Misplaced Firearm

[Griff]

Has anyone done this... today I to gather some stuff to take a rifle to the range and work on getting a good 200 sight setting and test out my new "Longshot" target camera. I gathered up ammo, range bags, bench supports, (front & rear), chronograph and targets, but when I looked for the rifle, I couldn't find it! Searched the house from end to end, then searched again. Couldn't find it or the case it was last in. Searched again. Then both pickups twice each. Then back inside searching again. Found another hard plastic case, but not the one I was looking for. Racked my brain for where I'd seen it last. Texted a buddy whose trailer I'd borrowed two weeks ago to attend an out-of-town match... "I think I left a rifle in your trailer." He replied, "I'll meet you there and we'll look."

Yep, there it was, laying on the floor where I'd left it after using it at the match. There are 8 that I used in this match, stacked up in front of the safe... but the one was MIA! Do I have too many guns? The trip to the range is now put off until tomorrow!

[JimT]

No. I have never done that. Though one day I was fixing up the wood pile for coming cold weather and lo and behold there was a Colt .45 single action laying on the wood pile! It apparently had been out there about 2 weeks. It didn't rain and there was nothing wrong with the gun so I lucked out. But I never missed it and had forgotten completely about having it out. So I have never done what you did!

[GunnyMack]

Well....
Um, yeah
I've done it twice, first time was 30 years ago.
I was living on a farm that had a silage pit in the yard, was a great 50yd range! One day I'm in the pit shooting my K22 and my roommate hollers to let me know my Dad was on the phone. I put it down on a stump we rolled in just for that purpose and went up to the house and promptly forgot all about my K22! About a week later I was looking for it, turned the house upside down, my truck got tossed. I was feeling very down and walked down to the pit and looked and behold there was my favorite 22! None the worse and thankfully no one stole it as it was 20 yards from the road!

The second time was maybe 5 years ago.
While at gummsmiff skool I bought a box of parts , receiver, o/u barrels and wood from one of the instructors. It was all in the white, nothing fit. It became my semester project gun. With great tutelage from the late great Leonard Bull I had myself a handy 12 ga scattergun. Since it had no markings of any kind I named it The Redheaded Stepchild. Fast forward and I shot it for skeet at an all clays tournament. I got home couldn't find it a few weeks later. I tossed my safe! My truck, bedroom, behind every door but I couldn't find it. I called the club, nope. Finally I called the state police and drove an hour to fill out a stolen firearm report. Aboutv6 months later I in the deepest darkest corner of my 24 gun safe and there is my Redheaded Stepchild! How I missed it ill never know but apparently I cleaned it before stowing it where it belonged.

[Griff]

Phew! Thought for a minute that I might be alone in losin' it! Whatever "it" is! Good thing I have those hooks in the kitchen for car keys!

[2ndovc]

More than I’d like to admit.

Misplaced two Colt Official Police revolvers, one that is British proofed. Finally found them about six months later.

Now I can’t find the 10mm cylinder for my Blackhawk!
Ugh!

jb

[GunnyMack]

I'm still getting guff for my shotgun being 'stolen' - I'll never live it down!

[samsi]

I'm always misplacing things; tools, guns, even myself (to paraphrase Daniel Boone, I wasn't exactly lost but I wasn't quite sure where I was for an extended period of time). I lost a bicycle for about a month one time, and there was an unfortunate incident where a pistol turned up in the washing machine.

It would be convenient to blame it on age, but both the bike and the washing machine episode happened prior to age 30.

[jeepnik]

Not sure if it qualifies, but I once walked around all day with an empty holster. When I got home I thought I had somehow lost the handgun. Looked high and low and finally found it in the safe where I had never taken it out.

[Walt]

A definition of insanity is doing something the same way over and over and expecting a different result. I fit that definition every time I lose something.

[horsesoldier03]

Glad to know I am not the only one!

[RIDERED350r]

You aren't alone.

About two years ago I went to my Rod and Gun club range with several rifles to shoot.

Had all me gear, spotting scope, chronograph, notebook, etc as I was doing load development.

Among the rifles was my prized little Winny 94 Trapper in 45 Colt. It was in a small camo soft case.

Shooting session went well and I go home and start making my several trips from the truck to the house with my gear and where is the Trapper?!

I flew back up to the range, nothing. But there was an old fella just finishing up his session and I asked him if he saw a camo soft rifle case. Sure enough he had and he already took it to the clubhouse. I offered to buy him lunch, a case of his favorite beer, but he politely refused.

Thank God for honest people that help us out when we have a mini mental breakdown. I was embarrassed as hell but grateful

[gamekeeper]

Over the years I have owned hundreds of guns but never had more than eight at the same time so it would be difficult for me to miss place one, however the only gun I temporarily "lost" was single barrel Winchester (Cooey) 20 gauge that jumped out of my Land Rover when I hit a big snow drift head on and the gun got itself so well hidden in said snow drift it took a guy with a metal detector two days to find it. I had to notify the police that it was missing but luckily the local copper gave me a few days to find it.

