What If Your Gun Is Stolen

[westernamerican]

If you are a Texas CHL holder and your gun(s) is/are stolen, what are you steps you need to take to insure you have covered your liabilities and protected your CHL?

[AV8R]

We keep a file of all of our serial-numbered property, guns, cameras, etc. for the police report if we have a theft. As far as I know, it's not illegal to be a burglary victim. That could change in '08, though. If Hillary is elected, we might find ourselves being charged with "contributing to the delinquency of an undocumented American" if we are robbed.

[westernamerican]

We keep a file of all of our serial-numbered property, guns, cameras, etc. for the police report if we have a theft. As far as I know, it's not illegal to be a burglary victim. That could change in '08, though. If Hillary is elected, we might find ourselves being charged with "contributing to the delinquency of an undocumented American" if we are robbed.

While I do appreciate your ideas, my question asked is still unanswered.......I hope others respond with more definitive answers! Thanks again for your ideas!

[txinvestigator]

We keep a file of all of our serial-numbered property, guns, cameras, etc. for the police report if we have a theft. As far as I know, it's not illegal to be a burglary victim. That could change in '08, though. If Hillary is elected, we might find ourselves being charged with "contributing to the delinquency of an undocumented American" if we are robbed.

While I do appreciate your ideas, my question asked is still unanswered.......I hope others respond with more definitive answers! Thanks again for your ideas!

Maybe you could be more specific in your concerns. You CHL is not tied to your guns, so you don't have to do anything to protect your CHL should your gun be stolen.

Generally, it is prudent to record the serial number of your guns, then if they are stolen, lost or damaged you can report them to the police/insurance. If you purchased them from a licensed dealer, then he/she can provide you with the serial number if you failed to record it, or can't remember where you stored the number.

If your fear is that the gun will be used in a crime; here are a couple of points.

Only guns that are used in a crime and then recovered can be traced back to the original owner. The police use the serial number to have the manufacturer tell them which distributor bought the gun, then which dealer purchased it, then who the original owner was. However, if you reported it stolen the police won't even have to do that, as the national database will show the gun as stolen from you.

And since you reported it stolen, you have no liability. Even if you didn't report it stolen, or it was used in a crime and recovered before you had a chance to report it, you would still have no liability. YOU didn't commit any crime. Now, if your spouse, business partner, etc., were shot with that gun and you tried to say it was stolen you might have some 'splaining to do.

Contrary to what the CSI shows would have you believe, a gun purchased in Texas can only be traced by serial number, and that requires the police have physical control of the gun. Guns cannot be traced by the bullet, unless the gun is also present.

Other than that, do you have any concerns?

[Crossfire]

If your gun is stolen, you need to report it to the local authorities as soon as possible. That is pretty much all you need to do to cover your liability. Once it is documented that you don't have it, then you aren't responsible for whatever trouble it gets into in the wrong hands.

Filing a police report also gets the gun back to you if it is recovered. It worked for us!

[Crossfire]

TXI, you were typing while I was, and gave a much more detailed reply!

[westernamerican]

We keep a file of all of our serial-numbered property, guns, cameras, etc. for the police report if we have a theft. As far as I know, it's not illegal to be a burglary victim. That could change in '08, though. If Hillary is elected, we might find ourselves being charged with "contributing to the delinquency of an undocumented American" if we are robbed.

While I do appreciate your ideas, my question asked is still unanswered.......I hope others respond with more definitive answers! Thanks again for your ideas!

Maybe you could be more specific in your concerns. You CHL is not tied to your guns, so you don't have to do anything to protect your CHL should your gun be stolen.

Generally, it is prudent to record the serial number of your guns, then if they are stolen, lost or damaged you can report them to the police/insurance. If you purchased them from a licensed dealer, then he/she can provide you with the serial number if you failed to record it, or can't remember where you stored the number.

If your fear is that the gun will be used in a crime; here are a couple of points.

Only guns that are used in a crime and then recovered can be traced back to the original owner. The police use the serial number to have the manufacturer tell them which distributor bought the gun, then which dealer purchased it, then who the original owner was. However, if you reported it stolen the police won't even have to do that, as the national database will show the gun as stolen from you.

