Weapons Disposal by: Frank Brown

“These are two different “tales” of the same subject – disposal of weapons that were used in crimes, or ‘Saturday night specials,’ found or turned in by citizens no longer wanting them, or not workable.

This ‘tale’ is about my first disposal of weapons July 1968. I went to the Harbor Dept – they furnished a motor launch – and took us about 8 or 10 miles off the coast of Newport Beach. All was going well disposing of small arms, the problem came up when we tossed the rifles over the side – they floated – rifle stocks up. We had to retrieve them. Fortunately there was a tool box aboard – and we took the stocks off – the rifles sank like rocks!

The second problem a few years later was caused by fog. We had already dumped the weapons and were heading back to Newport when we hit a fog bank. Believe it or not the compass on the boat was faulty and we sort of lost our way!!!

As luck would have it, a cabin cruiser was coming out of Newport and pointed what direction we should go. Well, we wound up off the coast of Laguna Beach, followed the coastline and made it back to Newport Beach and the Harbor Department. It so happened there was a newspaper reporter on board doing an item on how police departments disposed of weapons. About a week later, I received a small package in the mail from that reporter. Inside was a ‘toy’ compass with a note saying, ‘Doesn’t everyone need one?’ I still have that compass packed away somewhere in one of my storage boxes!

Don’t laugh!!!
You guys might be in my next ‘adventure.’

‘Nasty’ Frank”