# What are you supposed to do if you find a gun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813 "2016-09-25T12:43:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/41 "2016-09-25T20:06:56Z")
> [@Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](#): > > I don’t know - i often check interesting ones online for more details and the information on those generally matches the shows - often a bit truncated to fit time frames. A lot of the shows use actual footage of interviews conducted. > > Mrs. Thorfinnsson worked for the state labs for a number of years and was peripherally involved in some of the cases covered (which entalied contact with the state police) and she maintained that those were by and large accurate per her conversations with the police. If any of them (or your wife) is saying that everyone even peripherally involved is automatically considered a suspect they were ridiculously wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/42 "2016-09-25T20:11:07Z")
> [@snorri thorfinnsson](#): > > in this marvelous cloud cuckoo land we now find ourselves living in though you have now (after reporting it) have made yourself a suspect (whereby you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent) in the beady little brains of the local constabulary if the gun was used in a crime. bingo ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/43 "2016-09-25T20:11:28Z")
Secondary question: If you report finding a gun to the police, and no on claims it after 60 days, you get to legally keep it (or sell it). Guns are worth at least a few hundred dollars. So a nice windfall for the rinder, right? And if it’s a murder weapon that’s vital to convicting a murderer, you are probably entitled to a reward from the State Crime Fund. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/44 "2016-09-25T20:15:59Z")
> [@Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](#): > > Heh - there was a guy in California whose son found a gun in their yard. The son picked it up by putting a pencil in the barrel and put it in a cardboard box. When the police came the office picked it up with his bare hands. It turned out the gun had been used in the Sharon Tate murders by Manson’s bunch of loonies. I think that was a .22 pistol that was claimed to have been stolen from Ronald Reagan. Pretty wacky. ---
**Author:** ![Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snorri_Thorfinnsson)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/45 "2016-09-25T20:21:22Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > If any of them (or your wife) is saying that everyone even peripherally involved is automatically considered a suspect they were ridiculously wrong. Not at all - she just had verified the accuracy (which is what we were last discussing) of some of the cases (as portrayed on shows) that she had recognized. (By the nature of the job she can also recognise accurate portrayals of the lab results - turn around times etc) Some shows are very accurate while others not so much. None of them can be exhasutively detailed however - there just isn’t time. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/46 "2016-09-25T20:39:11Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > If you can find a single case in the USA where someone called 911 to report they found a brick of cocaine or a gun and later wound up convicted of possession of said cocaine or gun, I’ll eat my hat. You may end up eating your hat. I’ve read of a case where a woman called police that she found cocaine in her car and they arrested her when she handed it to them. For possession. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/47 "2016-09-25T20:49:26Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > If you can find a single case in the USA where someone called 911 to report they found a brick of cocaine or a gun and later wound up convicted of possession of said cocaine or gun, I’ll eat my hat. First of all, it could be construed as abuse of 911, since neither is, in any way, an emergency. And, the fact that “you didn’t do anything wrong” is certainly not a guarantee that you will not at least need to very expensively lawyer up, nor that you will be detained as a suspect, if not criminally charged in some way. ---
**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:** [September 25, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/48 "2016-09-25T20:52:18Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > First of all, it could be construed as abuse of 911, since neither is, in any way, an emergency. Leaving a loose gun on the street for hours is preferable? Or a lump of a very expensive drug? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/49 "2016-09-25T21:06:29Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Secondary question: > > If you report finding a gun to the police, and no on claims it after 60 days, you get to legally keep it (or sell it). Guns are worth at least a few hundred dollars. > . In all states?😕 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/50 "2016-09-25T21:08:58Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Even if your prints aren’t on it, how are you going to explain how it got in your house? Why would you even want to do such a thing? Especially the part about the ammo. who said anything about your _house_? Anyway, Preppers like to have hidden stores of survival stuff. A gun and ammo certainly qualifies. But again, you are taking this out of context as i said that calling the police was the best idea. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/51 "2016-09-25T21:09:00Z")
> [@Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](#): > > It is not that they are evil or want to frame you - their jobs often constrict their thinking into what I would call a machiavellian (in that in the process it is ok for them to lie to suspects on virtually anything) mode and the often results in limited thinking (beady and little I was told is too political so hopefully these words are acceptable). **Moderator Note** “Machiavellian” and the assertion that cops think it’s OK to lie to suspects about virtually anything are not much better and are your opinion rather than being factual. Keep your responses factual in this forum or you may receive a warning. > [@Common\_Tater](#): > > bingo And bumping a post that already received a mod note to agree with it is almost the same as making such a post your self. Don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/52 "2016-09-25T21:10:15Z")
