Rossi 38 Special in My Scoop .. Yikes!

[DrJoePrime]

Found something a bit more unusual yesterday.

In the wet sand at about 4" deep a strong signal...landed THIS in my scoop.


Called my local police station this morning and they sent a car to pick it up. I have a report number but the officer thought the gun would be destroyed after all investigation about it is through.

I would like to restore it...it's stainless steel and the black crud comes off easily in a vinegar bath. I'm wondering if anyone knows the specific legal issues about having it returned to me? I would definitely have it disabled and keep as a collectible and possible display it in a frame on the wall. The last photo shows what it would look like restored.

 

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[Blind.In.Texas]

Gun laws vary from state to state. Assuming it was not used in a crime and held for evidence, or if there is not a lost/stolen report on file, you may be able to claim it. It's important that you send a registered return receipt letter to the head of the law enforcement law agency that picked it up stating that you want to claim it if it is not contriband. Here in my jurisdiction there is no need to disable it to claim it. Owning an unregistered handgun is accepted as being a constitutional right here in Oklahoma. Having a carry permit would strengthen my claim if I had found it. Good luck and keep us informed. Monty

Good info Monty. Rules like that are why I like Okiehoma.......I have a friend that lives in Rattan.

 

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[Kanyontreasures]

dang i want that in my scoop...............i would have a hard time handing it to the cop i would want to restore it to.....great finds!!

 

[DigginThePast]

Hi Mike in OC ...Welcome to the forum.

I am most sure it was not dropped where I found it. They are building up the beaches towards the San Gabriel River side and the sand comes from dredging close to the harbor at the L.A. River. Last year the city posted signs indicating their intentions of using that harbor dredged sand. The sand was deposited over the past couple of years in large mounds right at the Belmont Shore Beaches, I presume to dry out.

When I called the regular police department number he directed me to call the dispatcher. The dispatcher sent someone over within about 20 minutes. I received a phone call from the dispatcher telling me the officer was outside and to come out WITHOUT the gun. Thinking about it I understood very well. Here they knew a firearm was in my house and they didn't know my exact state of mind. So when I came outside I gave him my most innocent smile and told him: "you guys are as afraid (respectful) of guns as I am"...He smiled back and said that they take firearms very seriously.

It was a good experience no attitude from the officer. He gave me a report number and said I could inquire about details of the gun investigation. BUT whatever the outcome the gun would be destroyed. I pressed him a bit on the fact that I thought that I had a legal claim to it and he stopped listening and just repeated: It WILL be destroyed."

Right now I have a phone# to the California Attorney General's Firearms section and I hope to learn the legalities of having the gun destroyed.

Right now too .. I WANT THAT GUN MORE THAN EVER!

And I must admit that I am a strong advocate of gun control (and not just in aiming ).

HH Joe

You are a "strong advocate" of gun control and yet you want the gun back?

 

[Des from down under]

The way i see it is you owned , it now you dont ..same over here if we find anything relating to our culture..we dont own it !!!..I guess different with a shooter but to keep hobbist detectorists handing in supposed illegal whatevers or cultural bits an pieces you think a thank you to pin on the wall would be better than st..f all......lets hope a top fed official gets into diggn...des

 

[treasurefiend]

That would be awesome to find either in my scoop on at the bottom of my plug!!!

 

[47thelement]

Guess I'm not getting my gun back! hehehe just kidding.

Wouldn't it be cool if some crime was solved by the recovery of this gun. that might get our hobby some headlines.

 

[Brian(upstateNY-Central Fla.)]

very cool find and lots of good posts here
Let us know how you make out

 

[kenley]

All this wasn't making any sense, then ...California! Duh. Than't where it's against the law to clear brush from your property to prevent fueling wild fires that strip the soil that releases mud slides.
"When seconds count, the police are only minutes away"

 

[kenley]

I can't imagine a police department giving a dangerous weapon to someone.

