A Crime or A Lost Sidearm?

[Curious The George]

I found this .45 semi-auto pistol yesterday. I, so far, looks to be a military Colt .45. Had wooden grips and the few fragments remaining of them look to be walnut to me. The magazine is still in the magazine well. I can't see any bullets through the tell tale holes in the magazine but that doesn't mean there isn't one or two there and possibly one in the tube.

I now have it in an electrolysis bath and hopefully in a few days will have it cleaned up a little.

I found it in a large wooded tract of land with no houses currently nearby. It was about 18" down in the ground. I have no idea if it was intentionally buried or lost by someone passing through the woods years ago.

As corroded and deep as it was, if it was lost, it was lost a very long time ago.

 

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[Curious The George]

I might add if it was intentionally buried where I found it, someone went to a lot of trouble to do it.

But you can't hide from Curious The George.

 

[texjim]

Awesome gun. You might would want to give to the cops to be on the safe side.

 

[gearjammer]

Looks like it has been there a while, hope it cleans up good.

 

[thrifty76now]

Turn it in to the F.B.I.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I offered the pistol I found to the police, but they told me to keep it. That gun itself, like the one I found, is WAY too gone to help in any investigations, but if the town is small enough they may have a cold case that involved a .45.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/members/18502-albums4377-picture1218407.html

 

[trapperart]

Cool find

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Hard telling how it got there, but I'd imagine it was probably lost by a hunter or camper. As far as giving it to the police, like Terry said, it's way too toasty to get ballistics out of, and I'm sure the serial number will be gone too, so tracing it would be impossible. From how thick the rust is I'd say it's a safe bet that it's been there for a long time. It's a shame it's fried, the 1911 is probably my favorite American pistol...

 

[Ahab8]

A quick story for you. There's a guy here in Maine that I know who found a hand gun and a cel phone while detecting. He brought them both to the cops and they were able to link them to a grizzly murder in which two drug dealers from Mass shot three teenagers in a car then burned them inside. The gun and phone were instrumental in putting those two away. This obviously was an extreme case but you just never know what you might have.

 

[DBANDGB]

that deep, i would guess buried at one time

 

[against the wind]

My opinion, , too deep to have been dropped. Maybe in an open lot where dirt or fill was dropped off. That doesn't happen in a large wooded tract of land. Yep, , I would definitely go with intentionally being buried. If you remember which way the barrel was pointing, then measure off a distance of 10 paces. That is where the Bank Loot was buried. lol
Congrats on a sweet find.

 

[CityDigger]

Agree with Dbang

 

[G.I.B.]

Electrolysis. Get that thing cooking and knock the rust off.

Super find.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Congrats nice recovery.
Ya that's been there for awhile.

 

[Curious The George]

Electrolysis. Get that thing cooking and knock the rust off.

Super find.

It's in the tank right now.

 

[treblehunter]

I found a snubnose, swore it was real then I was trying ti knock off a little of the rust and discovered it was a toy gun. Yours looks real cook it for awhile and keep us posted. I bet you will be able to read a serial number if there is one that has not been filed off already. That deep tells me it was buried, might not be that long ago judging by the amount of rust I see in your pix. That really looks to me to not be allot of rust? JMO

Cool find nice work

 

[villagenut]

I would have turned it in to authorities, even if they scoff at any significance. It may have been found on property where there was an investigation many years ago...that turned up everything but the weapon. That is one thing that may have been needed to convict. Who knows what went on at the location you found it. The body may have been just a foot away from the gun......wow, I am reading way more into this than I need to. I need another beer

 

[DCMetal]

This one is just too interesting to let go.. please keep us posted.

 

[against the wind]

It's in the tank right now.

Will electrolysis fire a round that may still be in the chamber?
You could let it soak in a Cider vinegar bath for a few days.
Just saying.

 

[UnderMiner]

That thing could have been buried for 60 or 70 years. If it's a real Colt 1911 the high quality steel should have held up under all that rust quite well, so after electrolysis it should look pretty nice. After electrolysis you may also want to consider dunking it into some "Evapo-Rust" or similar de-rusting solution, it's cheap and I've been using it to much success, it gets anything the electrolysis doesn't and makes the metal ultra clean without damaging it, also nontoxic and harmless to skin.