Bought a gun used in a crime?

[mrlew 0]

Strangest thing happened today. My son purchased a pre-owned rifle at Cabela's about a month ago. He got a call today from the store telling him that he needs to return the gun. Apparently it was used in a crime and the PA police want it. They offered him a full refund and a gift card, amount unknown, for his trouble. So......we're heading to Hamburg Saturday morning.

[bry@n 195]

wow, at least they are taking care of him. Glad they track these things though.

[vjf915 456]

wow, at least they are taking care of him.

This.

[PK90 3,573]

Strange. Cabelas should not be calling you. You should've had a visit from your local PD. This should be a police matter. They should not be involved in getting the firearm back from you. You should tell them you will not be returning it unless they can prove their claim.

[bry@n 195]

I would make sure that gift card is enough to cover the cost of gas and fuel etc.... both trips.

[Pew Pew Plates 358]

Would you be required to return it without police involvement...? IDE tell them to pound salt and enjoy your hot gun lol

[Krdshrk 3,878]

I'd gladly take the money.. as long as they can get me another gun of what I want.

[mrlew 0]

The gun isn't anything all that special. In fact I'll bet there's one or two just like it sitting on their used rack right now.

 

If the police were asking for the weapon directly I would have to assume he may be screwed. I doubt the PD would give him back his money.

 

So....bottom line is we're not that concerned about returning the thing, just found the situation odd. He will most likely purchase a replacement the same day he returns this one. And yeah, I had the same thought, that gift card better cover gas and time for BOTH trips. We shall see.

[johnp 45]

For the inconvenience, I would request they replace the rifle and a refund.

[junkmanted 54]

I checked out a gun at a shop in PA a couple years ago, and it had a tag on it ( Suicide ) so I ask "what" turns out the last owner killed him self with it !

I almost through it at the guy . Friggen grossed me out .

 

So your gun may have some bad MoJo

[robot_hell 72]

C'mon. Guns can have bad mojo like they can get up and shoot someone on their own.

 

Doesn't mean it still isn't creepy, of course.

[JaredC 6]

seems a little weird the store would call you and not the police..... if it was me i would want a full refund for the gun... gas money both ways... and at least a 250 doller gift card for my troubles....

[JaredC 6]

I checked out a gun at a shop in PA a couple years ago, and it had a tag on it ( Suicide ) so I ask "what" turns out the last owner killed him self with it !

I almost through it at the guy . Friggen grossed me out .

 

So your gun may have some bad MoJo

 

i wouldnt lose an ounce of sleep over it if it was priced good...

[Fishpaw 17]

I checked out a gun at a shop in PA a couple years ago, and it had a tag on it ( Suicide ) so I ask "what" turns out the last owner killed him self with it !

I almost through it at the guy . Friggen grossed me out .

 

So your gun may have some bad MoJo

 

Why would they have a tag on it like that? As for guns with "history"...all those m1 Garands, and Mausers, and Mosin Nagants and AKs and surplus guns of all colors and kinds...have a decent chance that they were used to kill people....

[Adam 6]

Sounds fishy to me..

[Kaiser7 33]

I checked out a gun at a shop in PA a couple years ago, and it had a tag on it ( Suicide ) so I ask "what" turns out the last owner killed him self with it !

I almost through it at the guy . Friggen grossed me out .

 

So your gun may have some bad MoJo

 

If I really liked the gun, I'd simply use it to bargain down the price. Then, I'd just see if my priest would bless it, just in case there was some bad ju-ju.

 

As for the OP's situation, make sure they take care of you price wise and stuff. It probably makes sense for the company to take care of this. The crime likely occurred in PA. If the PA police traced it to Cabella's, then they would proabbly call to see if it were still there. I imagine that Cabellas would find it simpler to simply call you back and have you bring it back than for the police to go get it. Besides, for them it's better customer service. You've been very much inconvenienced, so I imagine that they'd want to try and make it up to you.

 

Make sure you get comped for the gas, time, and stuff like that. They probably won't argue too much, after all, they wouldn't want the story getting out that they sold a gun used in a crime, and inconvenienced you.

 

Bad situation, but it seems like you may make out in the end. I'm planning a summer trip there actually.

[vladtepes 1,060]

yet another reason to shop local and support your NJ gun dealers...

 

a drive all the way to PA to buy a common gun only so you can return it and buy the same gun over again..

no thanks..

