New Permission-Bizzarre American Arms type of Day

[PetesPockets55]

I just signed up some new work on Friday and secured a permission at the same time. It's a fairly new beach side construction site without many homes on it yet. The super told me they did a lot of infrastructure work so a lot of sand had been stored and then replaced after culverts and pipes were installed. Most of this type of work occurs towards the center part of most developments while the periphery stays relatively untouched.

Sphillips and I hit it Sunday, early-early while it was still cool. Me on the northern fence line heading east and him up the middle to the eastern fence and then turning south. We hit the normal amount of modern trash but he found the first modern coin spill of the day (clad and cents). I decided to go east and found this bike frame.


About 15' away from the bike, up under some seagrapes, I got a bunch of mid 60 signals on my ATMax which turned out to be my own modern coin spill. It seemed to be in a sweeping arc like some intentionally scattered a bunch of cents. After the seventh zinc cent with many more to go, I got a mid 80 signal which can be in the clad range. So I was looking for a nice change and found a modern plastic jar with the lid on it. I grabbed it expecting to add it to my trash pile when I noticed something inside moving. I assumed it was water that had leaked into the jar. When I shook it something solid moved inside. My mind switched to being excited about a possible Geocache someone might have hidden. Here is a picture after I removed it from the hole and placed it back for the photo after discovering something was inside.


My mind shifted from excitement about a possible Geocache to alarm when I realized it was a firearm someone had intentionally protected and buried.

It turns out it is an American Arms 25 cal. handgun the size of your palm.

What I thought was rusty moisture around the handgun turned out to be old oil. I'm glad I had my gloves on for this find so I could take it out and get some images.
Here are a some more images.




Anyone remember the series "Lost in Space"? In situations like this my mind thinks of the robot saying "Danger Will Robinson". I did a quick scan to confirm more cents in the area and extracted myself from the seagrapes. When I looked for Steve to share my find with, I realized he was the one calling me in the middle of my find to tell me he had to leave. Turns out there was no rounds in the clip but I haven't a clue about the chamber.

My mind is racing at this point about possible illegal activities associated with this gun but I was leaning more towards stolen and buried. I reasoned that if it had been used in a crime they wouldn't have taken such care in preserving it.

Late yesterday, Monday, I got some time and took it to the local police station. I left it in the van when I went in since I didn't want to activate their SWAT team. Their cautious reaction is another part of the story for another day but they did tell me this was the second buried handgun found in the same general area. It seems like there was a homeless person camping out in this area that they believe had the previous one stashed for protection. They processed it, made a report, said they would check serial #'s and send it off for testing. I told them I was interested in getting it back if that was a possibility.

Thanks for looking and I'll post a mysterious second find I made the same day in another thread.
EDIT- Here's the link- http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/today-s-finds/651517-24-30-mystery-sphere-access-port-end.html#post6712096


ps. I'm extremely buried with work so be patient with me getting back for replies or to answer questions.

 

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[pepperj]

Congrats on the cool recovery and story/pics of the recovery. Hopefully you'll get some reply back regarding the gun if it's clean or it was used in a crime.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Now that is a neat find. Keep us updated.

 

[Digger RJ]

Interesting find!!! Nice!!! Glad You had it checked out by the PD. Hopefully It'll be clean and they'll return it to You! Congrats!!!

 

[PetesPockets55]

Congrats on the cool recovery and story/pics of the recovery. Hopefully you'll get some reply back regarding the gun if it's clean or it was used in a crime.

Hope it's clean and they do return it to me.

Now that is a neat find. Keep us updated.

I will as I have the detectives card and he said they would be in contact.

Interesting find!!! Nice!!! Glad You had it checked out by the PD. Hopefully It'll be clean and they'll return it to You! Congrats!!!

When I saw how well it was "stored" I knew I had to go to them with it. I just didn't want to cause an issue with the new permission. So far so good.

I'm not currently a gun owner but it would be neat to get it back.

 

[Blak bart]

Crazy stuff pete !!

 

[BallsDeep]

Great discovery!

 

[PetesPockets55]

Crazy stuff pete !!

Sure is. Got my blood going and now I know where there a coin spill to finish digging!

Great discovery!

Thanks. Hope to get it back even if they disable it. It would look nice in the display case.

 

[releventchair]

Quite the recovery....