[Griff]

All that danged trouble to locate the rifle and during today's trip to the range, instead of 200 yards, I decided to start at the 100 yard line. Took the target, camera and tablet out to the target line (I was the sole occupant), and set up the target stand, put the camera off to one side about 10 ft and with the tablet "connected" aimed it at the two targets. All good.

Back at the the firing line, set up the shooting stands, tripod, chronograph diffusers and control box, and after several tries, finally quit getting an "ERR" msg and it showed "Fire", meaning it was ready for action.

Got the rifle out of the case, 100 round box of 170 FRN over 15 grains of 5744 with it's 38 rounds, and put in the ear plugs. Settled down behind the rifle and carefully bore sighted thru the rifle to ensure my chronograph was out of sight, lined up the view thru the bore on the top target and proceeded to adjust the scope to also align with the top target. Should be close, no? NO. Loaded & fired. Looking at the tablet, I could see the 1st shot, and the camera showed a blinking circle around the a new hole, (neat feature), low and left, ok, I can work with that. Looked at the chronograph, and it still showed "Fire" on the screen. Marked the shot, reloaded and settled into making another clean shot using the same hold. Shot and glanced at the chronograph... 1131 fps... What the...! These load had been previously clocked in the mid-1400-1500 range. Looked at the tablet, Nothing, no hole to be found! Okay, checked the adjusting screws on the scope... vertical is tight, but both horizontal screws are loose! (On this Hi-Lux mount you have to loosen one, then tighten the other to move scope left or right... so, I decided to just tighten both where it was. Reloaded and settled in again. Bang, chronograph reads "ERR"... reset it to start again, and looked at the tablet, a new hole was blinking... higher than #1 and 8 inches to the right... Ok, so I fire shots 4, 5, 6 & 7, again, kinda all over that quarter of the target. So, It adjust my POA to center on that group. Again, settle behind the rifle and aim at the bull. Now fully expecting a hole to appear there. It's not to be. Fairly centered vertically, but over 5 inches right! Shot #9 goes quite close vertically to #8, but is cutting the outer ring to the left. #10 is nearly 2 inches higher and 2-½ inches to the right, #11 is almost 2 inches lower, and #12 is ... I then adjust windage again, and shot #12 is 3 inches further left. In loading #13, I bumped the scope and noticed it jumped... WT...! I wiggled the scope and saw that mount was a little loose on the barrel mount. Not one, but BOTH mounting screws were loose! And you have to remove the scope from the mount to reach those two! I remember looking at my screwdriver set while packing up and thinking... I won't need that! Famous last words! Day is shot, so I pack up and come home.

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Maybe tomorrow will be less windy, (one needs an excuse, right?)! And will pack the screwdriver set... and a bottle of LockTite!

[marlinman93]

I've misplaced guns before, but usually find them in one of the safes, or still in a gun case in my gun room. Not long ago I was looking for a handgun to take with me, and discovered it spooning under a pillow on the bed with my Colt 1911 .45!

[Streetstar]

I dont hunt anymore, but back in the bowhunting days a Glock 20 10mm was my "in case they attack" sidearm.

Thought i lost it -- looked everywhere it seemed -- went months and i finally got over it but it still bugged me for sure

Then had an occasion to go recreationally shoot my hunting bow later and opened up the Rubbermaid style box to find a string release instead of my mechanical release that was in my bow box and there it was -- hooray

[bgmkithaca]

I have a different incident happen to me sometimes. The tooth fairy seems to bring me stuff that I don't remember ever remember having. The last time it was a set of castings for a #3 Hepburn rifle. It is all there complete with the taps and files for the job. The paperwork showed that I got it 18 years ago. Been working on putting it in order- well along with it now, not too far from sending it out for heat treat. Wonder what I will find next ?

[AJMD429]

Not sure if it qualifies, but I once walked around all day with an empty holster.

I’ve done that often enough that I keep a spare projectile firing device in my vehicle for that very reason, plus if you carry at 4 o’clock, it’s pretty difficult to get access to it quickly, if for instance, somebody came up to your vehicle with violent intent. Having one in a fast-food paper bag in the console with some fast food wrappers and a crumpled soft drink can solves that. (No children in vehicle and locked always)

[1894cfan]

You guys have heard of CRS, right?

[Bullard4075]

Gosh you guys make me feel good.

Daughter: Dad what do you want me to do with this pistol I found in this coat ( Down parka) you lent me to go skiing ?

Last used the parka 2 years previously, had looked for the pistol and figgered I had sold it.

[Griff]

You guys are making me feel better... now I just gotta remember that my gunsmith has 2 of my 1851s and my favorite shotgun for repair!

[Paladin]

I confess it has happened a few times. My worst (and most embarrassing) I had arrested a Drunk Driver and was running the intoxilyzer and filling out paperwork at the office in a rural county in WV. The phone rang with the silent alarm for the largest Jewelry store in the county and 1/4 mile from the Jail. I took the detainee put him in the cruiser and headed to the alarm location. About halfway there realized I had left my service revolver in the desk's locked drawer. I checked the store (false alarm) with my HK33 and then went to the Jail for the delivery. One other time I forgot where my Browning High Power was for 9 months when I left it in the built-in shoulder holster in one of my suits in the walk-in closet. Sorry to say all of that was before I was 30.