Revealing/Hiding Serial Numbers

L

Louca

New member
In sales advertising, sometimes the serial number of a firearm is shown, and other times it is intentionally NOT shown, blurred, or otherwise obfuscated. Is there some kind of reasoning behind NOT showing it?

I am thinking of buying a pistol from an individual, although the following would also apply to anyone I would buy a pistol or any firearm from. If the firearm was stolen or somehow the serial number is associated with a crime of some sort, I could be out the money if I buy it and have to turn it over.

My local PD told me they could run the gun info, which must include the serial number of the gun, to see if it pops up as dirty in any databases. I would not be associated with the past record of the gun, but I obviously would be out the money, which would not be fun. Thoughts?

Lou
 
Some folks have privacy concerns. If you're serious about buying the gun, it's not unreasonable to ask the seller to email you the serial number.
 
One pervasive thought is the fear that some lowlife would see that serial number and report it as stolen - thus causing the owner serious grief. I don't know that this has ever really happened or if it is just one of those internet rumors but that is one of the reasons frequently given for obscuring numbers.
 
some lowlife would see that serial number and report it as stolen
Click to expand...
Now THAT is one possibility I had not thought of, and it makes sense. You have no idea how long I have wondered about why they don't show SNs, but your explanation sounds like a very plausible one.

I would think the plaintiff would have to show original ownership, complete with purchase date and serial number (which could be faked), and to counter that, the defendant could show proof of purchase with serial number mentioned (which could also be faked). So, I agree, there could be a LOT of grief involved. Thanks Doyle.

Lou
 
1. Making a false police report is a felony and cops take a dim view of scum using them to play their games.

2. While not impossible it's never happened (and see above).

3. Numerous collectors and dealers have reported making serials known in forum discussions for years with no problems. I have a Colt serial 70G30498 and for 10 years I have invited anyone to report it stolen and try to claim ownership.
 
I have wondered about gun serial numbers. I hide them and email them to buyers.
Same with cars I hide the license plate numbers and email the vin# to buyers who want to run carfax.

Not sure why I hide them? just becouse ? Really my car is in public streets with the licence plate # for many hours all week long why does it matter on the internet ? Better safe then sorry.

If a random person reported a gun from a pic stolen the odds of them getting in big trouble is very high. I doubt it is much of a threat.

One problem I could see is ATF or other federal investigators running the number - harvesting your acct info - linking it to all of your other internet accts and making a file on you. For your own protection of course. ;)
 
I wouldn't say it is common, but if someone wants to scam their insurance company you are providing a scam artist with all of the information they need. If they can provide an accurate description of a gun with a SN that matches that information they have what they need to file a police report and file an insurance claim for a stolen gun. If they choose carefully chances are very good they will never get caught, and you will never know it happened.

I've been buying/selling/trading guns for 40 years. I've lost count, but have right at 50 currently, and well over 200 in my lifetme. NONE of those guns, not one have had the SN's checked since I purcased them and likely never will. Any one of them could have been reported stolen by prevous owners, or someone who picked up the SN off the internet. No one will ever know in my lifetime. One day in the distant future if gun registration ever becomes mandatory I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't thousands of "stolen" guns turn up that were never actually stolen.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about someone reporting one of my guns stolen and disputing ownership. That is not the goal of these people. They just want the info to scam their insurance company. It would be pretty easy to prove true ownership, or at least that you didn't steal their gun.

I'm aware of only 1 confirmed case, and it was prior to the internet. A gentleman sold a hunting rifle. Years later his home was broken into and guns were stolen. He padded the insurance claim by listing the SN of a gun he had sold years earlier. The current owner took that hunting rifle into Canada, where it was required to be registered and it came up stolen. He was allowed into Canada to hunt, but had to use a borrowed rifle. After returning home he was able to provide proof of ownership and his rifle was returned some months later. He had owned the gun for years and had he not taken it into Canada would have never known it had been reported stolen, and the insurance scammer would have never been caught.
 
