The serial number is in the title....Badger's a smart man....When I run a weapon on ncic, I run by serial. It returns everything with that serial listed as stolen. Each record has the make and model and finish. I then compare what I have in hand to what the record returns. If the serial doesn't return stolen at all, then I have no worries. I don't know what procedure hotguns has, but serial is required for any entry on ncic so....just food for thought.