If you own .38/44 HD serial #45969 ...

[357magster]

... bad news ...

It was possibly stolen from the police in 1945:





Questions for LEOs: Do stolen firearms records go back 74 years? What would happen to this gun if it was stolen in 1945 and found today? Would it be returned to the original police department? Auctioned off? Destroyed?

Thanks.

 

[Muss Muggins]

The issue would be whether or not the department went back and entered their archived stolen property once NCIC became a thing. More likely in a large department than a small department. If that occurred, if the firearm were recovered and if the record identified the original owner, and if the original owner/heir/estate were able to legally possess/receive a firearm, then it would in theory be returned at the conclusion of whatever criminal case may have been initiated by the recovery.

Lots of ifs . . .

 

[phonejack]

Made me look. Mine is about 250 units earlier

 

[CptCurl]

Mine's over 10,000 units earlier. Whew!

Curl

 

[bluetopper]

Where is Metropolitan PD?

 

[Watchdog]

Where is Metropolitan PD?

Metropolis.

 

[DCWilson]

Where is Metropolitan PD?

Washington, D.C., I'd wager (but I don't know for sure).

 

[bower]

Washington DC precinct 8.

 

[rubiranch]

I'm not going to post the serial number to mine.

 

[SDH]

NICS doesn't have a data base nor check on stolen firearms. You local BATF Agent will tell you to 'call the sheriff'.

 

[Muley Gil]

Many, many years ago, in a land far away, I was a certified NCIC/ACJIS operator. Muss Muggins was correct in that older thefts have to be entered into the National Crime Information Center and into the local state run Criminal Justice Information System sometimes years after the crime was committed. These days, stolen firearms are entered into the system as soon as the local authorities deem the report is complete and ready.

 

[Chuck24]

We had a detective from the Richmond area come pick up a rifle from the pawn shop where I work that was reported stolen 14 years ago, but this would be a little much.

 

[pawncop]

Allow me to share my experiences as my responsibilities include property recovery and NCIC validation.

First observation is we must be able to make contact with the victim (or complainant, in Texas). Most likely I would suspect that would be difficult.

I had a situation where the rifle was listed in NCIC, but the agency could not locate the report. The case was 15 years old, they had changed their reporting system, the old system had been archived and no one knew how to access it. I refused to seize the rifle and they took it out of NCIC.

Each year I have to make contact with the victim and this allows us to keep the firearm in NCIC. We also had an old reporting system that was replaced and it crashed several years ago. It took me a while to find and then delete those entries, but we did not have a choice. If I cannot contact the victim the firearm is removed from NCIC.

So unless the victim can be contacted, I think you’re OK.

I hope you find this helpful.

 

[bulletslap]

About 15 years ago I gave my Son a Winchester 101 I bought from a guy I meet at the skeet range. Years go by and he moves to Lubbock, and the Gun is stolen from his pickup. A couple of months later the Gun is recovered by the Lubbock PD and they call him with good news/bad news.

They recovered the Gun he report stolen, however it was reported stolen before, in 1988 ! My son told the Popo "&*#@$ I didn't steal it, I was 6 years old in 1988" my Dad gave it to me. Then he asked me who I bought it from, Hell if I know some guy I met once at the skeet range back around 1999.

So some how the Lubbock PD puts the original owner in touch with my Son, and they hit it off over the phone. The gentleman purchased it in 1966 on they way back from Viet Nam in Japan, it was stolen from his pickup. My Son is a vet also and they form a friendship.

My son tells him how he got the Gun, and the original owner sells it to him for a hundred dollars, as he is too old to hunt with it.

It all worked out, and no Cops came looking for me.

Btw my advice is to get a safe for your truck.

 

[model3sw]

... bad news ...

It was possibly stolen from the police in 1945:





Questions for LEOs: Do stolen firearms records go back 74 years? What would happen to this gun if it was stolen in 1945 and found today? Would it be returned to the original police department? Auctioned off? Destroyed?

Thanks.

Or, it could have long since been recovered.