How not to run a gun store
Watch two burglars steal 48 guns from a Florida gun shop
Two burglars made quick work of a gun shop in Live Oak when they stole 48 guns earlier this month.
Live Oak police released surveillance video of the pair breaking into Pro Arms gun shop on July 14.
Once the two broke in, one quickly hopped over the counter and put guns in a bag, the video shows. The other used what looks like a sledge hammer to break cases.
One of the men had a light on his head, which blinded the cameras and makes his face hard to see, while his partner was masking his face with a hoodie.
Well, not just is that inventory gone, but that is 48 guns that will presumably hit the street to be used in crimes.
If you think that insurance will cover this loss, you are sadly mistaken. If some of the value of the stolen inventory is replaced, the subsequent increase in insurance premiums will be substantial.
I know for a fact that in the Jewelry world, items must be properly secured after hours for insurance purposes – I’m talking about in a UL rated TL15 or TL30 vault.
Secure storage is no joke. If two jackasses with a hammer can come in through the glass front door than smash the glass display cases, security was a joke.
I have a buddy who works at a local FFL. At closing, they take everything out of the display cases and put it in a walk-in vault. It takes two guys about an hour.
I know a few other FFL that do the same or similar. One I spent a lot of time at had several large safes in the back they took the shelves out of so they could stack boxes in them.
Even if this level of security is not mandated, it’s still a good idea.
Not one gun in my personal collection is at home, not locked up. Most of my guns are in two custom-built, up-armored, Fort Knox vaults, but my bedroom and office guns are in biometric quick access safes, and everything lag bolted to studs or set in concrete anchors.
My homeowner’s insurance has a maximum $5,000 coverage limit on guns, which won’t cover replacing just the Merkel I inherited from my dad, so it was well worth it to me spend that much on secure storage. My next house gets a rebar reinforced, poured concrete vault.
Miguel writes about security cameras a lot – and he’s right to, I’m not going to fault him on that. But the presence of a camera didn’t deter this theft and the identification of these two gun thieves was thwarted by a hoodie and a headlamp.
This business just took a huge hit, and a lot of bad might hit the streets because of it, all to save a few bucks on security.
Lock up your guns. That goes double for any of you thinking about getting an FFL.
It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Well, half a ton of steel is worth a lot less than losing all of your inventory or collection.
