So what's the deal with pawn shops and stolen guns? Story below...

[Zeake]

So, I have 20 years experience with this. I currently own part of two pawn shops. We Pawn Shop FFL holders send a listing of everything we take into the Police. THEY are supposed to run gun numbers. Some departments never do. Newnan PD is completely different than Lagrange PD. Every single department is different. I sold a beretta tomcat 3 different times and pawned it a couple before it was discovered stolen years before the first time it was on my log book.
Under normal circumstances, the record of who brought it to the shop is on file and the police go see that person to determine where he or she got the gun.
I know of several stories where Police have held someone that legally purchased a gun from an FFL holder, for DAYS!
If you don't get a bill of sale print the listing from whatever site or person you buy it from and save it.
Pawn shops have no access to the ncic database. It is completely up to the local authorities to run the numbers.

Newnan only picks up a pawn listing once a week or so, from my last knowledge. LPD and Troup County Sheriffs Office get a fax from me every single night. in Lagrange.
PawnExpress Newnan could speak on this also.

 

[PawnExpress Newnan]

We report ALL transactions once a week. City and county get the records. 30 day hold period on all transaction even the stuff we purchase. The law is a little fuzzy on hold periods but our company does this to give local law enforcement time to run their checks. Just the right thing to do.
I would imagine that throughout the state and country this is not always the case.

You are correct, the system doesn't catch everything for a number of reasons. More often than not the victim (you), if lucky, will get the merchandise back and the shop is left holding the bag. We have copies of id's but if the weapon has changed hands a few times I don't see PD putting in large amounts of man hours and resources to track it to the original thief and most likely no way to prove it.
There is just no way to accurately trace a weapon that has changed hands multiple times in a private sell state.

 

[fattboyzz]

My friend owns a pawn shop in South Fulton and the PPD checks every gun that comes in on pawn .

 

[PawnExpress Newnan]

My friend owns a pawn shop in South Fulton and the PPD checks every gun that comes in on pawn .

They are supposed to. Like Zeake we had a hand gun that had slipped through the cracks and had been pawned and sold about 5 times. Turned up stolen from 14 years previous and 3 states over.
Humans enter the serial numbers from maker to distributor to dealer to customer and so on... every time it changes hands through Gun shops and pawn shops you have to rely on the fact that they record the serial number correctly and that the PD enter the info correctly in their system.
A lot of hands and a lot of room for human error.
Add private sell and thieves into the mix.... becomes a mess.

 

[kuduman]

Thanks, guys for educating me about the process. I can quit being mad at that pawn shop.

 

[BanjoJohn]

Fair point about proof of ownership.

A picture of the firearm, and a "good" clear picture of the serial number, should be proof enough of ownership, but I think that I'll sit down and write myself out a BOS for each and every firearm that I own.

 

[kuduman]

A picture of the firearm, and a "good" clear picture of the serial number, should be proof enough of ownership, but I think that I'll sit down and write myself out a BOS for each and every firearm that I own.

Well, Dekalb wouldn't accept the BOX as proof of ownership, so yeah, having a BOS tucked away somewhere might be a good thing. I may sell all mine to my friends and buy them back pretty soon...

 

[BanjoJohn]

Well, Dekalb wouldn't accept the BOX as proof of ownership, so yeah, having a BOS tucked away somewhere might be a good thing. I may sell all mine to my friends and buy them back pretty soon...

If you bought it new, and it was stolen and used in a crime, before you reported it stolen, they would certainly arrest you, because it was "yours".

Some government employee's ignorance goes beyond stupid.

I had one stolen about 3 years ago. I reported it stolen. I didn't have the numbers recorded. I found a picture of it, but couldn't make out all of the serial number.

Just a couple of weeks ago I found the box. I wrote down the serial number to have attached to the report, the Eatonton police wanted to see the box.

It's nice to know that all law enforcement are on the same page. sarcasm.

 

[Ken Ford]

Depending on the local laws they may have to report what comes in on Pawn to the local LE.
What the locals do with that information can vary. Many just check against missing property in their jurisdiction.
Some run every serial number on every item not just guns.
Would be easy to see where a number could be entered wrong on a busy day.

 

[Ken Ford]

If you bought it new, and it was stolen and used in a crime, before you reported it stolen, they would certainly arrest you, because it was "yours".

Some government employee's ignorance goes beyond stupid.

I had one stolen about 3 years ago. I reported it stolen. I didn't have the numbers recorded. I found a picture of it, but couldn't make out all of the serial number.

Just a couple of weeks ago I found the box. I wrote down the serial number to have attached to the report, the Eatonton police wanted to see the box.

It's nice to know that all law enforcement are on the same page. sarcasm.

Just because your gun was used doesn't mean you did it. You won't be arrested just for that.
Under suspicion, questioned, interviewed? Hell yes, arrested with nothing else to go on? Hell no.