Left a gun behind.

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  • Trapper Jim

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 18, 2012
    2,676
    77
    Arcadia
    When I traveled a lot across the USA I stayed in Holiday Inns. Checking out the next morning, I checked for keys, pagers, wallet and guns. One time I left a nice leather jacket. When I got home I called and I was lucky they secured it and shipped it to me COD for shipping. I was lucky. The manager told me that people left all kinds of things including guns behind. What say INGO, any stories of abandoned guns?
     

    apache67

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Nov 10, 2012
    59
    8
    Tipton
    Not really abandoned, but I dropped a magazine in a movie theater once and didn't discover it until I got home. Luckily, I realized it and went back. The manager made me wait until the movie was over before I was allowed to look for it. I'm just glad no one else found it first!
     

    Hkindiana

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Sep 19, 2010
    3,175
    149
    Southern Hills
    At the Indy 1500 Gun show about a year ago they announced on Sunday over the intercom “xxxx xxxxxxx please call the hotel you checked out of this morning - you left your pistol in your room”.
     

    Denny347

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    13,415
    149
    Napganistan
    A tenant moved out of a rental house and left behind a unmolested K98k that I bought off the landlord...haha I've secured handguns and magazines left in various rental cars over the years. Not uncommon at all.
     

    Expat

    Pdub
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Feb 27, 2010
    108,735
    113
    Michiana
    Not really abandoned, but I dropped a magazine in a movie theater once and didn't discover it until I got home. Luckily, I realized it and went back. The manager made me wait until the movie was over before I was allowed to look for it. I'm just glad no one else found it first!
    I got home once and discovered the mag was simply gone. I had been in and out of the vehicle, in and out of restaurant booth. No idea when or where it happened or how.
     
    Rating - 96.3%
    26   1   0
    Oct 22, 2011
    1,824
    113
    Lebanon
    Had my travel holster/gun hanging on my inside car door. Got out for gas, hooked it with the toe of my shoe and both holster and gun was knocked off and slid about two feet from the car. Of course people fueling up. I had a homer moment.. doh!!, ahhh!!!!
     
    Last edited:
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 14, 2017
    755
    79
    Southern Indiana
    Many years ago I left my pistol at the jail after booking a prisoner. Luckily I had went directly to the station for paperwork and didn't get into anything in between. Had the OH S@#$ moment and quickly returned to the jail to retrieve it. I can say with pleasure that was a learning experience and it never happened again.
     

    mkgr22

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Dec 5, 2010
    1,244
    63
    Starlight, IN
    I know an ex-cop armored car driver who left his sidearm in a convenience store rest room.

    It was stolen from there, and recovered later at a traffic stop.
     

    GodFearinGunTotin

    Super Moderator
    Staff member
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    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 22, 2011
    50,582
    113
    Mitchell
    5he only time I’ve left a gun behind was at home, just a week or two ago. When in a hurry, getting dressed, I could have sworn I clipped it on my belt and that I did my usual keys-wallet-gun pat down before I left. But I guess I didn’t.
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Nearly.

    I left a Ruger MkII 22/45 on the back bumper of a Montero. Drove from house to coffee shop, out door around the back, nearly fainted.

    The dumbest thing I have done with a gun.

    Moral of story: yes, it was a cell phone. Don't answer the cell phone when you are sorting guns for the range.

    I was very lucky. That was very dumb thing I did.
     

    GodFearinGunTotin

    Super Moderator
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    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 22, 2011
    50,582
    113
    Mitchell
    My brother found a 22 upper for an AR at the gun range he’s a member of down in Tennessee. Someone just left it. I think it was still in the box even. This has been probably 10 years ago now. But he left messages at the sign in box, etc. and no one ever called to claim it.
     

    KittySlayer

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 29, 2013
    6,473
    77
    Northeast IN
    Habits help but you have to focus and avoid distractions.

    ...I did my usual keys-wallet-gun pat down before I left. But I guess I didn’t.

    Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch, and of course gun, knife and phone.

