Firearm Insurance

[Jeremy Henderson]

I've been a member for a while seldom posting mainly just reading and soaking in all of the knowledge on this site. I've tried finding an answer to this with no avail. What do most of y'all do for added insurance for your firearms. My insurance covers on my regular homeowners policy up to $5000. I added a rider that added another $8000 for a few dollars a year. As the years went by and I started having some custom rifles I sat down and went to figuring the cost of replacement so I talked with my insurance Alfa and wrote down 6 guns with a value of $21,000. The cost was a little over $425 a year for just these 6 from a different company that Alfa used. After about 5 months they cancelled my policy because the firearms serial numbers along with scope serial numbers were written on a piece of paper instead of a letterhead. My builder doesn't have a letterhead so I took his logo and made one and sent to my agent and haven't heard anything back. Sorry for the long post and thank you.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I have an additional rider for my guns too. Along with photos, serial #s, etc. I go through State Farm with all my policies. I have a great agent.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

I too mirror what lance has experienced, just find a good agent, they will work with you!

 

[idcwby]

Tagging in.

idcwby

 

[Muddyboots]

Be extremely careful if you have a rider on your homeowners insurance for firearms. I have had instances where the insurance company has sent my homeowners insurance confirmation to my bank WITH all my riders included such as firearms. I have had to not only explain but follow up with the corporate function to stop this practice. I asked the "kind lady" who was giving me crap over the firearms if this was your heirloom jewelry that was not out there for everyone to see and be at risk from it, how would you feel. The bank has no business knowing what my riders were including boats, fishing tackle and so on. My point was taken and I confirmed with bank riders were not included. I since switched out to NRA firearm insurance which is painless and easy and managed by an organization that gets it..

 

[Jeremy Henderson]

Thank you all for your replies. It is kinda crazy but my agent just contacted me and said that they reinstated my policy. With all of the covid, storms , and quarantine here I guess I figured that he had given up on it. Alfa still covers my $13,000 it was the underwriter that was giving trouble on the $21,000 separate policy. Thank you all again.

 

[Bucklowery]

Eastern insurance. They specialize in firearms and collections. They were awesome to deal with and no information or appraisal required in my situation. My homeowners or other insurance would not cover what I wanted and no where near the price of eastern insurance. It took 5 minutes max

Thanks

Buck

 

[hunter67wa]

Farmers told me flat out NO! I have NRA insurance

 

[manitou]

I have NRA also. Easier to set up, less documentation than the rider I had. A little less expensive too.

 

[Bucklowery]

Mine was about 150 for 30,000 of coverage much cheaper than I expected

Thanks

Buck

 

[manitou]

Mine was about 150 for 30,000 of coverage much cheaper than I expected

Thanks

Buck

Were did you get $30K insurance for 150 buck? That's a good deal.

 

[motrapper]

Ok if you think you have your guns covered by what an agent tells you think again.
Had 3 very nice rifles stolen a little over 1 year ago along with the wifes Car, a diamond Necklace left in the car and Some very expensive tools.
Call American Family and they say well you have a 1,500.00 deductible What??. Oh and what year are those firearms well we depreciate them. Read the small print!!!! I went well you know Ballistic.
So if an insurance agent says you are covered for 500 to 500k in guns well they are covered but not like you think!! Not at all.
Also be ready to provide Bank records, phone records, Text records etc... for the past 6 month even CC records and have you missed any payments etc....They will make you feel more violated then when you were robbed.
Now they tell me if I pay for an Appraisal on every gun and pay for an additional rider they cover for a 100 dollar deductible and the appraised value at the time of appraisal. So if like me 2 of them were worth many times their original cost and never to be seen again. So get them appraised every few years. Even had Pics and serial Numbers.

I told my agent that in the last 15 years I have paid you for Cars, drivers, Home, Umbrella coverage etc... 130k plus in the last 15 yrs. And only 1 claim in that time for a hit and run. He said I understand your frustration but with the amount of Insurance Fraud going on it is the same for all of the Insurance companies out there. Sadly checking around not a huge difference in one to another.
Just call your guy and say walk me thru 6 of my guns getting stolen and what all is Involved and what am I looking at for a Payout. You maybe Stunned and ****ed.

 

[J3n]

Call up Eastern and ask them the questions. I think you'll like their answers

Laura Sewall CIC, CISR
Account Manager II
Historic Firearms Ins. Program
Eastern Insurance Group LLC
933 Webster Street, Marshfield, MA 02050

Phone: 800-545-9326 (X59177)
Fax: 508-652-4392

 

[Muddyboots]

If you haven't documented your firearms to the Nth degree, suggest you do so ASAP. All of mine have been photographed from multiple angles with details of scopes etc. Also make sure the digital photographs are internally date stamped to "insure" (couldn't resist) the timeline is established. I also have always scanned in receipts to back up possession. One way to do this is to include them in an annual photographic inventory of your homestead. I have done this for about 15+ years now. Not hard to do and easy to defend claims with photographs of homestead contents (house, pole barn, etc). Include photos of serial numbers of items like tractors, chainsaws, and other power tools. Some items I have stamped initials so they show up in photo as well. May seem like over the top but if your pole barn is broken into, stuff is probably sold to pawn shops etc but if you have serial numbers they have to check number as well. My camera places date on the photo as well so the timeline is further established.