Stolen Rifles

Larry Costa

New member
Hi Folks,

I had 3 rifles stolen from my SUV 2 days before leaving for the Super Shoot. Stoped at a gas station, went inside to pay and they were stolen from the back of the SUV. Obviouly I did not lock the car. Two of the rifles were Bat DS with Scoville stocks and March scopes. The third was a Panda with a Scarborough stock and a March scope.
All had new, very good, Bartlein barrels and they were the rifles I was planning to shoot this year. I was lucky to have a very good rifle left home and that is what I shot at the SS. This was my first match of the year since we've had some family health problems and I was all happy to go to the best shoot of the year. Those bastards really pissed me off! I will post the serial numbers as soon as I get them and I ask that you guys keep an eye out for them.

On a separate note I want to congratulate Jeff Summers who shot great all week. He's a Great guy, maybe the steadiest shooter in Benchrest and a good friend. You done good buddy!

Larry Costa
 
Sucks Larry. The bad part is the SOB's will sell the whole works for a grand or less. Good equipment is hard to replace as we all know. Good luck on finding them.

Later
Dave
 
Larry, if you have them, give us the serial numbers of the March scopes, too, in case things get broken up. It would be nice if all of us can check things, & see if we can't both find the rifles, and maybe even identify a trail backwards.
 
Larry , I'm very sorry to hear that bad news. I know you're sick, as I was . I hope you have better luck than I did, when my 3 BR rifles were stolen. I haven't ever heard a word since. The police do not seem to care. Recognizable rifles (w/unique paint jobs) seems would show up some where. I lost 1 mo old Hall,, Nesika, serial #003, and a prized XP-100 6 American, along w/hunting rifles, & $3500 in Leupold scopes. The detectives ask, how much insurance I had on the firearms. Ted Manning had same happen to him @ resturant.
HFV
Hi Folks,

I had 3 rifles stolen from my SUV 2 days before leaving for the Super Shoot. Stoped at a gas station, went inside to pay and they were stolen from the back of the SUV. Obviouly I did not lock the car. Two of the rifles were Bat DS with Scoville stocks and March scopes. The third was a Panda with a Scarborough stock and a March scope.
All had new, very good, Bartlein barrels and they were the rifles I was planning to shoot this year. I was lucky to have a very good rifle left home and that is what I shot at the SS. This was my first match of the year since we've had some family health problems and I was all happy to go to the best shoot of the year. Those bastards really pissed me off! I will post the serial numbers as soon as I get them and I ask that you guys keep an eye out for them.

On a separate note I want to congratulate Jeff Summers who shot great all week. He's a Great guy, maybe the steadiest shooter in Benchrest and a good friend. You done good buddy!

Larry Costa
 
sorry to hear Larry, I missed seeing you at the shoot as I stayed home to deal with some things,

when I got the guns home they would not shoot for me so I mailed them back to Kelblys, they should arrive in a week or so,

just kidding they should be easy to find, with serial numbers, and how about serial numbers on the scopes as well,

Jefferson
 
Hi Folks,

I had 3 rifles stolen from my SUV 2 days before leaving for the Super Shoot. Stoped at a gas station, went inside to pay and they were stolen from the back of the SUV. Obviouly I did not lock the car. Two of the rifles were Bat DS with Scoville stocks and March scopes. The third was a Panda with a Scarborough stock and a March scope.
All had new, very good, Bartlein barrels and they were the rifles I was planning to shoot this year. I was lucky to have a very good rifle left home and that is what I shot at the SS. This was my first match of the year since we've had some family health problems and I was all happy to go to the best shoot of the year. Those bastards really pissed me off! I will post the serial numbers as soon as I get them and I ask that you guys keep an eye out for them.

On a separate note I want to congratulate Jeff Summers who shot great all week. He's a Great guy, maybe the steadiest shooter in Benchrest and a good friend. You done good buddy!

Larry Costa

Would be interesting to view the gas station and surrounding business videos to see just who you might be dealing with.
 
stolen rifles

larry, sorry for your loss, i feel someone (s)is running w/ the br matches
n following some to steal equipment / guns / ect. too many guns gone
all of a sudden from to many people (bench guns) see the list of shooters
from area shoots where guns were stolen, check on names not regulars
at matches that went to those matches, if your not a regular and going
to different areas of the country to shoot, well you probley wouldn't.
Just saying if you see someone you never seen before n then you see
him again cross country, it would strike me as odd, it takes along time
to get good enough to travel to shoot. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU
on finding your equipment. mayb we should show serial # at matches ?
 
Were the bolts in the rifles? If they still a rifle without the bolt then it is useless.
 
Sorry about the loss Larry -- we'll all keep an eye out. You were in Florida at the time?

An MO from a range director here for our large shotgun shoots...

Thieves casually observing the event would note the cars and plate numbers of the competitors (sometimes even marking the cars with a colored sticky dot), then wait and break in at nearby gas stations, restaurants, motels -- anyplace where they could make a grab quickly while not being noticed. About a dozen high-end trap guns were reported stolen just during one weekend event. It is apparently a common tactic and has been noted at a number of competitions. The same MO could apply to any miscreant who hangs around a range.

