what is the serial number on a gun used for?

Question

so i know every gun has a serial number but what is it used for. can you find out who ownes a gun if you have the serial number. im wanting to buy a gun from a friend of a friend and i dont know if you have to do anything paperwork wise to do this and to make sure the gun wasnt stolen or anything. also if i have to transfer the gun to my name. oh i live in NM if that helps. and do i have to register the gun or obtain a permit for it in nm. thanks

Answer 1

Just going a little farther with zchris87's answer. If a firearm has had the serial number ground off, scraped off milled off or disfigured in any way in an attempt to make it unreadable the person that did the removal has committed a Federal Felony and has also broken every state's law as well. Never purchase any firearm that has had it's serial disfigured or damaged in any way or you just may see the inside of the local and perhaps a Federal Jaol (Jaol is the old english spelling or is it Joal)!

Answer 2

Gun Serial Number

Answer 3

The serial number is put on anything so the manufacturer can keep track of it, that is if they care to. Before GCA '68 there was no requirement for a serial number and many cheap, mass produced guns didn't have one. There are no permits or registration for guns in NM, so in a face to face private transaction just pay your money and get your gun. The serial number won't tell who owns the gun, unless the owner has reported it stolen. Get the serial number and call your local police or sheriff and ask them to check NCIC to see if it is reported stolen. If not you're good to go the purchase. If it turns out it has been stolen, you can tell them where it can be found. In any case, get a receipt from the seller with his name, the serial number and description, and the date. Then you cannot be held liable for any proven misuse before that date.

Answer 4

You cannot find out who owns a gun based on the serial number unless you are law enforcement. The FFL the gun was purchased from has this information, and joe schmo can't waltz in to the gun store and get it. There is no "master registry" of gun serial numbers. However, if your gun is stolen you can report the serial number as such and if it turns up, you might get it back (verrrrry slim chance though).



If you have suspicions about a gun, contact your local police. They can tell you if the gun was stolen or used in a crime. If not, you're good to go. And if it was stolen, chances are your friend would be selling it for dirt cheap, or wouldn't be selling it to you - unless he was trying to frame you, then he'd sure be a good friend, huh?

Answer 5

Did your friend have the gun registered? Does he have paperwork to prove it? Does the gun, in fact, have serial numbers? Empty it, put it in the box, you and him go to the Sheriff's Office or just call the SO of the county you live in and ask what the process is. The 1st 3 questions might be clues for you to figure out if it "might" be stolen.

Answer 6

Pathfinder was correct however our domestic gun manufactures can tell you where the gun was shipped and what company (usually a distributor) ordered that shipment. Of course that doesn't tell you much on most run of the mill guns. Only on factory custom guns do they have the original owners name. Foreign gun manufactures do not keep any information except what the law requires them for tax purposes. Beretta made a lot of pistols and you did not mention what the caliber was or the model. So even we firearms consultants could not help you. Beretta also made guns for other companies during the war and even made rifles. I would start with the information you have about it supposedly belonging to a RAF pilot. That may be a old family tale or it may be proveable. Good Luck. Sarge

Answer 7

Serial #s are also used in obtaining replacement parts for guns. There may have been many changes in a models run,so the serial # is used to identify these changes.

Answer 8

the serial number is strictly for tracking purposes. Usually you can call the state police to run the serial number. NM gun laws are free, you need no permit and no transfer.

Answer 9

serial numbers are used on guns just as they are used on every thing else....call your local police station for 100% answer. most places you dont need a permit or need to register a gun.

Answer 10

keeping track of it.