Remington Rand 1911 with no SN

[rdmercer]

To all those that have posted, thank you for the wide responses and advice. I called the FFL and have told him I want to bring the RR back for a refund. He finally agreed, so tomorrow I will be returning it and he can deal with it. I have a SR1911 and a Springfield GI so I can live without the RR. I had a gunsmith measure the frame in the serial number area where it should have been and in his opinion there was no number removed because it measured up to full width with his calipers. So thanks again.

 

[Ibmikey]

RD, I think you made the correct decision as the dealer was remiss to begin with. N Idaho....I am just across the river in N Washington (near Spokane), great place to live.

 

[bannockburn]

rdmercer

Sounds like a decent resolution to your problem with the Remington-Rand 1911. Hope your next gun purchase goes much more smoothly and without any other legal implications.

 

[Onmilo]

I agree with you, RecoilRob, except that I don't think that everything is so darn complicated. This is an exceptional case, where a pistol that very much ought to have a serial number does not have one. That is why everyone remarked on that from the start, especially since, as Onmilo points out, the OP's main question could not be answered. (Although Onmilo's example should have included the remark that the car's VIN was missing.)

Thank you.
I'll remember that bit the next time I feel to use that analogy.

 

[Onmilo]

I'm going to leave this here for the matter of reference.
BATFE guidelines on the numbering of firearms.
https://www.atf.gov/file/4881/download

Prior to 1968 every domestic manufacturer of any repute serial numbered the frames of their handguns if for no other reason to maintain inventory control.

The U.S. Government and Military are not in the habit of issuing "Sterile" firearms as our weapons are generally so unique as well as being manufactured here that there is no sane reason to create sterile versions.
If we have a reason to require sterile weapons, i.e. plausible deniability, the weapons are withdrawn from common global issue surplus stock.

The ONLY viable way to get around this was to order an 80% machined frame or receiver and finish it yourself.
Yes these were available prior to 1968, however, after 1968 ALL firearms are required to be marked with a serial number and an identifying mark of the builder.