re-stamping serial numbers

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gordylew
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re-stamping serial numbers

Post by gordylew »

Question for the gurus. If you have a rifle/pistol that has been refinished (poorly) and the serial number is barely visable is it illegal to have it restamped? what if it is obliterated and unable to discern some of the original numbers?
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Sixgun
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Post by Sixgun »

If the gun was manufactured before 1968, there is no law that says you have to have a serial number on it. But at the same time, if a gun deliberately had it's numbers messed with, I do believe thats not a good thing. If you can still read it, even with a magnifying glass, leave it alone.

If its a modern gun with screwed up numbers, well, I don't know what to say----I personally would want no gun, (modern or antique) that had deliberately altered numbers---very bad Karma
engravertom
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Post by engravertom »

if the numbers can still be read, you may find a good engraver to deepen them.

If you can't read them, the engraver might be able to read them under a microscope.

I believe the ATF has some way of reading numbers (from the metal stress put in by the stamping process) even if they are no longer visible. Don't know what that would cost though.

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Post by jengel »

The ATF can Magnaflux the receiver and bring out the numbers even if they have been filed off.
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Old Ironsights
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Post by Old Ironsights »

jengel wrote:The ATF can Magnaflux the receiver and bring out the numbers even if they have been filed off.
Yeah... Don't mess with them. "fixing" the SNs will mess with the gun's value, and the only people who really care about the SN can read it anyway.
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marlinman93
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Post by marlinman93 »

Sixgun wrote:If the gun was manufactured before 1968, there is no law that says you have to have a serial number on it. But at the same time, if a gun deliberately had it's numbers messed with, I do believe thats not a good thing. If you can still read it, even with a magnifying glass, leave it alone.

If its a modern gun with screwed up numbers, well, I don't know what to say----I personally would want no gun, (modern or antique) that had deliberately altered numbers---very bad Karma
I think you are close, but not quite correct. I believe that if it is a rimfire made before 1968 it doesn't need a serial number, bu centerfires were required with the 1937 gun control act to have serial numbers.
There is no problem with restoring serial numbers if they are worn or illegible, but they must be the same number as original. BATF will examine and issue a new serial number to guns that are post 1898 if a person wanted to chance taking it to them and letting them examine it and stamp it.
Pre 1898 guns are a moot point, but the problem there is determining if it's pre 1898, if the same gun was still made after 1898.
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Old Time Hunter
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Post by Old Time Hunter »

Wipe the area with acetone will bring out the serial # grain. I've got a '73 Trapdoor where the last two digits were ground down on top of the receiver from the breach block firing pin boss rubb'n on 'em. Apparently they were not struck very deep. Local CSI said take a Q-tip with acetone an wipe, sure enough, the last two digits came out bright as day. Now I have to re-stamp em, but haven't run across 1870's punches yet.
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marlinman93
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Post by marlinman93 »

Like Gravertom said, take the 73 to an engraver and he can engrave the missing numbers to match the rest. I've had Dale Woody do this for me on a gun that had a repaired lower tang, which removed two digits.
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cubrock
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Post by cubrock »

marlinman93 wrote:
Sixgun wrote:If the gun was manufactured before 1968, there is no law that says you have to have a serial number on it. But at the same time, if a gun deliberately had it's numbers messed with, I do believe thats not a good thing. If you can still read it, even with a magnifying glass, leave it alone.

If its a modern gun with screwed up numbers, well, I don't know what to say----I personally would want no gun, (modern or antique) that had deliberately altered numbers---very bad Karma
I think you are close, but not quite correct. I believe that if it is a rimfire made before 1968 it doesn't need a serial number, bu centerfires were required with the 1937 gun control act to have serial numbers.
There is no problem with restoring serial numbers if they are worn or illegible, but they must be the same number as original. BATF will examine and issue a new serial number to guns that are post 1898 if a person wanted to chance taking it to them and letting them examine it and stamp it.
Pre 1898 guns are a moot point, but the problem there is determining if it's pre 1898, if the same gun was still made after 1898.

The serial number requirement wasn't until 1958, but .22s were exempted until the GCA of 1968.
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