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Is ordnance attractive to theives?

Fred

Fred

Well-Known Member
Hi folks
Following Foubars posting about smart water, I was wondering, is ordnance attractive to burglars? Has anyone experience of this?

I would assume that the average burglar wouldnt appreciate the financial value of shells but he might steal stuff to order if he knows that you have it.

In the event of a theft, would you tell the police, considering how they seem to treat collectors these days.

Fred
 
I doubt if it is attractive to burglars, but a thief is another matter. If it has value, someone will steal it. Regretfully, this is sometimes fellow collectors as well as strangers off the street. As far as telling the police - this is a personal decision, currently being debated in at least two other threads. But if one of your pieces gets out (stolen) and is mis-used, you could bear part of the responsibility if you did not do what was correct and expected when it was originally lost.
 
I think the biggest chance is theft on order by a "rogue" collector. As we have all put pictures of our collections on the internet, it must be quite easy for a person that wants to "add" stuff to his collection to point out to a thief what stuff he wants in particular and what absolutely not to steal.
On the other hand; the collectors world is very small -even worldwide-, so it would mean a thief could not show off his "new" stuff with the risk of it being recognized by other collectors. He'd have to keep it out of sight of other collectors for at least 20 to 30 years. The worst case scenario would be some junk who does not know what he is stealing -just out for stuff he can change into money for dope-, either the collectables leaving the country (out of the juristriction of a country).
And yes, as I am a licenced collector I would shurely warn the police and have a report made. I'd probably be on the phone every second day to ask if any progress is made in the investigations.
 
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I would like to think that there arent many "rogue collectors" out there but I suppose every society has its cowboys. A more likely scenario here in the UK is that a burglar who is in your house, stealing your usual valuables would see the shell collection, make enquiries and possibly return to steal the shells. One thing in our favour is that most ordnance is quite heavy and bulky compared to other valuables and so possibly less attractive. Its probably worth photographing your collection so that headstamps can be made available to the police (if you dare) or circulated among the collecting community.

Fred
 
Hi Fred, with rogue I mean a illegal (and by police and other collectors unknown) collector, most often a detector digger.
Here in Holland you need a collectors licence to be able to collect and make yourself known through the internet. An illegal collector on the internet = asking for a visit by authorities.
 
My feeling is that there is not a big danger to having someone break into your home to steal your ammunition collection. Most collections are either large or heavy or both. The typical burglar would not be able to tell the 10 cent round from the $1000 round and would not want to be bothered with the entire collection. Selling the items would be very difficult because the market is small (and word would spread about what to be looking out for) and conventional pawn shops, etc. would not touch the "dangerous" things and might even cal the cops on you. My experience has been the only items taken from me have been items I have had on my tables at cartridge shows. Lost several very good items to light fingered people when there was a crowd around the table. Of course, at the same time I do not publicize what is in my basement either. Unfortunately there are bad apples all around us, but generally speaking this area of collecting is much more honest and trustworthy than others I dabble in.
 
I have personal experence with this subject,I had grenades stolen.They were taken along with about $25,000 worth of guns,mostly British 303,some very rare,like a hand numbered #5 proto type jungle carbine,and a prototype light weight #4 sniper rifle,you get the pictured.
I called the police and let them no serial numbers of the guns,but said nothing about the grenades.This was in 1984 in the U.S..I have never heard anything back from the police,I hoped they might come up when they busted some theves,but not yet.Im not a wealthy guy just a hard working guy that likes to collect ordance over time ,so it really set me back.dam thives.
vinny :tinysmile_twink_t2:
 
Thefts

With ordnance it might be possible to recognise stolen items, but in the case of smallarms cartridges that is virtualy impossible unless they have some very distinctive feature unique to that individual cartridge.

I am sure there are thefts at pretty well every cartridge show, but sometimes the cartridge is not immediately missed. It will be interesting to see if anything goes missing in Switzerland next week at the ECRA meeting.

It is not just at shows either. I have had several rounds "disappear" after visits by other collectors. Usually it is a relatively scarce cartridge with a value around the 100 mark. I have lost a .45 Needham's Patent, a .303 Buckingham Mark II and a .50 Colt Kynoch in this way. All now replaced, but very annoying never the less.

Regards
TonyE
 
I can understand why any burglar would be attracted to grenades or firearms more readily than shells Vinny. I suspect that most ordnance collectors dont just stop at shells but may have guns, deacts or whatever.

Regarding theft from stalls, this seems to be commonplace, even at local car boot sales where junk costs very little anyway.

