THIEVES...

[redwoods]

Sorry to hear it. I know one of the other guys that got hit. He's an Ohio guy but at least he got "sort of" lucky... They broke into his truck and took a locked case thinking it was a gun. Fortunately he had moved his bag/gun/etc into his room (pretty sure it was the La Quinta) and the locked case just had his ammo in it. They got all his 38 Super match ammo. Fortunately one of the guys I was with shoots 38S and had taken plenty so he was able to give him plenty to shoot but...

Well, maybe the thieves will get a gun blown up in front of them when they try and shoot a high pressure 38super load in a factory barrel. Or maybe the guy who buys the ammo from them will rat them out to the police when their gun blows up.

[Chris Keen]

my brother in law got hit in Phoenix last winter. the police told him not to use his remote to lock his vehicle as thieves just patrol the parking lots and capture codes and enter vehicles. it cost him $2k to learn that lesson (and he is a mechanic.)

My car has a passive locking system built into the alarm ...... 30 seconds after I shut the door the alarm chirps, turns on, and locks all doors. Doing this passively means I never have to use the remote to send the lock/unlock code. Of course I still have to use the remote to UNLOCK the vehicle and disarm the alarm, but at least thats one less chance for the theives to capture my codes. Most alarm systems have this feature, but you may have to read your alarm instructions to find out how to activate this option.

EDIT TO ADD: I can always hit the lock button on the way out of the car, and that locks the doors, then the alarm arms itself 30 seconds later. I never leave any car unlocked for any amount of time if I can help it.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Chris Keen

[GTOSHootr]

Not to detour from the seriousness of theft but I'm still not buying the code capturing business. Late model vehicles do use a rolling code system, they have for quite a few years. Basically, the code your remote uses to lock/unlock the car is a one time use code that was randomly generated in sync with the vehicle. Recording that code is useless for further use. It is the same technology that BMW and Mercedes Benz use in their transponder-based ignition, which have yet to be shown to be defeatable.

We're in the automotive forensics business, if anyone has actual details on the procedure, contact me at www.sdlyons.com. In all seriousness, we'd gladly pay for the information and put it to good use.

Again, so sorry to hear about all the stolen stuff.

[G-ManBart]

Just hope that they're not smart enough to wear hearing protection when they shoot it

[sfchorn]

Just hope that they're not smart enough to wear hearing protection when they shoot it

Or eye protection as they shoot rocks, cans and roadsigns.........

[boz1911]

Not to detour from the seriousness of theft but I'm still not buying the code capturing business. Late model vehicles do use a rolling code system, they have for quite a few years. Basically, the code your remote uses to lock/unlock the car is a one time use code that was randomly generated in sync with the vehicle. Recording that code is useless for further use. It is the same technology that BMW and Mercedes Benz use in their transponder-based ignition, which have yet to be shown to be defeatable.

We're in the automotive forensics business, if anyone has actual details on the procedure, contact me at www.sdlyons.com. In all seriousness, we'd gladly pay for the information and put it to good use.

Again, so sorry to hear about all the stolen stuff.

I was also curious how the code was "captured"

By the way Randall, I'm extremely sorry for loss of your stuff. You are welcome to anything I have that would help.

Edited April 22, 2010 by boz1911

[beginner shooter]

You are welcome to anything I have that would help.

Same here. All my blasters are in the limited/stock area, but if you need something to keep you shooting until you can get yours replaced let me know.

[want2race]

So, at the SS in IL, could you legally carry, cased, unloaded pistols into a restaurant?

I've been thinking of putting mine in the gun rugs and then into something like a Target bag and carrying them with me when I go out to eat.

If you research this you may find "six seconds to freedom" or something similar. A fanny pack may be considered a "case". You can have ammo in the case, but the pistol needs to be unloaded. If needed, open "case", insert mag and rack.

I myself will be spending as little time in IL as possible. Our hotel is across the river.

I've seen some cable lockable soft cases (similar to earlier link) at a local gun store and will be picking one up before Nationals.

[davidwiz]

Has the A6 AD or anyone from USPSA HQ been in contact with the Atlanta PD and Mayor's Office and/or Covington PD to follow up and/or see what can be done to prevent the thefts? You'd think the city would be falling all over themselves to prevent firearm thefts.

[HRider]

Randal, I don't know if you have thought about your NRA insurance or not. A friend of mine had to use his a few months ago when his carry gun was stolen from his car. They will pay up to $1,000 (regardless of other insurance)as far as I know. I know you lost way more than that, but it is something.

