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January 10, 2015, 02:23 AM | #1 |
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refinishing and the serial number....
If one was to re-finish a receiver would that be "altering" the serial number?
Seems like any of the finishing operations would technically alter the serial number or is that overthinking the idea.
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January 10, 2015, 08:43 AM | #2 |
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Not unless you polish it out or deface it some way.
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January 10, 2015, 11:25 AM | #3 | |||
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Or make the serial number difficult to read.
Let's look at federal law: Under 18 USC 922(k): Courts have said, for example:
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January 10, 2015, 01:00 PM | #4 |
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thanks for the explanation, good to know there is some leeway for simple refinishing.
There isn’t anything regarding any other markings such as name and logo or model?
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January 10, 2015, 05:04 PM | #5 |
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The logo should not be a huge problem, but definitely refrain from harming the model or manufacturer as the Feds may not like that. Better safe than sorry.
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January 10, 2015, 05:47 PM | #6 |
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Model designation doesn't matter, and often doesn't appear on the part of the firearm that constitutes the receiver. The primary element to be preserved is the serial number, and next is the name and city of the manufacturer (if originally stamped into the receiver).
I shoot mostly semi-autos (1911s), and I don't think I've ever seen on that had the model stamped into the receiver. |
January 11, 2015, 12:20 AM | #7 | |
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Quote:
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January 11, 2015, 12:34 AM | #8 |
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I believe I saw that on the BATFE FAQ site. Unfortunately, a few months ago they re-did the FAQ site and now I can't find anything.
If you can find it, every FAQ provides the statutory reference at the end. |
January 11, 2015, 01:45 AM | #9 |
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I was able to find something on the BATFE site, the way I read it the additional marking requirements apply only to the manufacturer or importer to be required to permanently mark the firearm (27 CFR 478.92). I’m not seeing anything prohibiting any person from altering the additional markings.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/27/478.92 anyways, I’m not planning on altering any additional markings I was just curious if re-finishing was considered altering and as Frank referenced case law its not as long as it doesn’t make the serial number more difficult to read. I removed an optic mount on my 10/22 and was disappointed to learn the blue loctite used eroded the factory paint in large blotches where it seeped under the mount. I was thinking of stripping the rest of the paint and applying Gun-Kote.
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lightweight, cheap, strong... pick 2 Last edited by Koda94; January 11, 2015 at 07:29 PM. |
January 12, 2015, 01:01 AM | #10 |
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All firearms (in this case read receivers) are required to be marked the manufacturer's name and location (city and state) and serial number. As noted, obliterating or altering this info is verboten.
If modifications or work to the firearm is going to obliterate the info, it is legal to re-stamp the info on the receiver. It needs to be done as immediately as possible. So, if you were to polish the receiver of a firearm, and believed the serial number would be removed, the number would be noted before this process and re-stamped as soon as the polishing was completed. All required markings are required to be in characters at least 3/32" high and at least 005" deep. |
January 12, 2015, 01:02 AM | #11 |
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Rugers are usually stamped pretty deep. You'd have to.take quite a bit of metal off to eliminate the info. Filling in with paint doesn't count, as that can be scraped off to reveal the info.
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January 12, 2015, 01:12 AM | #12 | ||
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Quote:
If the serial number is removed by refinishing, the manufacture's serial number will have been removed or obliterated. Any number added by some other party is no longer the manufacturer's serial number.
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January 12, 2015, 01:17 AM | #13 | |||
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Quote:
As federal courts have held, affirming convictions for violations of 18 USC 922(k):
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January 12, 2015, 01:29 AM | #14 | |
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Im confident I understand the scope of the situation but for the sake of discussion I too would like to see a source for legal law.
Quote:
As far as filling in with excessive paint rendering the serial number unreadable that would be the same as altering illegally as that works against legibility.
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