Help to keep your firearms safe

[mikehemi]

Recently I had my place broken into and my guns stolen amongst other things.

I learned a lot from this experience in how to recover and receive compensation for firearms that are stolen.

The first thing you need to do is write down your gun serial numbers and a description of them. You must put this in a place seperate from your weapons and ammunition.

Pictures are also a good thing to have proving the condition and serial numbers.

The best thing you can do is to get renters insurance or homeowners insurance. There is also special insurances just for firearms. Getting these will protect in case they are stolen.

Now that that is done get yourself a gun safe that is all metal with a secure lock and bolt it to the floor if possible or make it very heavy and hard to move so it will be too much trouble to try stealing. (make your weapons look like trouble to take at least.)

If you cannot get a gun safe for financial or space reasons find a place to hide your weapons not in a closet or under the mattress as this is where thieves will look first. find a place that will be unexpected or overly hard to get to.

Hopefully you will never have needed to use these tips but I wanted to put them out there so you don't have to go through all the work and pain and suffering that I have gone through.

[MadScotsMan]

Very useful information. Sorry about the theft, but thank you for the information.

[Omegaman]

Sorry to hear about your lose. I have separate insurance for my fire arms and like you have said I keep a record of make, model number, serial number and then multiple photos of the fire arm to show features and condition. I also store them in a fire rated safe. We always recommend if you can not keep them locked in a gun safe or metal gun cabinet that you should install trigger locks or action locks and lock the guns in hard gun cases. Just like you said the first places that bad guys always look are in closets, under beds and in corners behind doors. Here is one more bad bit of news, in some states if your stolen fire arm is used to commit a crime then you are open to a law suit by the victims because you were negligent in securing your fire arms

[Brother Bill]

Good info. It's always a good idea as part of gun safety to keep your firearms as locked down as you can make them.

[Giver of Doom]

I would get writers cramp if I was to write down all the model and serial numbers of all mine.:)

[maric]

Thanks.. good reminder.. so sorry about the theft. Hopefully justice will come your way. Good luck!

[Echo2]

In my safe I have 2 130dcbl sirens....and a predator OC gas system.....

you best know how to disarm both before you open it or you will lose sight and sound....and air.

[PT945]

Two years ago this October I had a break in, two long guns and a handgun were stolen, I had pictures, receipts and serial numbers, and to this day have never been recovered.
These guns were hidden in what I thought was a great. Place. now I have a safe I'm not taking anymore chances with my others or any new ones I get.

[CountryGuy]

MikeHemi & PT945 - Sorry to hear about the losses. Did both of y'all have the pics, Serial #'s, etc... of your weapons to provide to your insurance? Did your insurance carriers give you any guff about paying out and what value did they pay or what did they use to determine the value you would receive? Did they go with what new replacement cost would be or used market? Did you find out you should of had a higher insured value on your weapons?

Sorry to ask so many ?'s but I'm in a situation where I can't get a safe and decent options on where to store them are very limited for me so this problem is always in the back of my head.

Giver of Doom - Dang that's a big collection... could start your own shop there...

[PT945]

MikeHemi & PT945 - Sorry to hear about the losses. Did both of y'all have the pics, Serial #'s, etc... of your weapons to provide to your insurance? Did your insurance carriers give you any guff about paying out and what value did they pay or what did they use to determine the value you would receive? Did they go with what new replacement cost would be or used market? Did you find out you should of had a higher insured value on your weapons?

Sorry to ask so many ?'s but I'm in a situation where I can't get a safe and decent options on where to store them are very limited for me so this problem is always in the back of my head.

Giver of Doom - Dang that's a big collection... could start your own shop there...

Only one that was stolen was insured, my insurance company will only cover antiques or collectables. So my Winchester was covered but only at 80% in the blue book. The shotgun was a mossberg maverick 189.00 new the other was an ithica49. So I ended up getting more than I paid for all three originally, but cost me 150.00 more to buy another Winchester.

[mikehemi]

Country Guy,
No problem with the questions they are great to ask. I had a few pics but just from hunting and the serial numbers were taken too. My insurance company paid me some sort of value for each of the weapons, for my just run of the mill shotgun they paid me what I paid for it, and for my Winchester .22. They paid me market value (it turned out the gun was an antique rifle worth many times more then what I expected). They did all of the research for it which was really nice and I looked it up online and they were spot on in the prices for me to replace those weapons, I was also treated very well. This was just a renters insurance, they covered every thing with a $250 deductible (including non-weapon items).

Also Country Boy and all others who are looking for somewhat inexpensive ways to protect firearms. If possible buy a cheap safe. they can be picked up at sporting goods stores for under $100. Even if that is too expensive, buy a cable lock of some sort and attach it to your guns and something solid. This might just prove too much work for a quick smash and grab (I wish that I had done it, I probably still have my firearms).

One other thing (sorry this is so long), make sure to check what your deductible is because some are very high. A friend of mine was robbed approximately the same time but had a $1400 deductible and it was not even worth filing a claim for him.

BTW, Sweet collection Giver of Doom, although I would suggest getting to it one day as it may be well worth it (I know it sucks).

[hminus]

drooling.....and a bit aroused

[maric]

I would get writers cramp if I was to write down all the model and serial numbers of all mine.:)

No WAY! :)

[Dawg Fan]

Another piece of advice here, (I work in the insurance industry) make your agent explain to you the amount covered by your policy. For instance some companies will only cover a maximum amount of $2,000 total and max of $1,000 for an individual firearm. Companies do differ so do your homework and check into your policy to make sure you are covered correctly. Its not just about getting the cheapest price, its about being covered correctly if you ever have to use it.

[Giver of Doom]

drooling.....and a bit aroused

This is just whats in one corner of the basement, one day I'll post a few more. My dad owned a gun and pawn shop for about 40 years next to an army base.