I lose tools at an alarming rate. Part of this is due to my "help" which consists of 2 Grandkids. When "the blind kid" (my younger Son) still lived here, things stays in exactly the same spot. Had to be that way so he could find tools and stuff. He always replaced wrenches, hammer, whatever exactly where he found it. He also wasn't bashfull about telling me I hadn't put something back in the right spot.
The Grandkids just carry stuff back to the general area and DROP IT.
Back to the rifle. Last fall, I spent about 2 hours looking for a rifle I wanted to use, going through most of the vertical storage racks w/o success. Came back the next day looking for something entirely different and BINGO, there was the rifle I'd looked for yesterday leaning behind the gun room door. No idea how it got there. Gun fairies, evil dwarfs, gremlins??? At least I'm not alone in this mis-located gun syndrome.