Stolen Guns

[Coastal_native]

My house was burglarized today and several guns were stolen.  I was not smart enough to write down serial numbers.  Anyone know an easy way to get them? Or anyone have luck calling the place of purchase?

[jeffro]

Tip to everyone,
Insure your guns, it will force you to record all your ser.#s and your agent will have the records. I use State Farm, it surprisingly cheap.
They may even help with recovery and you will be reimbursed for your loss if something like this happens.
Also, a high quality safe properly installed is priceless.

Sorry for your loss Coast.

[BNAElkhntr]

How about any pictures that might help the Forum?    sorry about the loss

[Lincoln4]

You're not alone Coastal.  In most cases that I'm familiar with, people haven't recorded their serial numbers.  Right them down before this happens to you.  Insure them. 

[Henrydog]

I hate thieves, sorry it happened

I have both an agents and an adjusters license.  Best advise I can give is to look over your home policy, most companies have a $2500 limit under personal property for guns.  You can buy more coverage, but the vast majority of carriers have a sub limit on standard home polices.

[JDHasty]

My house was burglarized today and several guns were stolen.  I was not smart enough to write down serial numbers.  Anyone know an easy way to get them? Or anyone have luck calling the place of purchase?

Yes I have. 

[JDHasty]

I hate thieves, sorry it happened

I have both an agents and an adjusters license.  Best advise I can give is to look over your home policy, most companies have a $2500 limit under personal property for guns.  You can buy more coverage, but the vast majority of carriers have a sub limit on standard home polices.

Join the NRA as a Life Member and you have an additional $2,500 My three kids are life (that Life Membership is their first birthday present, I buy one for them as soon as they are born), and I am a Benefactor - or something (they have upped the level of my membership as I have donated money over the years and I don't really keep track of it.  I think I am maxed out and will have them credit the kid's Life memberships and up their levels from now on) and that gives us an additional $10k in coverage.   If you wear a Rolex, Omega or Yeager Lecoultre or other mechanical watch you need to make sure you have jewelry scheduled too.  Lose one high end timepiece and you are probably not going to be fully covered. 

 NRA Life Member Benefits:
• 24/7 defense of your Second Amendment freedoms
• Official NRA members-only shooter's cap
• Your choice of monthly NRA Magazines
• Membership card and decal
• $2,500 in ArmsCare firearms insurance
• $10,000 Life and Accident insurance
• Free admission to NRA's Annual Show
• Invitations to Friends of NRA dinners
• Discounts from local and national businesses
• Legislative updates, newsletters, e-mail alerts
• NRA Visa card for qualified members

[pianoman9701]

Sorry to hear, Coastal. That really sucks.

[Coastal_native]

Thanks for all the advice, all.  I've had luck recovering some of the SN's.  I don't have a huge valuable collection, but definitely some that meant a lot to me.  I'd post the details on here, but I can't imagine anyone on here would associate with the type of dirt bags that sell hot guns.  My homeowner's insurance policy will cover up to 2500 for guns, which is pretty minimal.  I'm hoping that with the value of all the other things they stole, I'll be able to claim enough to replace some of my guns.  The good news is they had no interest in stuffed heads or antlers.  The bad news is they stole a few of my niners hats.... niners fans.

[Coastal_native]

Also, my weimeriner is a horrible guard dog.  They broke through my backyard fence, so I'm pretty sure my dog sat there and watched them pack things off. 

[JDHasty]

Thanks for all the advice, all.  I've had luck recovering some of the SN's.  I don't have a huge valuable collection, but definitely some that meant a lot to me.  I'd post the details on here, but I can't imagine anyone on here would associate with the type of dirt bags that sell hot guns.  My homeowner's insurance policy will cover up to 2500 for guns, which is pretty minimal.  I'm hoping that with the value of all the other things they stole, I'll be able to claim enough to replace some of my guns.  The good news is they had no interest in stuffed heads or antlers.  The bad news is they stole a few of my niners hats.... niners fans.

Are you an NRA member? 

[HighlandLofts]

Coastal
 If they were handguns you can go to your local cop shop where you lived when you bought them, they have records of all FFL transfered handguns that you bought. My cop shop has pages of handguns that I have bought over the years.

Long guns are another story, if bought from a FFL guy and you did the paperwork they should have a copy of the transaction. They have to hold their copy for a certain number of years.

