I have a SD40VE that was stolen and later recovered. It was found in a stolen car that had been burned.

Normally my first thought would be to junk it, but the frame was not melted or burned, the slide moves normally, the action still works, and the magazine was not damaged. The slide has carbon and soot on it from the fire.

I thought about taking it apart for inspection and soaking the whole thing in transmission fluid about a week. Then inspecting again, giving it a normal cleaning, oiling, and taking it out for a test run. I should probably replace the springs.

I've heard that Flitz will clean the slide. Got any suggestions?

Give it a cleaning now and see what you can do with it.
Post some pics.

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If the plastic frame wasn’t melted, you’re probably good to go. Might want to replace some springs, however.

What part of La. do you live in? I live in Avoyelles Parish.

__________________
How many guns are too many?

If the polymer didn't melt I doubt the springs would be affected.

Clean it, lube it and run it!!!

Randy

Leave it as is, you'll have a story to tell, down the line.

A friend had a street-scarred Dan Wesson .357, that
was stolen from his car, when he was a young MP on
the Presidio of San Francisco.

Years (like over ten) he got a call from one of the Bay
area PDs (Oakland maybe), that his revolver had been
recovered, and would he like it back...

Turns out a young guy bought it on the street, for
self-defence. Working as pizza delivery guy, he got
hijacked, and forced into the trunk of his own car.
The robbers started driving, and the kid started
...thinking.

He concluded that he'd be shot, whenever the driver
and co-jacker got to where they were driving, and
he'd be better off interrupting the journey. He pulled
out the Dan Wesson and estimated where the driver
was, and fired one round. Car went off road and
decelerated against a tree. Co-jacker fled, driver bled
--out.

Police responded and found pizza kid in trunk. Dan
Wesson went into evidence. Shout out to Mark, if
ya see this!

Poor kid's probably deaf now. Think I might have waited for the trunk to open, but you never really know until you're there. Glad the owner got it back.

I think that the OP's SD40VE is probably just in need of a cleaning, after test firing it. Pictures would be good.

I hope pizza guy came out of it ok.

__________________
NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs

Better than the driver did...tho probably a bit deef. That's all I can
speculate!

Clean it look it over if nothing looks unusual dry fire it. If all that is good load it fire it and continue on. If you are not sure have a gunsmith look it over.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

After scrubbing with Hoppes and a toothbrush, the slide looks great. It was just carbon and smoke residue. There were some spots on the grips where something melted and dripped on them. The inside of the gun and the inside of the magazine both looked fine and were given a normal cleaning.

I hope to take it out this weekend.

Youre lucky. I purchased an unusual s&w pistol from a police auction caked in human blood. Cleaned up really nice though, the only place the blood pitted the slide was under the novak sight. Had to completely strip every part from the gun to clean it up and reblue the slide. The frame is stainless, but there's staining where the grip held the blood against the frame. Weird what's out there.

[Youre lucky. I purchased an unusual s&w pistol from a police auction caked in human blood. Cleaned up really nice though, the only place the blood pitted the slide was under the novak sight. Had to completely strip every part from the gun to clean it up and reblue the slide. The frame is stainless, but there's staining where the grip held the blood against the frame. Weird what's out there.

YUK. I hope you got it cheap.

Mine was recovered from a stolen car that had been torched.

I'd clean it and check the recoil spring looks good. Lube the rails. I'd single feed a cartridge from the magazine & fire it. All good, load and fire 2. If it is functioning ok at that point, I'd load full magazines.

__________________
NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs

Yup, got it cheap. Came with one factory 15-rd mag. Odd thing, the mag was perfectly clean. Wonder if they found one in the property room and put it in the pistol so it would sell. It wasn't the pistol's fault for its condition and it was fun cleaning it up and making it look great again. It was a lovely gen 3 that needed a good home and a second chance.