tocohillsguy
Member
Hey, there's my gun! I was wondering where that old thing went. I seem to always misplace things like that. I'm going to upgrade to a Glock so it won't rust next time I misplace one.
Found old .357 S&W w/Pachmayr grips in back yard.
- Thread starter Lordbobby
- Start date
Lefkiguy
Member
"Not pinned and obviously not recessed, so a 28-3."
DARN! I thought someone finally found a 28-1. That poor pistol looks like it's been there a few years. Maybe I'll imitate Bill Wyman, former bass player for the Rolling Stones, who spends his time now with a metal detector searching England for buried metal bits, and start looking around our farm. I know there's a '74 MGB and a '79 Porsche 928 there under a chicken house, but who knows what my grandfather dropped.
DARN! I thought someone finally found a 28-1. That poor pistol looks like it's been there a few years. Maybe I'll imitate Bill Wyman, former bass player for the Rolling Stones, who spends his time now with a metal detector searching England for buried metal bits, and start looking around our farm. I know there's a '74 MGB and a '79 Porsche 928 there under a chicken house, but who knows what my grandfather dropped.
If I had to guess I'd say it was likely not being carried by a criminal. They usually don't use holsters. Hence the large number of them who shoot themselves in rather tender places when they stuff the old roscoe back in their pants.
model70hunter
Member
Per the deputy; The guys wife finds it and gets mad and throws it away. Said it has happened before.
A regular at a gun shop I frequented had a special way with folks, if he liked you all was well, if not all was hell. His wife # 4 was tougher than the previous ones. A bunch of us did a group draw for a WY mule deer hunt and were drawn. We stopped in Cheyenne to eat, this was before cell phones, he said he had to call his step daughter and check on his wife. We asked why, at about the time we left Kansas City she had a liver transplant. We gave him crap, but to him he did the right thing. This same wife got really mad at him one time, they lived on a lake lot with a dock. He used to have a bunch of guns. After a fight he had to stay away for a week or 2. She never told him where the guns were. He thought she was hiding tham at a relative to control him. After another fight about a year later she told him to check in the lake at the end of the dock, in 10 feet of water lay the ruined guns. But in this case it sounds like one was dropped after the burglary. Large fire proof gun safes are a must.
A regular at a gun shop I frequented had a special way with folks, if he liked you all was well, if not all was hell. His wife # 4 was tougher than the previous ones. A bunch of us did a group draw for a WY mule deer hunt and were drawn. We stopped in Cheyenne to eat, this was before cell phones, he said he had to call his step daughter and check on his wife. We asked why, at about the time we left Kansas City she had a liver transplant. We gave him crap, but to him he did the right thing. This same wife got really mad at him one time, they lived on a lake lot with a dock. He used to have a bunch of guns. After a fight he had to stay away for a week or 2. She never told him where the guns were. He thought she was hiding tham at a relative to control him. After another fight about a year later she told him to check in the lake at the end of the dock, in 10 feet of water lay the ruined guns. But in this case it sounds like one was dropped after the burglary. Large fire proof gun safes are a must.
NFrameFred
Member
I'll stick my dos centavos in here . . . per post #55 it was stated that guns were stolen from a break-in some years before from a near-by location. These are usually smash & grab affairs with the creeps making it out in the dark carrying off what they can snatch inside the house in 3 or 4 minutes. I would guess it may be one of those that was stolen and dropped in the dark by the meth-head that kicked the door in and laid there until the OP found it . . . .
scorvers
Member
yup. That's the short and curly of it.
We had a similiar situation several years ago. When we had a long dry spell, our local lake receeded quite a bit. Local runner was running across the dried lake bed and saw a partially buried Model 19, 6" nickled sticking up out of the mud. Called our agency, and patrol officer brought it to me, (I was property and evidence at the time). The nickled portion was in pretty good shape but all the non nickled parts where ragged, including the grips which crumbled when I tried to remove them.
Got the serial number from the bottom of the grip and tracked it to a former officer from a city north of me. He was retired, and at one point lived in another city much closer to us and his story was that it was supposedly stolen from his son, but he really suspected that the son owed some money and got out of the situation by getting rid of Dad's gun.
