questions regarding reporting lost guns

**mbs** · October 4th, 2006, 02:40 PM

I figured this would be an interesting first post...

Over the course of a few moves, in and out of state, I've just realized that I've lost two long guns. I have my original receipts, so I have the serial #s. I've contacted all my friends and relatives who I might have left them with and no one has them.

Because of all the new gun law ideas, including making the owner liable for reporting lost or stolen weapons, I figure I should make a report.

My question is: who should I report to?

Original place where the guns were purchased?

Current local police?

Current sherriff's office?

And, are there any legal problems with having lost some weapons?

Thanks!

MBS

**LorDiego01** · October 4th, 2006, 03:22 PM

wow, that sucks man. I hope you have insurance on them.

I believe that you need to go through BATF as a first and only step.

But Im not sure though, so dont quote me on that.

**mbs** · October 4th, 2006, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by LorDiego01

wow, that sucks man. I hope you have insurance on them.

I do have home owners and have been a member of the NRA, so I might try that route after filing a report.

**danp** · October 4th, 2006, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by mbs

I do have home owners and have been a member of the NRA, so I might try that route after filing a report.

If you're a member of the NRA I would suggest calling them, I'm sure they could tell you exactly what to do.

If they do give you advice I'd love if you came back here and shared it because I'd love to know the answer to your own question.

**TonyF** · October 4th, 2006, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by mbs

I figured this would be an interesting first post...

Over the course of a few moves, in and out of state, I've just realized that I've lost two long guns. I have my original receipts, so I have the serial #s. I've contacted all my friends and relatives who I might have left them with and no one has them.

Because of all the new gun law ideas, including making the owner liable for reporting lost or stolen weapons, I figure I should make a report.

My question is: who should I report to?

Original place where the guns were purchased?

Current local police?

Current sherriff's office?

And, are there any legal problems with having lost some weapons?

Thanks!

MBS

Contact your local PD. If you live in a small community w/o a local police dept. then contact the state police.

You may leave yourself vulnerable to a civil suit if you don't report them stolen. This from a state trooper I know whom I inquired of on behlaf of a friend who had her pistol stolen. YMMV.

**Holleta** · October 4th, 2006, 06:20 PM

I had a similar incident but this was 15 years ago. When I left the USAF a...."friend?" kept my 94 22 Winchester Special Edition rifle because of a bunch of circumstances (lies). Anyway, he never returned it, lied about it etc. I called BATF to report it/try to recover. All I got from them was attitude, rudeness and a refusal to do anything. It all stemmed around me not having/knowing the serial number. So, to make a long story short my very first rifle (it was a Christmas present from my Dad when I was somewhere around 9-10 years old) is gone because some A-hole stole it off me and I am powerless. Hopefully, your results will vary.

**deepcharge41** · October 5th, 2006, 03:14 PM

I think the best way to do if I lost any of my guns is to make a written reports, have it signd by your witness, mail it to a name of a person incharge, supervisor or manager of the PD, BATF end even the office of the governor in your home town, and mail them to all via "registered mail with return receipt" you keep photo copies of your letters or report to those individuals and relax, as long as you have your copies and return receipt with you, I think your ass is covered, but the most important thing for you do is immediately report the lost, I think that will work, what do you think guys and gals?
deep41

**mbs** · February 13th, 2007, 07:20 PM

I'm bringing this one back up to the top for an update.

Well,... I went to the local PD to file a report on my lost guns. I checked in at the desk and was told that an officer would be arriving to take my report. Aparently there was no one available in the administration building to take my report, so an officer had to be called in from the field.

After about a 25 minute wait, an officer arrived and escorted me into an interview room. (interestingly enough, he arrived with a college intern who was shadowing him that day.)

After explaining my situation, and providing the make, model, serial numbers and purchase dates of the long guns, he went to run the serials numbers through the computer (NCIC, I think)

He returned to the interview room, he informed me that nothing came back. He did mention some other pistols that I purchased recently, but nothing about the long guns. I was a little concerned that he was able to find out about other firearm purchases that I made.

He brought in a bunch of papers, placed them on the desk, and prepared to write a report. He needed to clarify something and he left the room. I looked at the papers and was surprised to see state police paperwork detailing several past pistol purchases. I was under the impression that it was illegal under state law to have a registry of firearms.

He also had paperwork that showed I had a concealed carry permit. I am not sure why that was necessary.

When he returned he filled out the report listing the firearms missing and noting the particular statute as theft by unlawful taking or disposition (§ 3921)

I have to wait for 2 or 3 days so that I can pay for a copy of the report.

The whole process took about an hour. My major concerns are that a history of my firearm purchases was immediately available for LEOs, and that it was noted that I held a PA carry permit.

Is the commonwealth bypassing the PA statute prohibiting registration of firearms (§6111.4 ...nothing in this chapter shall be construed to allow any government or law enforcement agency or any agent thereof to create, maintain or operate any registry of firearm ownership within this Commonwealth...) by registering sales of firearms instead?

Furthermore, §6111 1.1v. states " Unless it has been discovered pursuant to a criminal history, juvenile delinquency and mental health records background check that the potential purchaser or transferee is prohibited from possessing a firearm pursuant to section 6105 (relating to persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms), no information on the application/record of sale provided pursuant to this subsection shall be retained as precluded by section 6111.4 (relating to registration of firearms) by the Pennsylvania State Police either through retention of the application/record of sale or by entering the information onto a computer, and, further, an application/record of sale received by the Pennsylvania State Police pursuant to this subsection shall be destroyed within 72 hours of the completion of the criminal history, juvenile delinquency and mental health records background check."

So I guess that the State Police are violating the Law and that any LEO can access this illegal info?

Needless to say, this is very disturbing.

Thanks for letting me rant,

MBS

**knight0334** · February 13th, 2007, 07:50 PM

There was a court ruling that stated that the PA State Police's "database" isn't a registry of firearms because firearms are not required to be "registered" when someone brings them in from other states when they move here, nor are direct family private transfers between parents to/from children, grandparents to/from grandchildren, or spouse to spouse.