Always Check for ALL Your Gear Before You Leave the Range
Here’s a story about a $1500 screw-up. Last year a fellow was shooting pistols at a range in Colorado. After his range session, the shooter left behind a specialty back-pack containing two nice 9mm handguns, plus ammo, hearing protection, and other gear. The smaller pistol appears to be a Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 compact, while the larger handgun looks like a SIG Sauer P320 Nitron full size. Combined current value of those two handguns (with mags) was over $1200.00.
What was the total value of the forgotten items? To the handguns’ value, you must add the cost of the ammo ($150+), hearing protection ($50+) and the price of the range backpack and other accessories ($150). All totaled, this unfortunate shooter left over $1500.00 worth of guns, ammo, and gear on the bench.
The poor fellow was fortunate however. His backpack filled with guns and ammo was found by an HONEST member of our Shooters’ Forum. That Forum member put up a notice about the lost items on the shooting club’s website. The objective was to safely return the guns and gear to their absent-minded rightful owner.
Here is the report from our AccurateShooter Forum (edited for clarity):
“I was at my club range in Colorado this morning right at sun up. I wanted to fire a box of 7mm-08 before the heat set in. I found this backpack left behind from the day before on a bench. The backpack had two pistols and was packed to the gills with ammo, magazines, and ear protection.
But there was NO OWNER ID inside!
I left a big note there at the range saying that I found the pack, and listing my phone number. I will have a ‘found gear’ notice posted on our shooting club website very soon.
Guys, this isn’t the first time. Last fall I found a Ruger 77 .30-06 rifle left in a rifle rack. The owner got it back a few days later.”
Guys — Slow down!
Look around before leaving the range!
Be sure to gather ALL your guns and gear!
HAPPY ENDING — Guns and Gear Returned to Owner
“The very happy owner was reunited with his pack after coming to my house. He drove out to the range at 1:00 PM and saw my note held down with a rock on that bench. He called and ID’d the contents. I love a happy ending!” READ Forum Thread.
Creative Commons photo by Digitallymade.
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Tags: Lost and Found, Lost at Range, Pistol Backpack, S&W M&P, SIG P320
I once found a Stainless-Steel Colt in .45 that was left at our range. I picked it up out of the road, the owner had placed it on top of their car and then loaded all their other gear. When they pulled off it fell in the middle of the road and that’s where I found it. I contacted the clubs web master, and they placed a notice to the web page and sent an e-mail to all members. It was several months before it was returned to the owner and only then because they could not find it at home and assumed they had lost it. While at a gunsmith’s business, that was also a member, they told him about it, and he said someone had found a gun and it might be theirs. Sure enough it was theirs and I got it back to them.