Forget your AR 15 in the back of your rental car?!

[WildBill]

Finder's keeper's!

What is the legality of retaining a firearm that you came into possession by luck or legal/legitimate circumstance without specific knowledge of who the owner is (like when you find one in the trunk of your rental car, left in a bathroom stall or in the inside of a home/property that you have purchased.)?

Are you obligated by law to try to find the owner or turn it in to the police? It has never found anything as cool as a gun but I am just curious.

I realize the ethical issues along with the pitfalls like the gun may have been used in a crime or reported stolen.

I would have to take it to the range a couple of times to make sure it was real.

Seriously, I would turn it in. IANAL, but I think that you would legally be required to do so. An LEO once told me "if it doesn't belong to you, it belongs to someone else."

[wakeboard]

Finder's keeper's!

What is the legality of retaining a firearm that you came into possession by luck or legal/legitimate circumstance without specific knowledge of who the owner is (like when you find one in the trunk of your rental car, left in a bathroom stall or in the inside of a home/property that you have purchased.)?

Are you obligated by law to try to find the owner or turn it in to the police? It has never found anything as cool as a gun but I am just curious.

I realize the ethical issues along with the pitfalls like the gun may have been used in a crime or reported stolen.

I would have to take it to the range a couple of times to make sure it was real.

Seriously, I would turn it in. IANAL, but I think that you would legally be required to do so. An LEO once told me "if it doesn't belong to you, it belongs to someone else."

I believe they can report the serial number as a stolen gun, and if you are found in possesion of the stolen gun you may face jail time. I may not be correct on this, though.

[rotor]

Interesting that this is reported in a British newspaper. I must say the football player has a good choice in firearms and other things.

[WildBill]

Interesting that this is reported in a British newspaper. I must say the football player has a good choice in firearms and other things.

For some reason the UK Daily Mail is always covering stories about firearms in the U.S. I am not quite sure why. Maybe England is too boring.

[CHLLady]

It's a tabloidish paper, so anything sensational makes it. They talk about crime in the UK just as often. The sentencing in their country is what shocks me.

I find out more things about us there, than I can other places. It just gives me a different perspective because I don't trust only reading American media. If you will notice, the comments on those American gun articles are heavily replied to by American pro gun people. I always have to give them a positive thumb up vote when they do.

[WildBill]

The sentencing in their country is what shocks me.

How so?

[CHLLady]

I just read an article yesterday about a young man who was speeding, overtook a car, lost control and hit an on coming car head on killing mother who was 9 months pregnant. He got 5 years and will only have to serve 2. He was not charged for the baby's death.

Just one of many crazy sentences. I tried to find it for you, but couldn't. Yes, we do have a lot of our own to be sure.

[WildBill]

I just read an article yesterday about a young man who was speeding, overtook a car, lost control and hit an on coming car head on killing mother who was 9 months pregnant. He got 5 years and will only have to serve 2. He was not charged for the baby's death.

Just one of many crazy sentences. I tried to find it for you, but couldn't. Yes, we do have a lot of our own to be sure.

Thanks. I guess I really haven't paid much attention to sentences. In the future I will keep that in mind.

[hillfighter]

Why can't I ever find good stuff like this? The only surprise I get in rental cars is stale smoke.

I sometimes find trash under seats but I haven't found a gun under a seat yet.