Legality of a certain Handgun Modification Question........

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Ed1955

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Fellow Shooters,
I am about to polish my new stainless steel Ruger Alaskan to a chrome like finish. I've seen it done on a stainless steel GP100 and it was absolutely breath taking. The question that I could use your advice on may appear to be simple to some, but not to me. I would like to know if it would be illegal for me to remove the paragraph that Ruger stamped into the beautiful side of this handgun? The ridiculous words that basically just say "Read the Instruction Manual" in my opinion ruin the look of the gun and can be very easily removed from the stainless steel. I've read the manual, twice. Can I safely remove their reminder to do so?
Respectfully,
Ed
 
Yes. The only reason it's there is because some back room lawyer advised them to put it there to help in product liability lawsuits.
 
Yeah, it's only there so that people cant sue them and say "gosh, it never occurred to me to read the manual, so I never knew it was unsafe to put the gun in my mouth and pick my teeth with the front sight."

Ok, maybe that is an argument better made by the executor of his estate, but you get the idea.
 
I've got a Vaquero with a smooth barrel

It's a 10mm Birdshead, with a 3lb trigger, free-spinning cylinder, crescent ejector, etc. Bill Ruger's opinions on safety aren't exactly my guiding lights.
 
Thank You Gentlemen!

Thanks very much guys. I plan on removing the paragraph this week.
Respectfully,
Ed
 
There's no legal problem at all stripping the billboard. (The *serial number* and model info are legally required though...I think caliber too, don't mess with that.)

The only issue you'll have is that if you send the gun to Ruger for any reason, they'll put a "billboard barrel" on it.
 
The only Factory ID that you cannot remove from a firearm is the Serial Number, or if you prefer the term Registration Number.
 
I'm getting ready to have John Mathews of Almaden Gun Exchange in San Jose do my 44 Super Blackhawk -> Bisley conversion (i.e. 44 Bishawk).

Besides the Bisley conversion & checking uniformity of chamber diameters, he's gonna be bead blasting it to a 'crusty' finish. Of course, the 'billboard' will be removed - there's no law on the books mandating it be kept there.


Bill Wiese
San Jose, CA
 
You can remove the billboard, but if you do so and then return the gun to Ruger for warrantee or other work they will replace the barrel at your expense. The same is true concerning any custom parts you may have exchanged for the original ones, or any original parts that you have altered by polishing, etc. External changes of finish don't count. If you aren't sure, contact Ruger before you send the gun in.

Do not under any circumstances remove the maker's name, cartridge markings or the serial number.
 
According to people over on smith-wessonform, people are using draw files to remove the lettering. There is no Federal mandate for the warnings. Leave the serial # alone and you should be just fine.
 
Paperwork BATFE gave me with teh class 07 says I have to have the manufacturers name, caliber and serial number.
Click to expand...

Just S/N. Manufacturer name, model and chambering are not required. All three of those can be determined at any time by a person with a modicum of firearms knowledge; Serial numbers that have been ground, drilled, etc. require a certain type of spectographic density imaging or something to that effect (don't exactly remember what the technology is called), and sometimes still cannot be determined.
 
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