Got a great tip at work last week

[FROGO207]

I was changing a hot water heater in a summer cottage last week and found a full rifle case well hidden behind it. When I went to reinstall the new HWH the rifle case that was there would not go back in the same place and also showed above the new smaller heater some. Before this it was totally hidden from view. I called the owner and told her the problem. She said that her father ( now deceased) must have left it there and wanted me to remove it so the weekly renters could not hurt themselves. "Just take it to the PD and get rid of it, we don't really want a gun there or need one back here." she said. So I explained that I own a few myself and would like to keep it if that was OK. "Great it's yours then." she replies. When I opened the case to make sure it was unloaded before transporting it ( with the renters gone BTW) I find a 12 GA 3 shot Sears bolt action with an adjustable choke. Actually made by Stevens arms around 1960-61 in unfired condition still with the store tags on it. I think that this was a really great tip.

 

[scaatylobo]

WOW

Lucky you and congrats !!.

 

[Roadkill]

Good on you for being honest. Years back an acquaintance did plumbing work in Atlanta. In the basement of old Victorian era house he had to remove a wall section to get to pipes, found a WWII footlocker. Of course he had to open it, there were two M3s with a stack of loaded magazines all still in original packing. He told the owners, by the stencils on the footlocker it was obvious that it was left by the previous owner, now deceased. They called the PD, came and picked them up.

 

[PRM]

Good find and a great gift. Some folks are just not gun-people.

I had an uncle pass away about eight years ago and his wife did not want her grand-children to have guns, so she either gave them away to other relatives or sold what he had. She gave me a Baby Browning that was put up for safe keeping. Fast forward, his oldest grandson has grown-up and is living on his own. He has got into shooting and loves guns. Christmas two years ago I called him into another room where we could talk privately. I handed him the little Browning, he remembered it, all I said was Merry Christmas. Some moments are priceless.

 

[J_L_A]

Very nice!! Got any pics?

 

[bannockburn]

FROGO207

Nice story and even nicer find! Makes you wonder if the shotgun was meant to be a gift for someone long since forgotten, and now over 40 years later it's finally been gifted...to you.

 

[armoredman]

PRM, awesome.
Frogo, nice find, and great that everyone is happy.

 

[pinstripe]

That's a great tale, but as they say, with out pics it never happened. Waiting to see your tip. Good going.

 

[medalguy]

Maybe the guy was hiding it from his wife before telling her he bought another gun? Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[BADUNAME37]

A number of decades ago, I did some work at an old couples' home, the old guy was kind of losing his mind. He told me that they had the entire attic insulated with blown-in cellulose. He told me his wife didn't want him to have the guns any longer so she told the contractor to put the guns in the attic and blow the insulation over them.

Each time I see that house, I am tempted to ask the current owners if I can bring my metal detector there and if we find anything, share in the wealth. I guess the only problem may be getting to them may make a real mess, especially if part of the ceiling has to be removed.

Then there is the question of how they would have lasted over these twenty or so years, they might be good as new or they might be all rusted together.

 

[Fishslayer]

Maybe the guy was hiding it from his wife before telling her he bought another gun?

And when he told her... well...

 

[mnrivrat]

My first 1911 was retreaved from the back of a garbage truck. Old guy died and wife threw it in the garbage. The guy running the crusher in back saw it and recovered it along with some nickle plated ammo.

I bought a couple rifles a few months ago from a guy who found them in the attic of his house.

Hidden treasures are still around.

 

[rondog]

Wow, great gift there FROGO! What's really amazing is that it was in a case and hadn't rusted over completely from the case absorbing and holding moisture. Especially that close to a water heater. Maybe the heat from the WH kept the case dried out all those years.

Everyone dreams of finding an old gun, or an old motorcycle, old car, etc., and a lucky few still do now and then.

 

[303tom]

Great find.................Pictures.

 

[monet61]

Good for you and how about some photos?
Would really like to see it.

 

[FROGO207]

I am a bit computer challenged and have not been able to do the picture thing. I have an older camera and getting it to talk with my computer is not working, might be the cable. I will see if I can manage to figure it out. Oh BTW I have already fired it and it works well while the action is a bit stiff yet.

 

[Owen Sparks]

I once found a couple of nice Remington .22's in the attic of a house my parents recently bought. The previous owner had moved to Florida and after five years he still has not called to ask for them back.

 

[2DREZQ]

The last time I helped someone fix plumbing in a basement I found a dead cat

Some guys are just lucky, I guess.
:banghead:

 

[Ignition Override]

It would be nice if local police depts. could auction some guns that they "found", after investigations are closed (serial numbers, checked for fingerprints etc).
Enough items are found "missing" every several years from the main downtown evidence room, that such an auction really should not matter anyway.

 

[Buck Kramer]

Pics or it didnt happen!!!

 

[Ky Larry]

I recall reading a news article a few years ago about a man in Detroit who was remodeling an old house. Beside the fireplace he found a hidden compartment that contained a brand new 1928 Thompson, a case of Win ammo, and 2 50rnd drum mags. He turned them over to the police who said it would all be destroyed. ( I'm sure it was destroyed, right after the pigs were fed and ready to fly.) Some research showed that the house was bought in 1929 by a man who was a member of Detroits Purple Gang. He disappeared in 1934 and the city seized and auctioned off the house for failure to pay taxes. Wish I could quote a source. This just from memory and we all know how reliable that can be.

 

[edfrompa]

Were you able to keep the cat??

 

[545days]

Deleted - reading is fundamental, and I missed the point that it was a summer cabin, and therefore probably not currently inhabited by tenants.

 

[TRX]

> Stevens

From the gun breakdown book I have, I'm pretty sure that's the same gun as the Savage I used to have. It was definitely an inexpensive (if not downright cheap) shotgun, but it's one of the few that I traded off that I truly miss. The balance was more to the rear than a traditional shotgun, and I was a better shot with it than the Mossberg that I replaced it with.

Run a few boxes of shells through it and let us know what you think.