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A friend of mine (yes, this is really about a friend of mine, not me) lost his pistol recently. While on the way home from a trip, he stopped at a small gas station to fill up and use the facilities. About two hours later, just before he got home, he realized he didn't have his pistol with him. He has an LTC and the last time he remembers seeing it was when when he placed it on a shelf in the rest room at that gas station, so he figures he must have left it there. He called the gas station and asked the manager to check for it, but was told it couldn't be found.

He knows I'm an LTC instructor so he asked me what he should do, if anything - does he need to report the loss to the police, or just let it go? I already gave him the riot act about developing habits to ensure you don't leave your pistol behind in a situation such as this, and he gets it. Now he's just trying to figure out how to deal with the aftermath.

Report it now... do not pass go, do not collect $200.... just report it.

Sadly I "lost" a pistol in a move... I think it was stolen but can't prove it. Went to the PD and reported it. They classify it differently if lost vs. stolen. They still call me each year on the anniversary of it being reported to update me (that is hasn't been found) and make sure it hasn't turned up on my end. And if ever recovered, they said I will get it back.

From a cya perspective- not reporting it lost is about as smart as not reporting one stolen!

flechero wrote:Report it now... do not pass go, do not collect $200.... just report it.

Sadly I "lost" a pistol in a move... I think it was stolen but can't prove it. Went to the PD and reported it. They classify it differently if lost vs. stolen. They still call me each year on the anniversary of it being reported to update me (that is hasn't been found) and make sure it hasn't turned up on my end. And if ever recovered, they said I will get it back.

From a cya perspective- not reporting it lost is about as smart as not reporting one stolen!

Immediately if not sooner. While it is embarrassing, it is not a crime to lose it. Have him give as much info as possible including serial numbers. If it is ever sold to a pawn shop, or found on someone not authorized to have it, he could get it back. If it ends up being part of a crime, and he has not reported it, they will track him down. That is not the best time to say, "I left it in a men's room on route 66" JMHO

flechero wrote:Report it now... do not pass go, do not collect $200.... just report it.

Absolutely. As soon as it's ascertained that a firearm is missing--meaning a thorough search has been conducted and it wasn't just temporarily misplaced--get a police report filed.

Man, I must be typing really SLOW today. I'm gettin' beat at every turn....

What if someone picked it up and reported it already, so PD could be looking for your friend already?

Your friend ought to report pronto.

OTOH, do I have to give back that pistol I found in the restroom recently?

parabelum wrote:What if someone picked it up and reported it already, so PD could be looking for your friend already?

Your friend ought to report pronto.

My initial thought was the same - report it immediately - but primarily for CYA. If it were found and reported, could the police track him down? We don't have gun registration in Texas (right?), so how would the police know it was his?

mloamiller wrote:

parabelum wrote:What if someone picked it up and reported it already, so PD could be looking for your friend already?

Your friend ought to report pronto.

My initial thought was the same - report it immediately - but primarily for CYA. If it were found and reported, could the police track him down? We don't have gun registration in Texas (right?), so how would the police know it was his?

Manufacturer to Distributor to FFL seller to Original Purchaser via ATF Form 4473. If original purchaser no longer owns via sale or gift to someone else it gets more difficult.

mloamiller wrote:

parabelum wrote:What if someone picked it up and reported it already, so PD could be looking for your friend already?

Your friend ought to report pronto.

My initial thought was the same - report it immediately - but primarily for CYA. If it were found and reported, could the police track him down? We don't have gun registration in Texas (right?), so how would the police know it was his?

The ATF can obtain the info of who the original FFL dealer was who sold it. They can then go to that FFL dealer and get the original buyer's info. They won't do all of that if it is turned in. The police will check to see if it's stolen and then store it for a period of time to allow the owner to come get it.
They won't know it is his, if there is no criminal investigation, but if he reports it as missing, they would contact him they have someone turn it in.

Jusme wrote: The ATF can obtain the info of who the original FFL dealer was who sold it. They can then go to that FFL dealer and get the original buyer's info. They won't do all of that if it is turned in. The police will check to see if it's stolen and then store it for a period of time to allow the owner to come get it.
They won't know it is his, if there is no criminal investigation, but if he reports it as missing, they would contact him they have someone turn it in.

This. And the corollary: if he is the original retail purchaser (transaction via FFL) and the lost gun is subsequently used in a serious crime and is recovered, and if the owner did not report it as lost or stolen, there could be some 'splainin' to do.

Report it as lost, it will be entered into NCIC as a lost gun. There is also an entry for a found gun so if a gun is turned in they are usually entered that way as well.

As has been said, CYA. You don't want that gun turning up used in a crime and not have taken the responsible steps of reporting it.

On an aside, having been carrying for many years now, I have never felt the need to remove my gun from the holster or taken it off to use the restroom, I don't know why this is done. Not judging, just an observation.

*edit...Also, if he DOES report it to the police, he should call the manager back & let him know a police report was filed & the gun was entered NCIC. Perhaps then the manager might "find" it or know the person who did "find" it. Not saying the manager took it or knows about it, but if he does.....

Ask your friend if he would be as hesitant to report a cell phone?
The only repercussions are financial, still paying for the phone, charged calls to his account etc.
Why would anyone question the validity of reporting a gun?
It is obviously already paid off, no one can charge anything to his "gun" account. The benefits far outweigh consequences for not reporting it. I doubt that I would have left mine, but I'm not trying to judge. Once the omission was discovered, I would have been on the phone to whichever agency had jurisdiction.

JMHO

Yes, definitely report it as lost. He may get some runaround as a LEO may be hesitant to take a report on something that occurred out of his jurisdiction. But it'll usually go down as an incident report and entered into NCIC so being persistent with his local PD or SO may work out.
Thats what I did. I lost a revolver in a auto accident. I was in a coma for a few weeks so I didn't realize it was missing till long after the fact. I'm certain it wasn't left laying in the ditch because it and another item were missing from the underseat drawer, but everything else was still in there. I spoke with the Trooper who worked my accident (not MY fault!) and he handed it over to a county deputy to file the report. State, county and city all work out of a mutual office in that town so that may have been their standard procedure. But this way, if that gun turns up in a crime in the future then I won't be accountable. I still get a faint glimmer of hope it'll turn up in a pawn shop some day, but i'm not holding my breath.