I can't imagine even getting the PD involved, well, maybe for a rossie. The only time I'm involved with the PD is when they ask me to look for brass.
police don't keep the peace.....they collect revenue.

 

[EDDE]

My gram was fishing in Florida and caught a gun

 

[DigginThePast]

My gram was fishing in Florida and caught a gun

Cool find. 8) There are many bodies of water with guns lost in them. Not all are illegal though, some were accidental.

 

[Indyfan73]

when i found my little 38 2 or so years ago i did the same and called the police and they came a took it but i made the officer put in the top of the report to returne in the gun was elagable (not used in a crime or stolen) i got it back all jacked up 3 moths latter and even got the background on it it was lost 50+ years prior to the time i found it and the former owner was decesed ( he lost it while fishing with his grand kids) got a copy of the orignal police report and the gun is mine now. hope yous goes the same way i am building a display case for it and the paperwork also.

 

[Garabaldi]

Great find and even more impressive is handing it into the police.
I am in Mass and actually live in the city of Boston. I stopped by the police headquarters and asked two woman behind the info counter how I could go about getting my licence to carry a handgun. They paused, looked at each other and then both starting to laugh out loud. One of them looked at me and asked me why I wanted it. I said for protection. She said "good luck". I was told it was nearly impossible to get a licence living in the city. I had to be a convenient store owner or other occupation where I could justify having it, then have to sit with the chief of police to justify why. I gave up on it. I was later informed from a friend who has his (court officer) that I would have to take a firearms class first then it would be possible.
I detect in the city parks often and the city beaches and have found a lot of live ammo. One time I stopped by my local police station and showed them some of the live rounds thinking they would be greatfull I have recovered them from parks that children play in, but they could care less. Initially they wanted to know where I found it, but once realized it was old, they said you may want to hold on to it as a relic. I said good idea and left with them. Bottom line I will never hand over bullets to the cops again. 8)

 

[texan connection]

Consider it Gone, If you wanted to keep it youd of been better off not Letting the cops have it. If you thought it may be part of a Crime Then you did the right thing.

 

[RGINN]

Very interesting find. You probably won't get it back. I feel you did the right thing by turning it in to the police. No, I'm not assuming automatically it was used in a crime. But if it was, it might be the key in solving a cold case. And of course, it could have fallen out of someone's pocket, waistband, or fanny pack. I have trouble imagining that because seriously, if you could lose your gun just walking along the beach and not know it you have no business with one and didn't need it very badly to begin with. I will concede it could happen.

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

That's a nice find. You did the right thing and I hope you can get it back... I was at a storage unit auction several years ago and saw an AK-47 standing against the wall in the unit. There was lots of interest in the unit till they saw me pick up the rifle. I heard a couple of them say they wouldn't bid on it because of the rifle and that made the rest of them back off. I got the whole unit loaded down with all kinds of goodies for $50.00.... After I got all of the stuff home I called the police dept. in the city where I bought the stuff and asked them to run the numbers to see if it was stolen. The officer said I had to bring it in and let them check it to make sure all of the numbers matched before they could run a check on it. I thought they just wanted me to bring it in so they could confiscate it. Anyway, I got to the police dept. and went in without the rifle and told them I was the one who called to get it checked. He said to bring it right in. I was real paranoid just walking in with it, lol. He checked all of the numbers to make sure they all matched and ran a check on it. After a few seconds he said it was clean and handed it back to me ... He smiled and said for me to have a great day and thanked me for bringing it in. I was really surprised and very thankful the way it turned out. I wasn't about to keep it on the chance it was stolen or had been used in a crime so it was best to have it checked and risk it being taken away from me. I also made sure the storage unit manager signed a piece of paper with the rifle type and serial number on it so I could prove where I bought it just in case it was hot.

DANGLANGLEY

 

[orviskid]

you should be able to get that back, its not gonna work anymore. maybe if you threw at someone it could be a weapon. way too rusted to cause any damage. its not lethal in that condition.