Guys, I'm copying this from tndeer.com where I'm a member. It's a post from a police detective who is trying to find the owner of a rare and collectible shotgun that has been recovered several years after being reported stolen in Nashville. This site gets a huge amount of traffic and I wanted to share this here in hopes of it reaching somebody that knows where the shotgun belongs.....somebody wants this beautiful weapon back.......

"To who this may concern. Good Morning , My name is David Ogle AKA on TNDEER as Yotekiller011. I'm a Detective in Knoxville and have recovered a very rare 1933 Ithaca 28ga. Shotgun. This gun maybe 1 of 3 examples in existence according to the collector/broker that shipped it. Only 44 were ever made. I know that it was reported stolen in Nashville in 1972 but Nashville Metro Police said they don't have archives that old.
I know it's a long shot but if anyone knows of someone who was a Victim of the theft of this gun I'd really appreciate you having them call me. I'm a gun enthusiast just as many of you are and know if this belong to my family I'd want it back.
My goal is to get it back to its rightful owner or descendants."

Respectfully, Det. David Ogle, AKA Yotekiller011.
865 215-7032, or cell 865 254-6886

Wow !! Hope you find the rightful owner. Also God bless you for trying!

I hope that beauty makes it's way back home!

Great story. Hope the owner or heirs get it back. Amazing it’s still in one piece not thrown off a bridge.

Man what a beautiful gun! I hope you find the owner!

Very Nice hardware!
Bet the thieves didn't know what a 28ga was in 1972.
God Bless the detective for trying to find the rightful owner/heirs.

Y'all feel free to share this in any social media that you use. Let's get this beauty back home!!

Nice gun

Fine detective work. Seems like a great guy.

That's a really nice gun. Nice wood. hope it finds it's owner.

Kudos! Hope it makes it home. Old Ithaca’s are sweet shooting guns. Thanks for posting

Here's some more detective work that was 52 years ago and more than likely the owner was in his 40 to 60's so he is prolly dead. So now what?

Wiley,

you're a GOOD MAN for posting this and trying to help some one recover their property that was stolen 52 years ago.

I hope the someone, or one of their family members is around to be able to identify it and have it returned to those it belonged to so long ago.

I hope whoever stole it spent a good long time in jail, and has an A Hole wide enough to drop a basketball into it without touching the sides of his colon.

"wow...
Understatement....Recovered " several years after it was stolen..."???!

If a couple = 2;
A few = 3;
Some = 4; and,
Several = 52.....

Best of luck...

If it was owned by the son of the original purchaser then the son is probably at least 75 and likely closer to 80.

Was there a minimum age to buy a long gun in 1933?
Who could afford one in the depression?
What was the original sales price?

Today, he’d probably get catch and release. He’d get a court date, which he could skip without consequence.

I’ve only ever seen one Ithaca NID 28 gauge. Very sweet gun. Probably didn’t even bring much of a premium 52 years ago.

Edited: After careful examination, that one looks like the one ol’ gramps had. It must be mine! Yea, that’s the ticket! 😏

Oh good you found it.

Probably just mail it back please.

Just kidding...

Det. Ogle,

Since the shotgun was report stolen in Nashville, the oldest shotgun/clay target club in Nashville is Nashville Gun Club, even after 52 years might be of some help (615) 913-6575. Could also float a post on Shotgun World.com and Doublegunshop.com (Ithaca Gun Collectors).

Good Luck

ELVIS was a collector.

What about Fed. records? Nashville trashed theirs, still gets reported to NCIC and ATF. Unless Nashville dropped the ball back when


Sniff sniff. Something is not smelling right.

Really? When did the Feds and ATF stop collecting "records?" It is not legal for them to maintain records now...

If there is a record of it being stolen there should be a record of the owner.

Thefts and Sales are two different things. Most people know this.you musta been sick that day

You did not read the part about missing local records?

