# Son found a bullet **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 20, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396 "2011-03-20T21:41:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/1 "2011-03-20T21:41:41Z")
Let me preface this by saying my gut instinct is “Eh, no big deal”. I’m asking in case someone who knows better says it is a big deal. A couple streets down from my house lives a state trooper. I’ve never met him (or her) but see the car parked outside. The other day my son (age 12) said he found a bullet casing in front of their house while walking home. He showed it to me and it’s not a casing, it’s an intact 9mm hollowpoint bullet. I know enough to not get all upset as though a bullet is going to bite him or something but is there any circumstance in which this should be addressed? Perversely, now my concern isn’t that he found it but that I’d follow my instinct to ignore it when I shouldn’t. I did take the bullet out of his possession. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/2 "2011-03-20T21:49:26Z")
Hmmm…not being of the American ilk I don’t know exactly how it works over there but over here if I found a bullet I’d hand it into the local police station and tell them the circumstances of the find. Its possible the state trooper may have dropped it and would be _very_ relieved to get it back and in any event finding a bullet is the sort of thing the police need to know. Or just go and knock on the state troopers door and tell him/her of your sons find. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/3 "2011-03-20T21:50:12Z")
You might want to knock on the trooper’s door (when s/he is there, so that you talk to him/her instead of his/her SO) and explain that your son found the round in front of their house. Don’t be confrontational or angry, and don’t accuse him/her of being careless. Sometimes things fall out of pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/4 "2011-03-20T21:52:16Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Its possible the state trooper may have dropped it and would be _very_ relieved to get it back and in any event finding a bullet is the sort of thing the police need to know. > > Or just go and knock on the state troopers door and tell him/her of your sons find. You got in before me, Speedy. IANA trooper, but I’d be mortified if I’d accidentally dropped a potentially dangerous object outside my house. I’d be thankful that no harm was done, and would be extra vigilant in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/5 "2011-03-20T21:54:19Z")
It’s no big deal. I would actually praise your son for doing the right thing: finding an adult right away, not playing with it, and understanding that it is dangerous. I can’t count the random crap I see every day just walking around my neighborhood: 1. empty meth bags. 2. used condoms. 3. marijuana joint butts. 4. broken glass, beer bottles, wine bottles, etc. 5. knives. I haven’t seen a gun yet, but a bullet wouldn’t even make me pause. ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/6 "2011-03-20T21:59:26Z")
Yep, no big deal. Offer to return it secure in the knowledge the trooper and you now know you probably have a neighbor you can trust. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/7 "2011-03-20T22:06:15Z")
Throw it in the trash. Unless you have a 9mm I guess. If so, free bullet! ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/8 "2011-03-20T22:08:25Z")
Do law enforcement officers even use hollow point ammunition? (I mean in the line of duty–not for personal use.) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/9 "2011-03-20T22:11:55Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Do law enforcement officers even use hollow point ammunition? (I mean in the line of duty–not for personal use.) For the record, I don’t have any question that it’s a hollow point. It looks [just like this](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Hollow_point.JPG). The hollow tip is what made my son think it was a used bullet since he has no idea what a hollow point is. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/10 "2011-03-20T22:12:25Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Do law enforcement officers even use hollow point ammunition? (I mean in the line of duty–not for personal use.) Yes in the vast majority of departments.(If not all.) Better record of putting a stop to the bad guys and less chance of over-penetration and danger to bystanders. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/11 "2011-03-20T22:18:05Z")
A housemate of mine found a bullet outside our house in college. I have next to no experience with guns, but my housemate does and was of the opinion that it was from a hunting rifle, not a pistol. We weren’t sure what to do with it, so, being good chemistry students, we rusted it out in a tin can filled with salt water. We lived in a good neighborhood in a small town, so there really wasn’t a feeling that this was something malicious, just a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/12 "2011-03-20T23:45:52Z")
Throw it in the trash. Not a big deal. It’s easy to have a bullet fall out of an open box of shells. Heck, Walmart sells boxes of shells. It’s not dangerous unless someone messes with it. Hitting it with a hammer is a bad idea. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/13 "2011-03-20T23:47:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s not dangerous unless someone messes with it. Hitting it with a hammer is a bad idea. 😉 You can also tape a ball from your pachinko machine to the base, and throw them. Ask me how I know. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/14 "2011-03-20T23:49:13Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > For the record, I don’t have any question that it’s a hollow point. It looks [just like this](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Hollow_point.JPG). > > The hollow tip is what made my son think it was a used bullet since he has no idea what a hollow point is. I wasn’t doubting that it was a hollow point. I was just curious as to whether it was from the officer in question or someone else. (I’ve had .22LR shells fall out of my vehicle on occasion. Perhaps it was a visitor.) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/15 "2011-03-20T23:57:45Z")
I am relieved you aren’t that worried about it. Some people would be but firearm cartridges are really stable as a general rule. You can drop them, throw them, leave them in a hot car etc. and they just shrug it off. Don’t run your own experiments on this. I and many others have done for you. Until you get the gun to go with it or a teenage boy hell-bent on getting it to go off somehow, it will just sit there for decades or more completely harmless. I would just throw it away as well. It won’t go off in the trash or in a landfill either. As noted, you can buy boxes of them at Wal-Mart. ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/16 "2011-03-21T00:03:15Z")
I’d totally ignore it. As far as carelessness with weapons goes, dropping a bullet is WAY down on the list. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/17 "2011-03-21T00:58:47Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am relieved you aren’t that worried about it. Some people would be but firearm cartridges are really stable as a general rule. You can drop them, throw them, leave them in a hot car etc. and they just shrug it off. Don’t run your own experiments on this. I and many others have done for you. Until you get the gun to go with it or a teenage boy hell-bent on getting it to go off somehow, it will just sit there for decades or more completely harmless. > > I would just throw it away as well. It won’t go off in the trash or in a landfill either. As noted, you can buy boxes of them at Wal-Mart. And, as I believe we covered on here before, if you had a house fire, the exploding rounds would push the bullets only a few inches. A bigger danger is the lighter cases. I think Mythbusters did this, too. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/18 "2011-03-21T02:24:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You can also tape a ball from your pachinko machine to the base, and throw them. Ask me how I know. 😃 I read. I tried. Just another reason why I shouldn’t be online 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/19 "2011-03-21T02:28:37Z")
Actually, I was using 7.62 NATO blanks with the powder removed. But as a 12-year-old the primers made a satisfying pop. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396/20 "2011-03-21T03:02:14Z")
Your trooper neighbor isn’t named Barney Fife, is he? If so, a very big deal, and he would _really_ like to have it back… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/son-found-a-bullet/575396.md?page=2)