My Friends Found a Rifle in the Woods

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My friends found a rifle in the woods, under an old iron bridge, and brought it to me. I feel I need a tetanus shot just looking at it. The rifle, which is a .22, is badly damaged. Take a look:

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I haven't cleaned it up yet and so there are no markings. Once I do I will post some pics. I think it's destroyed, but might consider taking it to a gun buy back and use that money to buy another firearm (or ammo). A penny for your thoughts?
 
I would take it to the police, but then again that's just me and if I ever found any gun I would turn it in and tell the police where it was found.

Still its your find you can do what you want with it;)
 
I would take it to the police, but then again that's just me and if I ever found any gun I would turn it in and tell the police where it was found.

Still its your find you can do what you want with it
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My first question to them was, "Aren't you worried it was used to kill somebody or is stolen?" It's not a bad idea, I'll probably clean it up, look for a serial, ask them whether they want it, and then call someone about it. Wouldn't mind hearing from a lawyer, though.

It's 5am. Not much I can do now. My thoughts on the origin of the rifle is that some teen had it, broke it (or it was broke already) and left it as trash. It is missing the trigger and whatnot.
 
I agree take it to the police. In the woods, under a bridge... does not sound good to me.

EDIT:
I would take it to the Kentucky State Police post. If it has been used in a crime, the KSP has that hi tech facility in Frankfort which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from you.
 
Eh, it's an old .22 rifle. They get left behind, dropped, or just tossed. I doubt there is anything illicit about it. Do the gun buy back thing. Those are supposed to be no questions asked right? So no problem.

Even if they somehow link it to a crime and track it back to you, just be honest and tell them what happened. There would be nothing connecting you to any supposed crime.

Let's be real world here - its a crappy ol' ruined .22. Get what you can for it and be done with it.
 
WOW... I need to go romping through your part of the woods!

You make it sound like people just toss .22 rifles all the time. I have never seen (or even heard) of anyone leaving behind, dropping, or just tossing one before.
 
Me and my friends have found way more interesting stuff than old rusted .22s. If it is a true Glenfield Marlin60, and not just a Marlin 60, it was produced between 1960 and 1983. Thats a long period of time where the gun could have gone missing, fallen off a travel sack, etc.
 
I found a 30-30 win model 1894 that was made in the 50s in the american river one year after many years of drought. it had been there for a long time,( enough to rot most of the stock) soaked it in tranny fluid for a week, and lever actually moved, a little more work and it cycled. I ended up giving it to a local gunsmith, who to my knowledge still has it today. Things do get lost/ drop all the time. I've also seen shot guns that have come out of "duck ponds" after they were drained for what ever reason.
 
Trigger groups don't rot

It was probably tossed as a junker I have two in a pond at the back of my mother's property
 
I was gonna say it looked like a model 60. I had one as a kid for awhile.

I hate to say "Support gun buy backs" but that is what I would do.
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Turning it in to the police would not be supporting a buy back program and in my book would be the right thing to do. Buy back programs are a joke!
 
now the question is, what were YOUR friends doing in the woods under a bridge? :neener:

id say take it to the police, you don't know what the rifle's been used for.
 
I'm with the group that says turn it in at a buy-back.

Chances it was used illicitly? very very low. Chances original owner will want it back? Again, extremely low. If you have moral issues, then take the buy-back money and donate it to the NRA or GOA. That way it is not benefiting you personally but it is still being used for a good purpose.

Otherwise, put the $ in your guns and ammo fund and just smile. Sometimes you do get dropped "pennies from heaven" and I don't think it's wrong to enjoy it when that happens.
 
Think about it guys. A beat-up gun UNDER an iron bridge. It likely got beat up from getting washed down a creek or river. It likely got in the river because a) someone accidentally dropped it in or b) somebody threw it in after using it in a crime or stealing it.

This gun would be worth $80 if it were in great shape. In its current condition, it's not even worth $20. Take it to the cops.
 
If the bore isn't too bad, it might, possibly, after a lot of hard work and replacement parts, work as a low-accuracy plinker.

Be easier and cheaper to throw it away and buy a used one at a gun show. I got one for $60. It wasn't worth it.

Go to a gun buyback and get some money for it and buy some ammo.
 
Turn it in. .22 is a pretty popular murder weapon for professionals. Low noise, hard to trace round, lots of internal damage. Probably junk, but you can never be sure.
 
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