Recovered 5906 damaged by the police.

[Randomgunguy]

I have seen the cops throw guns across the room and land in a wire basket.

I have seen cops claim they can no longer find a gun that was used in a crime and the trial has long been over. My friend never did get back his expensive Desert Eagle pistol. They tied it up for several years before claiming they lost it.

I have seen guns returned from Cops that looked like they had been drug behind a car across the parking lot.

Sounds like a mess. Ppl are getting day unpaid suspensions for not logging drugs or guns by the end of shift... I cant image losing a gun. Maybe in a large city where they take in 20+ a day something can get overlooked or misplaced..

 

[Islander]

There are a few thousand folks in Louisiana after their guns were confiscated after Katrina who got back intentionally wrecked firearms. If they got them back at all. Unfortunately there are many police departments that don’t want you to get your guns back.

 

[Autonomous]

A lot of cop haters on this forum. “Axe To Grind” fits this thread perfectly.

Anyone that suggests a profession is only staffed by honest, competent people is either hopelessly naïve or disingenuous.

 

[bigggbbruce]

I have seen guns returned from Cops that looked like they had been drug behind a car across the parking lot.

I saw that video ad, Torture Test of the Sig P220.

Maybe they borrowed this gun.

They dropped it out of a helicopter, ran it over with a truck, tied it to the back of the truck drove around, threw it in a bucket of mud..
Then fired a few magazines.

Absolute truth...looking for it now. It was around 20 years ago.

 

[biku324]

Trashed or destroyed is one way of stating it.

Roughly treated with no regard to its owner is another way of stating it.

A cop, sorry 'Police Officer' can inflict quite a bit of damage just by the way he handles the firearm especially if he has an antigun or don't care opinion.

I read a lot of posts on induvial firearm enthusiast's that spend countless hours returning 'roughly' treated firearms back to respectable condition, some almost look like new. Lots of lost value if said firearm was never restored.

How would you feel if your pristine gun was returned after some 'rough handling', that all the officers wanted to look it over and pass it around for a good look see, maybe even one of them thinking of adding it to his collection in the future, (it will never be returned anyway) especially if it was a high dollar 'special' model ie: Mint Python. This unfortunate event actually, happened to me.

I was out target shooting in the country with my new Python, next to me was an old man with his grandson shooting an old 22 rifle. Lone Cop showed up and asked everyone to leave except ME. Now the Cop and I were alone.
That COP wanted my new Python more than me the rightful owner. "Your fee to leave but the gun stays or you both go to jail" While this conversation was taking place the Police Chief of this small county arrives and after hearing the full story put a quick stop to this intimidating strong-arm attempted theft; I was then allowed to leave with my Python and the Chief suggested that I target shoot somewhere else and the COP was being dressed down as I drove away.

Worst case scenario I know.

So, there it does happen, I only hope it does not happen to you.

Oddly, I've worked with, supervised, commanded, and/or trained thousands of police on 5 coninents over the past 45 years and have never even heard such a story.

Could you post the report?

 

[Tinkertech]

Example:
Never heard of a small town police department with an intentional speed trap where they require you to pay the fine like right now?
Unfortunately, not all police are honest, even though it may be a small percentage it’s still a black mark on the whole.
How many examples do you need?

 

[Tinkertech]

Of course there was never a report you think they’re gonna hang themselves?
It only takes a few bad apples…….

 

[Tinkertech]

I can’t believe this post has dragged along this long.
I guess we should all agree to disagree.
The mods should lock this post from continuing.

 

[biku324]

Of course there was never a report you think they’re gonna hang themselves?
It only takes a few bad apples…….

Then I guess there's just no way to verify the specific accusation.

 

[toddimusnimski]

I think OP left 3 pages ago. Hopefully he gleaned something useful from the different perspectives here.

Todd

 

[lilwoody]

You know what I suggest? I suggest you stop accusing someone or some agency unless you can prove they did it.
As for Tinkerbell or Tech or whatever, you must be the kind of person who creates their own problems and has an axe to grind.

I think OP left 3 pages ago. Hopefully he gleaned something useful from the different perspectives here.

Todd

Not a bit thanks. This page use to have some very knowledgeable people with skills on it. Now it appears it has devolved into chaos like most of the Internet.
SO I will use the skills I have and fix the damage done. I will do it for my son and because I can.

 

[Yendor357]

^And then what?
Even if you manage to get the thing running, you can never trust it.
Heaven forbid it is ever used in a self defense situation, the other party’s lawyer is going to make a very convincing argument that the shooter was negligent using a severely damaged/repaired firearm.

Just buy another 5906. They’re not that expensive.

 

[afibstew]

My house was broken into in 2016 while I was at work during broad daylight. My handgun safe was ripped off the wall and taken. (Never again a handgun safe! my long gun safe, an attempt to break into it failed.) Taken were four firearms. Gwinnett County Police Dept. (Atlanta GA area) responded CSI stuff done, serial numbers given. Every year since I receive correspondence from them keeping my contact info updated. 5 yrs after the breakin I get a call from them telling me that my Glock 34 was recovered by the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) during drug bust/investigation an hour north of me in Jackson County. Saying that I could recover if I wanted. After several phone calls to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. I was able to pick up my Glock 34. Attached to it was a laser and two 33 round Glock mags which the deputy asked me if they were mine and I said they are now! He laughed and gave them to me. No telling how many hands that 34 went thru in five yrs. Now if only my pristine Model 36 Chiefs Special, Ruger SR1911 and Security Six would make it back home. Not holding my breath. But you never know. My hats off to Georgia LEO’s.

