How to tell if it's stolen?

Is there some practical way for a civilian to ascertain if a firearm is stolen? Is there access available to the stolen property data base? Some thirty years ago I bought a S&W model 36 from a coworker. Later on he admitted he had 'found' the pistol in a paper bag in the gutter out front of his house. This same piece has been to a gunsmith to have custom work done. No problem. I'm guessing it is now logged into some government data base. It sure would be comforting to be able to check on a potential purchase before the deal is done.

Call the cops and have them check the ser numbers(before you buy it prefferable), I do it ALL the time!

If you call the cops to have it checked, be prepared to have the gun taken from you! I moved to MI yrs ago and had to register about 30 handguns, many purcahased at gun shows. They all passed but at the time I wondered about that. Yes, they did check them all out on the data base!

Thank you TomSudz for putting my list on here.

Handguns are traceable with a serial number. Rifles are not. Most gun stores are reputable, and will be alerted if they know of a specific rifle that has been stolen. In my case, Almost all of them are a bit rare (not the 686 or the M1 Carbine), and would draw attention if they are offered for sale.

They were either already sold by the time I was made aware of the break-in, or are located where I have always suspected the thief put them, not 30 feet from my truck. The poliice were made aware of my suspicions, and the name of the individual, but since there were no witnesses, they coulld not pursue that avenue without breaking the law themselves. I won't check it out myself, and i have had to tell several others to leave it alone, or they would break the law too. The one thing I do know, is the prime suspect (who was a friend) ignores me as much as possible, and won't even look at me when we are in the same room. Another friend says the suspect is guilty, but he, too, cannot break the law.

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi

`

I have several current LEO friends I get to phone the number in when buying a firearm from an individual. I don't bother from dealers.

Gyrene, you still call him a friend? I'd hate to see your enemies!

PhillipM - NO! I guess I should have called him something worse, but I hate to be negative, and I dislike very much saying "I HATE". I did say he WAS a friend.

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi


`

Had a friend of mine take a rifle of mine to the pawn shop once, for beer money. Yes, he's still a friend, I'm just sorry that his need, to him, was so dire. He's gotten better, and did apologize. No doubt the party was on at the time, and his drunken other wanted it to continue. I recovered the rifle.

My loss in value of the firearms was in excess of $22,000.00; not to mention the camera, lenses, and other photo equipment which was in excess of $5,500.00. He got to me for almost $30,000.00, which was definitely put on the police report. As a result I was able to write off part of the loss, (less than 10%), on my income tax (my CPA does all that, and he is a tax attorney; I have used his services for 15 plus years). Without the police report the IRS would never consider my loss.

Still, I would rather have all the firearms, camera and lenses etc, back, whether he is a friend or enemy.

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi


`

Madsen,you are a good man, & I hope to be as understanding and forgiving as you. My hat's off to you sir.

da gimp

Gyrene....why do you think a stolen rifle can't be traced like a handgun? Thier serial numbers are as unique as any others. Chris

They can be traced, however the rifle serial number is not always revealed at a purchase, even through an FFL, nor is a list of stolen rifles available very often. If the rifle serial number is checked against a stolen rifle list it can be traced.

On the other hand, handguns are run in most states when an FFL does the deal as is required by law.

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi



`

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gyrene

Thank you TomSudz for putting my list on here.

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No problem. I have a little sheet that I take to gun shows that has all of the ones folks here post. I can't memorize them all, of course, but I can carry that sheet with me. I don't go walking around checking the SN of every gun, but I do look at the list now and again and occasionally compare the numbers if I happen to remember a gun being on the list. More eyes can't hurt, that's why I suggested starting this section. I hope more forum and discussion sites will start a page like this so that more of us can be watching. I'd be very happy to see this forum as unnecessary and have no posts, but that just isn't realistic in today's world.

TomSudz - I agree 100%!!!

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi


`

Ok, I'm not sure about the confusion here but if a firearm or any thing with a serial number is reported stolen, then that serial number is entered into the system and then when ran by anybody it will come back as stolen. It doesn't matter if it is a rifle/pistol/car................and that "hit" remains in the system until recovered.
Tracing a gun- pistol or rifle is something different.................

If it looks like the one in this thread.

http://www.jouster.com/forums/showth...ialized-Garand

-Jeff L

Down here in Florida, the state has a website that you can enter ser#s to see if thay've been reported stolen. <myflorida.com>
Jim

myflorida.com eventually links to:

http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/item/displayGunSearch.a

the only data you can enter is the sn and supposedly only Florida theft report records are checked

Regards,

Jim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gyrene

Thank you TomSudz for putting my list on here.

Handguns are traceable with a serial number. Rifles are not. Most gun stores are reputable, and will be alerted if they know of a specific rifle that has been stolen. In my case, Almost all of them are a bit rare (not the 686 or the M1 Carbine), and would draw attention if they are offered for sale.

They were either already sold by the time I was made aware of the break-in, or are located where I have always suspected the thief put them, not 30 feet from my truck. The poliice were made aware of my suspicions, and the name of the individual, but since there were no witnesses, they coulld not pursue that avenue without breaking the law themselves. I won't check it out myself, and i have had to tell several others to leave it alone, or they would break the law too. The one thing I do know, is the prime suspect (who was a friend) ignores me as much as possible, and won't even look at me when we are in the same room. Another friend says the suspect is guilty, but he, too, cannot break the law.

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi

`

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Gyrene, have you ever though about getting an anonymous person to report your neighbor for waving a gun and making threats.

Sako - The person has a history with the police, and they know him by his first name in 3 of the 4 cities, not to mention the Sheriffs' Department, and the Highway Patrol that perform police activities in the part of the County I lived in (I have since moved).

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi


`

I know a guy who got a shotgun returned after almost 20 years.
This doesn't always happen, but a record of stolen guns exists once they've been reported.
An area to watch out is some guns, like lugers, are numbered in series with a letter suffix.
Omission of that suffix can lead to all kinds of trouble.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Michaelp

I know a guy who got a shotgun returned after almost 20 years.
This doesn't always happen, but a record of stolen guns exists once they've been reported.
An area to watch out is some guns, like lugers, are numbered in series with a letter suffix.
Omission of that suffix can lead to all kinds of trouble.

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Precisely on many firearms you would need the model, caliber, Maufacturer's name or code as well the serial number including suffix. The date and barrel length wouldn't hurt either.

Regards,

Jim

I don't know much about the following web site but I thought I would pass it on. http://www.hotgunz.com/
I had a Springfield M1 Garand (Danish) SN 3389927 and M44 Mossberg SN150337 stolen out of the back of my van on 11/10/01. Report was filed with the Newark, Ca Police.

The problem with serial numbers is there are many different versions of serial numbers. Japanese rifles might have the same serial number as listed as stolen but of a different series. Same with many other serial numbers with prefix letters. Unless that series or prefix letter is completey listed on the stolen report, it can come back to a different gun. Ray

I have a son in law in law enforcement..so I have him run numbers on occasion to see what info is available.

Most important thing is keeping a serial number list and description of your arms. If the guns are stolen..you have something to report besides "My 870 got stolen..it had a 30 inch barrel and pretty wood"..this is precisely what happened to a coworker of mine..I sold him the shotgun..I had bought it from another coworker and sold it to the coworker from whom it got stolen...nobody(me included) bothered to record the serial number..the gun had come from a hardware store that no longer sold guns..so they had no records either. So that 870 is probably still out there..stolen..but not listed as stolen.

I imagine a large number of guns floating around the market are 'hot'..but no way to trace them to particular previous owner.