crime guns...

[TAB]

anyone know what % of them have thier serail numbers removed.


google fu is not working.


I'm guessing its pretty high.

[alfsauve]

Pretty hard to conceal s/n.  First they are stamped in several places and secondly the "stamping" causes a compression deep into the metal.  Even after the have been ground/filed "off" so they no longer are readable with the naked eye, metallurgical analysis can still read them.

I'm guessing there are numerous abortive attempts, though

[tombogan03884]

There are chemicals that will react with the metal to make them show up under Black light, I forget which ones though.
As to TABs original question, I have no Idea, but since most guns used in crime are stolen or otherwise illegally acquired and involve no paper work the number may not be that high.

[fightingquaker13]

There are chemicals that will react with the metal to make them show up under Black light, I forget which ones though.
As to TABs original question, I have no Idea, but since most guns used in crime are stolen or otherwise illegally acquired and involve no paper work the number may not be that high.

I think this is the key point. If the gun isn't traceable to you, why bother and risk srewing it up by getting dremel happy? Plus, I believe that just owning a gun with altered serial numbers is a crime in itself. Why take the chance unless its recorded in your name?
FQ13

[blackwolfe]

There are chemicals that will react with the metal to make them show up under Black light, I forget which ones though.
As to TABs original question, I have no Idea, but since most guns used in crime are stolen or otherwise illegally acquired and involve no paper work the number may not be that high.

I THINK it is an acid copound and reacts differantly to the compressed metal.   I believe that the tecnichian needs a fairly flat even surface to begin with and may even prep the surface by filing more if neccessary to smooth the surface.  I was told once years ago by an LEO friend that the methods used then only worked if the S/N was just barely removed and the grinding didn't go too deep.  I imagine that modern technology and methods are more successful.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

The reason I was wondering, is you can't return a gun with a damaged serail number.  basicly all you could is store it or destroy it.

[Big Frank]

The MI state police told me that if a gun doesn't have a serial number on it they can stamp one on it. That's if it never had one. I don't know what they would do with one that had the number removed. I'm guessing they would confiscate it.

[TAB]

federal law is, if it ever had a serail number, it can never be removed/altered.


before 68 they were not required, you can add one to a gun that was pre 68, but its a paper work nightmare.