Hotel Gun Theft Paranoia

[CSEMARTIN]

Every time I travel to a match, I'm afraid to leave my guns in the hotel. I'm also afraid to leave my guns in the car.

Has anyone had their guns stolen from a hotel? I did a search and found a member that had his clothes stolen, but that's all. (sounded like a scene out of Strange Brew). http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...5&hl=stolen

Sometimes, the hotel has a safe in the room which is comforting and disturbing at the same time. Why is there a safe in the room, I ask myself? Sometimes there is a safe at the front desk. I've gone that way only twice, but the last time there was a limit to what was insured. The language said something like, the items are only insured to the maximum allowed by Missouri Law. Do you think the lady working the desk knew that value?

Here is the other catch. I have insurance. In fact, I have a rider policy on both guns I travel with. If anything happens to them, they are covered. BUT...if I "turn the possession of those pistols over to another person", the insurance rider is no good which means they aren't covered on an airplane, at the front desk, etc.

So, the guns are probably safer in the hotel safe at the front desk, with an undisclosed insurance amount, but my insurance rider will no longer cover them (at replacement value) because I've turned them over to another person.

I'm really starting to seriously consider getting a truck vault. Between my locked truck bed cover, the locked tailgate and a vault, hopefully someone trying to break in would get enough attention for someone to call the police.

I don't know what the right answer is.

What do you guys do. Am I being too OCD??

Edited July 11, 2008 by CSEMARTIN

[cking]

Use cable lock to secure place in vehicle where they can't be scene and good car alarm. That will stop a smash and grab. Use battery disconnect to stop the vehicle theft. One fancy alarm i saw will dial phone number.

[CSEMARTIN]

I like the cable idea. It would certainly be easier & cheaper than a gun vault or in-car safe of some sort.

I think the car alarm is a great idea, but I worry about what some high school kid is doing with the wiring under my dash at Best Buy. I had a stereo installeld a number of years ago. Wow, that was an interesting experience.

What about when you've flown to a match or travelled with someone else? I guess there is no 100% way to prevent theft from happening. You just have to do the best you can and pray some dirtbag doesn't end up with your guns I guess.

I hadn't thought of the cable lock idea. . Thanks for posting that. I'll give the car alarm some more thought. It might just drop my insurance premiums enough to make it worthwhile. My truck has anti-theft stuff built into it. As far as I know, unless you have a key, you can't start the engine. A loud alarm would be nice. I have also heard of the systems that call your cell phone.

Wouldn't it be nice to have an alarm system that charged everything metal in your vehicle so it shocked the dude breaking into it?

[Johann the Horrible]

You guys are so lucky. Here in SA we have to leave our guns in a safe or under our direct control. If we loose a gun, we get charged criminally. I have a high end alarm/immobilizer in my car as well as a gun safe. Having a gun on your person while in a premises that is allowed to sell alcohol is also a criminal offense so every prize giving I have a line of guys at my car boot wanting to give me guns to keep for them.

[Paul B]

I have always shared your fears. When we travel to an out of town match and want to spend some time doing other things we find a good local gun store (usually one that has matches) and pay them to store our guns. It always gives me piece of mind knowing that they have much better security than anyplace else I could store them and the guns are lost in a sea of other guns that would look more shiney to a thief.

The gun shops we have used have been very cooperative and given us in and out services for local matches. Used this in Orlando a lot so we could play at the parks without worrying.

[gm iprod]

If it has to be left in a car / hotel room get hold of Secure Firearms Products. Talk to Dave or Tammy Surgi

Secure Firearm Products

P.O. Box 177

213 S Main Street

Carl Junction, MO 64834

PH: 1-417-649-7277 or toll free 1-800-257-8744

Fax: 1-417-649-7278

or

Surgi Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Phone: Fax:

1.800.25.SURGI 1.417.649.7278

1.800.257.8744

1.417.649.7277

I have in the past tied a steel cable around the toilet bowl with the handgun in one of their steel boxes. You will have to be real determined to tackle that.

[uscbigdawg]

Never really thought about it. If you're leaving them in your room while you're at dinner at such, I would say it's probably safer there than your car. If only from the standpoint of the number of people that will walk by your room vs. walk by your car.

