Quoted: Maybe we're getting to the point now John.  Why must the gun be test fired if there is no reason to think it was a bad shoot?  To capture a "fingerprint" of the gun regardless? ETA: Dumb question - they can have those of the LEO's guns anytime they want anyway so that's not it.

They are going to do a ballastic comparisson between the bullet in the dead guy and one fired from the weapon.

SOP.

Quoted: Quoted: If you kill someone with your car, your car is impounded.  What's the difference?  The police are investigating a homicide and want control over the evidence until the case is disposed of. I think that's apples & oranges because cars can have mechanical defects (either known or unknown) that require impersonal and controlled disassembly, etc. In addition, an automobile accident has no relationship to my self-defense shooting scenario anyway.  Please do make your point though, maybe another way?

I thought this was obvious but let me to try put it another way. The police need to establish that the gun you claim you used in self defense was actually the one used in the shooting.  They also need to determine it was legally owned and possessed.

Okay y'all, I understand what forensics does.  I don't understand why it's ALWAYS required even when it was an obvious good shoot.

Sorry - another ETA:  It's like we must prove innocence. That's backwards.

Quoted: Okay y'all, I understand what forensics does.  I don't understand why it's ALWAYS required even when it was an obvious good shoot. Sorry - another ETA:  It's like we must prove innocence. That's backwards.

It's not a good shoot until the DA or Grand Jury says it's a good shoot. Or if they don't think it's a good shoot then 12 members of your community get to decide.

Here's an example that might clarify things a bit.  I had a shooting quite some time ago.  Dad claimed he shot a guy attempting to kill his son with a ball bat during a backyard party.   Quite believeable, even backed up by two witnesses.  (The son was an adult as was the deceased) Decedent had an extensive violent history.  Son had a couple minor drug offenses.

Here's when the problems start.

Son's story did not match dad's.  Bullet path from the father's stated firing position did not match the wounds and powder stippling on the deceased.  Further, the 9mm  ball ammo dad claimed to have used did not match the .38 Special ball removed from the decedent's skull.  Although both guns were Rugers, the rifling marks did not match. Gun residue kits were positive on son, negative on dad.

Bottom line, son was chasing decedent around the backyard over an ex-girlfriend dispute and shot him at almost contact range when decedent was trapped against the house. (no bat was found)  Dad tried to cover the homicide for son and coerced two employees to go along.

If we had not seized both guns (and the guns from two other party attendees),  We never would have found them again.

Have to give the criminal or his buddies a fair and reasonable attempt to get revenge on you and yours. Hey, what's fair is fair....

Thanks Bama (and all). I think I'd better just let it drop since I'm coming across as a pure hard-head (maybe true ) and all of you are still able to remain very courteous.  I confess I still believe a good guy would hold onto his own gun until the shooting was a closed issue if that was required and a bad guy could run either way.  Thanks for playing y'all.

Yep, another ETA: I'm saying it should be mandatory retention until case closed instead of mandatory confiscation. That way forensics can be done if required instead of every time and good guys get to hang onto their defensive tools.

Quoted: I have had a buddy in shooting situation at his home. He had a ton of guns lying around.  They only took the one involved in the shooting.  The rest were left alone.  I think the LEOs would need some real evidence that other crimes have been committed before they will take other weapons.

That fact will go unnoticed by many here.

I've been to a few of these calls in my almost 12 years as an LEO.  We have NEVER taken ALL THE GUNS IN THE HOUSE, just the one(s) believed to have been used during the shooting.

Quoted: Quoted: I have had a buddy in shooting situation at his home. He had a ton of guns lying around.  They only took the one involved in the shooting.  The rest were left alone.  I think the LEOs would need some real evidence that other crimes have been committed before they will take other weapons. That fact will go unnoticed by many here. I've been to a few of these calls in my almost 12 years as an LEO.  We have NEVER taken ALL THE GUNS IN THE HOUSE, just the one(s) believed to have been used during the shooting.

That is resonable and to be expected.
If the gun you say you used doesn't check ou then you have lost all credibility.

However, there are some in this thread and the one which preceeded this, who said they would take all the guns in the house.  

Clearly, having a weapons cache somewhere is a really good idea for all of us.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have had a buddy in shooting situation at his home. He had a ton of guns lying around.  They only took the one involved in the shooting.  The rest were left alone.  I think the LEOs would need some real evidence that other crimes have been committed before they will take other weapons. That fact will go unnoticed by many here. I've been to a few of these calls in my almost 12 years as an LEO.  We have NEVER taken ALL THE GUNS IN THE HOUSE, just the one(s) believed to have been used during the shooting. That is resonable and to be expected. If the gun you say you used doesn't check ou then you have lost all credibility. However, there are some in this thread and the one which preceeded this, who said they would take all the guns in the house.   No officer has said this.   What has been stated is that they will take the weapons within your reach and use at the time of the shooting. Clearly, having a weapons cache somewhere is a really good idea for all of us.

Yup.  But not for the reason you suppose.

If you submit a DNA sample, they don't just check against your "crime".  They run it's CRC/ID in the system for all crimes.  I wonder if they have a similar system for guns.  

That would be why they take as many as they can.

They also don't destroy your DNA if you're not guilty.  It goes into the system.