Rod
 
I had all my serial numbers for BR and hunting guns stolen from me. None have been recovered. They haven't shown up @ any shoots. This was 1998. I think someone bought rifles, and put them away or the theives found they could not shoot or buy ammo and probably discarded. @ least one of my rifles should have surfaced somewhere.
sorry to hear Larry, I missed seeing you at the shoot as I stayed home to deal with some things,

when I got the guns home they would not shoot for me so I mailed them back to Kelblys, they should arrive in a week or so,

just kidding they should be easy to find, with serial numbers, and how about serial numbers on the scopes as well,

Jefferson
 
This may sound stupid and they may already have something in place I am not aware of. But why cant we register all stollen rifles with the NBRSA and clubs. Then register our rifles upon entering any match. All it would take is a few minutes for somebody to check the serial #s on all the enterd rifles with the stolen #s. If thier is a problem with people watching matches and then hitting peoples trucks they selling the rifles to somebody who plans on using them. I cant imagine that it would be easy to sell a rifle to the average person that dont even know what a 6 ppc is.
 
I don't think shooters are the culprits. A man would be a fool to show up and shoot in a match w/stolen rifle, unless he was completely unaware the rifle could be hot.
larry, sorry for your loss, i feel someone (s)is running w/ the br matches
n following some to steal equipment / guns / ect. too many guns gone
all of a sudden from to many people (bench guns) see the list of shooters
from area shoots where guns were stolen, check on names not regulars
at matches that went to those matches, if your not a regular and going
to different areas of the country to shoot, well you probley wouldn't.
Just saying if you see someone you never seen before n then you see
him again cross country, it would strike me as odd, it takes along time
to get good enough to travel to shoot. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU
on finding your equipment. mayb we should show serial # at matches ?
 
LarrySorry to hear about your loss , its getting bad. I stopped at Chillies for a Berger & they broke the windowo out of my truck took my computer and some stufff. Mine was the 5 th one they hit that night, they hit 13 the night before. 70 miles away they caught some kids in the parking lot of Bell Helicopter they had broke into a bunch of cars.
Good Luck Max
 
Stolen Guns

LarrySorry to hear about your loss , its getting bad. I stopped at Chillies for a Berger & they broke the windowo out of my truck took my computer and some stufff. Mine was the 5 th one they hit that night, they hit 13 the night before. 70 miles away they caught some kids in the parking lot of Bell Helicopter they had broke into a bunch of cars.
Good Luck Max

I just think that a bench gun is only good for one thing shooting papper. Sooner or later those stolen guns will surface somewhere. I think we would be surprised how many stolen guns are being shot now at matches by good honest people who dont even have a clue. When you buy a gun off the internet and have it shipped you really know nothing about the history of the gun exept what you are told. Thieves whould stop taking them if could not sell them or use them. I cant imagine someone risk stealing a gun to have a $3,000 rifle to shoot on the home range.
 
I just think that a bench gun is only good for one thing shooting papper. Sooner or later those stolen guns will surface somewhere. I think we would be surprised how many stolen guns are being shot now at matches by good honest people who dont even have a clue. When you buy a gun off the internet and have it shipped you really know nothing about the history of the gun except what you are told. Thieves would stop taking them if could not sell them or use them. I cant imagine someone risk stealing a gun to have a $3,000 rifle to shoot on the home range.


I have bought several rifles. 95% of those went through an FFL holder. If stolen wouldn't it be listed as stolen when the FFL calls it in? I have not done a face to face purchase from an unknown person.
 
When you have a drug habit to feed anything thats not nailed down and guarded by a very toothy canine is fair game. Guns, laptops, tools, anything they can grab and run with is their target. A couple of months ago thieves stole 4X4 vehicle with 2 expensive shotguns onboard whilst the two guys were stood checking out some pigeon flightlines less than 30yards away. The thieves had to drive down 200yards of grass verge to get there but they did just that.
 
I like it when thieves get caught

A couple of Burgulars broke in a two story Condo and was greeted by a angry pet male Cougar named "Scratch". This happened late seventies, in North Dallas near the SMU Campus, an upper Class,Old Money neighborhood,Where some of Dallas' Rich and Famous lives.

"Scratch" grabbed one of the Burgulars and literally undressed him. In the process he(Scratch) inflicted deep lacerations to the Burgulars back and puncture wounds to his buttock.

The other Burgular jumped from the second story balcony and broke his leg. He was later apprehended by a security guard patrolling the Complex.

No property was missing from the residence. The injured Burgular was rushed to a nearby Hospital where he survived. Sadly,the Pet Cougar(Scratch) was euthanized and charges were filed against the owner. All charges were later dropped.


Glenn
 
With the ever increasing property crime rate, increasing prison inmate popuklations, reductions in police funding and our judges slow realisation that the ordinary citizen can only rely upon their own efforts to protect themselves, their families and their property in the vast majority of instances. We have begun to see an acceptance of something akin to your fabulous Castle laws.

Admittedly we have yet to reach a situation of a Zimmerman-Martin. But I'm sure it won't be that long. If subsequently we do manage to get a favourable legal president set. The next bout of inner city rioting will be a very differnt ball game.
 
Back
Top