Finding and having your stolen guns returned, pipe dream???????

[adrian]

     Hiya ,dosent seem to be a national registry known,or researchable,to locate stolen guns. Some scammer sites on line but nothing real. One of a dozen I lost even had been registered with the ATF. If there is no register, of course a pawn shop can buy and then resell stolen guns. Why not allow public access to property seized at least identifying by serial number. Trying to get your property back from the cops is a joke. There docent seem to be a system in place to even attempt to contact registered owners of stolen guns once the perps have made there plea deals and the cases are over. After locating a gun recovered in a sister city, can't get the cop involved to return a call.Managed care version of serving the people. And FYI my renters insurance said I was covered for up to 50k of property loss, but needed to let me know there was a sentence in the 8pg policy ,only 1k for firearms per occurrence. lol

[double-d]

Methinks a lot of people will have a problem registering their guns/serial numbers on any registry (myself included). 

[Ron M.]

I had some guns stolen from my truck after an accident. My auto insurance covered the loss, the truck was a total loss too. I gave the local Sheriff department the descriptions and serial numbers. I don't know how they got the info out, but one of the handguns and a rifle were recovered at a pawn shop in another county. Unfortunately the rifle was hacked up and the revolver scratched up and rusty. I let the insurance company keep them.

The guns were stolen in Montgomery county, Texas, and recovered in Harris county.

[motorcyclist]

If you sell (don't know about pawn) a firearm to a pawn shop in S.C. it sits for a week while the State police see if it's been reported stolen. I've asked if this is just in State or bigger and have never gotten a answer.
I had a local cop tell me when a firearm is reported stolen maybe 4 out of 5 times the owner has no idea what the serial number was.
I have a thumb drive with picture of all my guns and their serial numbers tucked away.

[Vinny]

+1
Yeah, I also have an XL spreadsheet with serial #'s, but good idea to have pictures too. I back up on cloud, so #'s recoverable even if drive is stolen too.

I believe if something is stolen, and if serial numbers are reported they go into a registry for stolen goods. If I'm purchasing something like an outboard motor, I always check the serial number with Police first. Buyer Beware!

[adrian]

    Hiya, glad to hear Texas covers over a grand of firearm loss per claim. And as far as choosing to register oneself and ones weapons on a register. I recall a lengthy application with each store bought purchase that pretty much can associate my address,race,and twenty other answers to questions I needed to provide before buying a gun. So the info is out there for those non private buys. And since 6 years after Mr. Snowden let us know the govt has never stopped collecting out emails,texts,social media,looking in on phone and computer mic's and cameras. My frustration with trying to recover stolen weapons of mine in a local pd's property room have gone on months. The police seem to have little to no interest in return of your property once in their possession. Finders keepers is the law they seem to enforce. I hate to think my dozens of unanswered messages will finally be returned after months with "sorry we sold those at our semi annual police auction last month". No less comforting that those who serve and protect me are given first dibs on them.cheers.

[Chuck James]

35 years ago, I had two rifles and two shotguns stolen from my truck. The Sheriff's Department made a report and my auto insurance paid me for the guns. Four years later I received a call from the Sheriff's Department stating they had recovered the stolen guns. I made an appointment and went to inspect the guns. The guns had been beaten up pretty bad, told them to let the insurance company have them.

This is my only experience with stolen guns. 

[bang bang]

Registration works both ways.

But if you had some toys stolen, did you not file a police report and insurnace report to make a claim?

My LGS had some toys stolen.  It was about 6+ years before he got 1 back.  They are probably still out there.  The local LEOs had it in a Evidence box.

[RickinPA]

I had 2 guns stolen from our home when we were at work. One .45 S&W M&P and the other was a .380 Bersa Thunder. In PA you have to register all handguns you buy. About a year and a half later I got a call from the sheriff's department in Evanston Ill. advising me they recovered my 380 in a drug raid. They set up a UPS delivery to my local pick-up point and returned it to me a couple of days later. Called my insurance company to see if I had to return it to them or the the money they paid me for the theft. Turns out they never had a gun returned so they gave me their best wishes and said goodbye. The gun was in still great shape. Wish they could find the M&P tho. That is probably on the bottom of Lake Erie somewhere by now!! Has been over 6 years. Retired now. Home almost every day. If they come back again, they will meet my little pit bull "Buddy" and my sidekick P-07 Duty!! Either one would be a hoot to introduce them to!!

