A possible interesting C&R situation...

[OHOD]

I like to go up to Stanislaus National Forest. In this forest, there is the Emigrant Trail that passes through the Sierra Nevada's via Ebetts Pass.

When I go hiking, I bring my metal detector and have found some interesting objects, but nothing to write home about.

Let's say I found a revolver...for arguments sake, let's say it is a Colt .45 SA.
Rusty and functions minimally, hammer pulls back, cylinder rotates and that's it. Of course you would not shoot such a relic, but what would one have to do with regards to California law.
Would I have to register the revolver?
Would I have 19 days to comply?
Finders keepers?

The chances of this happening are remote, but what if?

[kurac]

Well, we could talk about what ifs all day long and sometimes its better not to say anything at all.

[tgriffin]

Technically the found property, any found property, should be turned over to the local, state, or federal police agency with jurisdiction in the area where the item was found. After 30 days, if unclaimed the item can be requested to released back to the party that turned in. In the event that a firearm is involved a LEGR would need to be filed in order to recurve the property back.

[tgriffin]

Recieve* the property back.

[Datamancer]

Yeah, turn it in, let them look it over, make sure it's not the gun that killed Jimmy Hoffa, etc, then if no one claims it, they'll turn it back over to you, and it's yours!

-~D~-

[knucklehead0202]

they'll keep it, melt it down into something that may or not be useful but you'll never see it again. just say, "I didn't find a damn thing, this was just a what if scenario"
even if i found Hoffa's body i wouldn't turn it over to the clowns in this state.

[TRICKSTER]

If I remember correctly the Tate/LaBianca murders were solved in part with the help of a citizen that turned in a pistol that he found. This helped convict the Manson Family.

So lets say you found a gun.
Although its highly improbable that this gun was used in a murder, do you want to live with the thought that your actions might have let a murderer escape justice. You just never know. Do the right thing.

[ak47762]

Depends how cool the gun was

[OHOD]

Let's say the revolver is a rusted hulk found 18" beneath the soil? Clearly a relic from 1860's.

[Dolk]

What if? What if? What if?

What if someone killed someone with it 3 years ago and dug a 18" deep hole and threw it in and conditions there at that area made it look a lot older?

Point is, if you don't turn it in, you take a risk of being in possession of....? If you are OK with that, then..........................

[smle-man]

This came up several years ago when a guy found and removed a relic cap and ball revolver from a mine in the ANF. He got in trouble with the government. The article I read quoted the FS as saying that nothing may be removed from the forest unless it is permitted specifically. Even pine cones and rocks have to stay put.

[olhunter]

If it was really buried 140 years ago, there wouldn't be much left of it. It was probably buried more recently if it still turns and cocks. If the barrel is corroded, ballistics may be useless anyway. Hypothetically of course. And I would turn it in. Just in case. There might be an open case nearby with a missing body. Who buries a gun in the woods? Bad guys. Keep looking.

[Barabas]

It's a Colt SA buried on the Emigrant Trail! The bad guy who buried it has probably been dead since the 30's at the latest. I'd be curious about the legibility of the serial, which can be used to trace the firearm by the factory. This wouldn't be the first time a Colt SA has been found on the Emigrant.

Depending on the condition, it may be worth enough to require a hold with the local LEO. Depending where it was found along the trail, the local sheriff may be less likely to destroy it, than put it in a local museum where it might belong, depending on who it was originally sold to. The finder may be "persuaded" to donate it, in that case.

This is all theoretical, of course.

[Masterdebater]

unles it was really worth something then id call a lawyer making sure d get it back even if it killed someone in the past, use it for evidence and return it back to me to own hypethetically