found M11/9

[hershrod]

I own a small apartment building. I had a tennant that dissapeared and left all of his property behind after nearly a year attemting to contact him i decided to clean out the apartment. I found a CobrayM11/9 in the apartment. Can anyone tell me what i should do? Can i do an online search of the serial number should i take it to a dealer or the police to see if it was stolen and if it was not could i them register it and keep it?

[nfafan]

I'd love to stick around and play WWJD with this, but given your post count to date... I'm thinking this is shennanigans.

[GunLawyer001]

I own a small apartment building. I had a tennant that dissapeared and left all of his property behind after nearly a year attemting to contact him i decided to clean out the apartment. I found a CobrayM11/9 in the apartment. Can anyone tell me what i should do? Can i do an online search of the serial number should i take it to a dealer or the police to see if it was stolen and if it was not could i them register it and keep it?

Oh, what the heck, I'll tackle this:

Does the lease give you an interest in abandoned property?
Did he owe rent when he left?
Did he owe for damages?

There is no easy way to determine if a handgun is stolen, unless you are in law enforcement. But people abandon guns if the guns are a problem, if they are stolen or the person is barred from gun possession. Of course, people also abandon guns in storage lockers for unrelated reasons, or they forgetfully leave them under the bench at the range, or they die in combat and their stuff is in limbo. So merely being abandoned isn't proof of it being stolen.

If you take it to a PD and ask about it being stolen, the odds are huge that the PD will seize it from you.

Pennsylvania doesn't have gun registration, but what we DO have looks just like gun registration. Meaning that the State Police maintain a list of every handgun sold through an FFL's gunshop within PA. Local cops often check that list against any gun that they happen to run into, regardless of probable cause or that pesky Constitution.

If it were me, I'd be most afraid of it being stolen. To minimize the risk of prosecution, I'd find a cooperative gun dealer, and ask to run it through his books, from me to myself. It's perfectly legal. This involves providing ID, adding your name to his bound book as the transferor, and putting your name in again as the transferee. He'll run a PICS check on you for prohibitors, then if you pass, the gun gets added to the database with a linkage to you. If you don't pass, you have other problems.

If it's stolen, it doesn't look like you knew it, because people don't "register" stolen guns. But you'll still lose the gun if it's stolen. Which is better than going to jail.

[Ricochet]

There is no easy way to determine if a handgun is stolen, unless you are in law enforcement.

Its a damn shame that only the "privileged government employee's" are able to cover their ass's and are able to check a firearms status via NCIC.

I personally would love to see legislation that would open up stolen firearm records to the public.

This would not only allow us to stay legal, but would also help the citizens help law enforcement in tracking down these pesky "illegal guns lying all over the street" the media always throws at us.

[GunLawyer001]

Its a damn shame that only the "privileged government employee's" are able to cover their ass's and are able to check a firearms status via NCIC.

I personally would love to see legislation that would open up stolen firearm records to the public.

This would not only allow us to stay legal, but would also help the citizens help law enforcement in tracking down these pesky "illegal guns lying all over the street" the media always throws at us.

I think that the benefits would far outweigh the downside of allowing the general public access to ALL stolen property listings.

Sure, thieves might gain some benefit from checking to see if their crimes have been reported.

But vastly more important, anybody with a cellphone and Web access could assist the police at flea markets and yard sales and Craig's List ads. See some GPS unit without a box or accessories for sale, just scan the serial number with your PDA or phone or whatever, and call the cops if it's stolen.

Damage the market for stolen goods and you remove some of the incentive for crimes.

[hershrod]

Well sorry you think this is a joke! I just registered here to ask this question.

[hershrod]

I have had quite a few people leave stuff when they move out but this guy left a honda del sol a sixty inch projection screen tv, and of course the M11. And yes he owed me more than 1000.00 when he left. I don't do a lease i do a rental agreement that states after 90 days i have the right to dispose of property left behind so i'm covered there. My nephew is a state trooper i didn't want to involve him but that seems to be my best option. I keep seeing people say that Pa. has now gun registration? I bought a 357 in 1977 and i think i recall having to register it even then? I just want to make sure this thing wasnt stolen and i can do something beside hide it. Thanks for the help

[GunLawyer001]

BTW, we're assuming that this was the M-11/9 semi-automatic pistol, and not the M-11/9 sub-machinegun. There were many many more of the pistol made than the SMG, and the rules are VERY different if you find any machineguns.

[Valorius]

BTW, we're assuming that this was the M-11/9 semi-automatic pistol, and not the M-11/9 sub-machinegun. There were many many more of the pistol made than the SMG, and the rules are VERY different if you find any machineguns.

THIS.

If that weapon is full auto, and you get caught with it, you will be in an absolute world of shit.

[hershrod]

Yes it is a semi automatic pistol with a 30 round clip. And i am aware that machine guns are illegal. Thanks for all the input i'll just talk to PSP. If i am unable to keep and register it, no great loss. It's not like i laid out a bunch of cash for it.