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Stolen serial number hotline?

C

cynicist

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I am wondering if there is a number one can call to check for stolen serial numbers, eg for private transfers.
There's no gun stores within forty miles of where I live, and I don't have a car, so most of my options are people I don't or barely know, and many of them potentially shady individuals. What I am looking for is an ATF or other number I could call to run a number before I buy it.
 
rodbender

rodbender

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You can call local PD. They may know or be able to run it for you. This will, however, tip them off as to who is selling the stolen gun, and also who is buying guns in general.
 
Hawkflyer

Hawkflyer

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Beyond crime tracking systems such as the NCIC system I am not aware of any system such as you describe, and certainly none available outside Law Enforcement. The firearms industry and privacy rights groups have fought hard to prevent the creation of data systems listing firearms for any reason. SO they are only listed sort of mater of fact as part of crime reports.

Regards
 
S

sv_libertarian

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I had to call my local PD to check the numbers on a private transfer. Normally I don't bother because I generally buy guns only from people I know very well. In this case it was such a bargain, I made the deal, but only with the other party understanding I was going to have the numbers checked, and if it turned up hot (he wasn't the original owner) that the PD would be coming to get the gun.

The gun showed up clean, and I had a funny moment telling him just the opposite. It was very telling to me, that he was upset more at the notion of the cops coming to get a "hot" gun than anything else. He did have a good laugh at the joke.

Pretty laid back and straightforward process.
 
D

Devils Advocate

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cynicist wrote:
I am wondering if there is a number one can call to check for stolen serial numbers, eg for private transfers.
There's no gun stores within forty miles of where I live, and I don't have a car, so most of my options are people I don't or barely know, and many of them potentially shady individuals. What I am looking for is an ATF or other number I could call to run a number before I buy it.
Click to expand...
Think about it.

To staff the volume of calls made from every private sale would require someone to man the phone and do the check.

If 1% of the US was to sell a gun once a year you would have687 callsa day!! You would need at least7 people to handle the calls if they spent4 minutes per call.

Who is going to pay for their salary? The tax payers?

I say, If you do not trust the seller then go through a FFL to be sure.
 
C

cynicist

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If 1% of the US was to sell a gun once a year you would have 687 calls a day!! You would need at least 7 people to handle the calls if they spent 4 minutes per call. Who is going to pay for their salary? The tax payers? I say, If you do not trust the seller then go through a FFL to be sure.
Click to expand...
Well, when you put it that way... it should be taken out of the ATF budget so they'll have less money and manpower to waste on useless crap. That's who.
 
Thundar

Thundar

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Devils Advocate wrote:
cynicist wrote:
I am wondering if there is a number one can call to check for stolen serial numbers, eg for private transfers.
There's no gun stores within forty miles of where I live, and I don't have a car, so most of my options are people I don't or barely know, and many of them potentially shady individuals. What I am looking for is an ATF or other number I could call to run a number before I buy it.
Click to expand...
Think about it.

To staff the volume of calls made from every private sale would require someone to man the phone and do the check.

If 1% of the US was to sell a gun once a year you would have687 callsa day!! You would need at least7 people to handle the calls if they spent4 minutes per call.

Who is going to pay for their salary? The tax payers?

I say, If you do not trust the seller then go through a FFL to be sure.
Click to expand...
Why do we need a hotline? The database is computerized. Why not allow access to search a number you input against the stolen firearms database?
 
deepdiver

deepdiver

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Southeast, Missouri, USA
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Thundar wrote:
Devils Advocate wrote: Why do we need a hotline? The database is computerized. Why not allow access to search a number you input against the stolen firearms database?
Click to expand...
That sounds like a plan to me.

Unfortunately, gov't being the modern gov't, you know they would then pass a law requiring that you check a serial number prior to any private purchase, retain proof of such check for at least 7 years or longer and make it felony to not do so, and capture and save every serial number checked.
 
L

Legba

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Law enforcement does record "hot gun" info in the LEADS database when they are made aware of it. I don't think they relish the thought of facilitating potentially "shady" private gun deals though. In any case, unless you live in a state with gun registration, they generally don't have any idea of who owns what, and something may well both be stolen and not reported in the system - I doubt most people record their serial numbers if they don't have to.

Caveat emptor, truly.

-ljp
 
B

Brigdh

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Nov 28, 2006
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, ,
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Thundar wrote:
Devils Advocate wrote:
cynicist wrote:
I am wondering if there is a number one can call to check for stolen serial numbers, eg for private transfers.
There's no gun stores within forty miles of where I live, and I don't have a car, so most of my options are people I don't or barely know, and many of them potentially shady individuals. What I am looking for is an ATF or other number I could call to run a number before I buy it.
Click to expand...
Think about it.

To staff the volume of calls made from every private sale would require someone to man the phone and do the check.

If 1% of the US was to sell a gun once a year you would have687 callsa day!! You would need at least7 people to handle the calls if they spent4 minutes per call.

Who is going to pay for their salary? The tax payers?

I say, If you do not trust the seller then go through a FFL to be sure.
Click to expand...
Why do we need a hotline? The database is computerized. Why not allow access to search a number you input against the stolen firearms database?
Click to expand...
Not everyone has a computer? The ATF database isn't accurate? The easiest way to allow a database to be hacked is to allow outside access to it?
 
C

cynicist

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Yakima County, ,
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When I get a pistol from a private party I do not know I have them fill out the following PDF and I check their ID.

I have some of those I picked up from the PD. I just don't like the idea of gun registration or telling the feds when I get a gun. So I'm on a very narrow path here- don't tell them I have it, just tell me if it's clean.

 
Bill Starks

Bill Starks

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Dec 27, 2007
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Nortonville, KY, USA
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cynicist wrote:
When I get a pistol from a private party I do not know I have them fill out the following PDF and I check their ID.

I have some of those I picked up from the PD. I just don't like the idea of gun registration or telling the feds when I get a gun. So I'm on a very narrow path here- don't tell them I have it, just tell me if it's clean.
Click to expand...
I don't turn them in. They are for MY personal records.
 
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