MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Martin County deputies were on the lookout for a stolen car over the holiday weekend, but when they found it, they also uncovered something they don’t see very often, a homemade gun.
Surveillance video from the 4th of July shows deputies closing in on some suspected car thieves near I-95, part of a group of 15 juveniles from Jacksonville.
Once the scene was secured, what was found in the stolen car was surprising.
“We do takedowns regularly and normally we have the upper hand when it comes to firepower and we’re ready to take on pretty much whatever we’re ready to encounter,” said Major John Budensiek.
Deputies recovered two rifles with armor piercing ammunition.
Not only that, they found one gun that was homemade.
Major John Budensiek called it an “80-percent rifle”.
“If you’re a gun guy and a lot of people do it and there’s nothing illegal about it, you can buy the lower unit of a gun that’s non-serialized because it’s non finished, they can complete the job and then it has no serial numbers,” said Major Budensiek.
Glen Rubin at American Defense in Stuart says it’s not so simple to build your own gun.
“There’s a whole multitude of parts before you get to where it’s a completed firearm. It’s difficult to go from 80-percent to full so you would need a drill press, the bits, the knowledge of how to cut it,” said Rubin.
Like many businesses, the firearms industry has had to contend with supply issues.
Rubin says they’re not concerned financially by those who want to build their own guns as they don’t get that many requests.
Major Budensiek says in this particular case, they won’t be able to return the homemade gun because they have no idea who made it.
One arrest was made in the stolen car and guns case and Martin County is working with their counterparts in Jacksonville.
