If stolen then by one of the acceptance office employees or the driver. That is as far as it has gotten.

If it went to homeland security for any reason would they show tracking for that?

ATF just told me to go pound sand as well. To report it to local police. ATF does not take reports from citizens only FFL holders.
WTF

Unbelievable.... :shock:

Have you considered the County Sheriff? Someone should be able to do a report documenting the loss as a matter of courtesy. When in law enforcement that was an often done report. "John Doe reported to this officer that after he turned in a shotgun for shipment to the USPS the gun was reported as being stolen or lost. The serial number is XXXXXX. If the postal inspector who is a law enforcement professional won't do it I would surely expect the police or sheriff to at least take that short report to put the number into the system. God, it makes you wonder where this world is going.

P.S. You would think law enforcement would WANT that number entered into the DOJ/NCIC system.

I am sure if a crime was committed with your stolen gun, the ATF would then be concerned with it. Whether Stolen from an FFL or Individual.

I could be wrong and often am but I doubt ATF would take a report concerning the missing firearm. If they were to do that it would open them up to everybody in the country calling them. The job of taking the report to list the serial number is up to local law enforcement or the postal investigator. John, my unsolicited advice would be to call the post office and ask for the number of their investigator. I would contact the investigator and insist a report be taken and the serial number be listed on computers so the gun can be returned to you if/when it turns up.

John,
I understand you were sending the gun for repairs to the ejectors. Does the person or company that was going to work on your gun have a FFL? If so, contact them and maybe they can help you in reporting it to the ATF and other officials.

I would still summon the Postmaster in a small claims court action or something bigger is the value of the gun exceeds small claims court limits. Our research chairman game me the heads up about bringing bad car people into court.

I own an HVAC contracting company. One of my vendors did not get paid by a contractor on a Naval Reserve construction job. She went to the county seat and filed a "Mechanic's and Materialmans Claim for Lien" on the building. She got a call from the contracting officer, a US Government employee

Fed: Ms. XYZ, you can't file a claim for lien on a federal property.

Vendor: Well I did.

Fed: Well you can't because the state court does not have juridstiction over the US Government.

Vendor: I'm no constitutional lawyer but the county - they let me file the claim.

Fed: Well it is invalid.

Vendor: Then why are you calling me?

and so on and so on.

She got a check from them in a couple of weeks.

Best,

Mike

I had an experience with UPS, dealer sent me a shot gun COD terms certified check or cash when I had my FFL. Paid the driver, got the gun all well. 3 weeks later I get a call from the distributer stating I owe them $1100 for the gun, I explained that I paid the driver, he released the gun, go after UPS. 2 months later UPS called stating I owed them $1100 for the COD. I told them to pound sand I paid the driver, and he gave me the gun, he wouldn't have given me the gun unless I paid him. I did get a letter from UPS about 6 months later with an apology stating the driver had stolen the money.

John, http://www.atf.gov/forms/download/atf-f-3310-6.pdf shows form for carrier to report lost or stolen firearms, but I'm not up on FFl rules but thought I forward. I think it will show up with you following up as you are. I hope it does work out for the best for you.
Craig

Mr. Parker,

Thank you very much.

Ok, why didn't your local ATF know about this reporting form:banghead: IT'S THEIR FORM!! Thats what I love about the federal government......the right hand does not know what the, in this case, OTHER righ hand is doing:rolleyes:

John,

I believe it will show up. I had one shipped to me from almost one side of the country to the other, and their tracking system showed nothing, just that it left, and just that it arrived. Nothing in between. Could not tell anything else. I had bet it was on a wagon train going over the great divide.

Fifteen days.

If the local city cops won't put their donuts down long enough to take your report and enter the serial number into the computer system as a stolen gun, try the state police. They might prove more professional and responsive.

I don't understand all the love for the UPS - they lose and damage things on an epic proportion.

I have a good friend who has been a driver for 20+ years. If he has something important to ship, he won't use UPS. Further, he once showed me an internal policy statement regarding claims - the number one action on behalf of UPS is to deny the claim. I'll clarify that - regardless of any facts or evidence - deny the claim. Their studies have shown that a given percentage of claimants will go away if they do that. So when some little old lady gets told to beat it by the UPS, she does so - even if there is no doubt in anyone's mind she deserved compensation.

I had a claim denial problem with UPS once on a pristine LC Smith I bought. They tried to invoke some "small print" coverage exclusion provision because the large volume gun shop printed the shipping label on site rather than at the UPS shipping facility, even though the contents were verbally disclosed as a shotgun by the shipper. I laughed and told them we'll see what the judge thinks of that excuse. When I asked corporate counsel for UPS if she'd accept service of process of the complaint I'd drafted, the check for the damage was suddenly in the mail.

Two lessons came from that experience---1) Be sure to request that the UPS attendant enter into the computer that its a "Parker DHE shotgun" (or whatever) being insured, so it will print out as such on your shipping and insurance receipt. If they tell you it won't print out, have the attendant write it on the receipt and initial beside it, so UPS can't later claim that they didn't know it was a gun and invoke some phony coverage exclusion. And 2), Know the law in your jurisdiction. Most states recognize the separate tort of bad faith insurance denial, which means that if they deny the insured's claim without a good faith reason, they can end up owing you several times the value of the damaged/lost gun for jerking you around with their dishonest coverage denial. A simple demand for payment and promise to pursue a bad faith claim denial as a separate cause of action will often get that insurance check in the mail.

But if you forget or decide not to buy insurance, you're probably SOL beyond the basic automatic $100 coverage as far as a lawsuit goes.

