Just another way to make your personal records public. I've checked thru the years and decided it cheaper to personal insure. Gun safe anchored to floor. A good policy for full coverage would cost you the value of the guns in about 3 three or four years. I buy and build to often or trade. Most of mine are shooters. Yes some have collector value. But a couple years of premiums would take the profit out of those. Nothing is forever. Give those away to those you want to have them, but keep them till your demise. Put it in writing in your will. W/O a will in most states the state will come in and put it under state control till the attorneys and state can get it all. You don't count, you are dead. Face facts.

The only way they will insure them is if they know exactly what you have -- including serial numbers. I looked into that many years ago and found out that I could buy a pretty good safe in a couple of years with the cost of insurance. So I bought my first safe. A couple of months after that, our house was broken into and they went straight where the guns used to be. They did not get anything. That is a lot better than insurance.

Depending on the value of all your guns, sometimes a company will want a rider, or adendum on your homeowner's policy to cover the guns. It's the same with jewelery, paintings, or whatever. For a rider, you indeed have to list all the covered guns, with a photo or description, and serial number. But... It's usually up to you, and how you approach the subject of guns with the agent. "I have a few guns" is not usually enough to require a rider.

I had standard homeowner's insurance with no rider, with Farm Bureau. I got burgled, and lost seven handguns. I called my agent, and all he did was ask for a list with descriptions. And since I was a gun dealer, he let *me* do the appraisal! I didn't hijack them, but I did appraise them at retail. Bada-bing, bada-boom, a check in the mail for the full amount. I'm pretty partial to Farm Bureau.:)

JLF

My homeowners will add an umbrella policy for "Sporting Goods" for up to 7k for a few dollars a year. No sr#'s required. Anything over that it gets expensive. It will not cover anywhere near the value of everything. I also have the NRA insurance, but it also will not cover everything.
The way I see it is I have full value/replacement HO insurance and I will replace everything with it. Might skip a few pieces of furniture and such.
I have a fireproof safe and a garden hose, the reloading supplies dont have much hope.

storm or fire, and it shows the poor people standing and staring at a hole in the ground that was once their home, I often wondered how I'd feel should something like that happen to me. When I was younger, I should think I'd feel total despair, now, I'm not so sure that I wouldn't feel liberated.

My wife and I recently took stock of everything we'd accumulated and the value of such, the last 35 years. It turns out, there isn't much I would miss losing, except those things which are irreplaceable anyway. Really and truly, homeowners insurance would replace those things I could care less about. My wife is always teasing me saying that if it was up to me, I wouldn't own anything more than I could fit in the trunk of my car.

a financial standpoint to insure a bunch of guns at actual value. I was able to add a basic rider without a detailed listing but the value is very low - $6K I think.

For thieves, time is important. Therefore, layered defenses like people (at home, neighbors), alarms, dogs, safes (hidden if possible) are likely the best (practical) value.

For safes, look at TL30 or better jewelry safes. They can sometimes be found used when a jewelry store upgrades. These are also insurance company rated for contained value; don't think I have ever seen such rating on a dedicated gun safe. Also, nearly all gun safes are mostly thin sheetmetal everywhere but the front. Bolt it down so they can't tip it over to attack it. Build an alcove around it out of brick, blocks, even wooden framing - anything to delay entry. Better yet, build a poured concrete vault or one from concrete blocks filled with concrete. Hide the safe/vault door so it cannot be instantly identified by a stranger in your home. The idea is to buy time wherever you can.

Cheap fireproofing can be had with drywall. Buy a "fireproof" safe and then add several layers of 5/8" or 1" drywall to the alcove you build around it. Stagger the seams. Add a fire rated door to the alcove and you have a serious upgrade to the fire rating AND it could have a deadbolt for a little more delay.

Put a blackpowder warning label on the safe to make him hesitate before he lights the torch. A pro will likely skip it and perhaps a crackhead will just be satisfied with your flatscreen TV and grandkids' game console.

Make sure you don't have an excavator with thumb sitting nearby with the keys inside.

I have a gun collector policy with blanket coverage (ie not scheduled...no serial numbers given/shared) for up to the full value (market/collectable value) of my collection. I adjust it every year, based on what has moved in and out of the collection.

Any gun with individual value over $10K is scheduled (my choice), which means they need serial number but that is no big deal to me. The policy covers anything that happens during transportation (ie hunting, shows, etc..), shipping, and in my home (ie theft, loss, damage, etc...) and also covers paperwork, boxes, knives, etc...

Additionally, I have an alarm system and, of course, safes.

Feel free to email if you want to discuss in more detail.

Matt

Security is fairly well understood and practiced. I was thinking mostly of 'catastrophic loss' such as fire, tornado, etc.

Anyway, I have some things to think on. Thanks again.

Thanks to everyone for their responses. This is a subject I have often thought about since my Grandfather was broken into years ago and lost a fortune in guns, jewelry and rare coins. I have a used commercial safe, refitted for firearms and collectibles, along with the NRA insurance, an alarm system wired into the house, and good neighbors. Am always looking for ways to improve security and potential financial recovery in economical fashion.