Hurley

[SteveU]

Sorry to hear about this, Randall. It really sucks.

I ate at the Olive Garden on Thursday night (shot all day Friday). We were fortunate enough to get a seat with the truck in plain view. When we were half way through the meal, a red Chevy truck with those big, shiny, spinning rims parked 2 spots down from mine, with no vehicle in between. I kept watch on the truck, and they could see it. They were still sitting there talking when we left about 15 minutes later (they never even got out of their truck). This makes me wonder what might have happened if I had not been clearly watching the truck, which until today had a Mobile Pistol Shooters logo on the back glass. That problem is now resolved.

Given what happened that weekend -- (and my heart goes out to those that got ripped off. It's happened to me too) -- maybe a call to the local PD wherever that Olive Garden is, and report what you saw, with a description of the truck and occupants would be in order. It might give them a break that can help catch someone. It may be nothing, but who knows what it takes for the detectives to catch someone (if they're trying).

[davidwiz]

Given what happened that weekend -- (and my heart goes out to those that got ripped off. It's happened to me too) -- maybe a call to the local PD wherever that Olive Garden is, and report what you saw, with a description of the truck and occupants would be in order. It might give them a break that can help catch someone. It may be nothing, but who knows what it takes for the detectives to catch someone (if they're trying).

Dave Sevigny posted on FB that he waited an hour after calling 911 (2 guns stolen from his truck parked at the Olive Garden on Turner Hill Rd.) and no one showed up and he had to make a police report the next day over the phone. The problem is, the powers that be in that town/city don't seem to really care that firearms were stolen (or that cars where broken into).

[DrawandDuck]

What do they do with an open gun?

Hopefully pull the trigger while looking down the barrel with my 31 round mag filled to capacity

Once I am finished dealing/getting screwed by my insurance company I am going to post a "What every shooter should know about protecting their investment in case of theft" thread. I have paid auto premiums for 17 years and home owners for 14 years (without filing a claim) and not once has an agent metioned a "rider" on handguns, jewelery or electronic equipment.......with Alfa it is $10 per $1000 of coverage with no deductible....that is addition to the $2,500 MAX they pay for GUN AND ACCESSORIES...that is where they kill you .....did not cover the mags or any spare parts (which I have one of everything pre-fit to the gun including a complete fire control.....I had receipts dating back to 2005 for EVERY item I claimed that was in the back...it totaled $6610 and they said the max they could/wanted to pay was $3,500

:angry2:

Edited April 23, 2010 by DrawandDuck

[GrumpyOne]

Sorry for your loss! There is a special place in Hell for pond scum (I want to say people, but that is not right, as they don't qualify!) like these. How about this for a solution? Move A6 from Atlanta to another location, maybe somewhere a bit more secure, farther from the crime of Atlanta, maybe Tifton, Perry, or Albany. Hell, move it to Florida!

[Wild Gene]

When you receive your policy, they should send you a letter telling you to read it. The policy should also usually be stamped, "This is your Policy, Please Read It". If you did not get either of these, or a complete copy of your policy, or an explaination by the Agent, or something, then ask him about his "E&O" policy. After he messes his drawers, he will figure out a way to help you. Either that or get very defensive. If you are not able to get some sort of satisfaction from your agent, ask him for the number of the State's Insurance Comissioner, that usually gets their attention too, (or really pisses them off, in which case you may want to find a new agent).

Saddest of all is that another post here mentioned that all this started in Lake Wales about three years ago, following the matches, and it is still happening. Also sad is that someone is buying these guns. Plus you feel like you've been personally violated. It is just a bad deal all the way around. What was taken is not replaceable to you, and almost meaningless to someone else. It is senseless... I really feel for you.

Gene

[DrawandDuck]

Randal, I don't know if you have thought about your NRA insurance or not. A friend of mine had to use his a few months ago when his carry gun was stolen from his car. They will pay up to $1,000 (regardless of other insurance)as far as I know. I know you lost way more than that, but it is something.

Hurley

Started looking into that yesterday...I too was not aware of that benefit but it is via a 3rd party insurance company....below is what is required to file a claim but must be done AFTER you settle with your primary carrier...

How To Report A Loss

Attached are the forms that need to be completed in order to execute your claim under the

ArmsCare and ArmsCare Plus coverage. Please provide the loss data requested and return to the

address above with the following documentation:

The schedule of firearms and accessories form must be completed in detail. You

need to supply an answer to each descriptive category on the enclosed form.

