No Serial Number

BlackGun

BlackGun

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Guy cones out of the woods yesterday with his twenty something son while we are blasting steel. Shows me a gun from his grandfather that has no serial numbers. Its a early 1940’s Colt 1911. I shot the gun and he showed me that it had no serial numbers. I never seen where the numbers may have been removed. Is this gun legal to carry? Legal to own? Why no serial numbers?
 
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BlackGun said:
Guy cones out of the woods yesterday with his twenty something son whole we are blasting steel. Shows me a gun from his grandfather that has no serial numbers. Its a early 1940’s Colt 1911. I shot the gun and he showed me that it had no serial numbers. I never seen where the may have been removed. Is this gun legal to carry? Legal to own? Why no setial numbers?
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Give him $50 bucks for it and call it a day
 
Most likely removed at some point. Had a similar encounter with a fellow I work with. With the model Colt he had, found out that behind the plate where firing pin is, some serial #s were stamped there as well as the frame. He stripped the Colt and sure enough, SN was present. He was glad.

Personally, I wouldn't want to be found with a pistol with no SN.
 
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I have heard stories about lunch box guns. War time factory workers that had smuggled frames out (prior to being marked) and assembled them at home. These are supposed to be quite rare. If it is such a gun, it is likely completely legal as serial numbers were not required prior to GCA '68. Removing them is illegal, regardless of when it was made. measure the width of the frame, it should be .757-.762" wide. Check that it is flat and not dished, especially above the trigger guard, behind the slide stop hole on the right side.
 
If it was a Colt it had a serial number at one time. But, many guns made before 1968 didn't have serial numbers. I've had old Remington .22 rifles without a serial number. Serial numbers weren't required at one time.
If it originally had a serial number, it's illegal to remove it.
 
Guys. Serial numbers were not required on guns until the Gun Control Act of 1968.

It is not uncommon to find older guns with no serial number. I just refurbished and old 22 short rifle for a friend that was made between the years of 39-41. No way to pin it down because there is no serial number. We know the approximate age based on features.

They’re completely legal to own and nothing all that special.
 
Geezer said:
If it was a Colt it had a serial number at one time. But, many guns made before 1968 didn't have serial numbers. I've had old Remington .22 rifles without a serial number. Serial numbers weren't required at one time.
If it originally had a serial number, it's illegal to remove it.
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We were typing at the same time. Lol.
 
As said above if it were a Colt it had a serial number on the frame. Other markings might shed more light (US Army or other arsenal marks) ... quite a few US military 1911’s “walked away” after WWII. It might have been one and back then the GI thought removing the serial number was good to go but as stated above that is not a bright idea. Personally while the guy might have no criminal intent I would not have my prints on that gun.
 
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He claimed the gun parts were stolen during manufacturing for WW2 and assembled and his grandfather bought it after returning from service. Rough looking gun but it shot fine except for the Winchester ammo he had in a magazine. This guy is quite the character. I hear him shooting off a cannon on his land. He makes one and three inch cannons, packs them with powder, melts candle wax, and blast stuff stuck down the barrel. Dude was nice guy and looked just like Uncle Si on Ducks Dynasty.
 
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JohnFreeman said:
Don't need a serial number on home made (80%) lowers either. It's almost like "freedom".

S/N are a relatively new invention (post '68).....
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MadMardigan said:
You can build your own 1911 from a 80%
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zuerjoha said:
I have a PF940C without a serial number. Should I call the cops on myself?! Someone help!
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Yall beat me to it.

OP, if it looks like the SN has been filed off run. If it looks to not ever had a SN then like mention, give him $50 and roll lol
 
I have a few pre 68 guns that don't have SNs and a few that do. As others have said the practice varied by company until the feds made it mandatory.
 
Lolz, some scared mo-fos up in here fo' sure...

I had a Mossberg shotgun that had no serial (pre-68) and gifted it to my son-in-law. Bought it at a yard sale when I was a lad.
Fast forward to a few years ago when it had been stolen from the daughter's/ SILs house. I was there and provided the description of said shotgun to the CC deputies taking the report.
I explained while pre-68 and had no serial, as a late teen I had removed the buttpad and engraved my initials on the white spacer. She looked at me and simply said it was unlikely to be recovered.

Oooo, scary freedom.
[emoji6]

Sent from notthedroidyourelookingfor
 
He was not attempting to sell me or tinman the gun. He just was curious who and what type of shooting we were doing.
 
BlackGun said:
He was not attempting to sell me or tinman the gun. He just was curious who and what type of shooting we were doing.
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So he trespasses onto someone' else's land, armed to find out?? He ain't too bright now is he?? And unless you knew him on sight I would have stopped him and turned him around...
 
BlackGun said:
He claimed the gun parts were stolen during manufacturing for WW2 and assembled and his grandfather bought it after returning from service. Rough looking gun but it shot fine except for the Winchester ammo he had in a magazine. This guy is quite the character. I hear him shooting off a cannon on his land. He makes one and three inch cannons, packs them with powder, melts candle wax, and blast stuff stuck down the barrel. Dude was nice guy and looked just like Uncle Si on Ducks Dynasty.
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Oh that’s our very own @eddie0225 .He’s harmless, mostly.:D
 
Chdamn said:
Guys. Serial numbers were not required on guns until the Gun Control Act of 1968.

It is not uncommon to find older guns with no serial number. I just refurbished and old 22 short rifle for a friend that was made between the years of 39-41. No way to pin it down because there is no serial number. We know the approximate age based on features.

They’re completely legal to own and nothing all that special.
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It is amazing what gets worried about these days but I guess their are people that just don’t know.
 
Tailhunter said:
It is amazing what gets worried about these days but I guess their are people that just don’t know.
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And this crowd (CFF) is among some of the biggest worriers I've ever seen. I'll bet most of them spend hours every night peering out the curtains waiting for someone to pull into the driveway. And if the Domino's delivery driver pulls in to turn around they think it's just a ruse to throw them off guard!!
 
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