What to Do After Losing Your Handgun

What To Do When You Lose Your Concealed Carry Gun

Losing our firearm is that big unthinkable that scares us the most - what happens if we reach down to our inside the waistband concealed carry holster and find a big nothing? After your heart has a chance to recover, here's a few recommendations for how to handle a lost concealed carry firearm.

Retrace your footsteps

If your inside the waistband concealed carry holster has great retention, you have nothing to worry about in terms of your firearm falling out on its own. More importantly, it's a lot less likely someone can just walk up and palm your firearm. Still, retrace your footsteps and try to see if it was left on a bureau, nightstand, bathroom or other location while you were dressing.

Report the lose of a firearm

If you're certain you didn't just leave it in the car or on your kitchen counter, the next step is to report the loss of a firearm to local police.

A weapon outside of your custody needs to be reported. Police often appreciate it if you have the serial number, brand and model of the firearm. Any description can be potentially helpful. More importantly, with a serial number the chances are a lot higher that it can be traced if it's resold at any local gun shop.

Do you have the original bill of sale and pictures of your firearm's serial number? If you don't - you may want to consider doing it. It can be used as the basis to help police find your lost weapon.

Once a gun goes missing - there's a chance someone will find it and return it to the police.

If not, it's probably gone and, in which case, it's all the more important you legally separate yourself from it.

BEFORE You Lose Your Concealed Carry Firearm...

How to prevent the loss of a firearm

What if you read this article before you lost your concealed carry firearm? What advice would you give yourself?

Buy a good CCW holster

People don't think about dropping money on a high performance compact concealed carry firearm but they'll balk at buying a concealed carry holster.

Retention. Being accountable for your firearm at all times means knowing it's fixed to your waistband, or secured in a shoulder holster, ankle holster or in a pocket holster. Whether you decide to open carry and go with an or carry concealed within the waistband, you need to know your firearm is going to stay put.

Our holsters allow you to adjust the retention. Take a look at

Keep the Bill of Sale separate from the firearm

If a firearm gets stolen, the last thing you want going with it is the legal bill of sale. That's the proof it's your firearm. Keep that separate in a safe, secure location.

Take pictures of the serialized portions of the firearm

Particularly, take pictures of the upper receiver and lower receiver (if a pistol). This is ground zero proof that this weapon, alongside your bill of sale, was indeed your weapon. If it comes time to recover it, you have that evidence. If you have to report the loss of this weapon, it's also proof for the police that this weapon is indeed out of your custody.

Keep unused concealed carry weapons in a gun safe

Yes, a gun safe can be crated out by a dolly. It has happened. However, it's far less convenient to wheel a stolen gun safe off into the night than it is to haul a bunch of firearms. Don't make a thief's job easy - use a gun safe. This is just a great idea for of unwanted parties.

Are you afraid you'll ever lose your concealed carry weapon? Tell us what you do to prevent it in the comments section below.

About The Author James England (@sir_jim_england) is the contributing editor for Alien Gear Holsters. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and private defense contracting in Afghanistan.