$200,000 worth of guns stolen from truck
Twenty-four firearms — including machine guns and sniper rifles — were stolen from a gun dealer’s truck last night outside a pub in King of Prussia, police said.
The theft from the Ford F-350 occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Kildaire’s Irish Pub at 826 West Dekalb Pike. The owner was a firearms dealer who had just left a gun show at the Valley Forge Convention Center.
Police said he told them he had stopped to have dinner at the pub before driving home to Pittsburgh.
The value of the stolen firearms is believed to be more than $200,000.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the Upper Merion Township Police at 610-265-3232.
Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.
Posted by Inquirer Online Desk @ 8:27 AM
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43 comments
With NFA weapons it's very easy to hit 200k. I was at the show and saw a couple guys with a lot of high dollar inventory on display. Their were single fire arms on display that were worth $30,000-$55,000. Your average person can't afford to own machineguns. You also have to pass a background check that can take 6 months your first time. Who ever did this knew what this guy had with him and probaby followed him from the parking lot. Despite what most people think "machineguns" are rarely ever seen in crimes commited in the us.
Agreed on the mythical gun show loophole thing; just like the whole Assault Weapon thing, it's a genius of marketing with no basis in reality. My suspiciousness is based on hindsight, which, as we all know, is always 20/20. I too thought they were deactivated though I could not find receiver cut marks on some of them. And I have seen similar displays at other gun shows, just not at VF. Oh well.
I saw the machine guns being exhibited, and assumed they were deactivated samples. I thought the exhibitor was simply showing them to attract attention and do some sales to collectors later, as the guns were not labeled for sale. Many do that. I usually walk out of those shows with a dozen business cards in my pocket. I'm no expert, so I may be wrong, but that was my impression. Besides, I have little interest in machine guns or big bore weapons. There were some pretty good small arms there for the collectors, although I found them pricey. I bought some reloading components from the guy at the very end of the hall. Funny that people who have never set foot in one of these events speak of the "gun show loophole" as if it were real. It's a myth.
I got to thinking about this late last night, and now I'm even more certain it's insurance fraud. DonQ, remember that one table that had all those machine guns on display? That whole thing struck me as suspicious. There weren't any price tags on the guns-everybody else puts price tags on theirs. Also, there was nobody at that table, at least when I walked by...who leaves $200,000 worth of merchandise unattended? And, to top it off, whoever's table that was is not a regular - I've been going to that show for years and have never seen that display. There are only 1-2 other MG dealers who go to the Valley Forge show, and they're regulars. I even asked one of the dealers across from him whose table that was and they didn't know. I have a strong, STRONG feeling this mysterious display is the same guy who got "robbed".
CleanUpPhilly is usually pretty factually accurate. Unfortunately, the gun control lobby has run one of the best misinformation campaigns history has seen.
CleanupPhilly, there are no "gun show loopholes" in Pennsylvania. People purchasing guns at a gun show undergo the same records search they would if they bought them at a store. The Federal firearms regulations are also carried out. It doesn't do anyone a favor to spread false and harmful information in a public forum. Also, this particular gun show was marketed mostly for gun collectors. There was little of interest there for anyone with crime in his mind, besides the fact that security was prety high. If the criminal was at the show, his face is in video right now. I know. As I said, I spent a few hours there.
i bet the cops stole the machine guns and sniper rifles. how else are they going to be able to afford the war they fight everyday in north philly?
There's about a 90% chance this is insurance fraud.
I bet the victim wanted his guns to get stolen so he can collect the insurance money. I just don't believe that someone would leave 200k worth of guns in his car to get a beer.
It was rednecks...now they have the guns, next up their stealing some religion!
Reports surfaced that a gang of brown and black bears conducted the preemptive break-in and stealing of the guns prior to the upcoming hunting season. They are pawed and dangerous; call game warden if you spot them.
Wait a second, something is a little fishy here. According to my calculator, the 24 stolen guns would have to have an average value of over 8,000!
C'mon, this reporter needs to do a little more homework.
How come his guns did not deter him from being robbed? Wouldn't you be so scared to death by an armed man defending his property? Oh yea, that's right, he went into Kildare's for one of their hearty meals they are so well known for. Gun's and drinkin' yea haw! Nothing like a pick up truck full of guns and a bar full of deterence. Yea Haw! No crime in the suburbs. Yee Haw! Guns stop peepul from robbin.
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Ed, I too question why the government needs machine guns and anti-tank weapons.
But how is he going to protect all of his cattle on the farm without his sub-machine gun! The agony..
Sports4life, if these are machine guns as the article says they are highly valuable to collectors as there are a limited # of them lawfully in circulation, the machine gun registry was closed over 20 yrs ago and they have been tightly regulated since 1934. An M16 is worth over $10k if properly registered for transfer to non-dealers or law enforcement.
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No way does anyone have $200,000 worth of guns in a truck cab. Sounds like this guy is fleecing the insurance company, just in time to meet 2008 revenue projections and unload 2008 inventory. Sounds suspicious
Yes the thugs who stole the guns are criminals but at some point you have to wonder about the "dealers". I live in Arizona and carry a gun daily but I have to question the need for machine guns and anti tank weapons.