Proof of ownership for the items claimed. This needs to be in the form of a receipt,

name and number where purchased or statement regarding a gift or an inheritance.

An original copy of a police report or a fire report when applicable. The police

report must list the specific make, model and serial number for each firearm you

are claiming.

For theft from a vehicle, the police report must indicate whether the vehicle was

locked or unlocked at the time of the theft.

If your firearm is damaged, you must submit an itemized estimate of repairs from a

gun shop written on the shops letterhead. If the firearm is a total loss, have the gun

shop show this on the estimate.

Your ArmsCare coverage is excess to any other coverage available to you. This means recovery

under this insurance is only available after you have settled with your homeowners, renters or

any other applicable insurer. You will need to account for any recovery you receive from your

other insurance before we can make an offer under this coverage.

Details of your other property insurance must be supplied on the Statement of Loss

form that is attached.

You must supply documentation, from your insurance company, which shows the

amount paid for each firearm or accessory claimed. The amount of your

deductible needs to be indicated.

If your property insurance does not cover your firearms, you need to provide a

copy of the written denial of coverage from your carrier.

FAILURE TO COMPLETE AND RETURN THE STATEMENT OF LOSS WITHIN 90

DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DISCOVERY OF THE LOSS SHALL INVALIDATE ANY

CLAIM UNDER THIS POLICY.

If you have any questions, please call toll free at 1-877-672-3006. With your assistance, you can

expect a prompt resolution of your claim. Thank you.

Edited April 23, 2010 by DrawandDuck

[AR Gunner]

Randal:

It appears you must file the claim within 90 days of the loss, regardless of whether the primary carrier pays. Don't wait until the primary carrier makes a decision - go ahead and file now.

[DrawandDuck]

I can't recall a more frustrating week than the one I just had and it seems to be carrying over.....gear stolen, insurance only covering 50% of the loss.....and now the mag parts that came in today are not cooperating at all....I totally lost it on one of the big sticks and it was the unfortunate target of my weeks long frustration...it was a totally stupid thing to do (kids learn from my mistakes so you do not repeat them), I know but it's not the first stupid thing I have done, but for about a minute it did feel nice beating the hell out of that mag, those things are pretty tough.......that was about 3 am this morning......It's not feeling so good right now...but I have wasted $90 on a lot less....damn that was stupid but I guess I was at my breaking point and something had to give......Hell it wasn't working anyway....I did lock the hammer in the trunk just in case though.....I then turned to polishing the other 8 mag bodies and they turned out REAL NICE AND SHINNY......

Has STI changed their mag bodies in the last 4 years? It has been that long since I purchased my last 2-170 mm tubes and all I did was drop in a grams spring/follower (did a little modification to the follower) slap a +1 SNL base bad and was good to go..one held 28 the other 29 and ran flawlessly not one issue, no kidding.........with the same components the 170's hold 28 but 9 out of 10 times a round gets under the follower and jacks it up...........ALL 4 of the 170's, well 3 now does this......I guess I was just lucky in the past and that ALL my mags ran so I have not had to deal with any of that crap in the last 4 years.....As I was cooling off a bit I noticed my golf clubs sitting in the corner and I will admit they are LOOKING REAL good right about now.....dealing with all this shat has me thinking if it is worth it......

I did hear this country song today that was pretty funny...it was about PRAYING for people who had done bad things to you....he prayed their breaks went out going down a hill, praying that when they are flying the engine stalls, praying they get hit in the head by a pot, pray all their dreams NEVER come true, praying they have a blow out at 110 mph.........I could relate as I have thought much worse happen to the bastards that took my gear and that they do not cause harm to anyone else with it....except the buddy that helped him.......well been up for bout 26 hrs, going to finish off this beer and go to bed...

Edited April 24, 2010 by DrawandDuck

[BritinUSA]

The magazines may be a tiny bit wider than your previous ones. Can you post the measurements of them, perhaps someone with a tuned magazine can then compare them?

Just my 2 cents; Try not to let yourself be filled with hatred for the people that did this to you. They will face their judgement in the due course of time. I've been the victim of theft myself, its not good, but allowing yourself to be taken over with bad thoughts will have no effect on those that have done you harm, but it will eat you up over time...

[Rob Boudrie]

I am going to post a "What every shooter should know about protecting their investment in case of theft" thread.

I suggest you consider doing this as a Front Sight article - you may reach a few more people.