Rich

[Graham Smith]

I have two of these: Secure-It Pistol Box

The come with a locking cable and fit under the seat of my car with the cable attached to a bracket. It won't keep someone from stealing them if they really really want them (and boobie traps are frowned on in most states), but it will prevent casual theft.

[DougCarden]

Chris, only you could diagnose yourself, if you need to....LOL

In my experience the PUKES are lazy, and mostly prey on opportunities that people GIVE them.....We knew that there was a problem with the match hotel out in Cali one year at the SC(shooter told us that his dad stayed in the room and Esteban let himself into the room, realized a guy was there, pulled the sorry routine, wrong room feignin maintenance...) We kept the guns in the trunks of the rental or in the room with us, period. Works fine so far.

I would say dont leave stuff in plain view that would entice someone to look hard, cover stuff up in the room, dont leave ammo boxes sitting out, etc. and you *should* be fine. The random stuff isnt always random...

I can vouch for Secure Firearms stuff. Built like a tank, and great people too. They support a lot of matches and junior shooting.

See ya,

DougC

[Pin Shooter]

If it has to be left in a car / hotel room get hold of Secure Firearms Products. Talk to Dave or Tammy Surgi

Secure Firearm Products

P.O. Box 177

213 S Main Street

Carl Junction, MO 64834

PH: 1-417-649-7277 or toll free 1-800-257-8744

Fax: 1-417-649-7278

or

Surgi Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Phone: Fax:

1.800.25.SURGI 1.417.649.7278

1.800.257.8744

1.417.649.7277

I have in the past tied a steel cable around the toilet bowl with the handgun in one of their steel boxes. You will have to be real determined to tackle that.

+1

[Pin Shooter]

I run a Secure Firearms box everywhere that I go. Nothing will stop the determined thief, but it will slow down most, and discourage the lazy.

Recently at the Bianchi Cup, I shared a room with Doug C and 8Shooter. We locked our guns, but I never gave a thought to the secondary weapon....the Dremel, and it was not til about 500 miles away, I realized that I had left it in the draw beside the Bible ( no pun intended Carmoney ). Sure enough, when I rang the Hotel it was gone. I guess the cleaners had a use for one as well.

Oh well.

Mark

[jhgtyre]

If it has to be left in a car / hotel room get hold of Secure Firearms Products. Talk to Dave or Tammy Surgi

Secure Firearm Products

P.O. Box 177

213 S Main Street

Carl Junction, MO 64834

PH: 1-417-649-7277 or toll free 1-800-257-8744

Fax: 1-417-649-7278

or

Surgi Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Phone: Fax:

1.800.25.SURGI 1.417.649.7278

1.800.257.8744

1.417.649.7277

I have in the past tied a steel cable around the toilet bowl with the handgun in one of their steel boxes. You will have to be real determined to tackle that.

My wife won one of Paul's boxes at the IRC last month and I just used it yesterday. I looped the cable lock around a hole in one of the body panels inside the trunk and locked the gun and mags in the case. While it does take a little more effort the peace of mind that comes with the extra security is well worth it.

-ld

[BigDave]

Use the Privacy Please/No Service sign. Keep your strong box out of sight and be inconspicuous when you're carting your goods to your room.

I've traveled significantly in the past 9 years, many of those with guns. Use good sense and you'll be fine.

[Flatland Shooter]

Many years ago, Massad Ayoob in one of his articles indicated he carried a spare set of handcuffs should he need to leave a firearm in a hotel room. He would handcuff the gun to the plumbing under the sink. If anything, it makes it hard for the hotel to claim you did not have anything stolen.

Personally, I will not leave anything "expensive" unattended in a hotel room.

Bill

[cking]

Plumbing under the sink isn't very secure anymore with all the plastics. In fact there is nothing very secure except the handicap bars in some bathrooms

[Alan Meek]

I run a Secure Firearms box everywhere that I go. Nothing will stop the determined thief, but it will slow down most, and discourage the lazy.

