Make your gun worthless if stolen

[Griff Murphey]

Actually, the .311 ammo may not have done any damage to most rifles. I have an SC sporter that preferred .311 until I rebarreled it. For a true ELDEST SON scenario you'd need some hot powder. Further, affiant sayeth not.

Agree this is a bad idea in general. Another reason not to shoot others' hand loads.

[Sean P Gilday]

I came up with the bright idea of taking out all bolts and boxing them when I went to Active Duty, thinking it would keep them from being worth stealing. When I came back years later I could not find the box. It took 3 years to find them under the eaves of the house where they had been moved by someone else.

Now I have each photographed,and a roster by serial number of each. Also each has my name and phone, address in each buttstock. The Pictures and Roster are on several thumbdrives along with other valuables, and on both computers. they all are in a Safe now as well

[slumlord44]

Very good advice, I have a computer list of guns, price paid (or an estimate where I don't have documents) and "current" what I would sell for if I was selling & wanted to get rid of the thing. KEEP PRINT OUT SOMEWHERE SAFE!!!!! Regarding bolts - use a sharpie to put the "matching" SN on the thing if you have more than one of the same kind.

TF

I often by guns on Gunbroker or other on line sites. I always print out the aucton info and copy all the photos with make and model to my computer's photo file. Quick and easy. Also keep card file index with all info. Son in law and best friend know where the records are.

[free1954]

well said. Also, you might make up a list of your guns, including model & serial # & their approximate value to leave for your wife & family in case something happens to you. We have two lists, one stored with the guns & 1 in another place. This might keep your wife or heirs from getting ripped off when they are sold after you pass.

good idea sir. i always tell my son. "don't let your mom sell these guns for what i told her i paid for them."

[carolinashooter]

Griff.......those .311 bullets may not have been the biggest issue. He loaded the cases FULL OF BULLSEYE. There are not enough zeros on my calculator to calculate the pressure that would have resulted. I cannot imagine a weapon that would not be destroyed by this particular load.

[John Sukey]

Maybe a type 38 Arisaka? On blow up tests done many years ago, that was the only one they couldn't destroy. Stronger than a 03 or a mouser.

[Guamsst]

Maybe a type 38 Arisaka? On blow up tests done many years ago, that was the only one they couldn't destroy. Stronger than a 03 or a mouser.

They did supposedly blow the barrel out of the receiver though the action did not technically fail and that would be atleast poop inducing.

Great ideas guys but as often as guns change hands with me I am afraid I'd report a gun of mine stolen after selling it to someone else. Some of mine that are keepers I do have annotated. As to the safe, anyone know where I can get a 200gun safe? Academy doesn't keep them in stock...LOL

A dog,....a GOOD dog is great for preventing theft. Personally, I'm trying to get my armory finished so it would take so much work and make so much noise to get to the guns that it would be too risky to steal them.

Right now, my only comfort is knowing it would take a U-haul and several people to clean me out and other than a few of the guns the really valuable stuff would be hard to move and raise allot of questions.

Thief: so you guys want to buy a couple of old pilot suits
Pawnbroker: What country are they
Thief: Uh...I don't know
Pawnbroker: Where'd you get them
Thief: Uh ya, they been in the family for a hundred years and stuff, would ya gimme $20

And then there are those little things that are worth more than the guns but look worthless to non collectors. Like that crappy looking bayonet that's worth $600 vs the new shiny cool looking one worth $25. They'd surely take the $300 riot gun over the $2,000 Jap Paratrooper.

Even worse, if they tried to get rid of it the good stuff at a local gunshow, every dealer in the show would send them to me.

[Elsie's Daddy]

I converted the "Dead Space" in the back of a walk in closet into a 100 gun safe. It can be a pain in the rump to get something out to go shooting, but the GOOD Stuff is secure. The finished sheet rock looks like it belongs there. No one but my sons know about the hide hole, or how to get into it. The sons also have a complete inventory of ALL my guns photos. serial numbers, and complete description including purchase price. If a thief can't find it he can't steal it.

[goo]

i think an ADT alarm, properly installed (which i got) is what everybody should have.i keep my rifles in a back room with sensors on the windows and heavy plywood on the inside of the windows. the door has a dead bolt and you can't get to the door without breakin' in and setting off the alarm which calls the cops. there's also a fire alarm which calls the the ADT company. they call the house and if nobody answers they call the fire dept. if the house burns down, the guns is insured.

there ain't no 100 percent guarantees.

[dave]

Actually, the .311 ammo may not have done any damage to most rifles. I have an SC sporter that preferred .311 until I rebarreled it. For a true ELDEST SON scenario you'd need some hot powder. Further, affiant sayeth not.

Agree this is a bad idea in general. Another reason not to shoot others' hand loads.

He said case filled with BullsEye!!!!