Gave him the opportunity to claim the gun but never heard from him one way or another. I left P&E shortly after this and never heard if he claimed it or not.
Circumstances were suspicious for sure but was never able to make any kind of case with it.
Got the serial number from the bottom of the grip and tracked it to a former officer from a city north of me. He was retired, and at one point lived in another city much closer to us and his story was that it was supposedly stolen from his son, but he really suspected that the son owed some money and got out of the situation by getting rid of Dad's gun.
Gave him the opportunity to claim the gun but never heard from him one way or another. I left P&E shortly after this and never heard if he claimed it or not.
Circumstances were suspicious for sure but was never able to make any kind of case with it.
firearmsunlimited
Member
7shooter
Member
When I was in college I was back home and was helping my mother clean the rooms in a motel she owned. When we turned the mattress we found a loaded model 36. No telling how long it had been there because she turned the mattresses only a couple of times a year. She called one of her friends on the local PD and he came and picked it up. Never heard what the deal was with it. We thought it probably had been stolen or the guy would have called to ask if we found it.
About 30 years ago a friend of mine (pretty talented amateur gunsmith with an FL) showed me a WWII GI 1911A1 that had been brought to him by an insurance adjuster. The gun had apparently been stolen and wound up spending some time out in the grass over a wet winter; quite a bit of pitting and initially it couldn't even be opened without penetrating oil and an hour or so of work. At any rate, the insurance company wound up with custody of the gun and wanted an estimate of the cost to restore it to decent shape.
The cost do do it right with some new parts and lots of labor was fairly high for what the gun was (this was around 1976 or so) so he and I were able to buy it for $45. I love projects...Other than being fairly ugly the gun wasn't all that bad mechanically. With so many flats I was able to drawfile almost all of the pits out, and beadblasting and a blue job would make the gun pretty presentable. My intention was to just make a utility piece out of it.
My wife (then fiance) was a beginning shooter then, and asked if she could have it. One thing led to another...we knew a gun engraver who was little known then but with real potential. I asked him how much coverage he would put on the gun (slide and frame) for $100, and he did about 1/4 nice coverage with a blue job. I thereafter put on a set of fancy Colt pewter grips and it made into a very nice gun for all of $200. The original barrel wasn't too bad but never shot well. We finally put a S&W mfd. 1911 barrel in it and now it shoots as good as it looks. Not bad for a GI gun that suffered severe abuse.
You never know how these things will turn out.
The cost do do it right with some new parts and lots of labor was fairly high for what the gun was (this was around 1976 or so) so he and I were able to buy it for $45. I love projects...Other than being fairly ugly the gun wasn't all that bad mechanically. With so many flats I was able to drawfile almost all of the pits out, and beadblasting and a blue job would make the gun pretty presentable. My intention was to just make a utility piece out of it.
My wife (then fiance) was a beginning shooter then, and asked if she could have it. One thing led to another...we knew a gun engraver who was little known then but with real potential. I asked him how much coverage he would put on the gun (slide and frame) for $100, and he did about 1/4 nice coverage with a blue job. I thereafter put on a set of fancy Colt pewter grips and it made into a very nice gun for all of $200. The original barrel wasn't too bad but never shot well. We finally put a S&W mfd. 1911 barrel in it and now it shoots as good as it looks. Not bad for a GI gun that suffered severe abuse.
You never know how these things will turn out.
texasplinker
Member
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For starters, I'm not an expert on firearns restoration and make no claims to be. There are a lot of people that know more about firearms than I do. That being said, I visited with a man recently that had a story similar to yours. He was working in his yard and found a rusted Smith and Wesson revolver. Like you, he turned it in to the police. They couldn't find any evidence of it being used in a crime or being reported stolen, so they returned it to him.
He had no idea what to do. He wanted to see if he could clean it up, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. On a hunch, he went to Sams Club and purchased a large container of Simple Green. He filled a cofee can full of Simple Green and allowed the revolver to soak in it for about two weeks. Afterwords, he pulled it out, brushed it off, cleaned it up and it is now shootable.
Like I said, I'm no expert, but perhaps this might be of some assistance.
