Rifle Found - California D17

[wind gypsy]

It Looks like it has been there 1-2 years. The bolt was rusted closed so I could not make sure that it wasn't loaded, although I was able to pull the trigger, hear a "click" and nothing happened.

Dude! You're lucky it wasn't loaded or if it is that it didn't go off! If it's that rusty, i can only imagine the bullet would have in some way, shape, or form bonded to the barrel.

I bulged a smokeless muzzleloader barrel by shooting a bullet that had been sitting loaded for less than a month and only been outside for a couple dry half day hunts. Theory being that the bullet bonded to the stainless bore in some way and created a ton of pressure. That gun could have been much worse!

 

[Dos Perros]

I think it's pretty unlikely for dissimilar metals to cold bond.

 

[Pilsner]

Gen 1 Ruger American it looks like under that rust.
My vortex optics have been back and forth to Vortex for repairs often enough that they could type in its optics SN and pull up my entire purchase history. Be worth the cost of an email to them to ask if they have any info on the prior owner. The worst they can say is "We dunno".
-Doc

 

[rclouse79]

I have left a lot of things on the mountain, but I can’t imagine leaving my rifle.

 

[DuckDawg22]

The gold paint is a desert rat special. Something that rusty in that area I probably would have left

 

[RockAndSage]

Scope is already on its way back to vortex so I won’t be able to get anymore of that. It was interesting though that under the rings the scope was black, like the yellow coating was put on after the scope and rings were assembled together.

Big thanks for taking those photos and sharing them. How would you say the plastics have held up - can you scratch it with your fingernail? Is it flakey at all?

Regarding the scope, what can you share about your impressions of the glass?

 

[WrstMuleHntr]

Big thanks for taking those photos and sharing them. How would you say the plastics have held up - can you scratch it with your fingernail? Is it flakey at all?

Regarding the scope, what can you share about your impressions of the glass?

The glass looked great to me, just very dirty. All the dials on the scoped still seemed to work ok, but the zoom was a little stiff (maybe that’s the way it’s designed). On the gun the fiberglass stock is trashed. You can’t touch it without getting little pieces of itchy fiberglass all stuck in your skin. The buttock rubber is also trashed as you can see in the photo. Overall I’d say the barrel and action might be salvageable, but probably with more work than anyone would be willing to put in. On the stock I’d say it’s a total loss.

 

[WrstMuleHntr]

And as much as people talk bad about vortex I called them and told them what I found. They had no history of the scope. But they told me I could send it in and end up with a new scope for me! Totally love the way they handle customer service and the VIP warranty. No questions asked. And you talk to a real American citizen if you call customer support.

 

[RockAndSage]

And as much as people talk bad about vortex I called them and told them what I found. They had no history of the scope. But they told me I could send it in and end up with a new scope for me! Totally love the way they handle customer service and the VIP warranty. No questions asked. And you talk to a real American citizen if you call customer support.

That's pretty awesome. That scope will be valuable to them too, for failure analysis and just keeping on hand as reference for extreme weathering over time.

 

[R boar]

Scope is already on its way back to vortex so I won’t be able to get anymore of that. It was interesting though that under the rings the scope was black, like the yellow coating was put on after the scope and rings were assembled together.

Anodizing can change color when exposed to the weather, usually I see purple but I don't think the yellow is out of the question. I'd reckon it was all black originally

 

[BLJ]

What cartridge was the rifle chambered for? Could it be read on the barrel?

 

[WrstMuleHntr]

What cartridge was the rifle chambered for? Could it be read on the barrel?

Ruger American 30-.06

 

[BLJ]

No chance in California that they’ll let you keep it?
I’d be interested to see if it could be cleaned up.

 

[WrstMuleHntr]

No chance in California that they’ll let you keep it?
I’d be interested to see if it could be cleaned up.

Maybe. We shall find out

 

[BLJ]

I’m pulling for you in that regard.

 

[amassi]

No chance in California that they’ll let you keep it?
I’d be interested to see if it could be cleaned up.

I’ve been out of that field for ~10 years so it may have changed but the way it used to work in CA
1: surrender found firearm
2: Cal DOJ will run a dros/ nics check and try and locate owner ( with new laws, owner could be charged for not reporting it lost)
3: if that clears, it starts a 90 day clock for the owner to come and claim their property
4: Day 91 if unclaimed the person who surrendered can apply to receive, they would need to DROS the firearm, wait 10 days and pay associated fees. (The department can also charge for storage)
5: if unclaimed at 180 days it will be destroyed

I found a nice shotgun at a refuge on a Sunday that looked to have fallen off a cart Saturday and jumped the above hoops. All said cost me about $100 for a $1500 beretta so worth the squeeze.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wind gypsy]

I think it's pretty unlikely for dissimilar metals to cold bond.

What Luke at Arrowhead rifles told me:

I don’t recommend leaving bullets in barrels for extended time. Copper can oxidize and weld to the barrel. If you’re using a witness mark and are sure there wasn’t a double powder charge then that’s likely what happened

 

[BLJ]

Strange how stares are different.

I found a pistol under the rear seat of an old truck I’d bought 2 years prior.
Called state police and volunteered the serial number. Didn’t want any part of a bad pistol.
Officer told me it’s not been reported in any manner.
That was a Saturday. I traded it off on a Monday and LGS sold it Tuesday.

 

[Kyguy]

Anodizing can change color when exposed to the weather, usually I see purple but I don't think the yellow is out of the question. I'd reckon it was all black originally

Like said previously, Optics Planet sells a tan version in their exclusive OpMod line. That's exactly what that scope is. The color didn't change.

 

[Kyguy]

The glass looked great to me, just very dirty. All the dials on the scoped still seemed to work ok, but the zoom was a little stiff (maybe that’s the way it’s designed). On the gun the fiberglass stock is trashed. You can’t touch it without getting little pieces of itchy fiberglass all stuck in your skin. The buttock rubber is also trashed as you can see in the photo. Overall I’d say the barrel and action might be salvageable, but probably with more work than anyone would be willing to put in. On the stock I’d say it’s a total loss.

That's not fiberglass. It's a regular Ruger american polymer stock. It's obviously not a good UV resistant polymer. UV destroys most things with constant exposure.