Keep a Close Eye on your Shotgun

T

TheKlawMan

Moderator
I almost lost my new Citori XS Skeet today at Prado Shooting Park in Southern California. A guy who had been shooting an old pump and what appeared to be a Ruger Red Label O/U in the squad ahead of me had walked off with it as that group was leaving the club. Fortunately, I caught him in the parking lot as he was almost to his truck.

It was probably a bone head mistake, but I wonder if I would ever have seen it again, if he first realized his mistake after he got it home .
 
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Been there, done that, my friend.
Once, it took some doing to convince some pocket shooter that my Perazzi, then over his shoulder, wasn't his borrowed Browning left in the rack. You might want to put a return address label on your gun, but it will only help keep honest folks honest. Keep an eye on your gun!
 
What about inserting microships in the stock similar to what they put in a dogs ear? Something more powerful that law enforcement could trace, similar to lowjack.

Anyway, I think I am done with shooting Prado on the weekends. It's a zoo full of "pocket shooters" that know even less than me and that is pretty bad. Tuesday, the guy I normally shoot with and I are heading for Redlands although it is kind of a long drive for me.
 
I think this was a stupid, but am not positive. The guy was shooting what appeared to be a Ruger Red Label. The barrels were not only at least 2" and probably 4" shorter than mine, but they have extended chokes. His did not. Mine also has the distinctive labeling in gold on the receiver, "XS Skeet". On top of all of this, I had a 3"x2" pad of skin colored moleskin on the top of the comb.

On top of that my gun just looks new.
 
I just don't use gun racks / or put a gun where I can't see it - when there are guys at the club that I don't know. ( besides - gun racks are where a lot of scratches seem to show up )...

Sometimes its an honest mistake ...when there are 4 or 5 Citori XS Skeets in the rack.

I put my gun back in my truck / when I take a break ...
If I go back to my truck to get shells ...I take the gun with me...

Sad it has to be that way ...but it just is....
 
I just don't use gunracks / or put a gun where I can't see it...
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^ This! ^

Didn't happen to me but a friend of mine lost a family heirloom Citori this same way. Never did get it back. Got done shooting and set his shotgun in a rack on porch of clubhouse right outside entrance door.

Went in for a soda and sandwich which he had planned on eating out side but as usual, got involved in a conversation with a fellow shooter inside and spent a few more minutes inside then he had planned.

I know the owner of the club and this incident hurt him to his heart as he's always ran a more 'family' oriented club.

Today there are security camera's aiming at the gunracks.

Just a shame it had to come to that! :mad:
 
This happened when I was standing within 10 feet of the gun, which was a primary reason I think the guy may have just made a mistake. As he was carrying two guns, he may have grabbed his pump and what he thought was his buddy's o/u.

Anyway, I am going to watch it like a hawk from now on.
 
I had a guy grab my Citori off the rack instead of his Turkish Walmart special,and in the process knocked two Kreighoff's off the rack onto the concrete! All he said was oops! If looks could kill he would have been a dead man.I hold on to mine now when not shooting.
 
KlawMan,

Probably was an honest mistake.

My buddies, not so much. Even with pulling members names , calling them and posting pics/serial number of shotgun, it never returned.

There were non-members there as well but in order to shoot there, you have to be accompanied or guest of a member.

Just plain sad!
 
I had a guy grab my Citori off the rack instead of his Turkish Walmart special,and in the process knocked two Kreighoff's off the rack onto the concrete! All he said was oops! If looks could kill he would have been a dead man.I hold on to mine now when not shooting.
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Another reason not to use the racks. A regular here, Weatherby 500, had his new Beretta 682 Gold E scratched up when a guy banged his gun into it in a rack. The guy didn't even attempt an apology. Then its only a Beretta.
 
Had a guy once steal a box of ammo off the back of my truck. but it wasn't #8 shot it was 525 grain Lyman slugs I made to test after on the rifle range. The range officer new there was something wrong when the guy was breaking tree limbs. The guy not allowed at club anymore and found out the slugs I made for the first time worked pretty good.
 
If I'm not shooting with friends, I'm usually shooting alone at off times. When I finish shooting, the gun goes in my vehicle before I settle up inside.

While I'm not aware of any issues like this at the club I frequent, it just takes one visitor with a very fluid idea of "mine" and "his."
 
Klawman,

Unless I have a trusted friend or family member sitting next to the gun rack with their eyes focused on our guns I do not leave the gun in rack.. It either gets locked in my truck or I carry it with me... I've heard of guns being taken there especially on busy weekends...

I actually had a guy accuse me of stealing his Browning Citori a couple years ago out at Prado... He set the gun on his bumper and then put the tailgate down so it covered up the gun... One of his friends told him that I was a regular... I then told him to lift up his tailgate... And he then went on to apologize for quite sometime...
 
Weatherby, I knew it wasn't Weatherby 500 and if I wasn't so lazy I would have checked; .300 Weatherby Mag. It will be easier to call you Mag.

Anyway, that story about you being accused of stealing a Citori that the guy laid on his truck bumper is a riot.
 
Rottieman, The situation at this particular range is so bad weekends that my wife doesn't want me going there on one. If I do she will go with me to watch my stuff. I think I talked to much about some of the young women shooters.
 
Rottieman, The situation at this particular range is so bad weekends that my wife doesn't want me going there on one. If I do she will go with me to watch my stuff. Actually, I talked to much about some of the young women shooters.
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I like Tuesday, Thursday and Friday out there... Unless I have friends that work M-F and only get weekends off and want to go to Prado, I try to shoot during the week... One of my new "friends" is blonde and is hard to not to look at..:eek:
 
It happens. A few weeks ago, while the others in my squad were shooting I racked my gun...a Browning Cynergy. In the mean time another squad came up and racked their guns. When I walked away, I picked up somebodies Citori and turned to walk to the next station. Whoa! Whoa! there partner he said. I looked back and immediately realized what I had done. Very embarrassing, but truly just an honest mistake. I picked the Cynergy over the Citori, when I bought the gun, so I really didn't want his Citori, I just had my head somewhere else.

Of course on the other hand, I have no doubt that some guys have gotten a free upgrade this way. You do need to watch them.
 
There was a period of time when EVERYONE at my local NV club shot the same Browning model O/U - the 325 had just come out. One gent had a great idea - he had a KROY lettering machine and using a colored tape with gold letters, everyone got their name printed vertically which was then stuck on the barrel right in front of the forearm. When you looked in the rack, you saw immediately which one was yours. My Gti still has it on the barrel after 18 years
 
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