Recently at the Bianchi Cup, I shared a room with Doug C and 8Shooter. We locked our guns, but I never gave a thought to the secondary weapon....the Dremel, and it was not til about 500 miles away, I realized that I had left it in the draw beside the Bible ( no pun intended Carmoney ). Sure enough, when I rang the Hotel it was gone. I guess the cleaners had a use for one as well.

Oh well.

Mark

Years ago I had traveled down to Piru CA to shoot a West Coast Invitational match and staying at the Hotel in Fillmore. I headed out to the range to shoot and when I got there I realized I had left my Colt Officers back at the hotel under the pillow. I was worried sick that the gun would be gone. So after I was done shooting I got back to the hotel and housekeeping had cleaned the room and made the bed, so I checked uder the pillow and laying right there was my Colt Officers. I was a lucky man that day.

Alan

[geezer-lock]

I don't think that there were any firearms involved but one of our number had his truck stolen from the motel parking lot. That bit of news sort of makes the cable lock under the seat a little iffy.

Put the guns in your man-bag and take them with you to dinner. If the wiseguys give you heartburn about your "purse", tell them to just think of it as a really roomy holster.

David C

[Rob Boudrie]

Plumbing under the sink isn't very secure anymore with all the plastics. In fact there is nothing very secure except the handicap bars in some bathrooms

Agreed, but if you wrap the chain around the base of the toilet it's going to mighty inconvenient for someone to unbolt the head and to get your gun box and, if they do, the hotel will get to share your pain.

[UW Mitch]

Agreed, but if you wrap the chain around the base of the toilet it's going to mighty inconvenient for someone to unbolt the head and to get your gun box and, if they do, the hotel will get to share your pain.

I like this idea. Locked hardcase chained to the toilet. I think I'm gonna do that from now on, especially since I got a nice size Starlight case from Area 1's prize table that would be perfect for this!

Having worked for a stereo/alarm shop in highschool (in Hawaii), there's a lot you can do to help protect against relatively lazy thieves, but a motivated creep will likely find a way to take your whole car (think pull up a tow truck, no one would question it). So your gear may be secure in the car but when the whole car is gone, you're still bummed out.

~Mitch

[Jaxshooter]

Just remember toilets are porcelin and will shatter if hit lightly with a hammer or anything hard. I take my guns with me when I go out at night and bring them in the room when I get back.

[kevin c]

I use one of these when I am in unfamiliar turf and can't have my gear with me:

http://www.rei.com/product/709208

The size I have is big enough to take a full sized SC bag plus a Dillon border switch ammo bag.

I cable lock it into my trunk, like jhgtyre, or to the plumbing where I'm staying. Inside the mesh, the bag can be slashed but nothing is getting out of the steel mesh.

Sure, my car can be stolen, the plumbing sawn through, or the toilet smashed, but the odds are against my leaving the guns in the car for long, and also against the "30 seconds and I'm gone" room ransackers taking the time or having the tools to take/break apart the anchor.

*edited to fix link*

Edited July 12, 2008 by kevin c

[larry cazes]

Great idea Kevin. Got two on order. No Im not paranoid, just careful

[shred]

I cable lock my case to my luggage bag when flying. Same cable lock works great to lock the case to the plumbing or furniture if I have to leave it in the room.

[el pres]

Usually when I'm in a hotel for a match it's for 3gun. I have 3 to 9 guns, depending on how

many of us there are, buckets of equiptment, a tonnage of ammo, radio flyer wagon, carts, etc..

I just right off all the equiptment, if something happens, and I put all of my guns in one case and

I lug it around. A really cool idea I saw someone do, I tried to get this together for my last

match but could not find the right one, is to fill a bass guitar case or even chelo case with foam and

make all the guns fit in there. Now your in a band going to play at the bar.... El Mariachi anyone ??

[JKSNIPER]

CHECK you local laws prior to leaving any weapon in your car whether secured by a locking case or not.

If your weapon is stolen from your car in Mass. YOU are guilty of a FELONY.

Other states may have similar laws too.

I'd rather risk it being stolen from a hotel room safe than from my vehicle under those circumstances.

Check with your local gun shop at the match they may be able to make provision for storage of your firearm.

Ask the match director about this too and he may accomodate your weapon in his home safe if he has one.

JK