He had no idea what to do. He wanted to see if he could clean it up, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. On a hunch, he went to Sams Club and purchased a large container of Simple Green. He filled a cofee can full of Simple Green and allowed the revolver to soak in it for about two weeks. Afterwords, he pulled it out, brushed it off, cleaned it up and it is now shootable.
Like I said, I'm no expert, but perhaps this might be of some assistance.
Wingmaster
Member
Are you required by law to call police if you find a gun?
Wing master
Wing master
model70hunter
Member
I've always let my conscience be my guide. I'd want someone to do right for me. I spotted a new BAR 06 with a new Leupold VXIII scope leaning up against a stump at an abandonded deer camp. I jumped out, picked it up and sat it between my dad and I in the truck. I stopped at the next camp and those boys were packing up. One of them knew one guy at the other camp, through him I found the owner. Would he have done the same for me? I guess what he would have done really doesn't matter, I know what I'd do.
Lets say a person found a nice prewar S&W 357 Mag in 3.5 inch with Ivory grips. Lets say that person lost the dance with the devil and kept it. Lets say a serial killer had used it on 10 or 20 good folks or just one and you are caught packing it. The correct answer will come to you while riding to jail in the back seat of a patrol car. Think they'll believe you at this point in the game?
Lets say a person found a nice prewar S&W 357 Mag in 3.5 inch with Ivory grips. Lets say that person lost the dance with the devil and kept it. Lets say a serial killer had used it on 10 or 20 good folks or just one and you are caught packing it. The correct answer will come to you while riding to jail in the back seat of a patrol car. Think they'll believe you at this point in the game?
Wingmaster
Member
I agree model 70,
I have no interest in taking someone elses stuff, but like you did with the BAR, tracking down the owner would be my prefered solution.
Here, the city has an auction every spring where they sell abandoned items. mostly bicycles and stuff like that. They used to sell guns at these auctions. They quit selling guns a few years ago. I don't know what they do with them. I would assume they either destroy them or some officer ends up with them. I think it is just wrong to destroy a fine firearm. or a cheap firearm.
Wing master
I have no interest in taking someone elses stuff, but like you did with the BAR, tracking down the owner would be my prefered solution.
Here, the city has an auction every spring where they sell abandoned items. mostly bicycles and stuff like that. They used to sell guns at these auctions. They quit selling guns a few years ago. I don't know what they do with them. I would assume they either destroy them or some officer ends up with them. I think it is just wrong to destroy a fine firearm. or a cheap firearm.
Wing master
model70hunter
Member
Hi Wingmaster, I wasn't implying any negatives to you sir, just sort of explaining my conscience. It's a good one, it was pounded into my head with several peach tree limbs by my mom. 
I think state laws would determine final disposition if you called in a found weapon.
I think state laws would determine final disposition if you called in a found weapon.
Lew Archer
Member
Interesting thread.
Back in the '50s, a friend of my father's gave him a .45 Colt 1911A1 Commercial. Brand new.
My dad's wife didn't like the gun.
She took it out of their Fairfax, Virginia, house and buried it somewhere in the backyard. He never could find it.
I'm glad he divorced her.
Lucky for me, he later met my mother and married her...
If he hadn't, I wouldn't be here to post this.
Hey, maybe I owe my life to that gun.
Back in the '50s, a friend of my father's gave him a .45 Colt 1911A1 Commercial. Brand new.
My dad's wife didn't like the gun.
She took it out of their Fairfax, Virginia, house and buried it somewhere in the backyard. He never could find it.
I'm glad he divorced her.
Lucky for me, he later met my mother and married her...
If he hadn't, I wouldn't be here to post this.
Hey, maybe I owe my life to that gun.
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armyscout92
Member
Interesting...
Wingmaster
Member
Model 70 Hunter,
No offense taken. I would do my best to find the rightful owner. I just don't know if turning it over to police would be the best way of finding the owner. If you are required to turn in a found firearm to police, then that is what I would do.
Wing master
No offense taken. I would do my best to find the rightful owner. I just don't know if turning it over to police would be the best way of finding the owner. If you are required to turn in a found firearm to police, then that is what I would do.
Wing master
Northfield Gun
Member
Thats not so bad, most of my guns are worse, just put some oil on it and it will be fine.... 