[-JQ-]

I bet a direct mail service-company would have a "list" for all the pawnshops in the area/state/etc...a handy way to send out a Stolen Gun flyer?

Do these exist?

[BritinUSA]

+1

An added bonus is that they will pay you for the article. It may be a good idea to include some photos of what was stolen.

[DrawandDuck]

Maybe something along these lines....I am not a writer and did not stay at a holiday Inn..

Protecting Your Investment, What you should know about insuring your firearms.

Unfortunately, we cannot predict when bad things will happen whether it is due to a theft, fire or natural disaster. In each case you will rely on your insurance carrier to help replace the items lost. I found out the hard way just how uninformed I was when it came to my insurance policy and as I result I was unable to recover $3,100 of my loss. I hope that you find the below tips useful in helping assure you have the proper policy and coverage on your firearms.

1.) Contact your agent, today, in order to determine exactly what your policy covers and its limits. My homeowner policy had a limit of $2,500 for firearms and accessories. Accessories (according to my insurance carrier) are anything that goes on or into the firearm. My claim for 10 magazines and numerous spare parts was denied as the claim for the pistol depleted the $2,500 policy limit.

2. Keep all receipts as this will make your claim much easier as there will be no room to debate the cost of the loss. If you do not have receipts, you will need to have the equipment appraised and provide documentation to the carrier. This will be the amount to be covered on your policy.

3. Take photos (digital is preferred as you can store, print and e-mail) of the firearm with the serial number visible. This will assist law enforcement in the recovery and provide additional proof for the insurance company. Provide these photos to your insurance carrier so they will have them on file in case of a loss.

4. Depending on your insurance carrier, you will want to take out an additional policy on your firearms and all related accessories. Coverage through my carrier is $2 per $100 with NO deductable. This is in addition to what your homeowners policy covers. For an additional $100 per year my loss would have been 100% covered.

5. IF you are a member of the NRA they provide an additional $1,000 with required documentation. They do require you to schedule any firearms valued over $2,500 with their insurance provider which can be done online. For more information visit http://www.locktonrisk.com/nrains/ArmsCarePlus.htm

[mdschappell]

Regarding your insurance claims....

Unfortunately, your agent did not address the special limits with you when you bought the policy. Hopefully your other stolen property was addressed under the regular policy limit, that is to say anything not firearms related such as clothing, tools, shooting bag, etc. Also, your deductible will be applied prior to your special policy limits, or in simple terms, your deductible will be absorbed into your uncovered loss. Don't let the insurance company tell you they only cover $2500 and then want to apply the deductible to that. Thats not the way it works.

Check with your auto policy coverage, as auto insurance frequently has coverage for personal property that is stolen from your car. Again, this is limited, but it may help you recover some more money for your loss. Not sure if the theft was from your personal vehicle or not.....

Also, to anyone reading this and re-evaluating your insurance, your company may have "enhancement endorsements" which increase your special limits, such as $2500 for guns going up to $5000, along with other enhanced coverages. The benefit to this is expanded coverages without having to get riders for individual items, which can be expensive.

Once upon a time I worked for an insurance company, and people frequently get burned on this stuff because they never read the policy and don't understand that they are stuffed full of special limits and limited coverages. Most people try to get the best price for their insurance, and sometimes tune out when agents start asking about the stuff they own because they don't want the price to go up.

Check your policy and compare it to the property you own..... especially with collectibles such as guns, art, stamps, coins, baseball cards, etc..... also let your agent know about motorized vehicles that you don't have covered under your auto policy. Homeowners probably doesn't cover them for loss or liability.

Unfortuantely most people find out about what there policy doesn't cover after a loss. When your bored one evening, pull out the policy and read it. Anything your not sure of, discuss with your agent, thats what you pay them for !!!!

[DrawandDuck]

Well, I believe found out how the bastards got into my vehicle.....had the car washed yesterday and today as I was opening the door I noticed what I thought was a scratch but in fact it was cracked, heck almost punched out. I also noticed the opening where the key is inserted was bent. I tried the key and it would not go all the way into the lock and I almost could not get it back out, as I tried to remove the entire left side of the door handle assembly pulled away from the door....You ask how I did not notice this....well the cop looked at the lock when it happened and said he did not see any sign of forced entry...I guess it took a little time for the crack to fill with dirt and become noticeable.......

As I am not a car thief nor lock smith is there a device you can insert into a lock that will pop/open? That seems more plausible than a scanner that captured my fob frequency...