IRS Firearm Confiscations

[Phydeaux642]

I was in a local shop today and eyed what was marked as a Colt 1911 for $409. I said that that seemed pretty cheap for a Colt. The owner said that it had a Colt slide but he had no way of knowing what the frame was. He said, "Look at the serial number." I did and it said IRS6xxx. He said that he believed it had been confiscated by the IRS and had a new serial number marked on it (possibly because the real serial number had been ground off by some criminal type) and then auctioned off at some point. The old gun seemed to be in decent shape. The frame had a lot of the finish wear. One of the guys that works there took it apart and said it seemed like a real solid gun.

My question is this: Does the IRS confiscate guns and remark them with a new serial number with the prefix "IRS" if the original serial number is gone? It kind of seemed like an interesting piece if that is the case.

 

[Blackhawk30]

Usually these guns are reserialied by the ATF and given a number that begins with IRS.These numbersw are seen on many registered machineguns.

 

[Vonderek]

I don't see why the IRS would go to all that trouble. If the original serial number had been ground off then that would have been a separate criminal issue, not a tax issue. Maybe the IRS at some point had a contract with Colt and "IRS" was a serial number prefix for the guns under that procurement? Maybe for Treasury agents? I don't know...just speculating.

 

[Trebor]

I've heard of the ATF reserialling guns in that manner.

I haven't heard of the IRS doing it, but if the gun is old enough, I could see it happening as I believe the IRS used to do some of what the ATF does now.

 

[yeti]

I could see it happening as I believe the IRS used to do some of what the ATF does now.

BATF was part of the Treasury before moving to DHS, so it does make sense that if the revenuers were renumbering guns the new serial could start with IRS

 

[pharmer]

I wonder if they get the Federal Excise Tax (11%) again as they do from the original manufacturer? After it's "wiped", it is a "new" gun. Joe

 

[HGUNHNTR]

I'm not sure but I certainly would have purchased the firearm in question.

 

[Phydeaux642]

I'm not sure but I certainly would have purchased the firearm in question.

Can I ask why? If it's because of the price I'll admit it seems pretty decent to me.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Yeah $409 for a decent 1911 with unique IRS serial number, you will be lamenting on a post in the thread "What gun should you have purchased when you had the opportunity, but didn't"----sometime in the future.

 

[hso]

[strike]Never heard of anything like this.[/strike]

Learn something new every day! From what I've just finished reading 'round the net it doesn't have to do with confiscated firearms (IRS or otherwise). The IRSXXX numbers were assigned by the fed for old firearms reported to them that didn't have a serial number or with a defaced serial number back in the day. They'd tell the owner or gunsmith to mark the gun and that would be that.

 

[RhinoDefense]

BATF was part of the Treasury before moving to DHS

The enforcement arm of the ATF is under the DOJ. The tax collection arm of the ATF is still under the Treasury department. The NFA branch is under the Treasury department. Only the field agents that have arrest powers are authorized to carry a firearm. The industry operations investigators (IOIs), ie the ones that check the FFL log books and do the compliance inspections are not armed, are not authorized to carry a firearm on duty, and have no arrest powers of any kind.

 

[snubbies]

"IRS" s/n prefix.

Called the ATF rep for my area. He indicated the following
1. ATF will reserialize guns under certain circumstances but the prefix is "ATF"

2. Most likely a series of guns made for the IRS agents who have authorization to carry as part of their job description.

Called COLT

1. RJ indicated that it was possible that it was a special edition or a special request for that particular S/N. He indicated that a customer can request a serial number which involves them reaearching if that number has ever been issued if not you can get that number

Most likely a special edition