Found a semi-automatic pistol on club dig..

[snowmaker]

Hi,

During our club dig yesterday afternoon I was searching through the spoil out of a recently dug 2 foot drainage ditch dug by a hedgeline bordering a road when I got a belting signal..a spadefull later I was facing a semi-automatic handgun lying on top

A quick feel (wearing gloves) of the weight convinced me it was the real thing so got straight on the phone to the Police who turned up about 45 minutes later & took it away.

I've I.D. it as a Beretta 92, 9mm which have been made since 1972 so condition wise would be about right..maybe it had been wrapped up in a cloth & stashed in a hole by the hedge years ago with the cloth rotting away.

The mind could think of a few scenarios for why it was hidden but most of them are quite sinister

At least a youngster didn't find it & there may be a chance that a historical crime could be solved from looking at the ballistics.

An interesting days detecting









Steve

[E-Trac Paul]

Interesting find, not something that is hidden normally permenantly, unless someone wanted it permanently gone! Maybe the sinister scanarios are correct

[STIG]

Great Advert for JPS by the way . Maybe the gun was hidden by a Rabbit who had the intentions of Fighting Back !. . . Maybe someone got to him before he got to his Gun !. . .

[vikingwarrior]

Were there any bullets left in the clip? A nice unusual find and a very sensible result
V.W

[Wansdyke44]

Beretta than not finding anything at all...

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Different from the norm

[hotmill]

I reckon the sinister option is correct. Ditched in a hurry I would imagine if it came out of a drainage ditch by a road. Creepy

[Haunebu]

Shame that you couldn't keep it:-( but it maye be connected to some criminal activities

[TinTin]

Its good job you didn't mess about with it because the magazine was still in the gun and the hammer was in a full cocked state, that would indicate to me that the gun was loaded with a round of 9mm in the breach.
If you had pulled the trigger and had there been a live round in the breach then chances are someone could have had nasty surpise.
Oh and by the way i do know what i'm talking about with this type of weapon.... honest.
Well done for taking the action that you did.

TinTin

[Hauptmann aD]

The condition looked still very good for something made from iron located in the ground from the pictures. So either you have a very good ground condition for metallic stuff or it was not that long hidden.
But the hammer ready for release together with dirt inside the barrel could have lead to a nasty explosion.
So reporting this was definitively right.

[COLFISH]

Well done Steve, another good deed done. It will be interesting to see if its linked to any dodgy dealings. Was worried you was going to use it on me for having the only hammy of the day

[stargazer]

Its good job you didn't mess about with it because the magazine was still in the gun and the hammer was in a full cocked state, that would indicate to me that the gun was loaded with a round of 9mm in the breach.
If you had pulled the trigger and had there been a live round in the breach then chances are someone could have had nasty surpise.
Oh and by the way i do know what i'm talking about with this type of weapon.... honest.
Well done for taking the action that you did.

TinTin

Yep the gun was 'cocked'.

Whether it could still fire with all that dirt is another issue.

Safety first with guns.

[topcat]

Perhaps you will get it back if no one claims it ha ha

[ribeye]

Well found mate and reported, police would have had your pants down if you handed it in to the police station. As stargaizer said defo still loaded and cocked.
Ive seen a breach explosion with the 5.56mm SA80,not a nice thing to see so I would dread to see what that would do.
Well done

[RRPG]

Well found. I dread to think what would have happened if a child had found that as it is, as has already been pointed out, fully cocked and good to go. The slightest pull on the trigger.........

[Danzigman]

Interesting Find.. Guess Only CSI Las Vegas can solve that one..
It might go into the newspaper..