A friend recently posted a picture on Facebook from a trip she took to Honduras eight years ago. On the trip, she convinced a local cop to hand her his pistol so she could get a picture posing with it. See below. Photo used with permission.
The situation turned out fine for her, but this is universally a bad idea.
First, some third world cops are also gang members, cartel members, or assassins in their off time. It’s really hard to tell the difference between good and bad cops. Many play on both sides of the line. Do you want the authorities to find your fingerprints and DNA on a killer’s recovered pistol? That may spoil your vacation.
Second, this could be a scam. It’s likely illegal for you to possess a handgun in that country. Now the cops have photographic evidence that you committed a serious crime. They may use the opportunity to shake you down for a hefty bribe to avoid jail. And after you pay, they’ll also seize your phone as evidence. It will be sold at the local black market flea market. What are you going to do? The answer is “nothing” if you want to avoid being arrested.
Finally, you don’t know what type of maintenance or “third world gunsmithing” has been performed on the gun. Safety mechanisms could have been neglected or disabled. You don’t know for sure if the gun will fire without the trigger being pulled. It would really spoil your vacation if you accidentally shoot someone with an unsafe gun.
It may be tempting and make for a great photo, but you really should avoid handling weapons in other countries.