 

[Pizza Bob]

I had a very good experience with a recovered firearm. In the mid-80's I was the victim of a burglary in which half a dozen handguns were stolen. Only one was recovered, it was a Series 70 Mk IV Colt Gold Cup. It was used in a robbery of a KFC and was discharged during the commission of that crime - fortunately, no one was hurt. The criminal, apparently, threw the gun out of the fleeing car and it landed in a water-filled drainage ditch and wasn't recovered until the next day.

Not to be unkind to the LE agency that recovered it, but I envisioned it being dried off externally, placed in a sealed plastic evidence bag, placed in the evidence locker and forgotten about until the perp was caught. I figured I would get it back at some point, but that it would be pretty much nothing but a rusted desk sculpture. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The detective that handled the case, detail stripped the gun, wiped it all down, oiled it, wrapped it in an oily rag and then placed it in the evidence locker. He worked with me to try and get enough info on the suspect in the original burglary for a search warrant, but it was to no avail. I eventually got the gun back and, truthfully, I think it was in better shape (at the least cleaner) than when it was stolen. I did take the detective and his wife out to dinner as a small way of saying thanks.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[HARLEY0]

My son had a 5906 Tactical stolen in 2022. It was recovered within a month from a convicted felon. No underlying crime, just a recovery. He didn't get it back until a couple of months ago. It's missing the grips, hammer spring and bushing. The rear sight is also broken. It was returned with a magazine for a Glock 26, not the S&W mag. The disconnector was also in a bag labeled "broken disconnector" but it looks perfectly fine to me.
This isn't the big issue though. The frame is bent a few thousandths off in the front as to not allow the slide to go on completely. The front rails will not line up with the frame. It appears by the tool marks on the frame to have been put in a vise without any shim to protect it from damage.
I could probably remove enough material on the frame and slide to get it to line up again but not so sure on this.
The other option is to attempt to work the frame back to as close to spec as I can with a jig cut from red oak and a progressively larger kinetic tool .
I'm just not sure what to try. Removing material may get the slide to fit but the geometry could well be off. Forcing it back could cause metal fatigue. I'm kind of at a loss.
What would you more knowledgeable folks suggest?

Why not send it to S & W - See if it can be fixed. OR What about you homeowners insurance? Will they pay for the loss?

 

[jmpishnery]

When I had my FFL, I sold a S&W 4" model 28 around 1985. Fast forward to 1988, I get a call from ATF wanting to know who the transferee of the pistol was. I provided them with the information and inquired as to why, and was told that the pistol was used in a capital crime, used as evidence, and they wanted to return it. The transferee was an acquaintance, and the next time I saw him, I asked if he had received his pistol, and he had. Believe it or not.

 

[jjfitch]

I suspect some gun-hating Property Room attendant was trying to make sure the gun would never be of use to anybody ever again.

Property marked as evidence will.not be handled by a "property room attendant"! Evidence is sealed in boxes, envelopes or bags and is only handled by authorized personnel. Signed in and signed out. Once released from "evidence" property is returned to its rightful owner, destroyed or auctioned off. Auctioning of firearms is seldom seen today based on current laws and perceptions.
At times working in the Armory testing firearms (evidence) for the DA I can tell you most firearms were "ridden hard and put away wet" before they became evidence. You won't believe what blood does to firearms. It must resemble salt water!
The only firearms that received any kind of TLC were serviceable firearms on our "approved" list that were not returned. These were inventoried into the Armory and could be checked out by certain authorized individuals like instructors, pistol team or if deputies had there duty weapon taken out of service.

 

[beach elvis]

Many moons ago, I worked at a pawnshop in Ohio. One day, we got a call from the Wyoming state police asking about the serial# of a 629. We had it, it had been pawned two weeks earlier. The Wyoming state cop said it had been stolen in Cheyenne, WY 12 years earlier.

 

[mtgianni]

Pretty inflamatory! You must not know very many. How many ride alongside have you been on. Just getting hired and graduating from an academy proves that you are way above average in terms of intellect and integrity!

I was a Class two reserve officer in a small Idaho county. That allowed me to work alongside anyone and substitute a shift. Again 49% of any occupation, whether rocket surgeons or brain scientists are in the lower half of the chosen profession.

 

[ek609]

My son had a 5906 Tactical stolen in 2022. It was recovered within a month from a convicted felon. No underlying crime, just a recovery. He didn't get it back until a couple of months ago. It's missing the grips, hammer spring and bushing. The rear sight is also broken. It was returned with a magazine for a Glock 26, not the S&W mag. The disconnector was also in a bag labeled "broken disconnector" but it looks perfectly fine to me.
This isn't the big issue though. The frame is bent a few thousandths off in the front as to not allow the slide to go on completely. The front rails will not line up with the frame. It appears by the tool marks on the frame to have been put in a vise without any shim to protect it from damage.
I could probably remove enough material on the frame and slide to get it to line up again but not so sure on this.
The other option is to attempt to work the frame back to as close to spec as I can with a jig cut from red oak and a progressively larger kinetic tool .
I'm just not sure what to try. Removing material may get the slide to fit but the geometry could well be off. Forcing it back could cause metal fatigue. I'm kind of at a loss.
What would you more knowledgeable folks suggest?

Don't take a chance on trying to fix this gun. New guns have close tolerances and removing metal may cause the gun to stress fracture. Report the loss to your insurance company (most home owners policies have some minimal coverage for firearms) assuming they have not paid you for the stolen gun already. Then use the money to buy yourself a new 5906.