Found gun - can finder keep it?

[The Gleam]

Why would he even want it?

Probably broken, abused and "modified".

Probably stolen and probably has a life on it.

So.... the same could likely be said about many surviving WWII German "bring-backs" or plenty of used C&R that have been sold and re-sold time and time again. In some cases, like the guns of Bonnie & Clyde, it made them even more valuable.

Not knowing anything about the firearm in question, all of the above is silly speculation or fabricated emotional connotation applied with a disdain the likes of which liberals say about all guns.

It could just as likely be a nice SIG 220 in near NIB condition, and if the search turns up it wasn't stolen and he is able to put it in for a "found property" claim - Why not?

If it was found by him and not the police that were merely chasing some suspects, and they have no way to connect this firearm to those chased suspects (because the gun was not used in a crime and no actual evidence from that crime points to this gun) - again, why not?

Given the chance that the "chasing some suspects" suspects were actually arrested for some crime (were they?) that said suspect is not going to say "yeah, I lost my gun while you were chasing me for some other reason" or even if gun related, as to not reveal Mr. Suspect had a gun at the time, is the likely reason it was ditched.

Therefore:

1) Gun is not connected to the "chasing some suspects" suspects (if arrested at all).
2) Gun does not come back stolen, nor anything that connects it as evidence to a crime: it's just lost-and-found property.
3) Gun can't be traced to the original owner, whether that is of the suspects, or suspects stole it from someone else.
4) "chasing some suspects" suspect (if got away) and was his gun but not traceable to him, and does not go to the Police and say "I lost my gun".

--- Why should said friend NOT file for a "found property" claim - anyway?

File for the "found property" claim anyway - immediately - and whatever plays out separately will dictate in the long run whether this is tracked back to the original owner (stolen), is linked to a crime, or both (suspect is the owner). In absence of any of the latter, it will be his gun.

[The Gleam]

With any luck it'll be my Sig, that was stolen a few years back, and I'll get a call on it soon.

Good luck. You never know. There have been several Calgunners that have posted they got calls up to a decade later of their stolen gun having been found and LEO calling them to indicate their gun was found and it was to be returned to them.

If that happens, you've GOT to post pics!!!

[ElDub1950]

With any luck it'll be my Sig, that was stolen a few years back, and I'll get a call on it soon.

That would be a great story .. one CalGunner finding another CalGunner's stolen gun. Let us know how it turns out.

[Steve_In_29]

DROS is only in CA.

As for "The only unregistered guns out there are those that are stolen or were done by way of handshake/money transfer," that's why the push for "universal background checks" is actually a push for "universal registration" - it's not about "preventing felons and mentally ill from obtaining guns," but about "providing full trace of each gun (and making it convenient to enforce any AWB/roster/feature based ban)."

Also, see the post above by CSACANNONEER. I seriously doubt he stole any of his, or did a back-of-the-truck *illegal* cash transaction. Then, I don't know him personally, so anything is possible.

While DROS is only in CA (and some other states) there is still a universal registration of new handguns already. It's just one that takes more time to access....it's known as the 4473. Cops find pistol, contact manufacturer, manufacturer provides distributor, distributor provides dealer, dealer provides original owner from 4473.

The only pistols not traceable to current owner are the ones that were bought prior to 4473s, stolen or sold second-hand via a face-to-face transaction in localities that allow such. Though the original owner that bought it new via the 4473 might be eager to give up the name of the person he sold it to face-to-face once the cops come-a-knocking.

[baggss]

This is one one of those cases that make you really consider what you would do. What WOULD I do if I found a random gun in my backyard....?

[SneezySky]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I asked for pictures... Coming soon.

[The Gleam]

This is one one of those cases that make you really consider what you would do. What WOULD I do if I found a random gun in my backyard....?

Turn it into the Police just like the O/P did, and file for a "Found Property" claim?

There really isn't much debate about it or a "WHAT?" to consider. Would not even have to think twice.

[Twiki357]

MA5177: “No way will he get it back, especially in LA.”

This!

Unless things have changed since I escaped that hell hole, you’ll never get a gun back from LAPD. Once they get possession of a gun, it’s evidence until destroyed.

[Ronin2]

Bad karma....walk away.....

[Fishslayer]

This.....it belongs to whoever legally owned it LAST! And it should be returned to them. Golden rule.

And I should have been born into a rich family.

That didn't happen either...

[thenaz11c]

When I was working as rangemaster and closing up for the day I had a couple of pistols that were left on the range. I contacted the local sheriff to turn them in and had to fill out a lost property form as part of the deal.

On the form it had a guide for how lost property could be disposed of. One of the ways was that after a certain amount of time, sixty days I think it was, the finder could make a claim on it.

Bad part for me was that right under that line in bold print was:

"Exception, firearms may not be claimed."

This was a Placer County Sheriff's form and I don't remember seeing a code section sited on it so I don't know if it was by law or department policy but I could not claim them if the owner was never found.

Hope this helps.

[liber]

Maybe the tooth fairy will bring him some ammo for it also...when the police give it back to him...

It's always good to dream though, those without dreams never have dreams come true...

[CSACANNONEER]

Sig will have each serial number in their database and have record of which wholesaler/distributer that SIG sent it to. In turn, the wholesaler/distributer will have record of what FFL is was shipped to for sale. They will lookup the DROS and find the last registered owner.

The only unregistered guns out there are those that are stolen or were done by way of handshake/money transfer.

FAIL AND FUD! There are millions of legally owned and unregistered firearms in CA. That includes many legally owned handguns.

[cudakidd]

Prior to 1992 private handgun sales were legal, thus lots of legally transferred handguns not in the DOJ database...

[CSACANNONEER]

Sig will have each serial number in their database and have record of which wholesaler/distributer that SIG sent it to. In turn, the wholesaler/distributer will have record of what FFL is was shipped to for sale. They will lookup the DROS and find the last registered owner.

The only unregistered guns out there are those that are stolen or were done by way of handshake/money transfer.

Prior to 1992 private handgun sales were legal, thus lots of legally transferred handguns not in the DOJ database...

Also, intrafamilar transfers were not tracked until years after that. I forget when reporting of handguns by people moving to CA started. Plus, of course, home built firearms are still not required to be registered. Finally, it is still legal to transfer long guns to minors via intrafamilar transfers with zero paperwork/registration.