DIXFIELD – A Massachusetts man who was fishing in the Androscoggin River on May 31 spotted something shiny on the river bottom. When he waded into the river to retrieve it, it turned out to be a Ruger .44-caliber Magnum handgun.

Dixfield police Sgt. Jeff Howe said his department is looking for any information anyone might have about the weapon. He said the serial number had been filed off, and it likely was lying in the river less than a year. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 562-4517.

He said his department searched the files for the past four years and found nothing that would have had any link to the gun.

“It could have been used anywhere,” he said.

The Massachusetts visitor first turned it in to the Wilton Police Department because he was lodging in the town. That department turned the weapon over to the Dixfield department.

Howe said the department will hold it for several months, then, if no connections are made, it will be brought to the Maine State Crime Lab for further testing that may reveal the serial number.

For now, the department is treating it as recovered stolen property.

In other matters during the past week, the department wrapped up its annual grant-funded clampdown on drivers who don’t use safety belts.

The 1,808 from the Maine Bureau of Public Safety allowed the assignment of several special patrols to focus on people who do not use a safety belt or use it improperly.

A total of 52 summons were issued during the last two weeks of May for violating the seat belt law, a number Howe said was down four from last year. This is the fourth year the department has received funding for extra seat belt patrols.

Now that the safety belt grant has been used, Howe said the department will focus more time on assigning special patrols on speeding. A grant of $4,909 from the Bureau of Public Safety was provided for the patrols. This is the first year the Dixfield Police Department has received that grant.