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Funny thing about the so-called "Gun Show Loophole": I've searched the entire text of U.S. Code and the Code of Federal Regulations, and cannot find where in the law gun shows are exempt from the same regulations that apply everywhere else in the U.S. I've also tried searching on the term "gun show" as well as some permutations of this term, and the only reference I've been able to find is a statute that merely allows licensed gun dealers to do business at places other than the address which appears on their license. So, there is no gun-show loophole.
cleanup...I was wondering how coincidential it was that his truck happened to get broken into. I wonder if there were any signs advertising what he was carrying on the track.
I was at the gun show and saw one weapon priced at $300,000 and another at $130,000 and $ 30,000 respectively . The theft by the way had nothing to do with the NRA and loopholes at gun shows is a false statement. I'm sure that less than 1% if any of the murders committed in Philadelphia this year was done with a legally registered firearm.
Cleanup Philly , do you even know what the so-called 'gun show loophole' is?
Obviously not! All federal and state licensed gun dealers must perform a mandatory FBI and State Police background check on anyone who buys any gun in PA , whether at a show or in the dealers shop. This particular show does not allow unlicensed sales.
Machine gun sales are even tougher as the specially (Class III)licensed dealers must do a lot more paperwork , the buyers local chief of police must sign off on a paper and the federal transfer fee is $200. All paperwork must be approved before the weapon is transfered.
Doing a little quick math...24 guns...$200k = 10yrs in federal prison & 250K in fines. Hey stupid you just stole a bunch of guns that are only worth money because they are registered with the ATF, since you have them illegally they are worth big time federal charges for anyone in possession of them.
PA closed the gunshow loophole for handguns - the most frequently used firearm in crimes. You can't buy a handgun at a gunshow without a background check, and you can't buy any firearm from a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer like the guy who had his guns stolen without a background check. Where the loophole exists is for long guns like shotguns and rifles in private citizen to citizen sales, and these guns are not used much in crime because they are hard to conceal.
Me personally, if I were an FFL, I would not leave all those guns alone in my vehicle and go eat dinner - and I would not transport them without at least myself and one other person both armed and with concealed carry permits. It's easy enough to stop at McDonalds drive through or eat by the window looking at your vehicle.
PA closed the gunshow loophole for handguns - the most frequently used firearm in crimes. You can't buy a handgun at a gunshow without a background check, and you can't buy any firearm from a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer like the guy who had his guns stolen without a background check. Where the loophole exists is for long guns like shotguns and rifles in private citizen to citizen sales, and these guns are not used much in crime because they are hard to conceal.
Me personally, if I were an FFL, I would not leave all those guns alone in my vehicle and go eat dinner - and I would not transport them without at least myself and one other person both armed and with concealed carry permits. It's easy enough to stop at McDonalds drive through or eat by the window looking at your vehicle.
A gun shop in central PA got broken into last week and lots of guns were stolen there too. But gun haters probably blamed the shop for being in existence or something, rather than the criminals who did these acts of burglary and theft.
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I can understand the dealers pain. I usually keep a machine gun and a bozooka in my car each time I drive into Philly to keep the rif-raf away. A man can't be too underarmed in this day and age.
But yeah, this raises a lot of issues related to gun shows that need to be changed, like gun show loopholes. You can be totally pro 2nd Amendment like me and still think that gun show loop holes should be closed.
CCSam is right about the crime getting knocked down in PA. We're unique that way, but these would appear to be violations of federal law, and the feds are not like liberal PA that allows mand min gun charges to be served concurrently. For every gun taken, the thief should get the full 10. And the dealer has every ounce of paperwork and documentation, so tracking these guns should be a piece of cake. It won't be long before these guns turn up.
Did anyone consider that the dealer doesn't exhibit all the guns they own, just a few examples and showpieces? They rest is stock that they carry. Someone who knew that this guy had guns in the truck is likely someone who either bought a gun or was with someone who bought a gun that the dealer went out to the truck to get, and they watched him. Then they saw the truck parked in the restaurant parking lot or just waited for the gun show to end. Likely they were people the dealer dealt with at the end of the day so the thieves didn't have to wait long.
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Stop supporting your local criminals and there will be no need to steal guns to protect their business.
I'm sure they were stolen by very responsible, NRA card carrying gun owners so nothing to worry about here.
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funny gun grabbers find celebration at the bussiness lost of man who drove accross state. no outrage at truckjackers ! EVERYBODY has their turn and you bleading hearts liberals are next. if they catch this guy he will do
TWO(2) years MAX. FED TIME althought "signs" at the gun show supervised by local uniformed police STATED CLEARLY thieft of FFL DEALER is min. manditory TEN (10) YEARS. of course criminal injustice will always down plea to one firearm and with less court time more court holidays. Merry Christmas Yall !
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I was at the gun show, and saw nobody exhibit $200,000 worth of firearms there. I did see a lot of antique guns in varying states of practicality, the automatic weapons almost all deactivated. Someone is perhaps padding the value of some old guns to give himself a nice bonus. Also, if someone were to use a "machine gun" or "sniper rifle" in committing a crime in the area, he would be practically confessing to this crime.
One of 3 things happened here. 1) Criminals broke into this car and there are alot more guns on the street right now. 2) Pro Gun control people broke into the car, stole the guns and threw them in a river, 3) Insurance fraud, with the owner collecting a fat payout for the missing inventory.
Wow! In the spirit of the holidays, a gift for gangs from your licensed neighborhood gun dealer.
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