And since you reported it stolen, you have no liability. Even if you didn't report it stolen, or it was used in a crime and recovered before you had a chance to report it, you would still have no liability. YOU didn't commit any crime. Now, if your spouse, business partner, etc., were shot with that gun and you tried to say it was stolen you might have some 'splaining to do.

Contrary to what the CSI shows would have you believe, a gun purchased in Texas can only be traced by serial number, and that requires the police have physical control of the gun. Guns cannot be traced by the bullet, unless the gun is also present.

Other than that, do you have any concerns?

My main concern was whether or not there was any connection to my CHL..........I have heard in the past that if you gun is stolen that there was a possibility you might lose your CHL............Sounds like just a report of theft to the Police is all you need and not even to the TDPS.......Thanks for your time and efforts! I have always kept serial number records of all my weapons...........Life Is GOOD!

[txinvestigator]

We keep a file of all of our serial-numbered property, guns, cameras, etc. for the police report if we have a theft. As far as I know, it's not illegal to be a burglary victim. That could change in '08, though. If Hillary is elected, we might find ourselves being charged with "contributing to the delinquency of an undocumented American" if we are robbed.

While I do appreciate your ideas, my question asked is still unanswered.......I hope others respond with more definitive answers! Thanks again for your ideas!

Maybe you could be more specific in your concerns. You CHL is not tied to your guns, so you don't have to do anything to protect your CHL should your gun be stolen.

Generally, it is prudent to record the serial number of your guns, then if they are stolen, lost or damaged you can report them to the police/insurance. If you purchased them from a licensed dealer, then he/she can provide you with the serial number if you failed to record it, or can't remember where you stored the number.

If your fear is that the gun will be used in a crime; here are a couple of points.

Only guns that are used in a crime and then recovered can be traced back to the original owner. The police use the serial number to have the manufacturer tell them which distributor bought the gun, then which dealer purchased it, then who the original owner was. However, if you reported it stolen the police won't even have to do that, as the national database will show the gun as stolen from you.

And since you reported it stolen, you have no liability. Even if you didn't report it stolen, or it was used in a crime and recovered before you had a chance to report it, you would still have no liability. YOU didn't commit any crime. Now, if your spouse, business partner, etc., were shot with that gun and you tried to say it was stolen you might have some 'splaining to do.

Contrary to what the CSI shows would have you believe, a gun purchased in Texas can only be traced by serial number, and that requires the police have physical control of the gun. Guns cannot be traced by the bullet, unless the gun is also present.

Other than that, do you have any concerns?

My main concern was whether or not there was any connection to my CHL..........I have heard in the past that if you gun is stolen that there was a possibility you might lose your CHL............

I would really love to know who told you that lie.

[westernamerican]

We keep a file of all of our serial-numbered property, guns, cameras, etc. for the police report if we have a theft. As far as I know, it's not illegal to be a burglary victim. That could change in '08, though. If Hillary is elected, we might find ourselves being charged with "contributing to the delinquency of an undocumented American" if we are robbed.

While I do appreciate your ideas, my question asked is still unanswered.......I hope others respond with more definitive answers! Thanks again for your ideas!

Maybe you could be more specific in your concerns. You CHL is not tied to your guns, so you don't have to do anything to protect your CHL should your gun be stolen.

Generally, it is prudent to record the serial number of your guns, then if they are stolen, lost or damaged you can report them to the police/insurance. If you purchased them from a licensed dealer, then he/she can provide you with the serial number if you failed to record it, or can't remember where you stored the number.

If your fear is that the gun will be used in a crime; here are a couple of points.

Only guns that are used in a crime and then recovered can be traced back to the original owner. The police use the serial number to have the manufacturer tell them which distributor bought the gun, then which dealer purchased it, then who the original owner was. However, if you reported it stolen the police won't even have to do that, as the national database will show the gun as stolen from you.

And since you reported it stolen, you have no liability. Even if you didn't report it stolen, or it was used in a crime and recovered before you had a chance to report it, you would still have no liability. YOU didn't commit any crime. Now, if your spouse, business partner, etc., were shot with that gun and you tried to say it was stolen you might have some 'splaining to do.

