How do you document your guns?

[stillwell]

I have recintly lost my pics of my guns and ssn due to computer failure. Im in the prorocess of redocumenting them. I use pictures and a spreed sheet to recored caliber, ssn, accessorys, and so on. I am just wondering how you other guys do it.

PS
I still Have my receipts from sale on the ones that apply.

[dpunch]

I take pics of my guns with another close up on the serial # and put them on a cd every 4 months. I put this in another safe separate from my guns. I figure if they get both safes open they must be pretty good.

[Trey45]

Thumb drive with a Spread Sheet document, each gun is listed, with description, serial number, scope and scope serial number, and a picture or two, the thumb drive is in the bank safe deposit box with other important stuff, things and doodads. It's easy to update it, just go to the bank with my laptop and plug in the thumb drive.

[mtnman31]

I have a spreadsheet that documents all the details such as type, caliber, when/who purchased from, cost, etc. I also take photos and store it all on the computer. I do have it backed up but right now both the computer and back up are in the house; so if a fire destroyed everything I'd be done for. I guess I should change that, maybe keep a back up at work.

[stillwell]

I should have backed up my data but it is one of those things that is so easy but never seams to get done. I have never had a safty deposit box are they expensive?

[cajun shooter]

+1 on the post by Trey. I would say as a former LEO that he has his bases covered. I have a disc that I burned with pics and numbers but it is stored in my home. Trey has much better security as the chance of the vault at the bank burning at the same time as home files are almost zero short of a nuclear bomb.

[blasternank]

My dad is still alive so I have pictures and serial numbers of his guns locked up in my safe and he has mine. That way if anyone steals mine he has an account of it.

[*Paladin*]

Excel spreadsheet with make/model/SN#/Color/Accessories/Approx value. What I haven't done is take pics recently. I need to get that stuff up-to-date. Thanks for the thread. It's a good reminder!

[Kraschenbirn]

Detailed pics of each gun, including one macro of the s/n, with description(s) overwritten onto pics. Main file on computer with copies on CDs kept in reasonably secure locations outside of house; one in locked storage cabinet in my workshop and one in safe at wife's office. CDs are updated whenever I add or remove anything from the collection. File (and CDs) also contains similar pics of my two progressive reloaders, spotting scopes, lead furnaces, and mould collection.

Bill

[44fanatic]

I have my info in an excell spread sheet with pictures attached. In addition to being on the computer, I have also uploaded it to AKO (Army Knowledge Online) and emailed it to myself. With AKO and email, the document is stored in additional electronic offsite locations.

[skeet1]

Stillwell,
I use Carbonite on-line backup. It's cheep insurance

Ken

[captaint]

I've got to get one of my kids to set up a spreadsheet of some sort. I've actually got nuthin right now, except 2 safes full of guns. Kids keep nagging me to get it done, but it going to take a couple days with the pics and descriptions and I'll have to run a patch down the barrel while I'm at it.. Mike

[bobthenailer]

The local politcians give out a free book that has room on each page for a picture and all need info about the firearm , each book can do about 12 firearms.
Or the NRA has a book ledger that they sell for the same purpose .

[starbits]

In addition to serial numbers and pics I also remove the buttplate on long guns and put a slip of paper inside with "THIS GUN STOLEN FROM" and my name address and phone #. Never had a gun stolen so don't know if it would really "eventually" help in the recovery, but it couldn't hurt.

Starbits

[steg]

+1 with starbits, but the rest is on my round to it list. Bought a rifle years ago and the first thing I did was take off the butt plate, there was a note with a name address, and phone number, I called and asked him if he knew the guy I bought it from, turns out it was his son in law and selling the gun for him, I just wanted to know if I ended up with a stolen gun....................steg

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

This is a good Idea, I have a paper Log of purchases with disp. and SN.
I should have photos.

Any chance someone here wishes to share a "blank" excel file ready to go..just add data.
I am spreadsheet handicapped.
PM me and I'll give you my e-mail address
thanks,
Jon

[shooterg]

The "Reloaders Reference" download has a decent inventory table included .

