Range gun switch incident today....

[socal s&w]

I was enjoying a shotgun range day today, a break from the pistol range for once. Shot two rounds of trap and was awaiting the next rotation talking to a couple of buddies.
When our squad was called, I went to the rack to get my shottie and it was not there.
There was another Remington 870 there, but not mine. (Ulimately, no one claimed that shottie and the range has it in their possesion.)
Mine has a custom stock, it's an old Wingmaster from 1974 and in great shape. The one left there was not too bad, but was completely stock except for the bright bead sight at the muzzle. There were at least 30 folks there during that time, no one saw or knew anything at all. I have heard of this happening from stories, now I know.
I'm hopeful that it was an honest mistake and that I will hear from the range when the offender realizes the error. Although I had to call the local Sheriff to report it so that I did not get into hot water. They said that it happens about 8 times a year at that range and they are all recovered.
Just a lesson learned, I will NEVER leave ANY gun while at ANY range from now on. It's too easy for not only errors, but to be stolen.
Just letting you all know that it can and does happen.

 

[mod29fan]

More than a few years ago a gent mistakenly cleaned, broke down and cased my 101 Diamond Grade leaving his identical gun in the rack. I knew instantly someone had grabbed mine and left with it because my gun had nicer wood than the one he owned. Upon reaching home and realizing he grabbed the wrong gun he returned to the club immediately and we exchanged. It certainly does happen.

I never left a gun in the rack unattended ever again after that incident.

 

[straightshooter1]

Happens, from time to time. Never heard of one where the guns were not, later, exchanged and everything was okay.

I was shooting one of the bigger shoots last year. Four of us were on the line looking for the fifth. We saw him wandering around the benches. He called out that his gun was missing. We all started laughing and walking over to help the poor guy find his gun, when I looked down at the one I was carrying and...ooops-it was his!

A lot of trap guns look alike and I have seen guys walk to the line, start shooting, then realize they were shooting someone else's gun.

I've seen guys at the benches having apoplexy when they see some other guy on another squad banging away with their 5k, 10k or more shotgun.

But, no one really gets mad. One exception-a guy put his brand new Kolar adjustable rib gun in the rack, then walked into the club house for a cold drink. Two spectators, one of whom was an "expert" on trap shooting, were looking at his gun in the rack and discussing the adjustable rib. The "expert" picked up the gun and showed his buddy how to adjust it, then put it back in the rack.

Later, when shooting, the owner couldn't hit anything. After the first round he walked back to the bench dejectedly and learned, from another spectator, what had happened. On checking, the rib had been adjusted so the gun was shooting very much higher than it was. Yeah, this fellow was mad.

I expect you will get the gun back. Rarely is there a theft. The last one at the Silver Dollar, IIRC, was 5 or 6 years ago and I only heard about it, not sure it really happened.

Since trap shooting is not much of a spectator sport, there aren't many folks hanging around who aren't shooters and everybody pretty much knows everybody else.

Bob

 

[M29since14]

Yes, it does happen - and sometimes with guns that are not all that much alike. As everyone has said, sooner or later it gets sorted out. I hope you get your gun back soon.

The club I shoot at most has both indoor and outdoor racks. I always bring my shotgun indoors with me, regardless of weather, so I can keep an eye on it while chatting and drinking coffee. Another "trick" we use to avoid this is that we always put our guns in the same place on the rack, so when a newcomer arrives, sometimes there is a little switching around until we get things like they are supposed to be. (This is always done in the friendliest way possible, so as not to drive anyone away with the appearance of snobbery.)

Some guys also will put a colored dot or something on the grip cap so they can readily ID their gun, but I recall seeing at least one case where this did not prevent a switch. Best to just keep your eyes on your gun.

 

[jrm53]

I used to shoot trap in the 70's with a 101 single barrel never had any thing like that but I bet if it had I would have gotten it back quick, it has a release trigger and is well marked. Jeff

 

[skeetshooter]

Hey Mike, sorry to hear you lost your 870,,as nice as it is I am surprised someone did not leave a Perazzi SCO by mistake.

 

[socal s&w]

Don -

Thanks for the cheer!
I haven't heard anything back as yet, but the Sheriff said to wait a few days and see if it turns up. I am giving all the slack I can in my thoughts that it was purposeful as it's hard to believe someone could not see the difference right away.
Live and learn, I can gaurantee that this will not happen to me again......at least from an unattended rack. I plan to keep my gun locked in my truck between squads from now on.
Hope that you are well and shooting straight though!

