Mauser k98 witout Serial number?

V

viper5243

New member
i recentally purchased a k98 barreled receiver off of gunbroker. Told the guy i would send a payment and then have my FFL send a copy. 2 weeks later i get a box AT MY HOUSE with the barreled receiver in it. talked to the guy on the phone and says he didn't know he had to send it to an ffl.

Turns out there is NO serial number on it. nothing even resembeling a serial number. I turned it over to my FFL and it is being brought to the ATF in our city. Emails back and forth and the guys says that the NGA66* underneith the waffenampt on top of the receiver can be used as a serial number according to his ffl or aft office. also says that he heard that because it is over 60 years old it might not originally have a serial number and is extreamly collectable because of the bnz45 stamp

I asked for a refund and he says he will but not the shipping. then he tells me to Pack it back up and send it to him!!! not even mentioning an FFL

Has anybody heard of this?

Alot has been said back and forth this is just the major stuff that has happened. just wondering if anybody has heard of this

no more smiley
 
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Oh i do indeed believe and know there are alot of firearms out there without serial numbers. i have an old stevens 840 bolt action without one. I roll my eyes because first he says there isn't one, then there is one.

There is a spot where then serial numbers are normally that you can faintly see that it was ground off. The whole receiver has these machining lines that go from front to back that look like there was machining done to it.
 
sorry about not describing the whole thing enough. lot has been going on and its waaayyy to much to type.

i bought it and paid for it and sent my ffl his info. the morning i get the box in the mail (illegal) he calls me to ask why my ffl is sending a copy. i let him know that thats how it should have been done. he went on to tell me that i should treat it as if i had bought it off him as a private seller and not to worry about it (illegal). i called my ffl and brought it over right away. we both looked it over and couldent find anything looking like a serial number except where it looks to be removed. (illegal)


Its really not even about the condition of the piece that bothers me anymore. its the fact that it was mailled illegally, then i was told to not do anything, then to send it back illegally, and now its all of a sudden legal. Even if i kept it (which i wouldnt ever have) no gunsmith would ever touch it (i hope not) without any numbers on it.
 
There is a procedure for FFLs to use if no serial #

BUT this applies to guns made without a serial number. The law requiring a serial number comes from GCA 1968 (same act covers mailing guns in US post).

Hard to imaging Mauser making an action without a serial number, but it could be. I have a Siamese Mauser that has no serial number as such, but it does have some oriental looking characters which might be the number.

What is much more likely is that at some point the number on your Mauser was removed (ground/machined off), and that gets it into sticky legal ground, as it is clearly an illegal act to remove the serial #, and most states have their own laws making it illegal to posess a gun with the serial # removed. Removed is not the same as never had a number. There is a clear distinction in law.

I'm afraid you might be out the money and the rifle both, in the long run. If BATFE "experts" determine that the number has been removed/obliterated, your only realistic course of action is to surrender the gun to them. They might be interested in pressing charges against the fellow who illegally shipped it as well.

Good luck with this, and congrats for recognizing it and taking the right actions! Hope it works ouot for you.
 
Whatever i am going through now is nowhere near what would happen if i ever got caught with it. Gun owners have enough problems as it is. i dont want to contribute anymore.

The gun was already handed over to my FFL and he is / has been dealing witht he local ATF office about it. My FFL and i both have all the e-mails between me and him and me and the seller showing that i made every effort to be within the law before and after purchase and receiving it. Also kept the box that shows it was sent to my APT.

The seller has offered me a refund, but only on him receiving it back. He originally told me to package it back up and send it to him. He is now saying to send it to his FFL.

It doesn't matter who owns it, its still a felony.

Well he might have some other problems. If you look at his past feedback, he has been sending live ammo through the USPS
 
If it followed the standard marking pattern, it should be marked on the left side of the receiver ring AND/OR the left side of the left side of the chamber, forward of the receiver; I've seen a few late-war rifles that were only serialed on the barrel, so if someone changed the barrel, you'd then have an un-serial-numbered receiver. bnz45 (Steyr) would probably fall into that category, but if there's any indication that the number's been REMOVED, I wouldn't want it, and the collector value's probably gone anyway.
 
I have several late 1800's era mausers and 16 of the GEW 98's from WW1 and alll have serials. In the case of an old martini enfiled i bought where it did not have a SN# the selling FFL used the markings from the reciever that did have a series of numbers on them.

I am 99.99% sure the fact that the mauser recvr' has no serial means that it was it was removed at some time by someone. Also, the fact that the guy shipped it dierctly to you makes me wonder what kind of shady business this guy is up to.

The process of notifying your FFL and having inspected and then getting the ATF involved is a good move on your part. I don't think you will get your money back, but this guy will most likely be talking to a judge sometime soon.

Just another reason to read and understand the gun laws and shipping reg's, otherwise the ATF might come knocking at your door.
 
The piece is now in the hands of the ATFE ( is it ATF ATFE BATF, everywhere i hear it is different) Well they have it right now and according to them it has had the number removed.


This is a side question. I used paypal for payment. Would it be wise to file a complaint through paypal? Its a discreet payment for a reason though so im thinking no.
 
Last I heard....

The current alphabet soup for the Federal Gun cops is BATFE. Bureau of Alcphol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives.

I understand they have a division that investigates arson as well.

don't know about paypal (not real Internet savy), but if the BATFE so rules, the seller sent you illegal merchandise. This may have some bearing, I just don't know.
 
do not use paypal for payment in the future. and do not notify them of the transaction because they will lock your account. Next time use USPS money order so you can recoup your loss.

Paypal is antigun and will lock both buyer and seller account if they find out about any firearm or ammo related transaction that was through them.
 
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