Look under the butt pad and see if anyone put their name in there. Worked for a family member who put an old hunting license in his and was recovered.

Given the value of this very rare beautiful piece, coupled with the fact that Nashville is the location, one should consider that some country singer is or was the owner.

Bob

For the Saturday crowd. Y'all share this far and wide and let's see if we can help locate the owner/family.

Should keep this at the top.

Did the original owner send it via USPS?

When my father bought his new Ithaca Model 37 16 gauge in Nashville in 1948, he was reqiured to register it with the police depatrtment. Probably some sort of city ordinance, but the idea that there was no "registration" before the ATF came along is pretty much a myth. It's not uncommon for old theft reports to be trashed after a few years. I've got a Ruger Secutity Six .357 that's been bouncing around on the stolen gun market since 1990, and there's no record of the police report I filed at the time it was taken.

Heirs.

What a valuable piece of history. Amazing that it wasn't cut down into a sawed-off at some point.

Contact Walt Snyder, North Carolina. He’s written several books about Ithaca shotguns, has the original New York factory records.

He posts on the Shotgunworld site

I’ll drop this link over there.

DF

Here's the link to SGW, "I Love my Ithaca" forum.

Lot of Ithaca fans over there. Maybe Walt will see it and respond.

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/stollen-early-ithaca-28-ga.569647/

SGW is a neat site for shotgun lovers. In fact, I started over there when I ended up with Major Charles Askins personal Superposed. Those guys were great help.

I found this site from a reference over there.

DF

Thank you for posting the link over there! I really hope it finds its way back home.

My start over on SGW back in 2007, which eventually led me over here.

I don't post much over there any more, am more of a rifle guy, prefer this site.

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/ithaca-20-ga-37-r-1940-first-year-rib-gun.121976/

https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/1933-superposed.124719/

The Browning one is sorta long, but at least to me, interesting info on the Askins clan.

A hard core Ithaca type was critical of me altering an early M-37, 20 ga stock. But, the wood was pretty rough and I didn't like the original shape. I liked my Superlight, Superposed stock more. So, this one now has more of that profile.

I had gotten the gun for $255 from a major dealer, Collectors Firearms in Houston, so to me it wasn't a collector, just a shooter. Oh well, you can't please everyone.

DF

We're already getting some info.

Check out the Gunsinternational link where it sold.

Lots of good pictures and info.

DF

This is cool.




P

First off, I hope the firearm is returned to the rightful owner or heir. A quick google search of the detective named in the article shows that he appears to be the real deal. Well recognized in the state of TN for his property crimes prosecution and recovery work.

Second, this incident has me shaking my head. The four most important details in any transaction are WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE. It boggles my mind that our government is able to maintain the WHAT-An Ithica shotgun with s/n xxxxx. WHEN-1972. WHERE-Nashville. But not the WHO it was stolen from. Why maintain any form of stolen firearm database if the intent is not to return the firearm to the rightful owner? Yes, I read the part about "archives not maintained." But somehow they managed to maintain three of the four "W's". Why not the fourth? Curious...

I looked over there but I can't find what you referenced. Admittedly, I have trouble navigating their site sometimes. Can you post the link? And thank you for taking interest in this.

I don’t know what years but apparently some Ithaca doubles were stocked with green wood. I had a D grade years ago that suffered from that.

It shows as sold, so access it thru the SGW link posted earlier by Researcher.

DF

Try this link that Researcher posted on SGW.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...intage-firearms-inc.cfm?gun_id=102046980

DF

Check out those pictures and that engraving. Don't think I've seen anything like it.

Must have been custom, don't think it's a factory pattern, but I don't know.

If Walt chimes in, maybe we'll get some fine points.

DF

Thank you, Dirtfarmer!

It would be interesting to know what it sold for and how the Nashville detective picked up on it.

And, wonder what the seller is saying, caught selling stolen goods.

And, Gunsinternational's position, fencing stollen goods. But, don't ya know, they probably have a fancy lawyer disclaimer in the fine print of their listing agreement, holding them harmless.