[adrian]

     Hiya, yes I filed the paperwork. The police left a standard police report sheet to fill in make,model,year,when purchased,serial numbers,color etc. I mailed it to the phoenix address that was preprinted on it. To date their property room clerk reports only investigative materials are in evidence their no property. The CSI team kicked me out of my place while half a dozen folks investigated for bout 7 hours. Only found out that several weapons were found in a neighbor city of Scottsdale from a detective during one of several surprise visits months later. Only reached out to Scottsdale a month after the county sheriffs dept. notified me one of them went to prison. So appears that the system in place allows different police debts to know where your stolen property is, and its not set up to formally inform the owner of the property where its located once they take it. Will keep trying tho.
     The farmers insurance needed separate claims for property,and one for the car stolen. They sent out an investigator to take pis and record an interview. And let me know my policy could only pay 1000 for all the firearms stolen, and same max for cash and my coin collection. So lesson learned, guess with every gun purchase,if you want coverage,need to provide them with sales receipt and they provide you with the new premium. With them paying out a third on my cars value, guess you can figure to receive pawnshop prices on any guns you are paying individual premiums on.
     To nutshell what its been like dealing with the police in regard to obtaining my personal property. Its like finding your grandmother stealing your stereo,You're glad to get your stereo back,but sad to find out your grandmothers a thief. And thats all I gotta say bout that.

[osubuckeye78]

Buddy of mine had a shotgun stolen from his home by a neighbors heroin addict kid. Cops arrested him on other charges, found the shotgun and eventually returned it, but it took awhile

[FALer]

Most Ins. companies will only pay out a very small amount ($1000 or $1500) on a renters policy unless you up your limits of coverage, home owners policies work the same way, usually $3000 is the start point. Even then you gotta pay attention because they'll only pay so much per 1 item, say $1500.

And it can vary company to company and of course state to state. 

On the upside it's not expensive to raise your limits.

[Vinny]

Most Ins. companies will only pay out a very small amount ($1000 or $1500) on a renters policy unless you up your limits of coverage, home owners policies work the same way, usually $3000 is the start point. Even then you gotta pay attention because they'll only pay so much per 1 item, say $1500.

And it can vary company to company and of course state to state. 

On the upside it's not expensive to raise your limits.

I arranged additional coverage on my Homeowner's policy by listing the items, serial #'s, model #'s and a current market value, and getting 'agreed value' coverage for those items. Like you might for other special items like expensive jewelry, paintings, etc.  Annual cost about 2% of the value. I prefer the peace of mind vs roll'in the dice.  There are other insurance companies too that specialize in firearms coverage, like through the NRA.  I might shop them next year, but at least I'm covered for now.  YMMV

[AZ_CZ]

Had a handgun stolen from our house. Took about an hour for the Sheriff to recover the gun and jewelry. Took 9+ months to get it released from evidence. Even after the case was pleaded and closed I had to make several calls, write a letter or 2 then, finally, threatened in a registered letter to forward all my information to the State Attorney Generals Office and request a fraud investigation of the Department.

I was Shocked!    to get a call from the evidence room letting me know my handgun had been released and was available for pickup.

[adrian]

    Hiya and great suggestion AZ_CZ, will try that threat when I get any reply from the detective,or his superior that don't return messages. Of 13 stolen,the sheriffs dept had listed 8 charges of stolen property, and my calls to a property room have only resulted in two of mine they have, I believe they have several more but the system isn't set up as "How can we help this tax paying citizen and victim of violent crime?". Its more familiar to an HMO if you are needing a referral. Our vets will tell ya all about how motivated state and govt is in trying to help its people. My hope is to stumble across a new property clerk, review all the missing serial numbers and then pull the Attorney General card. This is Az, The AG is pretty much as corrupt as the various police debts.But I'am glad it worked out for you. Cheers Be well.