> [@K2500](#): > > What if it’s a murder weapon and the police decide you might be the murderer. As you mentioned above, it could be nothing or it could mean everything. Don’t touch it. The worst the police would do is take your fingerprints, then verify they’re not on the gun. They’re just as interested in eliminating people as suspects as they are in finding the guilty. In fact it makes their job easier if they can eliminate innocent persons as quickly as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/53 "2016-09-25T21:20:23Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Secondary question: > > If you report finding a gun to the police, and no on claims it after 60 days, you get to legally keep it (or sell it). Guns are worth at least a few hundred dollars. So a nice windfall for the rinder, right? > > And if it’s a murder weapon that’s vital to convicting a murderer, you are probably entitled to a reward from the State Crime Fund. This would be different between jurisdictions but I know in mine they would never sell, auction or give away a gun once it’s in possession of the police. If for no other reason it’s that for the life of that gun anything bad that happens will be traced back to the authorities. “Gun once in police possession used to murder a van full of nuns.” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/54 "2016-09-25T21:22:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > who said anything about your _house_? > [@DrDeth](#): > > But taking it home, You did, unless you are quibbling that your home might be in an apartment instead of a house. (You realize we can actually still read the posts you made earlier in the thread, don’t you?) > [@](#): > > Anyway, Preppers like to have hidden stores of survival stuff. A gun and ammo certainly qualifies. Yes, lots of people have guns and ammo legally. But depending on the state, you might still need to establish that you came into possession of the gun legally - which you hadn’t. Also depending on state, you might need a license or to show that it was registered. > [@](#): > > But again, you are taking this out of context as i said that calling the police was the best idea. You didn’t actually say calling the police was the best idea. You suggested that taking it and concealing it in your house together with ammo might also be an acceptable course of action, rather than the ridiculous and foolish one that it is. What would be the rationale for taking it? It makes no sense, unless you were just trying to obtain a free gun. ---
**Author:** ![Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snorri_Thorfinnsson)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/55 "2016-09-25T21:55:51Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > “Machiavellian” and the assertion that cops think it’s OK to lie to suspects about virtually anything are not much better and are your opinion rather than being factual. Keep your responses factual in this forum or you may receive a warning. The police are prohibited from using physical or psychological coercion when conducting police interrogations. A confession or evidence that results from coercive tactics is inadmissible at trial. The police, for example, may not use torture techniques, threats, drugging, or inhumane treatment during an interrogation. The police, however, can use lying, trickery, and other types of non-coercive methods to obtain a confession from a suspect. Source: [http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-rights/faqs-police-interrogations.html](http://criminal.findlaw.com/criminal-rights/faqs-police-interrogations.html) Some real life examples [https://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/6909121-Case-law-on-police-deception/](https://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/6909121-Case-law-on-police-deception/) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/56 "2016-09-25T22:04:01Z")
> [@Snorri\_Thorfinnsson](#): > > The police are prohibited from using physical or psychological coercion when conducting police interrogations. A confession or evidence that results from coercive tactics is inadmissible at trial. The police, for example, may not use torture techniques, threats, drugging, or inhumane treatment during an interrogation. The police, however, can use lying, trickery, and other types of non-coercive methods to obtain a confession from a suspect. **Moderating** That’s not what you said in your post. At any rate, the discussion of how untrustworthy the police are belongs in another thread. If you wish to discuss this, start another thread in IMHO or Great Debates. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/57 "2016-09-26T00:12:33Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > You may end up eating your hat. I’ve read of a case where a woman called police that she found cocaine in her car and they arrested her when she handed it to them. > > For possession. I said convicted, not arrested. I would still be interested in an actual cite. > [@jtur88](#): > > First of all, it could be construed as abuse of 911, since neither is, in any way, an emergency. And, the fact that “you didn’t do anything wrong” is certainly not a guarantee that you will not at least need to very expensively lawyer up, nor that you will be detained as a suspect, if not criminally charged in some way. Fine, I’ll expand it to “or convicted of misuse of 911” because they called it to report a loose gun or brick of cocaine. In that case, I’ll only eat a sock though, not a hat. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/58 "2016-09-26T05:24:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > ::: snip :::: > > Yes, lots of people have guns and ammo legally. But depending on the state, you might still need to establish that you came into possession of the gun legally - which you hadn’t. Also depending on state, you might need a license or to show that it was registered. > > :::: snip :::: It is my understanding that there is no gun registration in the US of A ( except for full machine guns… maybe… ) It is my understanding that in the US of A there is no license needed to own a gun. ( except for full machine guns… ) There is no requirement that I need proof that my Dad gave me a shotgun or where it came from that I have ever heard of. That may be required in the future judging by some posts I see elsewhere. At this time I can give / buy a long gun from an individual and neither of us is required to tell anyone nor have proof. If were both reside in the same state, the same applies to hand guns. Buying or selling commercially is different. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/59 "2016-09-26T11:11:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, yes, call the police and maybe put a newspaper over it and watch it. Newspaper? They still make those? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813/60 "2016-09-26T13:03:22Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > At this time I can give / buy a long gun from an individual and neither of us is required to tell anyone nor have proof. If were both reside in the same state, the same applies to hand guns. In my state that’s not true. [http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.113](http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.113) They’re trying to make it even stricter, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-supposed-to-do-if-you-find-a-gun/766813.md?page=4)