[Tom-ADC]

I have a external hard drive I transfer everything to it its has 1tg of storage plus I use carbinite.

[azcruiser]

I have a spread sheet with serial # and disk thing with pictures .That I keep at my sisters house
and another in my computer .Plus my back up is going shooting with my homeowners insurance agent since he talked me into buying a rider for my policy .When he pointed out the values to me one day something I had not really thought much about.Since I have been collecting firearms since the early 60"s .He likes the guns but think the room full of ammo makes him cringe

[bbqncigars]

Dang, this reminds me I haven't updated my inventory since four guns ago. Time to update before the weekly system backup.

[MT Gianni]

Thanks Stillwell, mine are on 3.5" floppy's. Time for an update.

[Harter66]

I have a hand written log of most of my gear and all of the guns for disposal reasons. The stocks are tagged inside. I never thought about putting them on a disk,I guess that's too easy,pics are a better idea yet. I added a low ball value/replacement value line in my book with what I paid and where/who I got them from too. Its nuts what some of them are worth compared to what I paid. There's a shotgun w/a spare bbl that I can't replace the bbl for what I paid for both. Swmbo was tripping when she saw the cost of 2 RockChuckers,600jr and a Sizemaster. So don't forget the tools on your tally sheets,its unlikely they'd be stolen but loss is what we're protecting.

[Taylor]

I keep a written record.Includes sn and accessories,scratchies,dents,dings.How much it cost and who I bought it from,to include reciepts.Anything else that might help with ID.Pics are a great idea,I should do it.

[rbertalotto]

Simple Excell spread sheet with....

Type...Make...Caliber...SN...Date Purchased...Amount Paid...Current Value...Notes

This is on my computer, backed up by Carbonite back-up service. It is also on a thumb drive

I then take pictures of each firearm and store them on Fotki photo hosting service.

In this way, my house could blow up and the info is stored "on the cloud" as they say..........

[Bob Krack]

Since I lost all my firearms in a boat accident, it is a moot point to me.

However, some things I still possess - I photograph, record serial numbers, descriptions, valuations and send the info to my sister in Ohio, my brother in Tennessee, my daughter in Washington, and my son in New Hampshire........ plus I send a printout to my "other address".

Bob

[alamogunr]

Look here for software to catalog your guns.
http://www.tmtpages.com/

I still have mine on an Excel spreadsheet but fully intend to get Tom's program. Just been too lazy so far and haven't set up to photograph them. He is a member here too.

John
W.TN

[10x]

The Canadian government documents my guns at a $2 billion plus cost to the taxpayer. It is called gun registration. I have got a little piece of paper that is called a registration certificate and they can seize the gun,and charge me under the Canadian criminal code if I do not have the gun registered or can not prove in court that the gun is registered.

[Rangefinder]

Thumb drives and spreadsheets are all well and good. But anything electronic is very vulnerable to failure. I take photos and have everything written down in several places. One little thing I add to the mix is "propaganda". There have been more than several instances of someone finding out I have lots of firearms--usually through work, etc. when someone I know slips to someone I don't know. I have several of my firearms equipped with a GPS tracking chip that allows me to pull up their exact location in real-time along with a complete travel log through a secure server. I also don't deal with thieves through local police--they simply get every part of their body broken that came into contact with my property... HEHE--wanna buy a bridge with that story?

Riff-raff tend NOT to want to take the chance that story could be true, and they don't want to find out the hard way if it is. ;)

[jameslovesjammie]

Look here for software to catalog your guns.
http://www.tmtpages.com/

I still have mine on an Excel spreadsheet but fully intend to get Tom's program. Just been too lazy so far and haven't set up to photograph them. He is a member here too.

John
W.TN

That is a really good looking program! Plus once you enter all the info you can print a hard copy and slip it in the safe deposit box.