The following agencies have told me to go shove it. That it is the post offices issue:
ATF (local and federal)
FBI (local)
State police
Local police

I have contacted the post master my self. He assures me "they will leave no stone unturned".
I have also contacted a local US attorney who can only help by lighting a fire with the post office inspectors. Who by the way is different from the Inspector generals office. Two totally different agencies.
Per the sorting facility superviser there are 160 cameras. I am not sure how many at the local acceptance facility.
Time will tell. But I feel I am SOL.

I would give it some more time you may get something started if you report it stolen and it shows up and ATF not take it out of the system just my thoughts

First, you kinda screwed up by shipping w/o insurance. On a multi-thousand dollar gun, I don't see how.

Second, every post you have made is a pity party where you are convinced you are SOL before it's even final.

Relax and occupy your mind with something else. You've done what can you do. Things will work out one way or the other. Life goes on.

It's a simple matter. There are only two outcomes:

1) Your gun will pop up and you'll get it back. You'll feel outraged, and relieved, but then you'll realize no one else cares either way.

2) You'll never see the gun again, and you'll realize it's cheaper to forget about than to try to sue the federal government. A year of college can cost over $10,000 and you might learn nothing. Losing a Parker will cost less, be quicker, and you'll for sure have learned something.

John,

Maybe even time for Senators Warner's and/or Webb's office, plus maybe even your Congressman. It is an election year.

Fish check your PMs

hope you find this gun john...i too forgot to put insurance on a parker d grade hammerless parker ...and when i got it the stock was broke in half... called the guy i bought it from and he said sorry you did not insure it so...i no how you feel and my gun was junk campared to yours....i did finally get my stock fixed i shot it some but i put it up something made me think every time i fiered it would break again...but i hope yours turns up... charlie

If you ship by USPS ONLY Ship by REGISTERED MAIL!! This way the package is signed for every time it is transferred from one person or place to another. It will also be locked in a safe when it is in transit. If it gets Lost the person who last signed for it will have his/her job on the line.
It is not cheap to ship registered mail but it is worth it.

You know, I always use Registered Mail because Babe DelGrego's father always told me to. However, does signing for the item at each level of possession in the USPS mean that the person who last signed will be held accountable? In my experience, no one is ever held accountable for anything in the Federal Government. Anyone know the answer?

I worked as a part time sub about 25 years ago. The one thing all carriers were very careful with was the Registered packages/letters. I would not sign for my Registered mail until I was on my way out the door.

I never even heard of a carrier losing a Registered letter, so I can not say for sure that you would lose your job. I know they took it VERY seriously.

Many years ago when I was in the Navy, we could send and receive classified documents using registered mail. It may have been more secure back then but it still seems secure when I use it today. There are many hoops to jump through when using it. The one that is a pain for me, is finding "paper" tape to cover every (all) seams in the package. They require a paper tape so they can stamp it liberally making it obvious if it is tampered with (opened). That paper tape is almost impossible for me to locate but I understand why the require it.

Years ago, a fine gunsmith advised me to always use registered mail. I have used it many times and never had a problem. Its not the cheapest way to ship but it may be the most secure.

I pick upthe tape for registered shipments at my Post Office.I just ask for it and they give me a roll.Another note,Registered packages require that the receiver address be written directly on the shipping carton.I was told that the easy way to steal is just paste a new address over the first one and that is where it will end up.

Bill

Alright boys here is the latest.

The package has been found. I will recover it from the post master personally tommorrow.
Story goes, from the post master himself to me, they messed up big time.
The package arrived at the sorting facility was never signed in like it was registered for/ etc. Showed up this am in the hazardous waste.
Make of it what you want. But per my discussion with the postmaster had I not done what I did and contacted everyone like I did myself and relied upon the system by giving it time it would have been lost for ever. The hazardous waste was scheduled to be taken out to be disposed of in a few days. And I dont mean hazardous waste type mail. I mean the waste junk itself.

Congratulations, John on recovering your Parker. I am glad it worked out for you.
Dennis

Wonderful news.
Sam Ogle

Paper Tape
 

Robin,

Contact ULINE at 800-295-5510. I believe the tape you want is Model number S-909. Ask for their catalog. They have most anything anybody would ever want for shipping. Cheers, Tom

I'll bet a lot of stuff walks out of the PO in the form of hazardous waste. Nobody notices the trash being taken out.

John,
Whew! I'm so very happy you got your gun back. I know the feeling you got in your stomach because I experienced the same feeling when my 32"DHE 20 was stolen. I have'nt shipped a gun in years because I've found a great guy in PA. where I can drive my gun up to drop it off and then go pick it up when done. But maybe this is a good learning experience for those who ship guns. USPS, registered/receipt, insured. This seems to be the best way? Maybe we have in our membership someone who works for the USPS and can give advice. Years ago when I used Delgrago he said to only use USPS. As much as I hate the govt., this does seem to be the best way to ship.

Daryl,
This was a hell of a learning experience. Not only about shipping and the USPS but how thick the many layers are of just one small part of our govt is.
Robin Lewis asked that I write up a parker pages article on the whole thing and I think I will.
I will do so once things settle down for me with starting my own practice.
I have decided to go it on my own. :)

John,
Good luck with your own practice. Working for yourself is really an eye opener. You'll really see how Uncle Sam screws us but you'll have the best boss in the world. Get as many cash patients as you can. You'll see what I mean.
Daryl

John, good news to hear. I think by following up was the key, as i'm afraid that not letting them know you are serious let's to much time pass.Craig

Doc Truitt, I am so very glad this whole ordeal had a happy ending. I wish you the best of luck in your new practice.

Gun Recovery
 

Dr. John, An old saying we had in the military,"Don'y Ever Give Up". It pays in the long run. Very happy you got it back. Cheers, Tom