A Ballarat man has been handed a $300 fine and six months good behaviour, despite doing "the right thing".
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The 25-year-old man, who The Courier has chosen not to name as he avoided conviction, was charged in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday with improperly storing a firearm after he reported a missing gun to police.
The court heard he had been on a property shooting foxes when he placed the weapon in the backseat of his vehicle underneath a coat.
He returned home and later realised the gun was missing from the car and promptly reported it to authorities.
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"The responsibilities of gun ownership are very high and there's good reasons for that because various organisations and people get hold of them and use them for various crimes," Magistrate Hugh Radford said.
"However I accept the context of this, you did the right thing ... once you realised.
"Be particularly careful with your firearms and make sure they're properly stored."
The man had no criminal history and had held a gun license for four years without event.
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