[Ickisrulz]

My guns are all individually insured. The insuarnce company has all the model numbers and serial numbers in their records and these are available on line. I also have a word document that has this information and pictures of each firearm. A hard copy of this is stored in my car.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Well, no one helped me with a spreadsheet file,
So I did a search...I should have done that first.

Here it is, in case anyone else here needs it.
you need the excel program or the "free" openoffice program
http://www.guntrustlawyer.com/2009/01/inventory.html
Jon

[AZ-Stew]

Well, no one helped me with a spreadsheet file,
So I did a search...I should have done that first.

Here it is, in case anyone else here needs it.
you need the excel program or the "free" openoffice program
http://www.guntrustlawyer.com/2009/01/inventory.html
Jon

I downloaded it but it didn't work in Excel 2007. I'll check it on an older version when I get home.

Regards,

Stew

[AZ-Stew]

My guns are all individually insured. The insurance company has all the model numbers and serial numbers in their records and these are available on line. I also have a word document that has this information and pictures of each firearm. A hard copy of this is stored in my car.

This is why I don't carry a "gun rider" on my insurance. I decided that I'd rather keep my guns than have them stolen and have to replace them (impossible), so I bought a good safe. The safe is tax-deductible, while the insurance is not. In addition, I don't want anyone outside the family having a list of what I own.

Regards,

Stew

[alamogunr]

This is why I don't carry a "gun rider" on my insurance. I decided that I'd rather keep my guns than have them stolen and have to replace them (impossible), so I bought a good safe. The safe is tax-deductible, while the insurance is not. In addition, I don't want anyone outside the family having a list of what I own.

Regards,

Stew

I attempted to have my guns added to my insurance policy several years ago and was told that I would have to get a dealer(or someone they recognized as competent) to value them. The alternative was a safe and that was the alternative I chose.

Has anyone looked into the NRA insurance program? I seem to remember looking into it once a long time ago and the limit was so low, I thought, why bother?

I hate to admit it, but every time we leave home for more than a day, I worry about thieves breaking into my shop and stealing tools, guns, etc.

John
W.TN

[poisonivie]

I have no guns. I sold them and bought a stick. I just hang out here for nostalgia.

[trk]

I at one time listed all of them on a spread-sheet. I found out that I had twice as many as I thought I had. Folks that have that many guns scare the hell out of me!

[wills]

E mail the stuff to yourself on hotmail or Gmail where you don’t have to worry about your in box filling up. The inventory is safe, and you have it wherever there is a internet access.

[lcclower]

Take pictures, use the make/model/serial for a caption and save the either on photobucket, or by emailing the pictures to yourself on gmail.

[wills]

Are you sure you want to post your inventory on the internet?

[Omnivore]

I sold all my guns to some (very friendly) Mexicans at an Arizona gun show. Now I just cast and develop loads on the non existent guns that I keep around. Since they don't exist, I can't very well document them, can I? All the rest I keep buried in a friend's field in Canada, or in my secret underground bunker, so no one will ever find out about them. I also make a point of never mentioning them, especially on internet forums.

[3006guns]

As I mentioned before, I lost all my firearms in that tragic boating accident years ago........

But if I WERE to keep any records, they would be done by recording an accurate description of the action type, manufacturer, markings (serial #), condition and replacement cost (updated periodically)......all typed out and then printed off the computer. Once double checked for accuracy, the list would be removed (deleted) from the computer and stored in a safe, fireproof location.

I don't want anyone to get access to my computer and see anything. If I have an insurance issue, paper works just fine even in this day and age.

[alamogunr]

Once double checked for accuracy, the list would be removed (deleted) from the computer

As I understand it, nothing is ever really deleted from your computer. I gave an old computer to a co-worker(a computer geek) several years ago and told him that I might remove the hard drive since I had some financial records on it. He gave me a disc that had a program used by government agency's that continuously overwrote a hard drive until there was nothing but I's and O's. We set it up on my desk and turned it loose. Took about 3-4 hours as I recall. I would assume that government agency's use something else now. That was about 5 years ago.

Don't know why anyone would care about guns that must be at the bottom of a lake somewhere.:D

John
W.TN