SAN ANTONIO – Federal authorities who track stolen weapons say Texas ranks among the highest for guns that are lost and found.

Gun safety isn’t just how you handle the weapon. It’s how you store it.

"Why they should take it seriously - because it's responsible gun ownership,” gunsmith Martin Younger says.

At Bullet Hole Shooting Range, he teaches new owners how to tell where guns are allowed and where they’re not.

"To make sure each individual person understands and knows the law,” Younger says.

Because guns are banned from many public spaces, thieves know an easy target is your vehicle.

"Right now we are inside the San Antonio Group 1 evidence vault,” ATF resident agent in charge Bart Mora says.

Our cameras were given a rare look inside the ATF’s vault, filled with guns that were lost and found.

"And that can be as simple as a policeman sees a gun on the sidewalk. They'll take it into custody, they'll call us and we'll trace the gun,” Mora says.

The vault gives you a glimpse of why it’s so important to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Last year, the ATF found and traced more than 21,000 guns in Texas. That’s among the highest in the country, partly because of our size and population but also our location.

"We're along the Mexican border where the guns then go across the border,” Mora says.

Houston had the most guns recovered last year, but San Antonio came in second – agents say, because they’re working hard to catch guns before they go south.

We asked Younger to show us how you can keep your guns secure. He recommends a safe that can be bolted in your home or tied around your car seat.

"This is actually an extremely good option for the vehicle,” Younger says. "When you own a firearm, you must take a responsibility and you must own that responsibility."

A warning in case your weapons ever do get stolen: you need to know what’s in your insurance policy. Unless you got each gun itemized, most insurance companies will cap your loss at $2,500.