 

[socal s&w]

Went back to the trap range today, Saturday, talked with a guy that was there about the same time as the person whom I believed mistook my gun for his last Saturday.
This guy did know the person, called him and sure enough he had it.
Got the shotgun about an hour later.
All is square with the world again!
Thanks for all of you feedboack and good thoughts.

mike

 

[Cobroller]

Warm and fuzzy thoughts are much better than green and slimey. I can imagine his face when he looked at "his gun."

 

[jeffrey]

Glad you got your gun back. A few years ago, upon returning home to clean my gun after a club trap shoot, I found that some of the scratches on the stock of my gun had mysteriously disappeared! I called a friend who had the same gun and he told me that he had just discovered that "his" gun had picked up some new scratches at the same match. We had a good laugh about it when we exchanged guns. We were never able to figure out which of us made the first error -- we each blamed ourselves.

 

[Dregg]

I'll keep those thoughts in my head the next time I shoot clays.

 

[Paul in Mn]

I do a lot of trapshooting. I put a sticker on my gun so it stands out from the rest. Current gun is a Citori and I put the red, white, and blue browning sticker on the stock. Its also easier to watch when I leave it in the rack.

 

[straightshooter1]

Glad you got your gun back! Trapshooters are a pretty good bunch.

That being said, we had a theft a couple of days ago at the Southern Grand. A fellow left his Kreighoff K-80 in an unlocked car and it disappeared.

Losing a 12K or so gun like that would ruin your day for sure.

Bob

 

[cjw3]

I keep whatever I bring to the range either on top of the bench or under my feet, and still watch all of it like a hawk when I walk out to check a target. The public range where I shoot has a few shady types show up now and then; I've never had anything walk off, but a few others have.

 

[dkizer22]

A few years ago I was the one that was leaving with the wrong gun. The guy that owned the one I was leaving with did offer to trade anyway. His was a 2 3/4 model and the one I was leaving was a 3 .5 chamber.

 

[H Richard]

You've given me a good Idea, to put some kind of unusual sticker on my trap gun. I use a BT99+, and there are quite a number of them at our trap club. Might keep me from picking up someone else s accidentally.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

I keep whatever I bring to the range either on top of the bench or under my feet, and still watch all of it like a hawk when I walk out to check a target. The public range where I shoot has a few shady types show up now and then; I've never had anything walk off, but a few others have.

Ever since I read the story of the Miami FBI shootout, including where the BGs got the longarms they were carrying, I have been careful at all ranges. I used to carry the bolt in my pocket when convenient. With the black rifles I shoot now, I find it more convenient to put my rifle in the trunk when I go downrange. At least one of those, perhaps the latter, is now required by MA law. Not sure what I'd do with a scattergun at the typical skeet or trap range, but I mostly don't frequent such places, anyway.

Not sure what the local scattergunners do - probably the same as everywhere else - but it doesn't seem to me to match up well with MA law. In this particular case, it seems to me that it would be easier to argue the state's case than lax practice. I have no intention of testing it.

 

[socal s&w]

This particular range is one of those family oriented facilities with an emphasis on young shooters.
The shotgun range of course being outdoors, yet very compact due to a single trap field, there are many folks there with youngsters being shown the ways of safety and trap shooting.
One of the youngsters happened to be asked by dad to get the guns off the rack to leave and go home......that's when my 870 was mistaken for "dad's" shotgun.
Still, most anyone that attends this facility puts their shotgun in one of the racks provided there, it's the practice.
I have learned my lesson and will never put my gun in the rack again. I will put it in my vehicle from now on. A practice that probably should be followed by all, but I don't see that happening at that facility.
Obviously, some of you are ahead of the curve and have never racked you firearm, good on ya. Some have to learn the hard way.

 

[straightshooter1]

With the exception of the theft of the big money trapgun from a fellow's unlocked car, we just haven't had any thefts in years.

I don't think the car was in the parking lot, but may have been some distance away in a relatively isolated area.

Our club, the Silver Dollar, is pretty crowded during the big shoots and we have 24 traps going, plus two practice traps. I use a golf cart to get around since it is sometimes impossible to find a parking spot.

Most of us just leave the guns hanging on the back of the cart or in one of the several shelters with racks while we wander around seeing the vendors. Shells, bags, extra triggers, belts and pouches, too.

So far, no problems.

Bob

 

[jrd1976]

A couple of weeks ago at a handgun class, we had two guys bring identical Sigs. After a few handoffs and exchanges with other students, neither knew with absolute certainty which was his. Fortunately one had recorded the serial number at home and was able to retrieve the number quickly.

Years ago at a range in NW La., a guy thought he was the only person at the range and left his handgun on the bench to check his target. When he got back, the gun was gone and no-one in sight. The range eventually closed due to neighborhood encroachment, and moved out of town.