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General Help--Sorry

Red Dawg

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
399
Location
Eastern VA, with too many people
Guys/Gals,

I searched on "checking a fireamrs history" and "Serial number checks". Nothing worthwhile comes up for what I need. I thought about the general forums, but I trust my fellow VA members, and those that come on here. I aquired a handgun from a friend who died, and I know no history of it. His ex-wife that gave it to me, knew no history. Is there any way of checking the history? See if it was stolen, or had any issues in it's past without going to a police station and losing the gun if it does have a history, or just put in jail for having a stolen, "crime" gun...
 

builtjeep

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
323
Location
South Chesterfield, VA
To my knowledge, no, there is no way other than asking the police to run the serial number.

More importantly, do you have reason to believe it may be stolen? If so I wouldn't touch it, if not, then I wouldn't worry about it, especially if it's not going to be a daily carry piece.
 

builtjeep

Regular Member
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Jul 13, 2008
Messages
323
Location
South Chesterfield, VA
As far as history of any issues, you may be able to contact the manufacturer to see if it has ever been sent back to them for repair. Again, I wouldn't worry about it, look it over good, if there are no signs of issues, fire a few rounds to test, or if you're not that familiar with guns have a local gunsmith look it over.
 
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Red Dawg

Regular Member
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Messages
399
Location
Eastern VA, with too many people
I'm not worried mechanically, good an tight, etc...I worry about it criminally. just want to make sure it wasn't stolen, or anything in it's "previous life". Would be nice second/BUG. But may be relagated to closet/home security only. Which always a bad thing, but....
 

mk4

Regular Member
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Sep 22, 2011
Messages
548
Location
VA
it sounds like you may have more than a passing concern about a 'poor' history on the gun.

personally fwiw, unless it were a highly sentimental or collectable firearm, in which case i'd probably relegate it to the safe, i'd have it checked and not worry about it being confiscated. i don't think it'd be worth risking a gun charge/conviction/jail and putting your 2a rights or cc privilege at risk for something like a "nice second/BUG".
 

peter nap

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I'm not worried mechanically, good an tight, etc...I worry about it criminally. just want to make sure it wasn't stolen, or anything in it's "previous life". Would be nice second/BUG. But may be relagated to closet/home security only. Which always a bad thing, but....

Even if you take it to the police station, they probably won't do it without a reason.

If you know a Cop well enough to ask a favor, that's the way to go...otherwise it's nearly impossible.
If you lived in York it's possible Sheriff Diggs would arrange it. He's that type of Sheriff he is.

Your best bet is to get a receipt from the wife complete with Serial Number. That takes you off the hook criminally.
 
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Grapeshot

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Valhalla
Even if you take it to the police station, they probably won't do it without a reason.

If you know a Cop well enough to ask a favor, that's the way to go...otherwise it's nearly impossible.
If you lived in York it's possible Sheriff Diggs would arrange it. He's that type of Sheriff he is.

Your best bet is to get a receipt from the wife complete with Serial Number. That takes you off the hook criminally.

Best advice given - take it from the pro.

Document, record and proceed.

Besides aren't all guns presumed innocent until proven guilty? :lol:
 

Red Dawg

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Messages
399
Location
Eastern VA, with too many people
Thanks for the advice. Get a receipt, and then I'm thinking plinking on private property only. Only partly a bummer. Still will be fun to shoot, but not going to press my luck out in the open in public where I might run into a leo. Just not worth it. I have other options...
 

skidmark

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Jan 15, 2007
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Are you willing to provide even a hint about why you are worried about the provenance of this firearm?

And if you are that worried, why are you taking any chance at all?

Sometimes I am flabbergasted at the amount of paranoia folks dream up over nothing.

stay safe.
 

ocholsteroc

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Aug 4, 2010
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1,317
Location
Virginia, Hampton Roads, NC 9 miles away
Sometimes I am flabbergasted at the amount of paranoia folks dream up over nothing.

Why worry about it unless someone on the street asked you wanted to buy a gun.. Lol I'd call the cops on that.

BOS when you do private transactions.

People buy sell guns privately every day across America, websites like VAguntrader etc...
 

mk4

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2011
Messages
548
Location
VA
Are you willing to provide even a hint about why you are worried about the provenance of this firearm?

