Found a shotgun on the side of the road today, what do?

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jcims

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Hey folks,

Found a beat up pump gun with a slug barrel on it sitting in a case in the middle of the road today (getting run over by cars actually). It's still in good shape and my main objective is to get it back to the owner. I almost threw it in the ditch out of sight of passing traffic, but I lost a valuable quad seat the same way and didn't want someone calling finders keepers.

I plan to post a few notes on local forums and whatnot, but wanted to get a little input to see if calling the sheriff is going to cause more problems than it will fix.

Thanks
 
I'd call the cops. Most likely the guy that lost the shotgun called in a report.

Lots of things could go wrong, but turning it in to the police isn't one of them.
 
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause!

Seriously though. If it were me, I would most definitely turn it in and get a receipt. It's the right thing to do. It could have been used in a crime. It might have great sentimental value to its owner, etc.

If no one claims it in X amount of time, I would guess you could claim it?

Good luck.
 
Hope you didn't leave any fingerprints on it.:eek: Posting notes on public forums is going to bring a lot of undesirable people to you. I would not do that. I would turn it in to the police or destroy it. If you keep it and it was used in a crime things could get very ugly if a cop ever sees it and runs the numbers.
 
I would turn it in to the cops and definitly NOT post it any any public forum. Probably fell out of a hill billy's truck, but you never know. Turn it in and let the cops deal with it. Likely destined for the scrap heap.
 
drail said:
Hope you didn't leave any fingerprints on it. Posting notes on public forums is going to bring a lot of undesirable people to you. I would not do that. I would turn it in to the police or destroy it. If you keep it and it was used in a crime things could get very ugly if a cop ever sees it and runs the numbers.
Click to expand...

Didn't touch the gun. It was in a hard case which was being hit by cars as they crested a hill. I didn't even know what it was at first, I just stopped because cars were swerving around it and it was a dangerous situation. I cracked open the case to confirm what the heft led me to believe, and that was it. I don't think it was ditched, it was literally lying in the middle of the road (despite my title) during midday, and in the brief glance i had at it, looked like any other slug gun you would see around here...tip of barrel and front sight was a bit worn, and scratches on the stock from all the brush around here.

I know anything is possible, but I don't really have any concerns about this being used in a crime. I just want to get it back to the owner. The local sheriff is new to the area, but it's rural and while some call the state hellish, it's usually due to lack of fun things to do. Either way, sounds like there's a consensus that letting the popo handle it is the best option. I just hope the guy calls them for it.
 
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Sounds like someone cased their gun, put it somewhere on their vehicle "for the time being", forgot it was there and drove off, then the gun and case fell off at some point during their trip.

Yep, give it to the po-po.
 
In most states it's illegal to keep it, and would be treated the same as a theft. Turn it in to the police or sheriff, and if they can't find the owner within 30 or 90 days, it's legally yours, depending on your state laws.
 
Put a classified ad in the local paper. The paranoia runs deep here. Finding a Raven .25 in a ditch, no way my prints are going on that. A hunting gun in a case? Umm, no it was not just used to kill someone.
 
Since it was in a case more than likely someone put it on their truck tailgate or tonneau cover and forgot about it and slung it off in a turn. I'd tell the cops about it since the owner may be looking for it. If he doesn't show up then I guess it's yours.
 
Thanks for the input folks, talked to the sheriff's office this morning and the gentleman that lost it had just stopped by. Going back to it's rightful owner at 10am.
 
:)

A story about a gun, two strangers and the law involved & it has a happy ending!

Rare these days.
 
This happened to a friend in Deer Camp a few years ago.. He slid his rifle ( hard case) in the box of his pick-up shut the tail gate and headed back to camp. Got there and noticed the tail gate was open, must have not been latched. His gun was gone.. He headed back the three miles or so he traveled to try and find it.. No gun.. He did see where it looked like someone pulled over on the shoulder (tracks in the snow) So we went up to the State Police to file a report, for insurance more than ever expecting anyone to turn it in. The next day there was a note on his camper that someone found it and he could identify it an a local restaurant. Sure enough it was his and the local guy said he thought it was an empty case til he picked it up, His buddies all told him to keep it, but he knew that some one was sick over losing it and did the right thing.. Do the right thing.. There are still a few good people out there.
 
Lucky ending.
I would not have contacted police. Most are not honest and would just keep it.
I would not post publicly anywhere. I would keep and look for the owner to post his loss then contact him. If that didn't happen, you had a new shotgun.
 
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