A DOG walker was left stunned after stumbling upon a gun assumedly dumped near a Gawler railway line last Tuesday.

Gawler man John Bolton was walking his pup just off Edith Street, on the way back to his residence, when he spotted the sawn off shotgun near the disused rail line, about 15 metres from the road.

He said the gun triggered memories of his time working in the police force.

“I left it there. I was a copper myself for 20 years and also a criminal lawyer, so I thought it could be important and avoided touching it and came back home because I didn’t have my phone with me and rang the police,” Mr Bolton said.

“It brought up memories from a long time ago when I was a copper on Morphett Street and a guy turned around with a sawn off shotgun and shot at me.

“I wasn’t sure at the time if the gun was real or not, but called the police and helped them locate it over the phone.”

An SA Police spokesperson said the weapon was seized.

“It is waiting to undergo forensic examination,” they said.

Mr Bolton questioned why someone would allegedly dump a weapon in such a public location.

“My surprise was why dump it there where it could be easily found?” he said.

“I would have thought you would have thrown it off the bridge into the river or something like that?

“I went to the police station for another thing Wednesday night – somebody tried to steal the very dog I’m talking about – and I went to report that.

“I asked about the gun and they said it was a real-life weapon. Not sure if it was loaded though.”

Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the police.