Can you legally relocate a firearm's serial number due to gunsmithing work

[AirPower]

I am sure you experienced gunsmiths have encountered this issue before, hopefully there's a definitive answer. Can you relocate a gun's serial number to another part of the gun's receiver/frame, with the same SN of course?

For example, in the process of converting a rifle to folding stock configuration, new holes have to be drilled into the receiver in the area where existing serial number resides, and it will deface the serial number. So can a new serial number be engraved or imprinted in another part of the receiver?

If ATF allows this, can anyone do this type of operation, or does it have to be performed by a licensed gunsmith, or original manufacturer, or maybe no one is allowed to do this? I hope ATF has said something about this.

 

[entropy]

www.atf.gov

 

[hifi]

I believe so. At least I would imagine so. I've heard of guns being assigned serial numbers that had their serial numbers filed off.

 

[DeseoUnTaco]

I can't cite the laws on this, but I don't believe it is ok to remove a serial number, even for the purpose of relocating it, except maybe by the manufacturer. For example, if you have a handgun and the frame cracks and you send it off to Sig or whoever, they'll probably ship you back a new frame with your old number. Maybe they can do this because they are the manufacturer? Obviously, they want to keep the serial number on the gun because things like CCW permits, registrations, insurance, etc, often are tied to a serial number.

Strangely, there are very few real requirements of what a "serial number" is. It can be letters or numbers. I'm not sure if it needs to be in Roman script, ie, I'm pretty sure that Arabic script numbers, etc, would be fine. Also, I don't think there's any requirement that serial numbers be serial, or even unique. I think a manufacturer could ship all their guns with one serial number, such as SHALL-NOT-INFRINGE or maybe REGISTER-THIS or SQL-PRIMARY-KEY-HA-HA-HA.

I would want to a) confirm all this in the laws and b) get a real legal opinion and c) do a reality check before I did any of the above; I'm just pointing this out at an intellectual level.

 

[jaysouth]

Yes, as long as its the same number and there is some filing requirement with BATF.

Arizona Response Systems does a great job of stippling frontstraps on Browning High Powers. In the process, they stipple over the SN and relocate the SN to the frame just above the right grip panel.

www.arizonaresponsesystems.com good folks that do magic to HPs