[Kevin Gibson]

A friend of mine is a former sheriff and one day at his house I noticed two places where he had a pistol stuffed away. Obviously one in his truck, but he also told me of one in each other car, one on his motorcycle and a couple in his garage.

He bought them dirt cheap when he found them, then just put them in various places. I thought it was an interesting idea, but there are certain risks of course. His angle was he wasn't concerned about losing a cheap gun. But while he may have got them at bargain basement prices, none of the guns were "cheap". One was a Browning Hi Power that someone let rust, but mechanically it was still in perfect condition. There was a Series 70 1911 with the same story. And a 3rd gen stainless S&W 9mm (690x).

I got to thinking, what would be a cheap used gun that I wouldn't mind sitting around somewhere. The more I thought about it, a brand new S&W Sigma is about the price of most any used decent handgun, and Sigma's are actually very reliable pistols.

Too bad LE trade in S&W revolvers aren't around any more...

Any thoughts from the group??

 

[SpecialEd]

Too bad Makarov's aren't as "cheap" as they used to be.

 

[stand watie]

Kevin Gibson,

MY choice for "throwaway" handguns were my (at least a half-dozen) Astra 400 Spanish CW-era 9mm. - Those shot .38ACP loads just fine (as well as 9x19 ball, which I used to get FREE from the NG.).
(I don't think that I ever paid more than 35.oo for an Astra "back in the day".)

I had them under the dash of my my PU/car, the garage, the corn-crib & other places on the farm.

yours, sw

 

[Charlie Petty]

I think that is a bad idea. The majority of guns stolen come from larceny from auto.

 

[stand watie]

Charlie Petty,

In the city, I would agree.

Otoh, in the "wide place in the road" where our family farm is essentially everyone is armed & theft from vehicles is UNUSUAL. = It's almost an inside joke in Northeast TX that anyone that you meet on the road, who is unarmed, is an "outsider".
(What we DO have is a great deal of livestock theft.)

yours, sw

 

[Charlie Petty]

Point taken... I'm a city boy

 

[spwenger]

In the Old...

..."authorized" Arizona CWP course, we taught Rule Five: Maintain control of your gun.

It's one thing to purchase guns whose theft is easier to tolerate financially (I myself purchased a Sigma in .40 S&W for that role many years ago and may substitute a Kel-Tec SU-16 for the "Mixmaster" M1 Carbine" that is secured in my truck) but it's another thing to leave them unsecured.

I was shocked to discover that a friend had numerous handguns hidden under seat cushions, etc. in his home, particularly with a toddler grandchild as a routine visitor.

Just this reporter's opinion...

 

[Kevin Gibson]

..."authorized" Arizona CWP course, we taught Rule Five: Maintain control of your gun.

It's one thing to purchase guns whose theft is easier to tolerate financially (I myself purchased a Sigma in .40 S&W for that role many years ago and may substitute a Kel-Tec SU-16 for the "Mixmaster" M1 Carbine" that is secured in my truck) but it's another thing to leave them unsecured.

I was shocked to discover that a friend had numerous handguns hidden under seat cushions, etc. in his home, particularly with a toddler grandchild as a routine visitor.

Just this reporter's opinion...

Yeah, it's not really for me, but I thought it was interesting. He lives alone in a rural area so it probably works for him. Me, I'd forget that I put a handgun somewhere and send it off to the dumps or Goodwill a few years later.

 

[spwenger]

As a Matter of Fact...

Yeah, it's not really for me, but I thought it was interesting. He lives alone in a rural area so it probably works for him. Me, I'd forget that I put a handgun somewhere and send it off to the dumps or Goodwill a few years later.

...subscribers to my Defensive Use of Firearms Digest will recall that, when I link reports of people who get popped at airports with guns "forgotten" in carry-on luggage, I always make the point that, if you don't know where your gun is, it's not under your control.

