Lost rifle in Mesa, Arizona Area

[nakneker]

I hope this ok to post. I looked and didn’t see it anywhere else here on the forum. Looks like someone lost a rifle today near Mesa Arizona. An archery hunter found the cased rifle. The archery hunter then talked to a guy he saw in the area who is a member of another firearms/hunting forum, that guy put up a post asking if anyone lost a rifle near Mesa Arizona today.

I’ll put a link at the bottom here. If you know who lost that rifle or if it’s your rifle you can reach out to the guy who started the thread and hopefully get your rifle back. If for some reason you can’t PM him I’m happy to help.

It’s refreshing to see people doing the right thing, really refreshing. If for any reason this isn’t appropriate or is against policy please delete.

https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/arizona-found-long-range-rifle-in-case.281519/

 

[BP1]

Is there a way to lookup the owner by the serial number? He may have missed a deer or elk of a lifetime and blamed it on the rifle, we all know it’s the rifles fault when we miss. Hopefully the owner is found.

 

[jelenko]

The cased rifle was left out in the open, not on a range?
I'm having difficulty [yeah, so what's new?] imagining someone just forgetting a rifle in a field/open.
And, who takes a rifle in a case into the field?

 

[hogpatrol]

Have seen three firearms left at gun ranges. Proper protocol at ours is to turn them over to state police. I definitely wouldn't be trying to find the owner on my own. YMMV.

 

[Rsadams]

I have seen rifles leaning against trees and plenty left at my gun range but never out in the wild in a case.... Hopefully someone will see this and call.... I have a good friend who occasionally leaves his over/under at the skeet range and we put it away or call him to come back and get it luckily he lives very close.... Honestly I am always checking before I leave if I have everything normally 2-3 times.... Drives me nuts but it's easy to do....

We are lucky to have such great members at my local range and they have turned in one of everything over the years... When the range is closed to the public I see notes left at the sign in board all the time..... It's also crazy how much stuff gets left and nobody ever comes back to claim it....

 

[joshb]

The ad says it was in a soft case in the middle of a road. Must have fallen off the roof of a car or out the back of a pick up. I’ve lost a few coffee cups that way!

 

[garandman]

I always check the range a half dozen times b4 leaving. Its my greatest gun fear.... leaving one behind. Even a greater fear than Joe Biden leaving 300K guns on the range while trying to disarm me. And that ones already happened.

 

[M-61]

If for any reason this isn’t appropriate or is against policy please delete.

Couldn't think of a more appropriate place. Couldn't imagine a policy prohibiting helping people.
I hope the owner gets his firearm back and very nice of you to post this.

 

[SSL]

The ad says it was in a soft case in the middle of a road. Must have fallen off the roof of a car or out the back of a pick up. I’ve lost a few coffee cups that way!

Most likely scenario. I did that with a bow once...left it on the roof of my car and drove off. Didn't notice until it clattered down the trunk. Thankfully no damage.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

I would think local police could find owner by the serial number as mentioned before.
We had a club member leave behind his Vudoo 22 rifle after a match. They said he stormed off after getting beat out by a Ruger American. He was called and drove all the way back to get it and yanked it out of the guys hands that was waiting for him and never even said thanks, what an ass hat.

 

[garandman]

I would think local police could find owner by the serial number as mentioned before.
We had a club member leave behind his Vudoo 22 rifle after a match. They said he stormed off after getting beat out by a Ruger American. He was called and drove all the way back to get it and yanked it out of the guys hands that was waiting for him and never even said thanks, what an ass hat.

That Vudoo needs to be yanked out of his hands and given to someone worthy of it.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

One of my coyote rifles in a hard case in the back of a friend's truck. Hard snow finger drifts on a gravel road, caused the tailgate to fall. We didn't realize tail gate had dropped and the rifle had slid out, until we stopped about 5 miles further on to glass some hills. Luckily rifle/case still laying in middle of the road, zero was not even effected.

 

[WSnyder]

near Mesa Arizona today.
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/arizona-found-long-range-rifle-in-case.281519/

To clarify Behm Mesa is nowhere near Mesa, AZ. Behm Mesa is way out near Bagdad, AZ.

 

[nakneker]

Going back and reading the updates sounds like people have offered quite a few good ideas to find the owner. Rifle has not been claimed as of now. Hopefully it’s finds its way home, sounds like a very nice rifle and I’m sure the owner is sick.

Side note. When I was a teenager we went on a hunt to the Book Cliffs in Utah for mule deer. Fantastic hunt, two big bucks were killed and the mood coming home was hunter joy and celebration. One of the guys who killed one of the big bucks pulled in his driveway and saw several shiny things reflecting off his headlights sticking up in the trash barrel, which was his entire firearm collection. Talk about a kill joy, the was the last hunt he ever went on and that’s a true story.

 

[nakneker]

To clarify Behm Mesa is nowhere near Mesa, AZ. Behm Mesa is way out near Bagdad, AZ.

I just assumed from the list it was, thanks. Baghdad is a long ways away, one of my favorite areas to go calling 20 years before the calling madness set in,

 

[jdh47]

It happens. Pulling in the shooting range one day a year ago I found a loaded magazine in the driveway. I notified the LGS that owns the range that I had it and if they had anyone asking about it I'd be happy to return it if they can identify it. No takers yet but I still have it. Poor guy probably set it on the rail of the PU and forgot then drove off. I have lost coffee cups that way too. No guns yet, thank goodness.

 

[Bill K]

Local law enforcement can check serial # and see who it is registered in a few minutes. Then you could go from there and see what the registered owner says. LE can even tell if it has been reported and listed as stolen. Maybe the thief, if stolen, got cold feet and just left it out like that.

 

[tmwinds]

Local law enforcement can check serial # and see who it is registered in a few minutes. Then you could go from there and see what the registered owner says. LE can even tell if it has been reported and listed as stolen. Maybe the thief, if stolen, got cold feet and just left it out like that.

I guess I’ve been asleep, I didn’t realize we now have gun registration. I’ve never registered a firearm.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

I guess I’ve been asleep, I didn’t realize we now have gun registration. I’ve never registered a firearm.

And do your best to keep it that way.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Going back and reading the updates sounds like people have offered quite a few good ideas to find the owner. Rifle has not been claimed as of now. Hopefully it’s finds its way home, sounds like a very nice rifle and I’m sure the owner is sick.

Side note. When I was a teenager we went on a hunt to the Book Cliffs in Utah for mule deer. Fantastic hunt, two big bucks were killed and the mood coming home was hunter joy and celebration. One of the guys who killed one of the big bucks pulled in his driveway and saw several shiny things reflecting off his headlights sticking up in the trash barrel, which was his entire firearm collection. Talk about a kill joy, the was the last hunt he ever went on and that’s a true story.

I knew a guy that said if you come home and all your things are packed up in suitcases sitting outside, you we’re A-ok. He said though if you came home and everything you own is strung out in the yard and the dogs are sleeping on it, you had big troubles!