What started as a routine Friday afternoon hunting for scrap metal turned into an unforgettable discovery for 43-year-old engineer Neil Hopkins and his 13-year-old son, Billy. While magnet fishing in the waters of Greylake, Somerset, the duo pulled up an astonishing haul: over 30 firearm parts making up at least 12 distinct weapons.
The shock was immediate when their high-powered neodymium magnet latched onto the first heavy iron piece beneath the bridge.
“I was so amazed I fell over backwards and tripped on the bridge,” recalled 13-year-old Billy. “Me and dad have always talked about finding a haul like this, and to actually get it is incredible. I invited my mates round to have a look and they love it.”
Inside the Arsenal: What Did They Find?
Neil spent over four hours hauling heavy, mud-caked metal parts from the riverbed while Billy helped identify each piece from the bank. The diverse collection spanned centuries of firearm history, including:
- A Thompson Submachine Gun (the iconic “Tommy Gun”)
- M16 Assault Rifles—notoriously dubbed “The Widow Maker” during The Troubles
- An AK-47 assault rifle
- A 19th-Century Musket and a rare US Civil War pistol
For Neil, the historical items were the crown jewels of the catch:
“The Civil War pistol is the gold of the catch. There’s also a musket from the 19th century, which is incredible,” Neil shared. “You normally spend the afternoon getting bits of scrap, so to get something like this is beyond comprehension. We’re just blown away.”
IRA Weapon Dump or WWII History? The Mystery Deepens
The discovery immediately ignited local mystery and speculation. Remarkably, a similar cache was uncovered at the exact same spot two years prior by another schoolboy, prompting police to dredge the riverbed.
At the time, speculation suggested the spot might have been a covert Provisional IRA arms dump, used to discard weapons following disarmament agreements in 2001. Neil supported this theory:
“I think with the floods here a year or so ago it unearthed a load of stuff even deeper down, and that’s what we found. This must be another IRA dump—it’s all very similar weapons.”
Official Police Response
However, Avon and Somerset Police offered a different historical explanation. According to force armourers, the rusted parts likely originated from World War II munitions factories that operated nearby.
Officials dismissed theories involving modern weapons like Uzis or Kalashnikovs from previous finds, noting that the heavily corroded items dated back roughly 50 to 60 years. Police retrieved the latest batch for formal inspection and destruction, sending officers back to dredge the site for remaining pieces.
Final Thoughts
Whether the weapons were discarded remnants of wartime manufacturing or hidden paramilitary gear, the day ended as a dream come true for a young treasure hunter and his father.
Have you ever tried magnet fishing? Drop a comment below and let us know what’s the strange thing you’ve ever found!