Contrary to what the CSI shows would have you believe, a gun purchased in Texas can only be traced by serial number, and that requires the police have physical control of the gun. Guns cannot be traced by the bullet, unless the gun is also present.

Other than that, do you have any concerns?

My main concern was whether or not there was any connection to my CHL..........I have heard in the past that if you gun is stolen that there was a possibility you might lose your CHL............

I would really love to know who told you that lie.

Wish I could remember, I would sure be willing to share it with you.......guess some people just have to start stuff like that to confuse the issues!

[westernamerican]

If your gun is stolen, you need to report it to the local authorities as soon as possible. That is pretty much all you need to do to cover your liability. Once it is documented that you don't have it, then you aren't responsible for whatever trouble it gets into in the wrong hands.

Filing a police report also gets the gun back to you if it is recovered. It worked for us!

Sent you an email, but will ask here to; do you also do renewals for Texas CHL holders........any data on this? Wife and I both are CHL people.......

[frankie_the_yankee]

[My main concern was whether or not there was any connection to my CHL..........I have heard in the past that if you gun is stolen that there was a possibility you might lose your CHL............

I would really love to know who told you that lie.

Probably not a "lie". Most likely a "gunshop TX CHL legend" that some idiot started and that proceeded to make the rounds of the "outspoken but uninformed" set.

It might have even originated with some transplanted Yankee. Up there in Yankeeland, some states have laws requiring you to report a stolen gun within x number of hours (or days) from the time you first discovered the theft or, in some cases, even from the time when you should have discovered it. (I think CT recently passed such a law.)

How they determine when you should have discovered the theft is beyond me. Maybe they have clairvoyant DA's and jurors up there.

But there's nothing like that here in TX as far as I know.

[Venus Pax]

Up there in Yankeeland, some states have laws requiring you to report a stolen gun within x number of hours (or days) from the time you first discovered the theft or, in some cases, even from the time when you should have discovered it. (I think CT recently passed such a law.)

That's really sad. Many people have guns for protection, but don't take them out and use them for recreation as many on the forum. It is highly likely that a gun could be stolen and the owner may not know it for months.

[stevie_d_64]

If you are a Texas CHL holder and your gun(s) is/are stolen, what are you steps you need to take to insure you have covered your liabilities and protected your CHL?

Why would you think you are liable if your property is stolen??? And why would you believe your CHL is somehow at risk because of stolen property???

The only state I know of that has passed a law that requires a handgun owner to report a stolen firearm to the authorities within 72 hours is Connecticutt...And they appear to have severe penalties for not doing so in that timely manner...

I'm not diggin' that deal...

But in Texas...We don't have to worry about that...

Sure you want to report stole property, but you are not liable, nor is your CHL at risk because of this...

At least I have never heard of this before...

[Crossfire]

Sent you an email, but will ask here to; do you also do renewals for Texas CHL holders........any data on this? Wife and I both are CHL people.......

Got your email, look for my reply.

[frankie_the_yankee]

Up there in Yankeeland, some states have laws requiring you to report a stolen gun within x number of hours (or days) from the time you first discovered the theft or, in some cases, even from the time when you should have discovered it. (I think CT recently passed such a law.)

That's really sad. Many people have guns for protection, but don't take them out and use them for recreation as many on the forum. It is highly likely that a gun could be stolen and the owner may not know it for months.

Unfortunately, you have to realize that to the people who propose and pass such laws, the issue of tracking stolen firearms is secondary. Their real objective is to inhibit LAC's from ever buying and owning guns in the first place. They do this by creating all sorts of technical legal requirements for people to meet, each of which sounds "reasonable" on its own, but that in combination make people choose not to own guns for fear of accidently violating some obscure provision of the law and thus branding themselves with a felony record for life.

For an analogy, think of how simple it was to run for political office 50 years ago, compared with all the legal requirements that must be met today. Do you think that some people simply choose not to run because there are so many technicalities that they could slip up on and then be branded a "crook" by their opponents? Do you also think that the people who passed all the laws regulating political campaigns might have had exactly that in mind, so as to make it easier for them to hold on to power?

The gun-ban people are trying to do the same thing to us. And up in Yankeeland, they sometimes find success.