Here's my "What If?"

[Treo]

Ok my what if is is real simple , given S.D. you draw, B.G. runs leaving behind the fine hand gun of your choice say, a Kimber. do you call the cops & turn it in or put it in your gun safe & call it even

 

[cslinger]

Call the cops since chances are it might be one of our fine members guns that was stolen and I would hope to get it back to said person, not to mention it might help catch the scumbag.

Chris

 

[sharpetop]

Ditto, what cslinger said.

 

[mrkwns]

Definitely don't put it in your safe, given the fact that you know nothing about the history of the gun. Who knows what crimes were commited with it in the past that you could be tying yourself to at some point in the future.

 

[Groucho_]

Probably hot, probably registered as stolen, if not it's on file somewhere under suspicion of having murdered someone. I say nuh, call the cops.

Maybe you could take the ammo as "spoil of war" though. Hahaha, just kidding, I don't know about that.

 

[blutarsky]

i wouldn't want to have anything to do with the gun or the ammo -- heck, i wouldn't even want to touch it except to take it to a more secure location until the cops came to relieve me of the burden.

also, i know if my stolen gun was out there in a similar situation i'd sure hope someone alerted the cops so i could get it back. it's great to get a gun out of the hands of a criminal, but even better to get it back in the hands of its rightful owner.

 

[che_70b]

I'm not sure how high the odds would be of a stolen gun getting returned to the rightfull owner, more likely to end up spending the rest of its days in an evidence locker somewhere. Thats not to say keeping it is a great idea, I just would not be to optimistic about it getting home.

 

[Pax Jordana]

I've heard of people getting prosecuted for turning in stolen guns, but I acknowledge that claim is unfounded until I can think of a Google search term that'll turn up results I haven't just dreamed up..


Given my paranoia, spend 35 cents to call the police from a pay phone, wait til the lights show up and disappear quicklike.

 

[Treo]

One nice thing about Colorado. State law prohibits police from registering guns , tracking sales or regulating private sales. Chances are the owner would never see it again. I suppose I could tell the police I bought it private sale outside a gunshow ( completely legal in Colorado) & ask them to check it against their records. That way if it comes up stolen, the owner gets it back. If not its all mine.

 

[AirForceShooter]

Call the cops and tell them if it's not stolen I want it.

AFS

 

[fearless leader]

There are probably prints on the gun to give you the identity of the BG that left it.

 

[crankshop1000]

If the BG had a Kimber and dropped it, he probably didn't buy it as the records would lead the police right to him.Sorry, turn it in.

 

[Bailey Boat]

I once had a stolen firearm returned to me when I lived in GA. It used to be a very nice J frame Smith, when I got it back I wouldn't insult my other guns by even putting it in the same safe. It didn't remotely look like the same gun that was stolen it was in such bad shape. It only lasted 2 days before I traded it away..... Bangers are not known for good firearms care......

 

[JamisJockey]

Sell it on the high road.

 

[che_70b]

Dad had a j frame smith stolen out of his truck once. It never came home.

 

[2Ais4U]

Keep it.

I'd keep it,get a new barrel and grips, that way there are no other prints on it and if it was used to shoot someone it wont be a ballistic match due to the new barrel.

 

[crankshop1000]

Serial number...Hello!!!

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

it could be a murder weapon, stolen, etc. definitely call the cops or you could wind up in a heap of trouble

 

[M2 Carbine]

given S.D. you draw, B.G. runs leaving behind the fine hand gun of your choice say, a Kimber. do you call the cops & turn it in or put it in your gun safe & call it even

Call the Sheriff and tell them there's a dead guy here that pulled a gun on me.
If I draw on a guy that just pulled a gun he isn't going to have a chance to run.

But as far as the subject question.
I'd call the Sheriff and I wouldn't touch the gun.

 

[tepin]

probably hot. call the cops

 

[alucard0822]

Calling the police and handing over the perps gun may make you a little sick, but it is cheap (basically free) insurance. Get caught with a reportedly stolen gun, especially if it is linked or could be identified in a few crimes in the area, and your legal troubles could cost the price of a NIB kimber several times over. It is very unlikely to happen, but who says a witness to the attempted crime didn't call the police, or a security camera somewhere didn't catch the whole incident, count your blessings that you succesfully defended yourself from attack, and no-one got killed, but don't press your luck. Who knows, calling the police, and handing over the gun might lead to the capture of a fugitive, resulting in a reward, resulting in a brand new Les Baer custom for the good citizen (not some banger's beat up kimber). Bad karma has a way of haunting you, best to avoid it any way you can.

 

[Fred Fuller]

There are more non-High Road answers on this thread than I am happy seeing. Those of you who have posted them need to do some serious re-examination of your basic principles (as well as a re-read of the agreement you signed to join up here). Once again, this is not your baby brother's Internet, and responsible behavior is expected here.

Call the locals, ask for a sergeant/detective to respond, and stand over the piece till they show up. Make sure they treat it as evidence, and consider it your good deed for the day. You cleared leather, which means you brandished (in most jurisdictions) same as the BG. YOU need to be the one who calls the cops to get dibs on the 'victim' block on the paperwork.

lpl/nc

 

[hso]

This isn't even an S&T question.

It boils down to, "I just got a gun from a known violent criminal. Should I keep it?".

You've got to be kidding?

Call the cops and hope it can help put the BG in jail.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Ethics & Practicality

Ethically, it's a no-brainer.

You call it in, wait for the guys in blue, report the event. Additionally, I wouldn't want something a bad guy's been using unless the PD gave it a clean bill of health and made it available.

Practically, it's a no brainer.

ANYTHING the bad guy dropped -- gun, drugs, bag of cash, jewels, sports car -- anything at all, you turn over as evidence.

You don't want anything in your possession that could be tied to a crime. Once more, if the PD vets it and declares it clean, and should they offer it as "unclaimed," then sure, take it. But not until it's been through quarantine.

I'm not familiar with police procedure and the rules and regs surrounding "found" goodies of this sort, but I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope of getting a phone call to "come collect yer booty."

 

[Byron Quick]

A Kimber? I'd turn in a $3K custom handgun in a heartbeat. Even ignoring ethics and my principles, I simply don't need that big a potential problem in my possession.

If some thief drops your air conditioner in my yard, you're going to get it returned to you if the serial number has been reported as stolen.