A drug dealer being chased by police threw a man bag containing a gun out of a car, hitting a woman minding her own business on the street.
Kasper Sims, 26, was in a car speeding through the streets of Moss Side when he tried to get rid of the bag, which also contained bullets.
The man bag hit a woman on the leg.
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As she looked inside, she made the shocking discovery that it contained a real gun.
She realised it was real because of how heavy it was, and immediately alerted the police.
Now Sims has been locked up for eight-and-a-half years.
Police became aware of a Skoda Fabia driving at speed on Princess Road, after 4pm on December 18 last year, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Officers tried to stop the car, which was weaving in and out of traffic and narrowly avoided a fence, but had to abort the chase due to safety concerns.
It then made its way onto Edith Avenue, where the man bag was thrown out of the car.
The woman was said to be 'scared and shocked' after she realised what was in the bag.
She called police, and hid the gun under her jacket because she didn't want to draw attention to herself.
Officers arrived quickly after and cordoned off the area.
The weapon was found to be in 'full working order', and also discovered were ten 9mm bullets which could be used in the gun.
Sim's DNA was revealed to be on the magazine of the gun.
Police raided his girlfriend's home in Burnage in June, and found several wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
Officers also recovered scales, cash, a knife and a mobile phone which had been used for drug dealing.
Defending, Rachel White appealed to the judge to pass a sentence which wouldn't 'extinguish his resolve to stay out of trouble'.
But the judge, Recorder Michael Blakey, told Sims: "The lesson has to go out to those who seek to carry weapons of any sort, particularly guns, and involve themselves in the spreading of the poison which are class A drugs, that severe sentences will be imposed."
Sims, of Western Circle, Burnage, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, and two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
After the hearing, Detective Constable Graham Parry, of GMP's Xcalibre Task Force said: "One of our main priorities is ensuring that the communities of Greater Manchester are kept safe from serious violent crime and thankfully this investigation allowed us to remove yet another lethal weapon from our streets.
"Anyone could have found the gun after it was thrown from the car window and who knows what tragic consequences that could have resulted in.
"Thankfully today we've also been able to remove another dangerous individual and place him behind bars for the foreseeable, stopping him from committing any potential acts of violence with this dangerous weapon."
Detective Inspector Madeline Kelly, of GMP's Xcalibre Task Force, whose team led the investigation, said: "Thanks to the quick thinking action of the woman, we were able to get another weapon of the streets of Manchester and ensure that Kasper Sims is no longer a threat to the public.
"We know that when we seize weapons and ammunition or put someone behind bars, that we can't stop there, and the Xcalibre Task Force will continue pursuing criminals across Manchester to bring them to justice and ensure the safety of the communities we serve."