Fred
 
Is ordnance attractive to theives? YES !!!!!! i am doing many shows, always something missing!!! Ben
 
Fjordhouse said:
Is ordnance attractive to theives? YES !!!!!! i am doing many shows, always something missing!!! Ben
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Ben

If it takes you X amount of days to set up your stalls full of shells and things,how far could a man get with a 155 under his arm:turtle:

Best phil
 
For what it's worth here is my take on it. Your basic "crack head" burglar will leave the ordnance alone because he has no idea how to fence it. I was burglarized when I lived in Madison IL (If an enema were to be inserted into the US they would stick the tube in Madison.) He ripped off my antiques and the kids video games but did not touch my war stuff. Of course he was in a hurry as I drove up he came busting out of the house and knocked me on my ass. When ordnance and the like is taken you'd better believe that he has a place to turn it into cash. I have heard stories of unscrupulous collectors putting burglars onto others collections just to get the goods cheap. After I got ripped-off in madison I made a hinged bookcase to cover the entrance to my trench just in case word got around. Two days later I ID'ed the burglar in a police line-up, as it seems he had just got out of prison 2 days earlier after serving a nickel for burglary. One thought is to put your best stuff in a super secure location (false wall etc...)and keep the stuff that is not so good in the open. Always be careful on letting people know what you have. I think the world is basicly a good place but there happen to be some very bad people. The burglar that knocked me down, knocked me half out of my wits but I still chased him (stupid on my part). Me and my boy were at a pawn shop in Madison about a week later and he ID'ed some of his video games by his "mark" but the police did nothing (pay offs in Madison run rampant as it is an all around "stinko" town.) I have an elaborate plan for hiding/storing my better stuff once the time comes that I get the whole room for my collection. Of course I am armed to the teeth and I pity the next one whom tries to rip me off. I wish I had saved pics of my first trench in Madison, as behind the hinged bookcase you entered the trench, then stepped down to the dugout. Sandbags, and some judicious paper mache work just finished it off. The only one ever in there was a collector friend of mine from Canada. If I can find some of the old poloroids, I will scan and post. Even had a soldier drowning in a mock muddy shell hole! Moral to this story, be very careful about who knows what you've got and as FDR wrote speak softly and carry a big stick. My children know, for if something happens they have strict instructions to sell on gunbroker and split the booty. I have 3 kids and my stuff goes to them, and my wife has 2 kids and her stuff goes to them. That is in legal ink. An HVAC guy was out here last week and he saw a brodie doughboy helmet I had in living room. He asked about it and I told him it was something I got at a yard sale. No more information was forthcoming. I'll stop here because as I re-read it, looks like the ramblings of a mad man.........Dano
 
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I've lost ordnance over the years, mostly grenades, but don't forget the books and manuals vital to any serious collection. They have also "grown legs" over the years and can be just as difficult to find (and valuable) as the ordnance.
 
I maintain an "open door" policy of showings to other collectors and have yet to loose anything. I feel obligated to share these historical items with others and not to simply keep them hidden away. The possibility of a loss remains despite the presence of an advanced security system and my Russian chauffeur Pikup Andropoff who helps monitor visits. I will keep my fingers crossed and my powder dry!

P.S. If any BOCN members are ever in the area, feel free to contact me for a visit. Pat
 
yes i know Phil, but they like small things, last Beltring lost 2 V40, 2 Mills 36, some M75, Detling i lost 37 mm projectiles, and some F1 grenades, always missing something, Ciney is the number 1 on the list with items that get lost, always problems, last year lost 1 original German Tellermine, unbelievebel. Ben
 
Fjordhouse said:
yes i know Phil, but they like small things, last Beltring lost 2 V40, 2 Mills 36, some M75, Detling i lost 37 mm projectiles, and some F1 grenades, always missing something, Ciney is the number 1 on the list with items that get lost, always problems, last year lost 1 original German Tellermine, unbelievebel. Ben
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Dont worry about Ciney Ben,as you will have an extra gaurd on duty!:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
Nothing will get 'lost' on my watch!

best

waffy
 
Im with Dano, I think every collector needs a fritzl room!

I genearally dont tell people about my militaria collection unless they are trusted friends. We recently had decorators in and I decided to hide my stuff in the attic in case they got the wrong idea. With everything in one heap my attic looked like an arms dump!

fred
 
Waffy, i don't think that you can help me, you will be so drunk from the day before that you will be a sleep, together with Jeeensey
 
Fjordhouse said:
Waffy, i don't think that you can help me, you will be so drunk from the day before that you will be a sleep, together with Jeeensey
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:tinysmile_fatgrin_t oh i see!! As long im drinking fine bier and not Krappelappeldingdong then i shall be fit for duty! :p

cheers

waffy
 
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