Sevens- I hardly think that's a common occurrence. Weirdness happens, but I can't live my life in fear of the 1 in a million weird.

If anyone prefers to not reveal serials that's OK. But all the reasons why really boil down to... you choose to not do so.
 
>>some lowlife would see that serial number and report it as stolen<<

I would like for someone to show me one documented case where this has actually happened. ;)
 
I would like for someone to show me one documented case where this has actually happened
Click to expand...

That's why I said I wondered if it was merely one of those internet legends that people give as a reason they are doing something. I agree, I've never heard of it actually happening but I HAVE heard that given as the reason they were blurring the numbers.
 
I think we all should know by now that there is no such thing as an internet based legend or myth. Come on guys!

...Uhhh...bonjour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_CgPsGY5Mw

Dimon-State-Farm.png
 
Last edited:
Sevens- I hardly think that's a common occurrence. Weirdness happens, but I can't live my life in fear of the 1 in a million weird.
Click to expand...
Come on, now. He was wondering why folks blur it out - specifically asked if there is a reason.

The thread I posted is absolutely a reason. Not a reason for you? Fine, no argument. For a lot of things that I do, it's a simple risk-reward equation. How difficult or time consuming is it for me to blur or cover a serial number? Not difficult, not a problem. How big are the chances that something goes awry if I don't blur? Not much, if any. How big could the problem be associated with that small chance? Bigger than I want. If blurring out a serial number was a labor or time-intensive operation, the equation is tilted the other way.

It's not all too different than wearing shooting glasses while shooting every time.

If you don't wear them EVER, yeah, you may put yourself at genuine risk.
If you choose to not wear them on a very rare occasion, what's your level of risk? Probably not really high... however, is it -REALLY- that hard to always have them, always wear them? For me... it is not. So for me... the simple equation has already made the decision. I wear them always. Seems like the right "bet" to make.

If someone busts in to the house in the middle of the night, I'm not going to put on shooting glasses. The equation makes that choice for me.

So it's fine if you think what happened to the poster of that thread is a ridiculous long shot, but in my equation -- it's a fine reason to blur out a serial number.
 
"Closing the gun show loophole" includes requiring proof of ownership to transfer a gun (gift, sell, etc.). Looking to a potentially dark future, someone could really make life difficult for you if they claimed that they owned your gun, and you could not prove that you owned it.
 
Even if that were implemented... it would seem to me that EVERY gun built before that was implemented would be grandfathered in, for exactly the reasons you stated. No ex post facto and all that, ya know?
 
Hey Sevens, the thread you linked to is just another reason that my #1 rule is important! :eek: Never thought of it that way, but if you don't get rid of it, they ain't lookin' fer the previous owner! :cool::D
 
Cheapshooter, I not only subscribe to the idea in your signature line, but depending on your age -- I may have been doing it BEFORE you. However, I would never, ever, ever, -EVER- post it in a signature line or suggest it in any open forum...where ANYONE could read it, EVER.

Folks that buy and sell, buy and sell, and sell and sell and sell and trade and sell... fill the market with most excellent used firearms, a few of which I am able to stumble across.

Your advice is terrific, but I would NEVER give that advice. ;)
 
I don't know how old the practice is, but it's a lot older than the internet. I remember seeing it done in magazines like Guns and Ammo, and The American Rifleman back in the late 60's and it wasn't new then. I always looked at as being done out of fear that the government was collecting serial numbers.

I don't bother to blur them out in pictures, if you can read them, more power to you. I'll put X's in the last few digits when I post them however, unless there is some specific reason not to. The only reason I bother is so I don't get PM's or posts in the thread warning me of all the dire consequences of not X'ing them out.
 
Sounds a LOT like the reasons we carry. While it MAY never happen it is an insurance of sorts. Do I think I will be in an altercation where I need my carry gun, probably not. Does it make me feel better to be carrying just in case, certainly. Same with serial numbers, likely not to happen but...................

I have purchased 2 long before the internet that turned up stolen. Both times the owner paid me what I had in them from insurance money they collected.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top