    For us non-road warriors travel takes us away from our habits. I have this travel tray that everything goes into at the hotel. One place, nothing falls behind the night stand, easy access in the dark of night in an unusual location. I even route my phone charger through one of the snaps so I don't forget it.

    https://www.maxpedition.com/products/tactical-travel-tray?variant=27932847697

    1805K5_detail_1024x1024.jpg
     

    Joniki

    Master
    Trainer Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Nov 5, 2013
    1,593
    119
    NE Indiana
    Many moons ago I left my wife at a gas station in Indy. I stopped for gas and she was sleeping in the back of the van. I went in to pay for the gas and she got up to go to the restroom. I didn't find her missing until I got home, two hours away.
     

    GodFearinGunTotin

    Super Moderator
    Staff member
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    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 22, 2011
    50,582
    113
    Mitchell
    Many moons ago I left my wife at a gas station in Indy. I stopped for gas and she was sleeping in the back of the van. I went in to pay for the gas and she got up to go to the restroom. I didn't find her missing until I got home, two hours away.

    LOL! You win! I’ll bet this was an interesting ride back home.
     

    sparkyfender

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    14   0   0
    Mar 20, 2008
    1,639
    48
    Southcentral IN
    I have never lost a gun, but know of two people that have lost or almost lost a gun. One was left on the trunk of a car before driving away, one was left in a rest stop bathroom. One was recovered, one was not.

    Interestingly, they were both Ruger SP101s.
     

    DadSmith

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Oct 21, 2018
    22,183
    113
    Ripley County
    A guy got his truck repoed he had his S&W 357 snub in it. The repo driver refused to return it. He called the police they forced the repo guy to give it back. Wouldn't that be against the law to keep firearms found in repossession vehicles?
     

    Hkindiana

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Sep 19, 2010
    3,175
    149
    Southern Hills
    Nearly.

    I left a Ruger MkII 22/45 on the back bumper of a Montero. Drove from house to coffee shop, out door around the back, nearly fainted.

    The dumbest thing I have done with a gun.

    Moral of story: yes, it was a cell phone. Don't answer the cell phone when you are sorting guns for the range.

    I was very lucky. That was very dumb thing I did.

    Not a firearm, but I had a similar situation when I left a briefcase on my bumper with over $10,000 in it while I drove from a Gun Show to my hotel, ten blocks away. How it stayed there I will never know. I did the same double take as you did when I saw it there.
     

    shootersix

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 10, 2009
    4,280
    113
    i know 3 stories (none were about me!!!)

    1st, a friend/customer of the gun shop i worked at, went to the bathroom of the place he worked at (goodwill), pulled out his s&w j frame, set it on the back of the toilet, did his "business" and went back to work, an hour later he realized he forgot his gun, weant back to the bathroom, and yep...it was gone, he called the police and reported it stolen (he didn't lose his job thou even thou he broke goodwills policy of "no firearms")

    2nd a member of the gun club left his mosin rifle at the range, just forgot it, he drove back, and it was gone, he called a member of the board, and the club was able to figure out what happened (this took a day or 2), another member picked it up, took it home, and didn't say anything to anybody, we called him to a board meeting, and asked why didn't he contact a member of the board (there are 21 on the bod) to inform them that he found the rifle he said "I have some personal issues going on at home, I wont discuss it with the board". I was one of the minority who recommended a 3 month suspension from the club, he got nothing, and new signs were installed at the club saying "contact a board member if you find anything"

    3rd and this one's a doozy! a member was shooting his rifle (garand) at the range, he left all his shooting items at the bay, he walked to use the restroom 200 yards away, another member took the garand home, (just the rifle, none of the other items) the rightful garand owner came back and noticed it was gone, he immediately contacted a member of the board, and the board was able to track down the only other person who was at the range and he said "oh yeah, I thought the owner forgot it", never mind his truck, and all other items were sill at the bay, heres the doozy part, the "member" who found the rifle was elected to the board of directors AFTER this incident, and had to sit across from the garand owner who was also on the board!
     
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