I'm going to guess that having a 07/FFL is probably the only legal way to move a serial number.
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Obliterating serial number
- Thread starter GAgunLAWbooklet
- Start date
Federal law makes it illegal to deface or alter a gun's serial number, regardless of the reason why you do it.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/27/478.34
"No person shall knowingly transport, ship, or receive in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm which has had the importer's or manufacturer's serial number removed, obliterated, or altered, or possess..."
See also Title 18, U.S. Code, section 922(k). It's a 5-year felony.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/27/478.34
"No person shall knowingly transport, ship, or receive in interstate or foreign commerce any firearm which has had the importer's or manufacturer's serial number removed, obliterated, or altered, or possess..."
See also Title 18, U.S. Code, section 922(k). It's a 5-year felony.
This was my thought exactly.
Georgia law is different; it has an element of intent to conceal the identity of the item.
If circumstances are such that there is no intent to hide the identity of the thing or make it untraceable to further some kind of fraud, this Georgia law isn't violated.
O.C.G.A. 16-9-70
a) A person commits the offense of criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark when he or she buys, sells, receives, disposes of, conceals,
or has in his or her possession
a radio, piano, phonograph, sewing machine, washing machine, typewriter, adding machine, comptometer, bicycle, firearm, safe, vacuum cleaner, dictaphone, watch, watch movement, watch case, or any other mechanical or electrical device, appliance, contrivance, material, vessel as defined in Code Section 52-7-3, or other piece of apparatus or equipment, other than a motor vehicle as defined in Code Section 40-1-1,
from which he or she knows the manufacturer's name plate, serial number, or any other distinguishing number or identification mark has been removed for the purpose of concealing or destroying the identity of such article.
If circumstances are such that there is no intent to hide the identity of the thing or make it untraceable to further some kind of fraud, this Georgia law isn't violated.
O.C.G.A. 16-9-70
a) A person commits the offense of criminal use of an article with an altered identification mark when he or she buys, sells, receives, disposes of, conceals,
or has in his or her possession
a radio, piano, phonograph, sewing machine, washing machine, typewriter, adding machine, comptometer, bicycle, firearm, safe, vacuum cleaner, dictaphone, watch, watch movement, watch case, or any other mechanical or electrical device, appliance, contrivance, material, vessel as defined in Code Section 52-7-3, or other piece of apparatus or equipment, other than a motor vehicle as defined in Code Section 40-1-1,
from which he or she knows the manufacturer's name plate, serial number, or any other distinguishing number or identification mark has been removed for the purpose of concealing or destroying the identity of such article.
They can. They have to get a variance letter from the ATF giving permission for each individual firearm. A pain in the rear but it can and has been legally done.
I bought a Glock 17 about 10 years ago from an 80+ something year old man, who lived way out in the boonies. It had been sitting in his safe for I don't know how many years. He said he took it from his brother, for one reason or another, because he did not think he needed it.
I went down and looked at it, and decided to buy it from him. We went to a restaurant and ate lunch, talked about guns, kids, etc. and had a grand old time.
He was some sort of "Beef Jerky" expert, and gave me a bunch of his samples that he makes and sells. A really nice guy and fun to talk to.
On the way home, I was looking at the Glock, and discovered that the little silver "tag" on the bottom of the frame, where the serial number plate should be, was gone. I freaked out. I thought long and hard for the next 30 minutes of my ride home, about what to do.
Call a lawyer, call the cops, bury it, destroy it, what?
I finally decided to call an officer in the Sheriffs Office that I have done lots of work with. I explained the situation to him, and he told me to bring it on in, and let them look at it. Before going to see him, I had a family member ready with an attorneys name and number, just in case.
We had a quick meeting, discussed the facts of the case, and he he took the pistol for safe keeping. He called a deputy in the county where the old man lived, and after a few days, it was decided that neither of us had intentionally tried to cover up or destroy a serial numbered item.
The officer destroyed the frame for me, and returned all the rest of the parts. He then filled out a form for me to take to Glock, saying it had been destroyed, and they replaced the frame.
I remember while all of this was going on, that he told me ANY ITEM that has a serial number, and has been altered to hide the number for reason of fraud, etc., then it becomes a crime and you can be prosecuted.
Not sure exactly how true that statement is, but I do remember the feeling in gut when I found out I was holding a firearm without a serial number!!!
Jerry
I went down and looked at it, and decided to buy it from him. We went to a restaurant and ate lunch, talked about guns, kids, etc. and had a grand old time.
He was some sort of "Beef Jerky" expert, and gave me a bunch of his samples that he makes and sells. A really nice guy and fun to talk to.
On the way home, I was looking at the Glock, and discovered that the little silver "tag" on the bottom of the frame, where the serial number plate should be, was gone. I freaked out. I thought long and hard for the next 30 minutes of my ride home, about what to do.
Call a lawyer, call the cops, bury it, destroy it, what?
I finally decided to call an officer in the Sheriffs Office that I have done lots of work with. I explained the situation to him, and he told me to bring it on in, and let them look at it. Before going to see him, I had a family member ready with an attorneys name and number, just in case.
We had a quick meeting, discussed the facts of the case, and he he took the pistol for safe keeping. He called a deputy in the county where the old man lived, and after a few days, it was decided that neither of us had intentionally tried to cover up or destroy a serial numbered item.
The officer destroyed the frame for me, and returned all the rest of the parts. He then filled out a form for me to take to Glock, saying it had been destroyed, and they replaced the frame.
I remember while all of this was going on, that he told me ANY ITEM that has a serial number, and has been altered to hide the number for reason of fraud, etc., then it becomes a crime and you can be prosecuted.
Not sure exactly how true that statement is, but I do remember the feeling in gut when I found out I was holding a firearm without a serial number!!!
Jerry
Try to find the serial number on a Thompson Center Encore.
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Pre-1968 guns often were without serial numbers. Some I have owned I have scratched an identifying number onto them. I have seen older guns in past years that were without SNs and the owner would electric pencil their name and address on the gun - Or their SSN.
