What I meant to say was don't take the firearm to the Police Station. INSTEAD call and ask the police officer to come to your house for a found weapon.
how is having them come to YOUR house better than taking it to them?
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
What I meant to say was don't take the firearm to the Police Station. INSTEAD call and ask the police officer to come to your house for a found weapon.
how is having them come to YOUR house better than taking it to them?
It's never a good idea to invite a police officer into your house except in an emergency or a situation where you've been a victim of a crime inside your house and they need to investigate.
Unless it's a purely social visit with a friend, of course.
I specifically pointed out to the officer that I have no interest in the gun, which I do not. It is a junk gun of questionable quality and likely to be more dangerous than useful.
DJM
Definitely call the police and have them come get it. Chances are its not anyone CCW, as most would be alot more observant of that falling out of its holster. Probably stolen or an unlicensed gun. I'm curious to see what will come of this, more than likely the police will keep it, or maybe you get a free gun once its processed? What kind was it btw?
Hello,
Strange but true: not so long ago I was at a park with my son. We parked and we unloading a few things from the car when I saw what looked like a very realistic toy pistol, just a few inches from my front tire. Moved a little closer and...whoa, that is a real pistol. Carefully picked it up, dropped the (full) clip and cleared the chamber which indeed had a round in it! Not cool.
So, what should one do if they find a gun? Do you take it to the police? Keep it?
Thanks,
DJM
Heck no you don't keep it! You get caught with it and you go to jail......For a long time.
unlicensed gun ? do you mean it's plates fell off?
Don't walk in a police station with a firearm instead ask them to come to your house-
I've got nuthin ta hide, but MY HOUSE is the last place I'd want an unknown police officer to find me. No, plop it in the boot, drive to the constabulary, walk in, gun still in boot, ask for an officer to come to your car and collect it.
Have him come to my house? Sorry, bad idea. MY car in the car park at the copshop is close enough. I'd likely even move it from the boot to the floor of the front passenger seat before I went in.
Paranoid? No, just have read too many tales of the cops taking a wild hare and getting pushy.... "so, you don't mind if I come inside, now, do you?" Once inside, I've already forfeited ALL my rights to the security of my home, papers, effects, possessions. And THEY know it.
On "official business", they stay as far away as I can possibly keep them. ALWAYS
by the way, to the OP, it seems you did the right thing..... securing it against misuse, turning it in for examination..... they won't do anything too locate its rightful owner after checking for stolen/crime records.
I've read through this thread and the consensus seems to be "turn it in to the Po-po". It's done now but I have to wonder what would have happened if it had been a camera of similar value? A toolbox full of wrenches?
We spend lot of energy trying to convince anti-gunners that a gun is "just a tool" yet even we treat them as something different than other tools. Had he found that toolbox he'd likely have tossed it into his trunk and congratulated himself on his good fortune. At the very most he'd have posted a notice on the bulletin board at the park or in a newspaper. But call the police? I doubt it.
We need to be more consistent. If it's a tool when we talk to the gun-grabbers then it's a tool all the time. Otherwise give up and admit it's a deadly machine that needs to be carefully controled and accounted for. After that send the Brady Bunch some money too, they need it.
What is an "unlicensed gun"?
I am an engineer -- I work with computers for a living. For not carrying a cell phone I was called a liar by one of the posters on this forum. I never said I do not have a cell phone, I just do not take with me everywhere I go. When I am out with my son or my wife I usually leave the cell phone at home. Do I need to be "wired" at all times? I actually desire to be *away* from phones and computers, maybe it is because I am an engineer and technology is my job.
I have to wonder, can any of you read? What do you not understand about "semi rural" and no pay phones around? Please go visit a local state park and look around for pay phones...not to be found.
The gun I found cost maybe $100 -- it is a real POS. I can not imagine why anyone would want such a gun -- judging by the quality of the gun, I suspect it would fail when you need it most. I was not looking to enrich myself. I am privileged enough to have the gift of a very good education -- I earn a significant amount of money (I'd wager I pay more in taxes than many of you earn in a year); I spend more on coffee each month than the value of the pistol in question.
It is really sad self-indictment of supposedly "responsible" gun owners whom would leave a gun on the ground where there is a real risk of child picking it up. More worried about your own skin than protecting a child? Wow.
I will go with the the office said when I dropped off the gun -- "securing the weapon was the right course of action".
DJM
"I once lost $1200 worth of mechanical tools out the back of my truck, due to negligence of an employee. They were easily ID-ed by the engravings. Keeping them would be theft.."
ID'ed and returned is great and I'm happy for you but I still doubt the police were called on to find you. What if the tools weren't engraved? You'd be out $1200 and someone would be ahead the equal amount. Theft? Not if the owner can't be found.
Admittedly a gun could be traced through the serial number. In practice though, a whole lot of guns have broken trails, they were once bought with an exchange of numbers and ID but have since gone "off paper." A cheap pistol could well have been bought in a bar or at a garage sale. Some may quiver and shake at the prospect of buying a gun that might have once been used in a crime but what are the odds of ever getting it checked by the police? About 99% of gun "events" end up with no shots fired and both parties simply walking away. Of the other 1%, where shots are actually fired, most involve police officers with very few actually involving "civilian" gun owners. Sure, we hear about those few a lot but that's the way news is sold.
In general, if you don't want the police to check your gun... don't let them know you have one. Those of you that have CCW... you've invited suspicion onto yourselves just a surely as if you'd committed a crime. I was once arrested for carrying illegally and now every time I get stopped for a traffic infraction I get asked if I'm carrying. My own fault; I shouldn't have let them know that first time but I won't have to live with it much longer, I turn 76 later this month.
DJM,
First I carry my cell phone in case of an emergency and if I'm with my family outdoors, I might trun it off but it is with me just incase I need help. Some one could get hurt, the car could break down or I might find a loaded gun in a parking lot.
Second no need to be rude for good advices given, clearly a good education and a nice income doesn't afford mannors. It isn't the education or the income that is the measure of a man it is how he inreracts with others. With that being said I would be happy to take your wager, I think you might be surprised at the average income of the members here.
unlicensed gun ? do you mean it's plates fell off?