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What Do You Do If You Lose a Gun?

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Yesterday we published an article talking about what do you do if you find a gun. Today we talk about the opposite issue: What do you do if you lose a gun?

It happens folks. In this event, a schoolteacher left her gun in a bathroom that other students aged 6 to 8 used. She reported what happened to the school and resigned from her job.

Even people you would never expect to lose them, like people who are trained in firearms. In 2015, an off-duty deputy left a gun in a movie theater bathroom. It was the topic of using a public bathroom when you’re carrying that brought all this up in the first place.

​First thing, if you leave your gun somewhere and you go back there and it’s gone, go immediately to the security center or information center of wherever you’re at and pray that someone turned it in. If not, you better report it. There might be some legal consequence, such as a charge for negligent handling of a weapon or something like that depending on where you are and where you live. But you gotta own up to it. Definitely don’t just flee the scene and never say anything abut it because if the gun is used in a crime it will be traced back to you. It’s in your best interest to report it right away, even if there are some consequences. ​

If you’re in a public place like a mall or movie theater, immediately notify the security personnel of that place.

There are laws that require firearm owners to report lost or stolen guns almost everywhere. If a gun is found at a crime scene and traced by law enforcement back to its original owner, the owner can’t claim that it was stolen in order to avoid prosecution. If a gun is lost or stolen there has to be a report filed about it. As far as I know (don’t take my word for it, talk to a firearm attorney) there is no federal law requirement or reporting except for dealers and others with a Federal Firearms License. This means they are required to report any loss or theft within 48 hours. But state laws on reporting do apply to this situation. As a gun owner, it is your responsibility to know what your state’s laws are on reporting lost or stolen firearms.

If your gun is lost, there may not be a whole lot of options. The ATF page that talks about reporting says that ATF does not take reports of lost or stolen guns from private citizens. That page recommends contacting the dealer where you purchased the gun followed by reporting it to your local police department.

If you’re out hunting, say, and you lose your gun in a field or you aren’t sure where you dropped it, your best bet is to go back and look for it. In the best case, you go back and look for your gun as quickly as you can and pray that you find it. If not, you gotta report it I have to say.

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