Recovered 5906 damaged by the police.

Tinkertech said:

Worked for Dallas in the 70's on police radio installs and repair. Often found guns inside the car's trunk where the radio was just dumped in with all the other junk. Asked why? Response was they were going to turn it in latter; just let it rattle around!

Also worked for a body cam company in ~2010 - 2020, there is really only two major ones, and I won't say which. Same response, also "they won't be returned anyway".

A few years ago in the 90's, had my friend's son caught with his dad's 45. (he was just transporting it from the range) confiscated in mint condition, returned after 6 months beat to hell.

While it does not happen very often it does happen and was told 'don't worry about it'.

Best friend since high school was a cop until he retired, didn't even know what model of gun he carried, but he said "I know it's a S&W".

So there, no ax to grind. Heck, most don't not even take care of their own firearms.

To them 'it's just a tool like a hammer'. At the end of the day just dump it in the toolbox.

Cops are not firearm enthusiasts like the rest of us on this forum most I've met could care less.

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Not enthusiasts, I see a lot of shields next to names on this forum.

Were it mine, I would consider that gun beyond reasonable repair, i.e., not worth the effort. FWIW, I worked for two departments in Arizona; one large, one much smaller. We did not abuse people's firearms, and made every effort to return them to lawful owners whenever possible. The large department I was with for over 20 years quit marking/engraving case numbers, etc. on firearms 50+ years ago. At the smaller department, I never saw the property and evidence people mark or engrave a firearm with case numbers, etc. I guess personnel at some other departments had, or have, different attitudes about people's property, especially firearms....

xfarfuldog said:

I worked in various areas in my police career. One of them was as a evidence technician (aka csi). We were trained to etch the case number on guns used in a crime. I never really understood it but had to follow my training. I believe today that etching practice has ended.

I once had a Glock 21 stolen out of my home. It was recovered a couple of years later by a large local department's SWAT team and the FBI in a raid on a drug house. It was never used in a crime. Long story short, the FBI had it destroyed by the USMS. I could never find out why.

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Any firearm seized during a federal investigation is going to be destroyed. That’s how it works by law. A stolen firearm might have a chance at return, but not normally. US Gov does not want to be responsible for putting guns back on the street. So if stolen, they let insurance deal with the victim. Many states have the same laws, any seized or surrendered firearms must be destroyed.

Exchipy said:

Did that perhaps occur during one of the Clinton, Obama or Biden Administrations? If so, that’s why.

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Federal law. All parties.

Forgot crime labs - weapons examined by forensic labs always show up damaged in the property or evidence room. Marks on cylinders and chambers of revolvers particularly.

lilwoody said:

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?

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

Tinkertech said:

Worked for Dallas in the 70's on police radio installs and repair. Often found guns inside the car's trunk where the radio was just dumped in with all the other junk. Asked why? Response was they were going to turn it in latter; just let it rattle around!

Also worked for a body cam company in ~2010 - 2020, there is really only two major ones, and I won't say which. Same response, also "they won't be returned anyway".

A few years ago in the 90's, had my friend's son caught with his dad's 45. (he was just transporting it from the range) confiscated in mint condition, returned after 6 months beat to hell.

While it does not happen very often it does happen and was told 'don't worry about it'.

Best friend since high school was a cop until he retired, didn't even know what model of gun he carried, but he said "I know it's a S&W".

So there, no ax to grind. Heck, most don't not even take care of their own firearms.

To them 'it's just a tool like a hammer'. At the end of the day just dump it in the toolbox.

Cops are not firearm enthusiasts like the rest of us on this forum most I've met could care less.

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Most cops would rather get a new Parker Pen than a new gun.
Also, your ink pen is less likely to get you in serious legal trouble than your gun.

There are so many ways it could have been damaged that assigning blame to LE is of limited value. Get hold of forum member BMCM, who does a lot of good work on such items. See what he thinks can be done.

Doug M. said:

There are so many ways it could have been damaged that assigning blame to LE is of limited value. Get hold of forum member BMCM, who does a lot of good work on such items. See what he thinks can be done.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Best answer!

My opinion is call S&W. Most of the parts are still available. They might rework the whole gun for you under warranty. If they can find the parts after the move.

Had a 6906 stolen (along with a couple other long guns) in 1990. Received a call from LAPD three years later to come and get it. Recovered from a security guard who was ripping off who he was guarding. Everything worked fine and was in decent shape except for the scrawling of a driver's license number with an electric pencil on the bottom of the frame.
Still have it in the safe.

UFGator said:

I was going to say the same thing. Never seen police destroy a firearm.

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Move to California. You will see police officers, firemen and other civil servants doing all kinds of things you didn't think they would do to discourage private firearms ownership. Destruction, theft and confiscation of privately owned firearms happens all the time in some parts of this country.

