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Odd question...

A lady I work with just inherited a firearm that was used in a suicide. She wants to have the firearm destroyed (she wants its existence to go away; she doesn't want to give it away). Two questions:

(1) How would you destroy it? It sounds like she is thinking melt it down (from her description, it sounds like a short barrel revolver).

(2) Are there any legal impediments/requirements to destroying a firearm?

Tell her you would be glad to take care of it. Bring her back a melted down block of steel.

In answer, to "destroy" the firearm, the serial-numbered part (frame) must be damaged in such a fashion that it cannot be repaired. Whether cutting the frame into pieces, melting it down, or crushing it, it must be non-repairable. If, IF she's serious about this, I'd find someone with a plasma torch (if it's a metal-framed gun) or a crusher, and have them go to town on it. As for legal repercussions, I know of none, at least not if she's in a free state. States with registration will have some paperwork hiccups to go through.

I guess I understand this idea, but not really.

Suppose, I accidently sawed off my leg with my chainsaw.

Would it make sense to destroy the chainsaw?

It's a tool, not some evildoer...

The metallic portions of the weapon will need something really really hot to cut / melt them (plasma cutter as mentioned below or perhaps Oxygen Acetaline torch).

If she chooses to crush or shred it, the crusher or shreder will have to be heck for stout too (maybe a scrap yard could handle it).

I don't understand the logic either but I guess it's not for me to decide.

Good luck.

Thermite will do the trick.

Ya, call me crazy or super suspicious, but has anyone thought it may have been used in a murder or other such?

She should be able to turn it into the local police and request it be destroyed.

I don't think the question is as easy as finding a way to do as much as finding someone willing to do it. I mean if someone came to you and asked for you to destroy a gun wouldn't you be suspicious. I for one wouldn't want ANY part in it just in case.

SQLGeek wrote:She should be able to turn it into the local police and request it be destroyed.

This seems logical.

Loan it to my brother.

ive seen on the news before like in California where people were turning over firearms to law enforcement and I assume they are destroyed

I would think it would be states evidence as well.... tampering with evidence is not something I would get involved in.

Abraham wrote: Suppose, I accidently sawed off my leg with my chainsaw.

Would it make sense to destroy the chainsaw?

Of course it wouldn't make sense, but we're not talking sense.

AlaskanInTexas wrote:Odd question...

A lady I work with just inherited a firearm that was used in a suicide. She wants to have the firearm destroyed (she wants its existence to go away; she doesn't want to give it away). Two questions:

(1) How would you destroy it? It sounds like she is thinking melt it down (from her description, it sounds like a short barrel revolver).

I wouldn't destroy it. If she wants it destroyed, she should do it, not you.