And the buyer, after being notified he had just bought a stolen gun. That could be a bit awkward. Wonder how the buyer/seller/Guninternational conversations went. Would loved to have been a fly on the wall.

And, reportedly the detective is a gun nut, so he was paying attention. How rare ya reckon that must be.

They said stollen in '72, which is a long time ago, so no telling how many hands it's passed through, would be interesting to know that history, how it got from Nashville to Michigan. Looks like it was cared for, not abused.

And, how it ended up in the seller's possession. Reportedly they, Vintage Firearms, Inc. Forest Hills, MI, spent some time cleaning and refurbing it to a degree. So, they have some skin in the game.

Viewing their web site, they appear to be good sized firearms dealer.

DF

You didn't read the part about checking specifically the Federal records?

An attempt to find the owner?
Or an attempt to document it and prevent it "disappearing"?


I might guess both.



Seriously, it's been gone for 50 damn years.
Whoever owned it likely wasn't a kid, and they are dead.

It it was Dad's or Pap's, and you were certain, how could you convince the police to give it to you?

Even if you remember it having a divot in the pistol grip, or a scratch on the barrel,
they ain't giving it up for that.

If they will?

It belongs to some cop's friend,😉😉😉!

Not sure about what happens if it’s determined to be unclaimed property.

Anyone know the TN law on that?

Who eats the cost, seller, broker or buyer?

DF

It ain’t mine, but it would sure be cool if it was!

Yep.

DF

I'm pretty active in the clay target sports in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. I've spent some phone time this afternoon trying to find a lead on the person it was stolen from or the family of that person. Purely speculation on my part but I suspect the person it was stolen from 52 years ago has passed. I've talked to all the old timers I can locate who are still with us and no leads. No one remembers anything about such a gun being stolen. Unless I get an unexpected phone call I have hit a dead end. As it turns out the Knoxville detective and I are distant cousins. We had a nice telephone conversation yesterday.
Take care all! and Happy Easter!
Rick

A big thumbs up to you for making an effort to find owner or family.

Thank you Rick!

Ditto!

Family reunion?

Sounds like yo kin is an ok guy. Sorta runs in the family.

DF

Wow! Thanks, RickinTN. This site is giving more exposure to the situation than any other that I'm aware of. Thanks to all who have looked.

I am impressed with the officer and Wiley. Going the extra mile to try to reunite the shotgun with its owner after 52 years might be a LONG shot but it reinforces my faith in men.

My hat off to all the guys involved. 👍🏼👍🏼

Happy Easter to all.

AcesNeights, thank you but I don't deserve credit in this as far as any legwork goes. My only action has been to share the detectives post on a few forums in hopes that the rightful owner(s) get the gun back.

Bringing this back to the top for Easter Sunday viewers.

Back up for an Easter greeting.

Disregard the proclamation of Brandon, the current Oval Office interloper, with his sacrilege declaration of this day.

Forces of darkness can never overwhelm the forces of Light, although they do try.

DF

Well said. Very well said.

yeah, it's interesting that it can be in a database that shows it was stolen, when and where, but missing vital information. I guess that's the norm for a government data base. Probably why typical background checks take so long to come back some times.

Yes Sir, DF! The Appointed One, whom I reference as 81M* is just a demonic placeholder.

Now, lets get this shotgun figured out!

Wiley,

If the original owner/heir can't be identified, and after all these years, that is a real possibility. Then, what happens to this fine and rare old Ithaca?

How much time looking before it's declared unclaimed property? Not sure of the TN law on that.

I hope the original owner or their descendants can be identified. That would be a cool story. But, I'm being a realist, trying to not be a pessimist.

An old guy once told me, "a pessimist is an optimist with experience". Not sure I buy into that, but did get a chuckle out of it. And, he was serious....

DF

How would a person go about proving this gun belonged to them at this point?

