Firearms Rumor Alert – The Vehicle Gun Theft Epidemic

ACTION NEEDED: Rep. Moran introduces anti-gun bill requiring your vehicle information as a gun owner
Gun theft epidemic?

FAIRFAX, Va. –-(Ammoland.com)- Long before Al Gore “created” the Internet, gun owners were busy perfecting grassroots networking.

Today, gun owners have an almost unlimited number of ways to spread information crucial to our community. And, while the Internet is certainly an indispensable tool for protecting our rights, an unfortunate side effect has been the fast and easy spread of rumors.

The latest of these, appearing on Internet message boards and in emails, warns of a growing trend of gangsters marking the license plates or wheels of vehicles parked at shooting clubs, gun stores, ranges and gun shows. According to the rumor, the thieves later spot or follow the marked vehicles and break into them to steal guns while their owners are elsewhere.

The reports go on to claim that the tactic has reached “epidemic” proportions in San Antonio, Texas, and specifically, at the National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association’s National Shooting Complex.

Naturally, the NSC investigated the matter thoroughly. They concluded that the rumor is false on several counts.

First, all of the “suspicious” vehicle markings reported to the NSC turned out to be routine—placed there by those who manufactured, owned or serviced the vehicles. The online reports also suggest that the NSCA National Championship was a particular target of gun thieves. In reality, there were no reported gun thefts at the 2011 event. A claim that a police chief in San Antonio met with 400 shooters to discuss the trend is also false.

Gun theft is a serious concern for all gun owners, who should certainly take reasonable precautions to protect their firearms from criminals. But the truth of this story should also remind us that there’s no need to panic—and that it’s always worth taking a few moments to check out tales like this before passing them on. After all, it would be a tragedy if shooters were discouraged from pursuing the activities they love and exercising their Second Amendment rights due to rampant urban legends.


About National Rifle Association:

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

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Nik

I live in a town without much gang activity. I can tell you for certain, by way of testimony from former thieves, that they will follow signs of weapon ownership to it's destination and wait for an opportunity or else come back later. Number one sign i'm a vehicle to follow is a gun rack. Be cautiou, guns are about the hottest black market goods in cities. And I hate to say it, but take down your gun rack, even if it's empty.

Alan

If you read the other article – this one was posted around 3hrs after the other. Exactly how the NSC did all their research and investigation into this topic in 3 hours is beyond me…

Alan

I'm with Brett on this one, there have actually been a few reports of people being victims of "smash-n-grabs". Gangs/thieves would mark the vehicles with a chalk, and then post people at gas stations and restruants around the area. After the show, people would drive away, stop at the restruant, and their vehicles would be broken into and have all of the firearms stolen from them.

I'm going to look further into who wrote this article. Their name doesn't seem to be on the page…

Brett

This story is upsetting, because it's designed to create a false sense of security to bolster match attendance, I was in fact a victum of my gear being stolen at USPSA nationals, as well as five others at that event in Vegas.

Marc

To keep your car from being broken into, leave an empty holster on the dashboard.