And if you are that worried, why are you taking any chance at all?

agree!
it just seems like there's more to this story...
 

ocholsteroc

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2010
Messages
1,317
Location
Virginia, Hampton Roads, NC 9 miles away
Q: To whom may an unlicensed person transfer firearms under the GCA?
A person may sell a firearm to an unlicensed resident of his State, if he does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under Federal law. A person may loan or rent a firearm to a resident of any State for temporary use for lawful sporting purposes, if he does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under Federal law. A person may sell or transfer a firearm to a licensee in any State. However, a firearm other than a curio or relic may not be transferred interstate to a licensed collector.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/unlicensed-persons.html#gca-unlicensed-transfer



Do you have reasonable cause that your he was a criminal?
 

TFred

Regular Member
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Oct 13, 2008
Messages
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Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
FDLE

Florida department of law enforcement has a good site. Just google "FDLE gun serial" and see what you get
"This database contains Florida stolen property information as reported to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement by law enforcement agencies throughout the state and authorized for release to the public."

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

And I would expect that much like the decoy NOC List in the film Mission Impossible, someone would probably be calling you up soon after you submitted a search for a gun that "hit" the database...

Maybe I'm paranoid.

TFred
 

TFred

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Messages
7,750
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Most historic town in, Virginia, USA
Free advice

From the school of hard knocks:

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to..."

Not proper English, but you get the point.

The simple fact is, there is no good outcome from asking a LEO to let you know the status of your stolen gun.

What do you think is going to happen? If it hits, do you think your friend is going to just tell you and forget about it? If there are records of searches, and especially if the searches are not conducted anonymously (less and less likely every day that IT security increases), and one day that gun does show up in another crime, how would it look if your friend "found" the gun (which would be considered "on the street" and not in ownership by an authorized owner) and then did nothing to recover it?

I don't know the ins and outs of the system(s) involved, but think about it... what good could come?

TFred
 

2a4all

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
1,846
Location
Newport News, Virginia, USA
If you are in possession of a gun which is shown to have been stolen, you could be charged with possession of stolen property, even if you are the one attempting to learn its status. At the very least you would be answering questions about how you came into possession, which means naming names. A claim of receiving it as a gift will require verification.

If this weapon was used in a crime (a prime reason to steal it), you could have some 'splainin' to do.

Of course, all of this hinges on the relative recency of any related criminal activity. If all the actors involved are dead (and weren't killed with this gun), you've got some interesting lore to pass on to your grandchildren. Otherwise, you could be passing on this lore on visitors day...

Trying to learn if your gun is stolen is like trying to learn if Schrodinger's cat is alive.
 
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peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
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If you are in possession of a gun which is shown to have been stolen, you could be charged with possession of stolen property, even if you are the one attempting to learn its status. At the very least you would be answering questions about how you came into possession, which means naming names. A claim of receiving it as a gift will require verification.

If this weapon was used in a crime (a prime reason to steal it), you could have some 'splainin' to do.

Of course, all of this hinges on the relative recency of any related criminal activity. If all the actors involved are dead (and weren't killed with this gun), you've got some interesting lore to pass on to your grandchildren. Otherwise, you could be passing on this lore on visitors day...

Trying to learn if your gun is stolen is like trying to learn if Schrodinger's cat is alive.

BS!
Cite the statute and read it first.
 

Red Dawg

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
399
Location
Eastern VA, with too many people
You guys have more than answered what I need. Skid is right, no need for paranoia. A bill of sale, and I am off the hook. They know me, so they wouldn't give me a bad gun intentionally. I really have no reason to sweat it. Like was stated previous, not my daily carry, and even if it was who's to know just from looking at it, and if there is no PC or RAS, no reason to just run the serial number. Thanks, for your help...I won't beat this horse..
 

peter nap

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I don't think there is a legal cite for Schrodinger's cat. But he will be dead after you open the box, no matter that his status is only in doubt while the box is closed.

You're right Nuc...in practice.
I can't do much about police corruption, just deal with facts. The simple fact is, possession of stolen property is NOT a crime. The crime is in knowing or having a reasonable belief that it's stolen.

Probably the most applicable statute is a portion of
18.2-108.01. Larceny with intent to sell or distribute; sale of stolen property; penalty.
B. Any person who sells, attempts to sell or possesses with intent to sell or distribute any stolen property with an aggregate value of $200 or more where he knew or should have known that the property was stolen is guilty of a Class 5 felony.


With stolen property, it's always been the knowledge that it was stolen.

I get a little sick of wild eyed hysterics over private sales. With people on our side doing that, Goddard doesn't have to work as hard to prove a loophole exists.
 
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