Raise Worn Serial Number
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-I have a similar problem with a "C" series Winchester Model 1897 shotgun that I purchased recently. The S/N is worn off except for the "C" designator and the last digit of the S/N (a "3")
Someone came along at some point and punched in a new three-digit S/N below the old S/N. This new number is the one which the dealer I purchased the shotgun from used on the purchase documents.
Do I worry about whether there's a S/N or not? Ab-so-effing-lute-ly NOT. Those giddy-a$$ed bureaucratic butt-sniffers can pound sand when it comes to getting excited over a 100 year old shotgun or a 40 or 50 year old lever gun. As the saying goes, "don't ask, don't tell".
NOW, HOWEVER, let's have some fun with this rifle and my shotgun!!!
Get some 0000 (quadruple-ought) steel wool and some acetone or alcohol.
Gently polish the area where the S/N used to be with the steel wool soaked in the solvent. DO NOT use any power buffing equipment!!!! Clean the area with a soft cloth and some solvent after buffing.
Build a dam around where the S/N is/was using electrical tape or some adhesive-backed foam carpet tape or whatever works good.
Get a few milliliters (an eyedropper full) of weak hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid to you swimming pool buffs). and drip it onto the bare, polished metal inside the tape dam where the S/N should be. Be sure to wear safety glasses and don't get any on you. Don't freak if you do, just wash it off. Keep a bowl of water handy to flood off any acid splashes.
Hook a 12 volt battery or another 12-volt source, such as a transformer for some small appliance, a battery charger, etc. up to the gun and wait for a few minutes. Keep an eye on things; don't walk off and leave it. The process may also blue, brown or otherwise discolor the gun metal, so be prepared for that, too.
DISCLAIMER FOR THE 1-2% IDIOT READERSHIP -----
This is what I am going to do with my gun and I'm not your momma. Do this at your own physical, mental and material risk! Don't be stupid here! Don't stick your whiffle tree in an electrical socket because I or someone else told you to. Don't bring a whole gallon of acid inside your home or apartment. Just bring in a teeny, tiny container with a secure lid. This is a common sense thing and these are NOT explicit directions. Use your head! Pay attention! We don't want to arc big, ugly notches into the gun, and we don't want to get electrocuted. That's why we are using a battery or a small transformer. Using 110VAC house current or direct-connecting your car battery to the gun frame is not appropriate here folks. We simply are trying to get a WEAK, repeat WEAK, repeat WEAK electrical flow going in the gun metal to activate the acid to react with the hardness variation caused by the impact of the original factory S/N punch into the metal gun frame. Actually, the process might work with the acid bath alone. Don't walk off and leave this setup! Watch everything closely the whole time. The "whole time" translates to mean two or three minutes max! But, if things go south on you, shut down immediately, put your toys away and do something else!!!-------
I think this process should raise the number, if it was not purposely ground off real deep. After the first pass of a few minutes, blot the acid up with a paper towel (don't get any on you, please) and get a magnifying glass and see if the S/N is developing. Repeat the acid or the acid/electrical process if necessary. If this process does not work, you're not out anything unless you pee on the electric fence or something stupid like that.
A while back I purchased a small, universal AC/DC multi-volt adaptor from an import tool house by the name of Harbor Freight Tools. I think it was $4.95 on sale. I figured I'd use it with some non-critical gadgets somewhere along the line. I think it will work well as a weak, low voltage DC power source for this purpose. You just set the device to 12VDC output, hook a set of wire leads with alligator clips on both ends up to the 9VDC battery clip adaptor on the ouput side of the gadget and hook the leads up to the gun frame. Maybe even a lesser voltage DC output will work as well, but who knows?
Gee whiz! In no time at all you'll be employed by the FBI or be on CSI Las Vegas, you forensic investigator, you! Either that, or there'll be a mushroom cloud where your house used to be.
Wolf Lies Down