Hind sight is 40/40, you see it a lot clearer when this crap hits YOU! Do like I do, I have a spiral notebook with every gun that I bought, Date, Price, Serial #, and Accessories, Make, Model, Barrel Length, Action, Caliber or Gauge, Where I bought it and who I sold it to.

I also have two Acquisition/Disposition Book that I bought on E-Bay, All three books match each other, the guns are Numbered and in proper order in all three books and stored in different locations, one off site. I also have a file on my computer with this information.

Older guns in my humble collection that does not have a serial number, Guns manufactured 1968 & before have a paper under the Butt Plate with my Name, Phone Number & E-Mail Address and Number that is located in my books with "STOLLEN - PLEASE CONTACT ME"

Every one should have the numbers of all GUNS, TV's, ATV's any thing with a serial number on it. Washington State is on the TOP OF THE LIST for home invasions and a third of the time some one is home when it happens.

I carry a handgun EVERYDAY/ALLDAY 365, everywhere. The last I check 100% of all home invasions happened at home and if you are home when they kick your door in things don't usually go that well.

There are over 2 million home invasions through out the United States every year. It will happen to many of us.

[carpsniperg2]

My house was burglarized today and several guns were stolen.  I was not smart enough to write down serial numbers.  Anyone know an easy way to get them? Or anyone have luck calling the place of purchase?

If any of them have been bought within the last 6 years from a dealer. You can for sure contact the dealer and they will have them. By law we are required to keep them for 6 years then we can destroy them. A lot of guys will keep them as long as they are in business. At the close of business a FFL sends in there bound book to the atf. They may have the records on file and able to recover some if the business are closed.

[Jonathan_S]

Really sorry to hear this Coastal.   

[pianoman9701]

Coastal
If they were handguns you can go to your local cop shop where you lived when you bought them, they have records of all FFL transfered handguns that you bought. My cop shop has pages of handguns that I have bought over the years.

Long guns are another story, if bought from a FFL guy and you did the paperwork they should have a copy of the transaction. They have to hold their copy for a certain number of years.

Hind sight is 40/40, you see it a lot clearer when this crap hits YOU! Do like I do, I have a spiral notebook with every gun that I bought, Date, Price, Serial #, and Accessories, Make, Model, Barrel Length, Action, Caliber or Gauge, Where I bought it and who I sold it to.

I also have two Acquisition/Disposition Book that I bought on E-Bay, All three books match each other, the guns are Numbered and in proper order in all three books and stored in different locations, one off site. I also have a file on my computer with this information.

Older guns in my humble collection that does not have a serial number, Guns manufactured 1968 & before have a paper under the Butt Plate with my Name, Phone Number & E-Mail Address and Number that is located in my books with "STOLLEN - PLEASE CONTACT ME"

Every one should have the numbers of all GUNS, TV's, ATV's any thing with a serial number on it. Washington State is on the TOP OF THE LIST for home invasions and a third of the time some one is home when it happens.

I carry a handgun EVERYDAY/ALLDAY 365, everywhere. The last I check 100% of all home invasions happened at home and if you are home when they kick your door in things don't usually go that well.

There are over 2 million home invasions through out the United States every year. It will happen to many of us.

Unless the handguns were purchased as a private sale prior to Dec. 4th, 2014.

[Bennick16]

Sorry to hijack but I was under the impression guns were covered under renters (home) insurance? Do I have to get another specific insurance? Or is that the $2500 limit I saw previously mentioned? Best of luck coastal, thievery is one thing I hate the most.

[JDHasty]

Most likely that the MOST you have unless your guns are scheduled.  Get an NRA Life membership and you will have an additional $2,500 and once you pay that once it is paid for all time. 

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Sorry to hijack but I was under the impression guns were covered under renters (home) insurance? Do I have to get another specific insurance? Or is that the $2500 limit I saw previously mentioned? Best of luck coastal, thievery is one thing I hate the most.

They are covered but only up to a certain amount (typically $2500).  So if you have a firearm or group of firearms worth more than that you need to purchase a "rider" from your insurance company.  Typically this is a few hundred a year.

[Kit Carson]

Hope you get em back!

[Thefisherman83]

Sorry to hijack but I was under the impression guns were covered under renters (home) insurance? Do I have to get another specific insurance? Or is that the $2500 limit I saw previously mentioned? Best of luck coastal, thievery is one thing I hate the most.

They are covered but only up to a certain amount (typically $2500).  So if you have a firearm or group of firearms worth more than that you need to purchase a "rider" from your insurance company.  Typically this is a few hundred a year.