You'd have to trace it back to the original owner and if that person was deceased, then their succession would have to be the deciding law.

This is gonna be a real long shot.

It's amazing to me how the original crime report and info is no longer available.

DF

I assume that the person that bought the gun would retain ownership if the actual owner cannot be found. The way it worked in the pawnshop I worked at briefly was police would periodically run a check of all pawns checking for stolen property. If found the owner would be given the opportunity to buy their property back according to law. The pawnshop owner just let them have it back without penalty and absorb the loss but he brought charges against the thief if they could find him. Different states have different laws. I'd hate to see a fine firearm like that end up in a scrap yard cut up and sold for scrap by the police dept. Some departments auction off confiscated firearms and some don't. Some just scrap them.

That’s what I’m asking. Other than an original receipt of purchase which likely no longer exists, how would one go about it?

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the British gangland movie involving stolen antique shotguns "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" with Jason Statham. Funny as hell.

I don't know how all that would shake out. I assume that heirs of the original owner would be tracked down by the detective, since he seems really intent on following every lead he can get, and then see what TN law says.

I assume you gave him this link.

And like other posters here, I’m impressed with him and his persistence.

DF

There are still good people trying to do the right thing.

Even though I was only 1 year old, I do remember that I had a shotgun just like this that was stolen from my Tonka truck in 1972. I happened to get lost from my parents house in MI and somehow ended up in TN, where my beloved shotgun disappeared from theft.

Ha!

Good memory for such a young age. But you do recognize the gun. Good deal.

DF

My hat is off to you sir. Best of luck with your quest.

WileyC: Seems "computers" never forget!
I hope the owner or their family can be contacted.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

That would be a great story.

DF

If they don't know who it was stolen from..... How do they know it's stolen ?

Good question other than reported stolen in ‘72.

Details seem sketchy.

And that’s the problem.

DF

Easy fathom, from a manual paper process to computer data base entry through many upgrades and main frame data storage transfers over the decades.

Chances are really good that Metro Nashville does have the records but they are stashed away in a file cabinet somewhere. No one will take the time or go to the trouble to look them up. Truth be known there may not be anyone today who knows how. Sad story.
Rick

I would imagine the serial number was put in the national system when it was stolen so it is still on record as stolen even though Tenn. Has lost their records.

Those lost TN records may be the missing key to unlock the mystery. Odds are against a resolution. But crazier things have happened.

DF

I had a gun stolen in 1974. It was a legally purchased new handgun. The "investigators" eventually told me there was no record of the gun being sold in the state.

Sounds like they didn’t look too hard.

At least this LEO isn’t lazy, he’s hustling to solve a case.

Wish they were all like him.

DF

UPDATE!!!!!!!!

This is the post that Detective Ogle made today on the forum that I started this thread from. The owner has been FOUND!
Detective Ogle is to be commended for his valiant and SUCCESSFUL efforts to return this beautiful shotgun to its rightful owner.

UPDATE!!! Owner found🎉 52 years ago a young man was home alone when someone broke into his family's house and took several of his father's guns. Well, Iam happy to say I've recovered one gem of a shotgun and now have spoken to the 16 year old of 1972 who was violated by a burglar that day while his parents were away. Arrangements have been made for him to come get his gun. God is good!

Awesome.

Congratulations to all involved.

Dang thats awesome!

That is so cool. Fantastic diligence by that officer paid off. He has full right to be proud.

Wow!

Impressed. Kudos to the detective.

DF

Glad it's returned after so long. A friend of mine had two handguns stolen from his house back in the late 1980s, a Walther P-5 and a Browning Hi Power. A few years later, to his amazement, the cops called him and told him they had his Hi Power, which he went and picked up. They never called him about the P-5.

Glad the son of the rightful owner was found. The gun was stolen from a very prominent family in the Nashville area and they were very active in the clay target sports in Nashville. Hats off to David Ogle for fine detective work.
Take care all!
Rick