Cache-ing a handgun...IF grips can be removed they can be secured to the underside of the oil containers lid to keep them out of the oil. IF container remains upright.

Each gun should be handled /treated as being loaded. But stashing ammo in oil ...Might not be a good way to keep it functional....I wouldn't.

 

[PetesPockets55]

Great discovery!

Thanks BD. Very unexpected find and hope to have an update in a week or so once they get back to me after running the serial numbers.

Quite the recovery....

Cache-ing a handgun...IF grips can be removed they can be secured to the underside of the oil containers lid to keep them out of the oil. IF container remains upright.

Each gun should be handled /treated as being loaded. But stashing ammo in oil ...Might not be a good way to keep it functional....I wouldn't.

Thanks RC. I've never owned a gun but have taken a gun safety course years ago. Assuming any firearm is loaded is one thing I've always believed in as the best way to avoid any accidents. I didn't confirm whether there were any rounds in the clip but was told it was empty. Maybe those are cached somewhere nearby! I'll keep an eye out for them when digging up the rest of the trashed Zincoln cents.

I didn't realize they put oil in the bag till I got back to my place. I had my gloves on when taking it out of the bag and, visually, it looked like lightly rusted moisture on the surface of the gun.

 

[ajaj]

Haha...Danger Will Robinson is right!

aj

 

[PetesPockets55]

Haha...Danger Will Robinson is right!

aj

Thanks ajaj. Lost in Space was a favorite growing up.
Off on a tangent here, but for the life on me I can't think of anything that rhymes with your home town of Orange! LOL

 

[Deltanimal]

Always love a good story with the finds! Thank you for sharing.

 

[PetesPockets55]

Update with handgun #3 I found in the vicinity. (About 25' away.)
LINK

 

[Radon]

Lucky finds! Did you ever hear back from the police on the pistol in the OP?

 

[PetesPockets55]

Lucky finds! Did you ever hear back from the police on the pistol in the OP?

Unfortunately the detective never answered my emails. I know he may have a lot going on but a simple reply would have been nice. Maybe he's not at the station anymore. Guess I'll have to stop in and check in person.

Seems like they were my property until proven otherwise. I'd just like to display them in a case, even if they were made inoperable.

Don't think I'd ever turn one in again.

ps. here are the links to the other handguns I found in the same vicinity.
2nd Handgun Link
3rd Handgun Link

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I hope that wasn't my little 25 semi auto that was stolen, same maker and all. But mine was stolen out here in California so I don't think it is but it matches mine to a "T". I always worry that it will have been used in a crime and the cops will come looking for me even though it was reported stolen.

 

[crashbandicoot]

I hope that wasn't my little 25 semi auto that was stolen, same maker and all. But mine was stolen out here in California so I don't think it is but it matches mine to a "T". I always worry that it will have been used in a crime and the cops will come looking for me even though it was reported stolen.

Not likely they,d come for you if it was reported stolen,that,d come up in any records check and rule you out.Contrary to a lot of beliefs,it,s not that easy to trace a gun back to it,s original owner since there,s no central repository of purchase records,yet.If reported stolen the serial number would be entered in the database for stolen guns and it could be ID,ed as stolen that way.However if you need bail money call me and I,ll see about raising it for you!

 

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks ajaj. Lost in Space was a favorite growing up.
Off on a tangent here, but for the life on me I can't think of anything that rhymes with your home town of Orange! LOL

I remember in a crossword puzzle of all places that the word orange is the only word that doesn,t rhyme with any other word,I,m not asserting that as true just relating what I read since you mentioned it.

 

[crashbandicoot]

Thanks BD. Very unexpected find and hope to have an update in a week or so once they get back to me after running the serial numbers.


Thanks RC. I've never owned a gun but have taken a gun safety course years ago. Assuming any firearm is loaded is one thing I've always believed in as the best way to avoid any accidents. I didn't confirm whether there were any rounds in the clip but was told it was empty. Maybe those are cached somewhere nearby! I'll keep an eye out for them when digging up the rest of the trashed Zincoln cents.

I didn't realize they put oil in the bag till I got back to my place. I had my gloves on when taking it out of the bag and, visually, it looked like lightly rusted moisture on the surface of the gun.

Another good rule to remember is to never point a gun at any thing you wouldn,t want to shoot.