I have heard that most police stations require the gun to be present to run the check (probably so they can confiscate it if it's hot). Is that true?Inspect the weapon, record the serial number (along with make and model, etc.), go to your nearest police station and ask them to run the serial for you and be upfront that it's a gun you're considering purchasing.
Orly?Just get an ID and bill of sale. The only folks that can run the guns for a hot sheet hit is Law Enforcement, and many departments will not do that unless the gun is in their presence .
FFL dealers do not have access to the hot sheet.
We took in a gun not long ago for disposale from the local LE . We sold it on GB and it came back as stolen from the receiving FFL - we still don't know how or why he had it ran. Turns out it wasn't caught by the local LE who ran it under the wrong discription.
It can happen to anyone no matter what.
What law? If it's clean, how are they in violation? Seems like they are making good faith. "I came to you with this weapon because I have suspicion that it might be stolen, can you check on it for me?" It comes back clean, they have a bill of sale and the weapon is in no other way illegal.. what did that person do to break the law?In my old department, anytime a weapons S/N was ran, it was considered
as opening up a criminal investigation involving said weapon. Suppose the
weapon comes back "clean"; then you [and whoever ran the S/N] has just
broken the law.