legality of "burying your guns"

[the 22 junkie]

Everywhere I go (on the internets), I keep seeing all these people on gun message boards talking about stripping down they're Ar-15's, packing them in grease/cosmoline, sealing them in PVC pipes with epoxy, and burying them in the middle of nowhere with a case of 5.56 FMJ for when The Man comes for them. What us the legality of doing this, and does any one know the proper way to do this?

 

[tulsamal]

What us the legality of doing this

How can it be illegal to bury something you own on your own property?!

Is it "legal" to bury your big screen TV in your back yard?

Now don't try this with your wife! Moving or not moving.

Gregg

 

[gunsmith]

it depends on the state probably.

IANAL

Strangely enough in CA this would probably be ok as your allowed to throw your guns away in any way you choose.
bet other states have strict laws on disposing of weapons.
However if they're not registered....

As to whether this is a good Idea or safe for the guns...I have no clue...

 

[Lupinus]

perfectly legal far as I know

however, the reasons for doing it might mean it would be a crime in the future

 

[Pilgrim]

If you are going to bury guns in your yard, I suggest burying other things like washing machines, dryers, old lawn mowers, anything with significant amounts of ferrous material to give false alerts to metal detectors.

Pilgrim

 

[Warren]

And you sure don't want to get ahold of many pounds of steel shot, spoons, forks, knives, or old bearings, and spread all that around under the sod. That would be bad.

 

[armoredman]

Nope - they'd just bring in a backhoe, and rip the whole place up. Why waste time?

 

[p35bhp09]

I always liked the phrase...

If it's time to bury your guns then it's time to dig them up!

 

[Husker1911]

I believe the thread author is probably asking the legality of burying guns off your own property. If that's the case, it seems to me that the buried treasure becomes the property of anyone discovering and recovering the property.

As far as concealing your buried loot, the posters mentioning the possibility/probability of others (the Oppressive Government) discovering your buried bullion via technological means is nearly overwhelming. Unless you're able to bury your stash under or near buried pipelines, I think you're probably bound to be detected. Still, with a GPS unit, and/or damn good mapmaking skills, detailing within about ten square yards, and being careful where and when you utilize public grounds, one might be surprised just how secure one's burial stash might be. Best of luck, and this message will self-destruct in ten readings from now!

 

[geekWithA.45]

My assumption is that any cached firearms are for situations in which the legality of the cacheing act is the very least of my concerns.

 

[lance22]

First, gun confiscations already happen, and if you own a 'scary lookin' gun it's always possible that the gun you LEGALLY purchased will become illegal. And, on the first round of confiscations they probably won't know for sure what you have, if you still have what you have, if you ever had what you have. So, 'hiding' away a valued piece might not be a bad idea and they won't necessarily know to look for it even if they have some paperwork on the subject.

If somebody hid away a little money for a rainy day, would that be crazy? Because, they might have to leave in the middle of the night or the ATM's might not be working or whatever ... is that so far out? I think Katrina has reminded us of what we already know .... my .02

 

[arthurcw]

Aye! Buryin' me loot always worked fer me!

Captain Kidd

 

[1 old 0311]

Get 30-40 small pieces of rebar. Soak them in urine for a few days, then salt the area with them. This was listed in a SOF cashing guide I saw.

 

[Fosbery]

well you dont live in the UK,Canada or Cali so I would'nt even worry about it...

Burying your guns isn't illegal in the UK, so long as it is on your own land.

 

[coltrane679]

Get 30-40 small pieces of rebar. Soak them in urine for a few days, then salt the area with them. This was listed in a SOF cashing guide I saw.

OK, I'll bite---*** is urine supposed to do to rebar in a few days that makes it a required element of this little ploy?

 

[AJAX22]

I don't know about the urine, I've heard that caching in barnyards was good because the iron content in urine can make detection more dificult. Its possible that the urine will strip the finish off the rebar and promote rust, and the more difused you can get the iron oxide the better.

I personally feel that if you're going to be spending money on metal, just go to a machine shop and buy a 55 gallon drum filled with iron shavings, they sell it at salvage prices, or they may just swap it for a case of beer.

 

[Art Eatman]

Lord luvva duck! Can't folks stay with the subject? And answer the questioon?

"Art, what happened to the thread?"
"Aw, I just deleted the off-topic stuff."

, Art

 

[Geno]

Lordy--Don't forget the heavy-duty tin foil!

Lordy--Don't forget the heavy-duty tin foil--several rolls! Given today's modern technological advancements, "they" can probably now penetrate several layers.

In all seriousness. I would NEVER bury any arms. Stealing is the smallest problem. What do you use to defend yourself as you dig up your arms? Also, I seriously doubt "they" will ever come to get your arms. Seriously. And if they do, we would have developed FAR bigger problems than that.



Doc2005

 

[Art Eatman]

If you have legal access to property, you can at the present time bury whatever you want--guns, gold, whatever.

If some sort of confiscatory law were passed, and you didn't dutifully dig up and turn in said firearms, you would THEN become an outlaw.

Best would be in a location not associated with you, personally, but to which you'd have access. That's for you to figure out, not me. If somehow the firearms were found, you'd not be Mr. Suspect.

Method? Nothing wrong with the preservative and PVC pipe idea.

Given what's going on in the world, I don't see Congress or any state trying to pass a confiscatory law. For all that the numbers of us, the activists, are relatively few, a confiscatory law would then gore the ox that is the greater majority of non-activist gun owners--and that's some 40 million households.

IOW, forget the tinfoil hat stuff.

Art

 

[MechAg94]

Unless it could be considered a hazardous or environmentally unfriendly material, I don't see it as illegal.

If you have more than half an acre of property, you might be able to do it with little risk of it being discovered. Just make sure that if you ever move that you remember to dig it up and take it with you. I don't see where metal detectors would come into play unless someone knew you had buried something in a certain area.

 

[MechAg94]

If it's time to bury your guns then it's time to dig them up!

I think I agree with this.

 

[hillbilly]

If the political realities get so bad that burying the guns becomes a realistic choice, then I'd agree that'd be the time you need guns the most.

hillbilly

 

[unspellable]

In Lithuainia

In Lithuainia this used to be a standaing joke.

"Why do the Lituainians oil their flowers?"

"To keep the guns from rusting."

 

[wingnutx]

OK, I'll bite---*** is urine supposed to do to rebar in a few days that makes it a required element of this little ploy?

That part is just for personal amusement

 

[Eleven Mike]

What is the legality of doing this?

If you're asking that question, you'll never do it.