The man said the problem started inside his own family, which made it more awkward than a normal theft report. According to the Reddit post, his father took his firearm without permission. That put him in a bad spot right away, because this was not a missing tool or a borrowed jacket. It was a gun.
The original Reddit post can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/wtc6ai/my_father_stole_my_firearm/
The poster wanted to know what he could do about it. Family pressure can make these situations messy. If a stranger takes your firearm, the answer feels more obvious: report it, document the serial number, and let police handle it. When the person is your father, people start worrying about family blowback, accusations of overreacting, and whether reporting it will permanently damage the relationship.
But a missing firearm creates a bigger problem than hurt feelings. If the gun is used in a crime, lost, sold, or found in someone else’s possession, the legal owner may have to explain when it disappeared and why it was never reported. That is why commenters treated the situation seriously. The fact that a parent took it did not make the gun any less missing.
The man also had to think about whether his father was legally allowed to have the firearm. If the father was prohibited from possessing guns for any reason, the situation would become even more serious. Even if he was not prohibited, taking someone else’s firearm without permission is not something to brush off as a family disagreement.
There was also the practical side: getting it back. If the father refused to return it, the son could not safely treat it like a normal argument. Showing up angry and demanding the gun back could escalate fast. A firearm dispute inside a family can turn dangerous if everyone is emotional and nobody wants to back down.
The post did not sound like the man was eager to create a police case against his father. It sounded like he was trying to understand whether he had any other option. But with a gun involved, the usual “work it out privately” advice becomes a lot riskier.
Commenters told him to document the firearm information immediately, especially the serial number if he had it. Several said he should make a police report if the gun was taken without permission and not returned. Their point was that reporting it protects the owner as much as it creates trouble for the person who took it.
Others warned him not to lie or downplay the situation if police ever asked where the firearm was. If it was gone and he knew who took it, he needed to be truthful. Trying to keep it quiet for family reasons could come back on him later.
Some commenters said he should ask for the gun back one time in writing, if it was safe to do so. A clear text or message saying the firearm was taken without permission and needed to be returned could help show that he did not consent.
A few people were blunt that “my dad took it” does not change the legal reality. If someone takes your gun and refuses to return it, that can become a stolen firearm issue even when the person is related to you.
The post ended with the man facing the uncomfortable truth of the situation. Family loyalty may make people hesitate, but a firearm is not something you can let disappear and hope it works itself out.
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