Giving out a firearms serial number?

[AndABeer]

I currently have a couple pistols up for auction on Gunbroker. A potential bidder has e-mailed me asking for the serial number so he can call Wilson about the manufacture date. I have heard that keeping the serial info to yourself is a good idea but dont really know why. So why?

I think my course of action will be to call Wilson and get the info myself and then pass it on thereby negating the need to give the guy the serial directly. That is unless the consensus here is that it is no big deal.

 

[ajacobs]

If you have your receipt for your original purchase I don't know how there could be any problem.

 

[Sven]

I was contacted by my buddy who noted that I recently posted a high-res image of my Valtro with the serial number intact... I went and removed the number, but thinking again about it, I'm not sure why I did this... seems everyone else does it, why?

I think posting the serial number in the auction detail itself could be construed as undesirable by the (winning) bidder, who may have privacy concerns - ie, THEY might not want people to know what the serial number is, even if you don't care.

I would at least show an approximate serial number (ie, 567XXXX)... if someone is watching for an old gun of theirs that was stolen, this might help them know that you are not selling their stolen gun.

I asked Oleg his thoughts on this recently, and he said that he doesn't remove serial numbers on pictures of his guns.

I can see how posting pictures WITH your serial number could HELP if a gun were stolen, but then again, you should probably keep all of that documentation on file with your insurance company or off-site somewhere else.

BTW, my old Winchester M1 Carbine has the serial number 5670409.

 

[Mylhouse]

I think it's paranoia. Do you drive around obscuring your license plate and blanking out your VIN number?

 

[Chipperman]

Only when I'm playing Mailbox Baseball.

 

[Mylhouse]

Chipperman

LMAO!!!

 

[gudel]

not sure about your gun, but in my hk it has a manufacture date code, it tells the year without revealing the serial number. perhaps yours would have it as well.
i also wouldn't give out serial number comfortably.

just an aside, i sold my cell phones on auctions, often time people ask serial numbers. i dont usually give them out. the problem is that they could've call the phone company and claim the phone is lost. if that's the case, i'm sol because it cannot be activated anymore.

 

[cratz2]

I asked the same question a while back and a member emailed me saying it probably comes from magazines and book authors using other folk's guns as examples so technically, it's not the author's serial number to give out.

Most of my pics have visible numbers. I'm not worried about it. I have receipts and again, I'm just not too worried about it. And I have several guns that weren't bought via FFL - and well, they just don't get their pictures taken.

For an auction, I'd leave off the last couple digits as previously suggested.

 

[blades67]

Do you drive around obscuring your license plate and blanking out your VIN number?

Many folks in the Phoenix Metro area do as they go speeding past a Photo Radar van.

 

[AZTOY]

Many folks in the Phoenix Metro area do as they go speeding past a Photo Radar van .

blades67

Photo Radar van when did this start ? . I have not been to Phoenix in over a a year.

 

[bogie7129]

VIN numbers

You really ought to obscure your VIN. The latest ploy used by car thieves is to copy the VIN, go to the dealer and tell them you've lost your key and ask for a copy. Then, back to the vehicle, and drive it off. I have a piece of black tape covering my VIN. Makes it hard for the meter maids to find it, too.

 

[gudel]

bogie7129, yeah that make sense. but meter maid can still give you ticket anyway
anyway, i have an alarm with auto kill switch. even though they have the key, they wouldn't be able to start it.

but as far as serial number goes, i dont give it out. not on cell phone, not on firearms either. call me paranoid, but i'd keep my serial number (SSN) to myself if possible.

 

[MitchSchaft]

Is it illegal to cover up the VIN in your car?

 

[Coronach]

Dunno about being illegal (probably not, but check your local listings), but it will instantly make any cop looking at the car think that might be stolen. This is a favored ploy of car theives...put a plate on the car that is currently registered and matches the make, cover the VIN and go about your task.

Mike

 

[mattk]

I once sold a gun to a guy who chose not to put his SSN on the yellow form. Ok no problem it says optional but he told the reason. He didnt want the Government to have his Social Security Number.

 

[Mylhouse]

. He didnt want the Government to have his Social Security Number.

Wouldn't the government already have your social security #? They give it to you, afterall...