My sister works for the owner of quite a few apartment complexes. An electrician was working in one of the vacant units and when he accessed the drop ceiling these fell down and hit him in the head. I talked to the owner and told him I’d be interested in the Remington Rand 1911A1. It was manufactured in 1944. Other than the trigger and grips it appears intact. He’s having them checked to see if stolen (most likely) if ok then I’ll make him an offer.

I have a cop buddy, who, before he became a cop, found an XD by the side of the road. It's been his main personal carry gun ever since.

What if the owner of the guns comes and says, “Oh, hey, I forgot and left a couple of guns in my apartment when I moved out. I’d like to get them back”?

quote:

Remington Rand 1911A1

Yeah, I'm going with stolen. That's way too nice a gun to have in an apartment ceiling if legit.

Let us know!

The previous occupant is deceased.

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Originally posted by szuppo:
The previous occupant is deceased.

This is the other likely reason they are there. The owner is deceased and his kids cleaned out the apartment and had no idea they were there.

Not sure why any idiot would modify and put a modern trigger on a 1944 Remington rand.

The guns still belong to someone other than the apartment owner if the previous occupant had any heirs.

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Originally posted by sigfreund:
The guns still belong to someone other than the apartment owner if the previous occupant had any heirs.

True, should be easy to find out and make them an offer. Heck, first tell them and ask if they want to come and pick them up or have them shipped to their FFL. They may say you can keep them, not worth the hassle!

Feh. If the guns were left behind as abandoned property, just like a chair, then make an offer. How do you know who owned what? Maybe a prior tenant left those behind. Follow the law on abandoned property if applicable, and not stolen.

They were abandoned. Someone would have to check Ohio law on the subject. The family had a chance to clean out the apartment, and left them (and, yes they probably never knew about them.) There's an even money (at least) chance that since the unit reverted to the building owner, they're now his property. But very much check the local law on this subject. I'm sure the building owner has a lawyer. He can make one call and get a definitive answer.

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Originally posted by sigfreund:
The guns still belong to someone other than the apartment owner if the previous occupant had any heirs.

In my life, I've only found BB guns. Twice.

It's entirely possible that whomever cleaned out this apartment found them and didn't know exactly what to do with them, so hid them so they didn't have to deal with them. I was helping an elderly family friend clean out her deceased brothers home. When we discovered a few firearms, she immediately froze as if she were facing a King Cobra. She was , along with about 6 others. She said to put them in the access panel to the central air so she didn't have to call the cops to dispose of them since she didn't want anything to do with them. Well, I made her an offer to buy them from her but she refused and actually gave them all to me for helping. There was a real possibility of 7 guns falling into the wrong hands once discovered.

My wife was helping to clean out a house for an elderly widow, who said that my wife could take anything she wanted. That's how she (my wife) acquired a High Standard Derringer, .22 WMR.

I took it to the range to check it out. After a few rounds it decided to only fire on every other trigger pull. Careful inspection showed a cracked frame. I'm waiting for a local gun buy-back.

It is amazing how some folks treat guns.

Many years ago while elk hunting in N. Idaho, I found a Winchester 94 leaning against a tree. From its condition I would estimate it had been standing there for several years. Guy probably leaned it there to do something, like transport an elk down the steep mountain to the road. Then could not find the gun. We turned it in to the Forest Service in case the owner had reported it. They had no record, but the thing was probably useless anyway.

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Originally posted by Elk Hunter:
It is amazing how some folks treat guns.

Many years ago while elk hunting in N. Idaho, I found a Winchester 94 leaning against a tree. From its condition I would estimate it had been standing there for several years. Guy probably leaned it there to do something, like transport an elk down the steep mountain to the road. Then could not find the gun. We turned it in to the Forest Service in case the owner had reported it. They had no record, but the thing was probably useless anyway.

Elk,

That reminds me of the one they found in Nevada. It was an 1873 dating from 1882. There's a good picture.

https://www.southbendtribune.c...d4-43ec75cf22a2.html

Friend of mine drives a delivery truck for a food company. Heading home from some Baltimore deliverys sees three pistols lying (laying?) in the street. He stopped, picked them up and turned them in to the police.

Interesting dilemma. Probably the right thing to do.

Not necessarily. There are abandoned property laws in most states and jurisdictions

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
The guns still belong to someone other than the apartment owner if the previous occupant had any heirs.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Not sure why any idiot would modify and put a modern trigger on a 1944 Remington rand.

Because they're an idiot and do idiot things.

If I was the electrician...

Guns? What guns?



But in reality you have to turn them over to the property owner, in this case the apartment owner. They likely have things in their lease about abandoned property, etc, etc.

Both come up clean. I’ll talk to the owner on Monday and see what he decides to do with them.