Let me start by saying that most of my guns are used; only two of them were bought new. Here's my story about what took place a few days ago.

I drove to a conference and took my shotgun for the skeet shoot. I unloaded the car at the motel and turned in for the night. An hour later there was a knock on the door and when I peeped to see who it was there were three police officers standing in the hall. I opened the door and one of them asked if I owned a honda car, and I replied that I did. Then he asked if i had a gun in my car and I replied that I did. He asked to come in, so I told him sure. He asked me to describe the gun, and I told him it was a 870 express pump 12 ga. shotgun. He told me that they had recovered it when they arrested a guy! It was stolen from my car! I was pissed!!

I know i should not have left it in the car, but I had lots of other gearI had to unload, and the gun was in a case in the back floor board. Here's where it gets really screwed up! He asked me where I got the gun, and I replied that I bought it right after I graduated high school in 1993 at a gun shop that was no longer in business. I had bought the gun used. He informed me that the gun was reported stolen! I told him that I did not recall filling out any paperwork on the gun, but I may have since it was a long time ago. He asked if I still had a receipt, which I don't.

So, to make a long story short. The officer called the county sheriff's office where the gun was reported stolen, and sure enough it was reported stoled a couple months before I bought it!! I could not believe it!! We went out to the car and made sure the theif did not steal anything else. I later found out that bounty hunters caught the guy in a motel room in the city I was staying in. He had 6 felony warrants against him, and they caught him with my gun, drugs, and paraphernelia. I was in disbelief, while at the same time I was mad. This guy could have sold the gun, or committed a crime and it would of had my name written all over it! Thank goodness the bounty hunters caught him. But, now I am out a gun; because I bought a stolen gun. I had to go buy a brand new gun for our turkey season that opens in a week.

So, the morals of the story are never buy a used gun unless the serial number has been cleared, and don't leave your guns in your vehicle!