[M4BGRINGO 139]

I bet the police would not have to reimburse you a penny and same goes for Cabellas if the police came and got it. Get it back to Cabellas ASAP, get a full refund, at least $100 for your trouble, and pickout another gun. I've read stories of police confiscating guns that were used in crimes or stolen and the owners got NOTHING!

[Underdog 1,593]

I would take whatever your son can get just to be rid of that headache.

 

In PA, would the police have a record of that gun being moved to that store? And, then the record of the private sale the store made? Or, would they have had to go through the store for assistance?

 

And, even if you purchase a gun legally, if it was thought to be used in a crime, it can be confiscated without just compensation?

 

I would strongly want whatever the replacement value is for the thing, personally.

 

But, if the story is as you say, then it is preferable to go through the store than to directly go through it with the police.

 

And, lastly, I have often wondered what the history of a particular firearm is.

[pepsi71ocean 2]

I don't see the idea behind a gun that was used being bd juice.

 

Just because i Own a 42 Byf and a 44 BCD, doesn't mean i see German soldiers shooting with them at nigh in my house... And holding them certainty doesn't make me feel any different??? Maybe its just me?

 

 

 

But while the getting is good, i think he should return the gun and get a replacement, or something for what it was worth.

[heaterbob 53]

its probably stolen and cabalas is trying to return it as quietly as possible

[PK90 3,573]

The situation could be a lot of things. One thing it is not, it was not used in a crime that the police are investigating. They would not have Cabelas get involved. Whatever the situation, make sure you get compensated for your expenses. You will most likely be lied to by Cabelas, but so what. Take the money and run.

 

A few scenarios that the gun:

- was sold without the proper paperwork being done

- is not legal for you to own

- was on consignment and they sold it for less

- was in for repair and they accidentally sold it

- was sold to Cabelas by someone other than the owner

[Sigman 41]

I would bet this was not used in a crime because the police would take control of the situation. Do you really think the police are going to ask Cabela's to get a gun back?

 

Maybe the store employee "knows" something about the gun and wants to get it back before the situation gets out of hand and the police do get involved.

[Sandy 44]

What PK90 said. They are probably just making something up that will make you hightail it back there to cover their own butts.

 

That is so yuck about a gun being tagged "suicide" ! Why would they tag it that way? Yikes. I read way too much Stephen King. I could never own that gun lol

[SW9racer 262]

Bad JuJu? Guns dont kill people, the projectiles do, its not a sword or your car's front bumper

[Underdog 1,593]

Or, since he is an NJ resident, maybe the police cannot easily get it. Perhaps if he was a PA resident there wouldn't really be a record of it being sold and logged in, but since he is an NJ resident, there would have had to have been a NICS call placed and therefore a record.

[GRIZ 3,369]

Or, since he is an NJ resident, maybe the police cannot easily get it. Perhaps if he was a PA resident there wouldn't really be a record of it being sold and logged in, but since he is an NJ resident, there would have had to have been a NICS call placed and therefore a record.

 

If he were a PA resident buying the gun from Cabela's there would still be all the paperwork and NICS.

 

Some of the possibilities posed by PK90 are plausible but I think if it was something Cabela's could have just settled on their end with some cash they would have done so.

 

If its true PA police would have difficulty in trying to get the gun back if its in NJ. I doubt that its stolen as all the police in PA would have to do is call NJSP and they could just seize the gun. If the feds wanted it for any reason they would just get a seizure warrant and take it from you. It would be up to you to chase Cabelas for your money back which I am sure wouldn't take too much chasing.

 

I would call Cabelas and have them give me their police contact and verify the story. If they do that and you verify it I would tell the police when I'm bringing it back and do so. If I couldn't verify it I would do what I want.

[heaterbob 53]

or, maybe they found out that the rifle was owned by someone famous,or in a movie and is worth thousands

[Murphy4570 15]

A few scenarios that the gun:

- was sold without the proper paperwork being done

- is not legal for you to own

- was on consignment and they sold it for less

- was in for repair and they accidentally sold it

- was sold to Cabelas by someone other than the owner

 

These are the most likely scenarios. The others would have the gov't knocking on your door, not Cabela's. It sounds like some low-level employee like the assistant manager is trying to save their butts after pulling something stupid. The "sold repair" sounds most plausible in that scenario.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

but since he is an NJ resident, there would have had to have been a NICS call placed and therefore a record.

 

As was pointed out, since it was purchased from an FFL a NICS call was required, regardless of state of residence. Furthermore, since the sale was approved, by federal law, that NICS record would have been destroyed prior to the start of the next business day.

 

This sounds like an internal Cabela's screw-up.

 

JMHO

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob