on the swap & sell

 

[Terminal Idiot]

Just out of curiosity, how were they stolen (where were they when they were stolen? Break in at house? Car?)

 

[dick7.62]

Just out of curiosity, how were they stolen (where were they when they were stolen? Break in at house? Car?)

Quote from post #1:
" were stolen from my truck at work. I knew the chances of ever recovering them were slim, but I wanted to make sure I did everything possible to try to recover them. I wanted to pass along a few things that so far have led to the recovery of 2 out of the 3."

 

[Terminal Idiot]

Quote from post #1:
" were stolen from my truck at work. I knew the chances of ever recovering them were slim, but I wanted to make sure I did everything possible to try to recover them. I wanted to pass along a few things that so far have led to the recovery of 2 out of the 3."

Thank you and sorry. It appears I am mostly blind.

 

[dick7.62]

Thank you and sorry. It appears I am mostly blind.

I understand. Happens to me all the time. Especially since I got old.

 

[weagle]

Another thing worth mentioning. Three of the folks who bought and sold the gun over the last few months spared themselves any legal problems because they had the name of the person who sold them the gun. If someone you do not know is selling you a gun at an unreasonably low price, you can open yourself up to some serious suspicion of receiving stolen property.

Also, you can't necessarily count on having local law enforcement run the serial number of a firearm. At least one of the folks who had possession of my gun said they had the serial number run and it came back clean. Either the person checking the serial number made a mistake or didn't know what they were doing or the person was claiming to have run a check that never happened.

 

[Tider79]

I had a similar experience regarding a number of camp burglaries. We didn't lose any guns but lost ATV's, trailers, tools, cameras clothes and anything else that wasn't nailed down.. The thief had been arrested multiple times for burglary. But this time, law enforcement did a probation check on him and he was caught red handed. He's now in the state pen. Patient persistence with the police and local DA were key. They were tired of dealing with him too. We got together with other victims, met with the DA and some of us had the pleasure of seeing him sentenced last fall. BTW, I'm glad you got you Rem 5mm back. I'd hate to lose mine.