All of this is why I don’t carry what I’d really like to (2.5” 686+ -4 w/ no lock) and instead, I usually carry a Glock 27. If, god forbid, I’d ever need to use it, I can live easier with the Glock being abused in the evidence room (provided I ever saw it again).

I had a 45 auto stolen a few years ago. Thief was found 29 days later with my 45. I was notified the day after the pistol was recovered. I was offered a chance to inspect my firearm once the court date was final. I went to the PD, inspected my pistol and accepted it. No damage what so ever. PD even oiled my pistol while it was in thier possession. If I did not accept recovery, my insurance company would have paid me replacement cost.

I had to voucher my licensed handgun to the local sheriff for 11 months when I moved to a new jurisdiction and applied for my new carry permit.
I got the gun back in the same condition I vouchered it.

JeffD607 said:

Not enthusiasts, I see a lot of shields next to names on this forum.

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Surely you don’t believe that the membership of a shooting forum is representative of all police, do you?

ariandshan said:

Back in 2012 I had 2 44 magnums stolen. A 6.5" blue M29-2 (my most prized possession, had it since 1978) and a 6" S.S. 629 no dash that I got in 1980 both new. The culprit was was caught a few days later. He said he sold them for drug money. The NY State Troopers that were handling the case said that if they were used in a crime or had the serial numbers removed I would not get them back. I never heard back from the troopers again. I'm assuming that the guns are either in some ones collection likely out west some where or have been destroyed.
I figure that they were destroyed by the state. I have no evidence of either but living in NY that's two guns that are out of circulation for everyone's protection. Thanks Andrew Cuomo!!! (sarcasm!!!) I received the insurance money and bought replacements but they were no where as nice as my original 2. I never even called to see what the deal was with them. No point, they weren't coming back. I just waited and waited. That's not an indictment on the troopers at all as I have no idea on how these things work.

Rick

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If the thief that stole them said he had sold the guns for drug money,,then check with NYSP and see if the guns are still in NCIC stolen Gun File .
Bring your orig report w/CR# in person and ask for a follow up on the status of the stolen firearms re: NCIC .
If they are still in NCIC as stolen,, they have never been recovered by any L/E agency in the USA.
A recovering agency when searching NCIC with their ser#'s gets a 'HIT'
which shows the agency that took the report and entered the stolen gun w/ their contact info to confirm the stolen info.


If they are still out there, there would be no reason for the NYSP to get back with you and tell you, the guns have not been recovered.
To be doing that, they would be making 10's of thousands of phone calls to victims of stolen guns and additionally the same to victims of other stolen property listed in NCIC because it has a ser#..
Everything stolen is in NCIC if it has a ser# and has been reported to a L/E agency.

If the gun(s) have had their ser#(s) removed by someone out there and are 'crime guns' and recovered,, there is procedure taken by any agency either within if they have the tech or send it out if they do not to recover the ser#.
Sometimes successful,, very often not.

Returning such a gun to it's orig owner IF the ser# is recovered and the owner can be ID'd is sometimes done.
It would require the atf to issue it's own ATF Ser# and be stamped onto the frame of the gun.
Then arrangements made for the return to the owner. All this after any legal procedings if a suspect is charged.
Some States such as NY have a reg where by the firearm used in a crime or so defaced can be designated a 'Nuisance Firearm' (Their Wording).
So done, the firearm is then destroyed by the NYSP.
(FWIW,,firearms left in police property and unclaimed are so designated after 1 yr.
Guns owned by a person that died for example and the executor leaves them with the Police. They can be sold, handguns sold to a FFL or person with a NYS P/P.
Nothing done within 1 yr,,they get destroyed as a Nuisance Firearm.)


Also since you were compensated for the stolen gun(s) by insurance, the recovered guns would be property of the insurance company.
They usually refuse to take them back if offered and they again get designated for destruction.

Just some info on how it works,,,

I would junk the gun. I doubt the cops trashed it considering all the different parts present and missing. I'd bet the property inventory report lists the separate parts and not a single firearm.

lilwoody said:

The police report plainly states, "found under the suspects seat".

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And?

How many bad guys do you think handled that pistol?

How do you think homeless people come about a handgun? Example would be homeless guy finds gun and trades for drugs. That guy sells it to a criminal and used in crime and dumped just for the cycle start again.

I had a M41 stolen 15 years ago.

The NRA insurance paid for most of it. I bought another. You are an NRA member, right? I now take every measure so my guns don’t get stolen.

There’s no way I’m going to try to repair a relatively inexpensive pistol damaged to that extent. Just get a replacement. Gunbroker is full of slightly used 5906s. Move on.

One word of advice I learned the hard way. Don’t ever loan a gun to a “friend”. Just don’t.