Photo courtesy of the National Park Service

Archeologists using lasers and ground-penetrating radar have detected remnants of the Civil War fortification buried under California’s most notorious prison, but it’s the discovery of a different sort likely to catch the attention of gun-control activists—it’s the ammo mags hidden on Alcatraz. Results of the scientific study that were published in the Near Surface Journal earlier this month are described as, “…buried structures, ammunition magazines and tunnels,” according to an Associated Press report.

It’s unclear whether California officials will exhume the ammo mags hidden on Alcatraz to determine if they can hold more than10 cartridges, which would make them illegal in the state. Skeptics claim burial in ruins more than 100 years old indicates they are likely in compliance with the law, which was passed in 2000, but included a grandfather clause that allowed residents to keep any in their possession at the time the legislation took effect. At press time no one has stepped forward to claim the cache.

Lots of Suspects

Alcatraz Island is now one of the more than 400 facilities managed by the National Park Service and roughly one million tourists flock to the site annually. The shear volume of visitors could make it nearly impossible to identify suspects, although security video is likely being reviewed for anyone carrying a shovel. The island was the site of the first lighthouse on the left coast, Civil War fort, bird sanctuary and infamous high-security prison no one successfully escaped from until Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster breakout in 1979.

Alternate Ammo Mags Hidden on Alcatraz

There is the off-chance that the writer meant a library filled with the ’60’s popular “True Detective” magazines or ammo-storage bunkers. The fact that the later would require the National Park Service to allow the public to walk atop a century-old fermenting keg of gunpowder largely rules it out, though.

*Sturgeons Warning: If you took the bait on this fishy tale, you may also enjoy my alluring top-nine reasons the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have grenade launchers.