A friend bought a barreled 98K action at a gun show, then purchased a stock and parts to assemble a complete rifle.
He had a problem, and took it to a local gunsmith to have a look at it.
The gunsmith called him at home, and said that someone had polished and reblued the rifle
at some point, and the serial number was ground off.
The gunsmith stated that this was illegal, and he couldn't work on the rifle, and for my friend to come pick it up.
I told my friend to call up the guy he bought it from, and to get his money back.
Is this in fact, an illegal rifle to posess?
Originally Posted By Andrew:
A friend bought a barreled 98K action at a gun show, then purchased a stock and parts to assemble a complete rifle.
He had a problem, and took it to a local gunsmith to have a look at it.
The gunsmith called him at home, and said that someone had polished and reblued the rifle
at some point, and the serial number was ground off.
The gunsmith stated that this was illegal, and he couldn't work on the rifle, and for my friend to come pick it up.
I told my friend to call up the guy he bought it from, and to get his money back.
Is this in fact, an illegal rifle to posess?
Possibly by the most strict interpretation of the law. However, prior to 1968 firearms were not required to be serial numbered. And that is only in the US. Back in the day it was not uncommon for military arsenals in other countries to rebuild batches of rifles and not worry about re-assembling the parts with matching serial numbers, to grind off serial numbers and re-stamp, etc. It would probably be illegal to do that in the US after 1968... but it might be a gray area to posses a rifle where that was done prior to 1968. Millions of Mauser actions were imported and sporterized in the US between the end of WWII and 1968. It might be very difficult to prove when the polishing and refinishing that obscured the serial number was done. I don't know what BATFE's interpretation would be, but sadly they are known to almost always take the worst and most restrictive possible interpretation they think they can get away with. O.K., I'm being too nice. BATFE are known to go out of their way to try to railroad innocent people –– sometimes even manufacturing evidence, lying, etc. I can understand the gunsmith's reluctance to be involved with that rifle . Better safe than sorry for him.
Originally Posted By SoftwareJanitor:
Originally Posted By Andrew:
A friend bought a barreled 98K action at a gun show, then purchased a stock and parts to assemble a complete rifle.
He had a problem, and took it to a local gunsmith to have a look at it.
The gunsmith called him at home, and said that someone had polished and reblued the rifle
at some point, and the serial number was ground off.
The gunsmith stated that this was illegal, and he couldn't work on the rifle, and for my friend to come pick it up.
I told my friend to call up the guy he bought it from, and to get his money back.
Is this in fact, an illegal rifle to posess?
Possibly by the most strict interpretation of the law. However, prior to 1968 firearms were not required to be serial numbered. And that is only in the US. Back in the day it was not uncommon for military arsenals in other countries to rebuild batches of rifles and not worry about re-assembling the parts with matching serial numbers, to grind off serial numbers and re-stamp, etc. It would probably be illegal to do that in the US after 1968... but it might be a gray area to posses a rifle where that was done prior to 1968. Millions of Mauser actions were imported and sporterized in the US between the end of WWII and 1968. It might be very difficult to prove when the polishing and refinishing that obscured the serial number was done. I don't know what BATFE's interpretation would be, but sadly they are known to almost always take the worst and most restrictive possible interpretation they think they can get away with. O.K., I'm being too nice. BATFE are known to go out of their way to try to railroad innocent people –– sometimes even manufacturing evidence, lying, etc. I can understand the gunsmith's reluctance to be involved with that rifle . Better safe than sorry for him.
THIS
If the law was strictly enforced there would be tens if not hundreds if not thousands of owners in jail.
I would just stamp a serial number on it. Some like my birth date. 06091969, if for no other reason than for identification purposes.