 

[IrishCop]

I think that is a bad idea. The majority of guns stolen come from larceny from auto.

And in my area, the number of people who keep guns, cell phones, iPads and laptops in their unlocked cars or trucks amazes me!

An honest 98% of the car burglaries that occur in our jurisdiction involve no force entry whatsoever. These thieves simply prowl around, usually at night, trying car doors. When they come across one that is unlocked, they go shopping.

The most common reason I hear from victims is that "...well, I didn't want them to break my car window" should they become the target of a thief.

I tell them, if that's the case, they shouldn't leave anything worth stealing in their unlocked cars. I do it as politely as possible. But hey, the truth is the truth.

Let me rant just a little longer...a large number of the victims of theft or burglary, especially of firearms, don't know the serial number. And a lot them aren't sure of the make or model of the firearm. Just makes our job that much more difficult, if not impossible.

More on point...

I remember reading different articles from different folks about having guns "strategically" stashed around the house, the reasoning being you wouldn't ever be far from one in case of an emergency. I just don't think that's a good idea. Too easy for someone who may be visiting, and who isn't a gun person, to stumble across it and have a potentially tragic accident. Me, I have a gun on me, everywhere but the shower. And even then it's close by. Every other weapon is locked up.

 

[spwenger]

Me, I have a gun on me, everywhere but the shower. And even then it's close by. Every other weapon is locked up.

Amen!

(One of the nice features of stainless-steel revolvers is that they don't normally rust if placed near the shower for brief times.)

 

[Kevin Gibson]

...subscribers to my Defensive Use of Firearms Digest will recall that, when I link reports of people who get popped at airports with guns "forgotten" in carry-on luggage, I always make the point that, if you don't know where your gun is, it's not under your control.

I have a close friend who was arrested for exactly that about 20 years ago. A friend of his (former friend now) thought it would be funny to drop a gun into his his bag before he got onto a plane. They were at a gun show, he bought the gun from the former friend and he thought the friend would just haul it back and then mail it to him. But he came by his hotel room and just dropped it into the guys bag and didn't mention it. Next thing you know, my friend needs a lawyer. Fortunately he had a good lawyer and back in those days LAPD had a sense of humor (but only a little one).

 

[threefeathers]

I have to agree with Charlie. I had a P30 stolen from my Tahoe when I parked at a familiar restaurant the day my wife had a serious surgery. Detective Sam Spade (a regular on glocktalk) was at my side in 10 minutes after I walked out of the restaurant. I didn't realize that the vast majority of stolen guns come from broken into vehicles.
They look for certain giveaway stickers on the vehicle. Veterans membership, NRA, Hunters organizations, any kind of 2nd Amendment sticker. All are giveaways that the owner supports gun ownership and a good chance that there is one hidden in the car.

 

[Charlie Petty]

I don't like the idea of guns (loaded) all around the house either so there are only two here: the one on my person at all times and one in the nightstand.

Once upon a time I had a SIG stuffed down by the cushion of my easy chair. Promptly forgot about it for a couple of years and when I found it 'twas a bucket of rust...

 

[Tim Burke]

Well, at least it was just a SIG.

 

[IrishCop]

Well, at least it was just a SIG.

Love it, Tim! Always looking at the bright side of things.

 

[TommyGunn]

Well, at least it was just a SIG.

Love it, Tim! Always looking at the bright side of things

.

:grumble: You guys realize -- right? -- that I (for one) happen to LIKE Sig guns?

 

[Tim Burke]

In that case, I won't tell my SIG story.

 

[Skeptic49]

Nothing wrong with a Sig, except they tend to come under the heading of Major Cash commitment.
Geoff
Who would like a 225, but passed up several when they were only EXPENSIVE!

 

[CaptainGyro]

The idea of a cosmetically-challenged, but fully functional, handgun is new to me...I'm going to walk through pawn shops and gun shows with a different perspective from now on.

Kinda' like browsing the bar between last call and closing time...