Holy complications, Batman!
I see that you live in California, where it is a crime to possess a weapon with obliterated or illegible serial numbers.
These are the relevant Penal Code sections:
12090. Any person who changes, alters, removes or obliterates the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification, including any distinguishing number or mark assigned
by the Department of Justice on any pistol, revolver, or any other firearm, without first having secured written permission from the
department to make such change, alteration or removal
shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison.
12091.
Possession of any pistol or revolver upon which the name of the maker, model, manufacturer's number or other mark of
identification has been changed, altered, removed, or obliterated,
shall be presumptive evidence that the possessor has changed, altered, removed, or obliterated the same.
12092. The Department of Justice upon request may assign a distinguishing number or mark of identification to any firearm
whenever it is without a manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification or whenever the manufacturer's number or other mark of identification or the distinguishing number or mark assigned by the department has been destroyed or obliterated.
12093. Any person may place or stamp on any pistol, revolver, or other firearm any number or identifying indicium, provided the number
or identifying indicium does not change, alter, remove, or obliterate the manufacturer's name, number, model, or other mark of identification. This section does not prohibit restoration by the owner of the name of the maker, model, or of the original manufacter's number or other mark of identification when such restoration is
authorized by the department, nor prevent any manufacturer from placing in the ordinary course of business the name of the maker,
model, manufacturer's number, or other mark of identification upon a new firearm.
12094. (a) Any person
with knowledge of any change, alteration, removal, or obliteration described herein, who buys, receives, disposes of,
sells, offers for sale, or has in his or her possession any pistol, revolver, or other firearm which has had the name of the maker, model, or the manufacturer's number or other mark of
identification including any distinguishing number or mark assigned by the Department of Justice changed, altered, removed, or
obliterated is guilty of a misdemeanor.
By the way, ernest2 is wrong about one thing: it's not just the socialist lawyers.
In any event, it's not your bad. It sounds to me as if:
You were sold a weapon that is illegal to possess (in Kalifornia anyway) and could get you in a lot of trouble one day. You then discovered that you had been so victimized. Your gun was constructed out of "spare parts" from at least three different guns. At least under Kalifornia law, the serial number under which it was sold to you should have been "restored" completely and unambiguously, with prior DOJ approval, in all three locations before the sale. The seller has committed a crime by selling you the firearm in this condition. You are in danger now of being discovered with an illegal firearm in your possession.
Good luck.
[This message has been edited by Ledbetter (edited June 21, 2000).]
