modified serial number?

[Rix]

So I have a revelation 30-30 (marlin), and while I was looking around at serial number stuff (age and whatnot) I came to the realization that the serial number of this gun.... ISN'T.
It's someone;s social security number.
Now I bought the thing on the books, all legal like (pawn shop)

If I take it back to them and the won't take it back for either a refund or in-store credit, should I be worried? can I get in trouble for this? if something untoward were to happen? (gun stolen, etc)

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[Oro]

Yes, possession of a modern firearm with an altered or "obliterated" serial number is a felony. Does the place the s/n should be show obvious signs of being filed or etched away? That's a very serious problem.

 

[Rix]

It looks about right. very close inpsection (that I didn't do until much later), and you can tell that it's not quite right.

 

[PinkhamR]

Is this model old enough to have been produced before serial numbers were required? If so, then it appears someone just assigned their SSAN as one. JMO

 

[MrNiceGuy]

Is this model old enough to have been produced before serial numbers were required? If so, then it appears someone just assigned their SSAN as one. JMO

+1

I have an old 30-30 bolt action that was produced before serial numbers were required. Back then, allot of people etched int their SSN's as ways to identify the rifle in case it was stolen.

 

[Oro]

Whoa. Let's get the facts straight. There's no such thing as a Marlin 336 old enough to not require a serial number. There's no exception in the USC for an older firearm. The penalty for obliterating a s/n applies to any firearm that ever had one. cf: 26 U.S.C. § 5861(g).

The act of '68 required unique serial numbers on guns from a manufacturer, meaning different models could not run in the same number sequence. The requirement for serial numbers and penalty for defaced/obliterated ones exist LONG before that. It's even in the Federal Firearms act of 1938:

The Federal Firearms Act[17] became law with the approval of President Roosevelt on June 30th, 1938. It went into effect on July 30th with the purpose of regulating interstate commerce in firearms and consequently curbing the possession of such weapons by criminals. The, Act provides for the licensing of all manufacturers and dealers in the interstate commerce of firearms. Criminals are banned from either receiving or sending firearms in interstate or foreign com- [Page 439] merce. Stolen firearms and those with obliterated serial numbers are barred from such commerce. The Act has nine sections but for purposes of clarity and brevity shall be treated under three divisions: definitions, prohibitions., and administration.

(St. John's Law Review, Vol 13, 1939)

There are a lot of people doing hard time in federal prisons for defaced firearms. Don't join them, or take your legal advice from unattributed anonymous internet posts. Furthermore, there's no exception in the relevant USC for older firearms.

Now, none of this means that the firearm in question is actually illegal. Stolen firearms and firearms that have had their s/n obliterated can have one legally replaced by a gunsmith. Doesn't have to be the same number, but it does have to be stamped into the steel, not just scribed or etched. Not knowing what is on your firearm makes it hard to give any totally accurate advice. But I'm going to guess that since you bought it legally and it was presumably transferred via a dealer, the number that is on it was stamped in such a way that it passed cursory inspection. This implies it is placed on the gun in such a way that it looks permanent and unique. Sounds like it could be a legitimate replacement number.

 

[Trlsmn]

How about some pictures? Isn't the serial number on more than one spot?

 

[Rix]

I'll see about getting some pics up.
It's stamped in, good and hard.

 

[Trlsmn]

I'll see about getting some pics up.
It's stamped in, good and hard.

Just make sure and blur out the last few digits. If you don't have the means to do that contact me and I will alter the pics for you.

 

[madcratebuilder]

but it does have to be stamped into the steel, not just scribed or etched

So the ten's of thousands mil-surps with electro penciled serial numbers are illegal?

 

[Oro]

So the ten's of thousands mil-surps with electro penciled serial numbers are illegal?

Not if they are done deep enough. The BATF has a regulation about how deep they have to be. I do not have the exact requirement in front of me. I was trying to distinguish between a relatively permanent number vs one just scratched on and I did not make my intent clear enough.

I'll see about getting some pics up.
It's stamped in, good and hard.

Sounds like you are OK, and especially if you filled out the 4473 at the store.

 

[Rix]

It was done with full paperwork.
I'm trying to get the pics up now.

 

[dragonsden73]

Any paperwork from pawnshop showing what they wrote down as a serial number? Maybe it isn't in an obvious place or something......they could get in serious trouble if handled wrong....

 

[Rix]

I'm still trying to find the receipt, I think it got moved before one of our parties into the wrong spot

Here's a picture

(I hope)
Removed last 2 of both sets of numbers.

 

[bcp]

I've read that some Marlins also have the serial number on the side of the tang under the wood and that some buttstocks have the serial number from when they were fitted together before final finishing. Take off the buttstock and see if there is anything.

All of the 336's I've owned had a letter as the first thing in the serial. The letter identifies the year made.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlin_336#Marlin_336_Year_of_Manufacture

Bruce

 

[Rix]

there is a different 5 digit number under the wood on the tang
It doesn't say marlin on it, it's a western auto supply revelation 2000.
Not sure if that matters or not.

 

[Rix]

Looking around on the web, this number does NOT look right at all.

 

[Rix]

OK, so, If the owner of the pawn shop won't give me my money back or in-store credit, what should I be doing?

Or do I need to research and figure out if this thing is legal or not?

 

[torpedoman]

what is the revelation model number. It may now be a marlin. have you bounced the revelation number against a good cross reference. Made before 68 no required serial number
and many people did put their ssn on them for i.d. if stolen. a real common thing. I have no idea were oro came up woth the model number 336. one question you can pm me the answer if you wish - does the trigger move with the lever?

 

[Rix]

It's a revelation 200
trigger does not move with lever.