Will a stolen gun that's recovered by LEO be returned without prompting?

[bwframe]

... As long as you can prove to your local law enforcement office that you are the rightful owner of the stolen firearm...

That's what I'm asking. What are the department's requirements for proof of ownership?

 

[Psode27]

I think it depends on the town and the police there. A friend of mines father has (had?) a legal battle going on with a local PD. His recovered rifle kept coming up missing at the police station, and then was supposedly seen for sale at a local shop, then after a couple calls to a lawyer he got his rifle. Not sure what's going on with the situation now. That's all I can say of the situation. I'd like to think most PD's would get your things back to you without such a hassle.

 

[MordecuS]

That's what I'm asking. What are the department's requirements for proof of ownership?

Gotcha... I should have elaborated a bit more. Sorry. For me, ownership was established when I reported the firearm stolen when filing the police report. They did not ask for receipts which was fortunate for me as one was a gift from a family member. I imagine that the police departments will vary in their approach, but for me, it was thankfully simple.

 

[bwframe]

Gotcha... For me, ownership was established when I reported the firearm stolen when filing the police report. They did not ask for receipts which was fortunate for me as one was a gift from a family member...

That's good to know. Thanks. Wonder if other departments treat this the same way?

 

[natetheace]

A good rule of thumb is to keep a log book of s/n's of the guns you have. And keep the log book in a fire proof safe that is not your gun safe. I go one step further and take pictures of said guns. My insurance agent also has a copy of the log book along with another trustworthy individual. I have my log book notarized whenever it needs updated.
I know of a person that had their guns and log book burnt up in a fire and their insurance company did not want to compensate them for the firearms items. He had to get a lawyer involved to get the insurance company to cooperate. You can also put your ammo on your insurance. My hunting and reloading room is covered.
You can never be too safe!

 

[MordecuS]

A good rule of thumb is to keep a log book of s/n's of the guns you have. And keep the log book in a fire proof safe that is not your gun safe. I go one step further and take pictures of said guns. My insurance agent also has a copy of the log book along with another trustworthy individual. I have my log book notarized whenever it needs updated.
I know of a person that had their guns and log book burnt up in a fire and their insurance company did not want to compensate them for the firearms items. He had to get a lawyer involved to get the insurance company to cooperate. You can also put your ammo on your insurance. My hunting and reloading room is covered.
You can never be too safe!

This is a great idea. I too take pictures and have also make a spreadsheet that I keep on my laptop. I also keep it in my Google Drive, which is synced among all of my connected devices. That way, even if my laptop and backups are stolen or lost, I will still have access to my firearms data.

Speaking of insurance.... I learned the hard way that there is a limit with my insurance company (Farm Bureau) for what they will pay out. Once we dealt with the fallout from the break in, my wife and I itemized EVERYTHING. There was a limit on jewelry and firearms and we were both bit hard by this limit. As Nate said, make a list and make sure that your insurance company has a record of your high price items as well.

 

[bwframe]

Very good info guys. I started a thread on ArmsCare Plus a week ago. I haven't pulled that trigger yet, but likely will.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...isiting-firearms-insurance-armscare-plus.html

 

[Hookeye]

Relative had one stolen, yr or so later the local PD calls. Got his rig back, in decent shape too.
Pleasant experience.

FWIW I am not too IT savvy, but my serial # list is kept on an email saved on somebody's server. My PC gets smoked, they have it. Of course it's contained within a message that isn't obvious by title.