I called my insurance company and had my limit bumped from $2500 to $15000 after hearing about the low limits in the past, my insurance only went up $4-5 per month. 

[Bofire]

My brother had guns stolen and insurance problems. turned out lots of sporting good s are not covered or very limited. Check with your company.
I carry a specific firearm sporting good RIDER thats covers a loss of up to $50,000.00 anywhere. I got it through my Homeowners Ins.
Carl

[Coastal_native]

Update...

Allstate has been very helpful and generous in processing our claim.  Although they put a $4000 cap on guns, they were very accurate in their value of the rest of the stolen items...giving me some cushion.  Luckily I didn't have a large collection with high value guns.  The value they put on the total claim was only slightly less than what we estimated, and the recoverable depreciation value was quite a bit higher than we predicted.  With the amount of money they gave us for stuff that we'll likely not replace (outdated electronic devices, clothes, jewelry, etc...) I was able to replace and actually upgrade at least my 'working' guns.  I also used some of the money to buy a gun safe and home monitoring system.  The only gun I haven't been able to get over is my Ruger M77 Mark II .270 WIN.  It was the first gun I ever spent my own money on when I was a broke college student and it probably has 30+ kills over the last 15 years, including almost all of my mounts.  I had high hopes of letting my son shoot his first animal with it.  I have all kinds of pictures of solo hunts with it resting on animals...brings a tear to my eye.  I replaced it with a brand new Sako A7 .270 WIN w/ the roughtech synthetic stock and SS fluted barrel.  Nice, but it'll never replace my $400 Ruger.

As far as the police investigation, we had a brake in the case late yesterday when someone cashed two checks from one of our stolen check books at a payday loan place.  It was locally and they have a name, so hopefully it leads to something.

[Coastal_native]

In memory of my Ruger M77 Mark II .270 WIN...gone, but not forgotten.

[saylean]

Sorry to hear about the guns man. Crappy. You never know though, my dads friend just got a pistol back that was stolen like 20 years ago, found it in California.

A tip I use for my serial numbers, write them down and store them as an email draft in your email account. That way, house burns down, stolen computer, etc...doesn't matter. It is in your email (one you use daily or so), so you don't forget the password etc.

I hope you get your guns back.

[snake]

A co-worker of mine had some guns taken from him, the cops told him they have a very high recovery rate.  His guns turned up at a pawn shop in Moses Lake a few months later. 

[jmsurra]

Sorry to hear about your loss. The feeling of being violated is something you have to experience first-hand to truly understand how it grabs you in the guts.

Eight years ago, we moved from Maine to Texas. We went to Texas to close on a new house and set a few things up there, then went back to Maine to meet the moving van and pack up, only to find our house had been robbed. ALL of my guns were stolen, and a lot of our household goods as well. We didn't have the coverage we thought we had, and our crappy insurance company had failed to educate or encourage us to do anything to protect ourselves. What they DID do was scold us and tell us that we SHOULD have taken photos and serial numbers and given all of that to them. GRRR.

I lost my favorite Model 94 Lever action. I think we got $1500.00 total for the guns. Ouch.   Started documenting things a lot better after that, and when our vacation home had a fire, it made about $70,000.00 difference in what we could prove.

Just last week, I took my digital camera and dug out all my new guns - I've finally replaced everything important - and took photos of the serial numbers, and the details of the guns, like the big loop levers on the guide guns, the scopes, special stocks, the flip-up scope covers etc. It's amazing how much money you can put into a single rifle, making it just what you want it to be! Being able to show the condition of each weapon makes a difference, too. I also took photos of the insides of my safe, and the serial numbers inside the door, and how it's bolted to the floor and wall. All the photos went onto a thumb-drive and into a safe-deposit box, and the photos themselves were sent to my insurance company so they can adjust in any way necessary. We had to add a rider, too, and as I recall, it wasn't real expensive.

Not a word about any of my guns in eight years. Sad. . . .      When I call the detectives in Old Town, Maine to check on their progress on my case now, they act like I'm a crazy man. The original detectives are all retired or moved away, and my missing guns and my case mean nothing to the new detectives.  They find my calling about my case to be a nuisance, and they all but come out and say so. 

Insurance companies will utilize any loophole these days, so take the time to document your babies comprehensively. It doesn't take more than a few hours, and it does give you some peace of mind, and it might also remind you of some of the other things you should do (get a good safe, etc.) on your end. Five years or ten years from now, you just might be glad you did it. Whatever insurance coverage you do have will be bolstered and maximized.