Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Still trying to get gun used in BIL's suicide back

My 54 year old brother in law took his life with a Colt Gold Cup 45 in May 2019. The pistol was purchased by my sister in law in 1980 (worked for Colt at the time) and given to my father in law who passed on in 2007. We have the bill of sale and box for the gun as proof of ownership but there was no ATF transfer to my father in law since it wasn't required at the time. And it was never transferred to my brother in law since he didn't have a pistol permit.

After my father in law passed I help my mother in law sell some of his guns. My brother in law said he wanted the Colt and a couple rifles so I left them in the safe at her house. He apparently transported the Colt to his condo in Holyoke, Mass where he took his life. The Holyoke PD took the gun from his condo and when I called to inquire about it afterwards they said it was transferred to the state police and gave me a name to call. The state police detective said the gun had to go through ballistics to determine if was used in any crimes. After calling every 3 or 4 months I was told it had finally cleared the ballistics lab in early December of last year. I figured we'd get it back shortly after that but after waiting a few more months I called and was told the DA needed to approve it's release. That was in February and I was told the DA is busy which is what I was told every time I've called since then. I wrote a letter to the DA last month and am not sure what else I can do. Thought I'd post this and see if anyone has suggestions.

The gun is probably worth around $1200. I figured I could sell it and give the money to my mother in law who had to cover his final expenses as well as some debt he accumulated to settle his estate.

Good luck with that.

Being CT/Mass I wouldn't hold my breath.

Keep being a pain in their ass, someone there wants that gun.

A friend of mine took his life in the same way. They have been told they will not get it back. The explanation is it was used in a crime.

I would drive to the office of the person who can return it, take the entire record since 2019, show it to him/her, ask for it right now, and sit there until they give it to me..

You're not pushing enough. Call 3 times a week. Go to the office in person and ask questions.... Be a PIA. Don't stop until they give it to you.

I don’t think I’d want to touch it. My brother in law did the same thing with a 1100 16 gauge. We told them to destroy it.

I don’t believe suicide is a crime. It may be classified that way by some politically motivated DA but we haven’t been told that.

Good job.

Yep. Probably already destroyed it.

Like they do in most Liberal Run LEO Agency’s.

I may call this guy and get his advice. The Hamden county DA has 4 offices. I’m sure there’s more than one DA that could approve the release as well but just showing cold is likely a waste of time.

Smaller PD may not have drying racks.
State Police here wont take a gun for checks unless its been dried out.

So......wet ones can be returned to family. If local PD rules it OK to do so ( case closed ).
Only takes a day or two to rust the hell out of one.

My local area had a lot of suicides when a factory went under. Cop i know was cleaning a suicide gun once a week, and most families wanted them returned.

50/50 someone has already made it their very own.

They may actually not know where it is and are stalling.

Probably in someones gun safe/collection and it is uncomfortable for them to get it back from the good ole boy....

I'd bet a cop took it home.

Youre going to have to be a big enough PITA to make him bring it back.

If it was never transferred to your brother-in-law that's what may be holding it up. But I would keep trying for eventually they will figure out that it's "clean"; as in not stolen or used in crime. Years ago a co-worker of a close friend had a brother-in-law take his life with his own, legally owned 44 magnum, a S&W Mod. 29 IIRC. Cops had it for a certain amount of time which wasn't that long. Then it was treated just like any transfer between two pistol permit holders. Twenty years ago I inherited the Luger one of my late uncles brought home from Germany in 1945 and it never got registered in NY state. We surrendered it to the local P.D. and eventually, ( about a year) after they ran all the checks it was declared a war trophy and I got it put on my pistol permit. Just keep trying and best of luck to you.

Good luck Bill. Hope it turns out well, but I wouldn't expect it to be returned in the condition it was before the event.

As someone mentioned, if they didn't clean it right away, as within a day or two, it'll be rusted in places.

My experience, a friend married a gal who's husband committed suicide by cop. Two other weapons were found on the bed of the place he was at. A Rem700 and a Win Mod 12. When she finally got them back, after much stalling by the local cops, both were inoperable as returned. The Rem was missing the bolt and the shotgun had been put back together wrong and the slide action wouldn't cycle. Eventually, my friend's wife wanted them gone so I got them at a good price.

Really a scheidty situation for you on top of the loss of a family member. I do hope the pistol is returned in good condition.

I had to get a revolver that belonged to me back from the State Police here in Kentucky. I had to wait for the case to clear the court, then go to the judge and get a letter from him releasing the revolver back to me, then drive an hour to the State Police office and get it back.