Theft and house fires are both traumatic events, and it can take some time to recover. In the case of a fire, you may not even have a place to live, and a lifetime of memories can be lost in a few moments. Being robbed doesn’t typically cause the same level of damage, but having a thief rummage through your belongings in the place you felt most secure can have lasting negative impacts that extend beyond the simple loss of personal goods.

In addition to replacing important documents and sorting through the damage following a fire, theft, or other disaster, you’ll also have to consider replacing your favorite shotguns and other firearms that are lost, stolen, or severely damaged. For most hunters, guns are more than simply a tool, they are an artifact of our history in the field, a reminder of long days spent chasing birds with family and friends. In many instances, guns are passed down through generations, a family heirloom that cannot simply be replaced. Placing a dollar value on an object that means so much to the owner is impossible, but your insurance company will have to do just that—and the replacement value might not be as much as you think.

Insurance and Firearms

Larry Cushman has been an avid hunter and shooter since he was 14 years old, and in 1981 he opened Cushman Insurance Agency. Today he owns and operates Gun & Trophy Insurance, a firm that specializes in coverage for hunters and shooters. Cushman and his agents understand how firearm insurance works, and they help shooters avoid the heartbreak of realizing after a theft or fire that their homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t cover replacement cost for their firearms.

When I spoke with Larry, he was at the Pennsylvania State Trap Shoot, but he directed me to his website and the FAQ section that answers the major questions regarding firearm insurance. Chief among those questions was whether a standard homeowner’s policy cover guns that are lost or destroyed. The answer is maybe.

According to Larry, firearms are covered “for all perils insured against” under a homeowner’s Coverage C, or unscheduled personal property insurance. This policy can cover you for replacement cost of the gun or actual cash value, and this is why it is very important to catalog your firearms. If you don’t have a detailed list of the firearms you own, including photos, serial numbers, and make/model/caliber, you should catalog them immediately. If you’re transporting your firearm internationally and complete a Form 4457 (Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad) that could also be added to your files. Keep your firearm catalog in a safe, secure place like a fireproof box.

What About Theft?

Coverage C covers homeowners against loss due to thefts, floods, and other natural disasters, but according to Larry, there’s an exception if your firearms are stolen. Many homeowner policies have a “special limits of liability” that restricts the monetary value of desirable items (like guns) stolen from a residence, and that may mean that you are covered for just $1,500 to $5,000 total. Many hunters and shooters have firearm collections that far exceed that limit, but if your guns are stolen, $5,000 is the maximum reimbursement you’ll receive regardless of the value of your guns.

Another factor to consider when firearms are stolen is personal liability. According to Larry, many insurance companies are wary of writing policies that cover firearms separately because of liability.

“Liability lawsuits (all homeowner’s policies include liability insurance as well as property insurance) targeting gun owners who have had guns (in particular handguns) stolen from them are on the rise,” says the Gun & Trophy Insurance website. “Allegations of ‘failure to protect the public’ or ‘negligent storage’ or variations thereof are cropping up when a stolen firearm is used in a violent crime.”

For this reason, Larry says loss of firearms may result in cancelation or non-renewal of the policy. He suggests homeowners “carve the guns off the homeowner’s policy” to alleviate any issues related to coverage and gun ownership. Doing so protects your coverage under your homeowner’s policy while simultaneously protecting your firearm collection for its full value.

What Does Firearm Insurance Cost?

Insurance companies don’t like to offer set policy prices, but according to Guns & Trophy Insurance the cost may be as high as $1.50 to $1.80 per $100 of gun value, though Gun & Trophy Insurance states that their prices are considerably lower than the average. It’s also worth considering what the minimum premium per year is. Some insurance agencies I contacted had a minimum annual premium of $300 or more. Gun & Trophy charges a minimum of $115, which is lower than many competitors.

Of course, coverage policies vary from one company to the next and the policy holder needs to make themselves aware of the factors that can impact your coverage. For example, firearm policies may or may not cover items that are stolen from a vehicle. In some instances, guns will only be covered if they are stolen from a locked vehicle and there are visible signs of forced entry. Other policies cover firearms that are stolen from unlocked vehicles as well.

Another consideration is what happens when a gun is stolen prior to being added to the policy. In some instances, guns that are purchased but not added will not be covered under the policy, but some agencies will cover from the time of acquisition. It’s also worth determining whether the policy covers firearms that are destroyed by accidents, such as having the barrel plugged when firing.

Some policies require photographic catalogue of firearms (which is always a good idea regardless of the demands required in your policy) while others require an appraisal. Be certain that you meet the requirements listed in your policy so you aren’t trying to prove the value of your firearms following a disaster or theft.  

It's impossible to list all the ‘what-ifs” in a single article, and that is why it is important to outline the details of your policy with your agent and have a clear understanding of your responsibilities and coverages as the firearm owner and policy holder.

An Ounce of Prevention

I believe every firearm owner needs to carry a policy that specifically covers their guns, but it’s also important to take steps to avoid having to make a claim in the first place and that means securing your firearms where they can’t be damaged or stolen. Make certain that firearms are secured in the home in a safe that is fire rated. There are so many safe options today that offer instant access to your firearms that you can keep your guns secured and easily accessible. Companies like Vaultek offer biometric safes that use fingerprint identification in addition to keypad access, so if your long gun is also your home defense firearm you can still access it rapidly.

A safe is only truly secure if it cannot be removed from the home. A friend of mine who is a former sheriff recently related to me how many thieves manage to break into or remove a gun safe that the homeowner believed to be fool proof. For that reason, the safe should be secured to the wall or floor (or both). SnapSafe modular safes offer an interesting option with their modular safes that can be assembled inside a room where they cannot be removed because the finished safe will not fit through the door. Some homeowners have chosen to build gun rooms within their homes using vault doors, an option that provides lots of space and security. It’s worth noting that if you are planning a new construction and the builder is planning to backfill the space under your porch (provided you have a basement) you might find it cheaper to leave that space empty and install a vault door, providing a low-cost, ultra-safe gun room in your home.

Regardless of what your policy requires, you need to keep your firearms securely locked away while in a vehicle. In-bed storage options like those from TruckVault are probably the best choice because they make it extremely difficult for even the most dedicated thieves to steal your guns. Even if you aren’t committed to such a dedicated firearms security setup you can still secure long guns in your vehicle. The same Pelican Air cases that I use to transport guns while flying also rides in the bed of my truck where firearms can be secured and the case can be cable locked into the bed tie downs. Of course, concealing firearms is an important first line of defense against theft, so never leave firearms in plain sight. Also, be careful to whom you show off your guns to and make sure that you have a security system.

Protection against fire is simpler, and it primarily requires installing smoke detectors and keeping guns in fireproof safes. But one item that I have found to be particularly helpful in firearm protection is Lockdown’s Puck. The puck wirelessly monitors temperature and humidity and can alert you when the door to your gun safe or vault opens via their mobile app. It’s a great, affordable way to monitor what’s happening with your firearms.

Guns are a major investment, and you certainly don’t want to lose them in a fire or to theft. There are ways to prevent these occurrences, but if they fail you need firearm insurance that specifically covers the guns in your collection. It’s an affordable way to guarantee that you’ll always keep your guns safe.