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Posted: 8/2/2016 7:17:51 PM EDT
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I am having a difficult time finding information on required markings for a home made firearm?
my understanding was that nothing was required, as long as it was for personal use. |
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I am having a difficult time finding information on required markings for a home made firearm? my understanding was that nothing was is required, as long as it was for personal use. This is the truth, but most builders put Some kind of serial # on their build for themselves. This will help you if A. the gun is ever stolen, and B. it is ever inspected by a police officer. Good luck explaining Home build rules to your average police officer. 
My last build was a Suomi parts kit, I just transferred the original serial number from the cut up receiver, a resurrection, if you will. |
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If you don't have a CNC engraver (4140PH doesn't really lend itself to stamping unless you got something big to hit it with) give electro-etching a try. You can basically etch any professional looking design onto just about any metal...
Double struck serial number will make a cop think that the serial number has been altered... you don't want that. |
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I wouldn't worry too much about what the cops think. Many erroneously believe they are required. I do recommend engraving a serial number, because the most likely reason you'll need one is theft. I'm amazed at how often firearms are stolen, and the owners don't even have the serial numbers for guns manufactured with them. If you know (or in this case, create) a serial, your stolen firearm will be able to be listed in the NCIC database, which means there will at least be a chance for recovery. It paid off for me the one time I had one stolen. I do understand the whole appeal of an unmarked (or custom marked) lower is often what gets people interested in homemade firearms in the first place. In case someone is attempting to figure out what they can charge you with, kindly refer them to: https://www.atf.gov/file/3871/download See question 11 "Do I need a Federal firearms license to make a firearm for my own personal use, provided it is not being made for resale?" (page 7) Bear in mind that some localities do have further serial number (or other marking) requirements, such as for handguns in California (CA Penal code Section 27530), so check your state/local laws also. http://www.adamkonieska.com/archives/can-you-sell-a-homebuilt-gun-without-a-serial-number/ |
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You want to pay attention to what an average cop will think when they see 1. a gun with no serial number, or 2. a botched attempt at serializing a firearm, resulting in double struck numbers, is while you wouldn't be charged with anything if a cop thinks what you have is illegal, they will book you, confiscate your firearms and let a judge figure out what to do with you. All the while you will sit in jail wondering what will happen to you. It means the difference between "have a nice morning/afternoon/evening" to "put your hands behind your back". And since gun laws, when coupled with local laws, can be rather Byzantine, if you are taken in they may charge you with SOMETHING no matter what... Gun laws are full of technicalities and it's not hard to find something if they dig deep enough (again this really depend on localities, in places like NY/CA they will find something whereas in Alaska they won't even try unless you are who they believe to be dangerous)
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That's not how it works. The offense(s) must be known at the time of the booking. It's one of the things recorded in the "book". If you're worried about being detained, don't be. It happens to innocent people all the time during encounters with law enforcement officers, and they are frequently told to have a great day shortly afterwards. It's not a big deal unless you make it out to be. There are not too many reasons why LE would be investigating your firearm in the first place. If they happen to be, and they ask why your markings look weird like you made them at your house, wouldn't you be able to calmly and rationally explain why they look that way, or why they aren't present at all? I would hope so. Assuming you aren't in violation of any obscure local laws, that should be the end of it. (You did check, right?) It's pretty simple. If there's nothing to find, then nothing will be found.  You may even get bonus points with that ATF FAQ. Idk what kind of Draconian treatment you may have experienced in some areas, but that is the kind of thing civil rights lawyers live for. If you search as hard as you can for some silly marking law (like CA has), ask your local firearms experts, and send written questions to the DA and/or AG office, and no one can cite any additional laws covering such issues, then you probably aren't faced with any additional requirements than those at the federal level. It can be technical, but it isn't rocket surgery.  |
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My plan was to mill a flat under the frame and punch my initials and a few numbers in, and vibro etch a number unique to me under the grip panel and on a spot not visible on the reciever.
I just don't want to miss some silly technical requirement that would catch me up later. |
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Quoted:
That's not how it works. The offense(s) must be known at the time of the booking. It's one of the things recorded in the "book".If you're worried about being detained, don't be. It happens to innocent people all the time during encounters with law enforcement officers, and they are frequently told to have a great day shortly afterwards. It's not a big deal unless you make it out to be. There are not too many reasons why LE would be investigating your firearm in the first place. If they happen to be, and they ask why your markings look weird like you made them at your house, wouldn't you be able to calmly and rationally explain why they look that way, or why they aren't present at all? I would hope so. Assuming you aren't in violation of any obscure local laws, that should be the end of it. (You did check, right?) It's pretty simple. If there's nothing to find, then nothing will be found.
You may even get bonus points with that ATF FAQ. Idk what kind of Draconian treatment you may have experienced in some areas, but that is the kind of thing civil rights lawyers live for. If you search as hard as you can for some silly marking law (like CA has), ask your local firearms experts, and send written questions to the DA and/or AG office, and no one can cite any additional laws covering such issues, then you probably aren't faced with any additional requirements than those at the federal level. It can be technical, but it isn't rocket surgery.
I personally only see a downside. What if you homemade firearm is stolen and used in a crime? I can see the news. " Man makes his own gun ( If AR 80% it will read Machine Gun, even if it is only a semiauto) in his home and it was used in ............." If it has markings where it is able to be identified to you I can almost guarantee your name will hit the news |
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Here is your information on a making a personal firearm for personal use.
https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/does-individual-need-license-make-firearm-personal-use Page 8 covers not having to mark it, although BATF suggests that its marked in a way to be identified if stolen so it can be returned if found. https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/0813-firearms-top-12-qaspdf/download So if you want to leave it sterile, then leave it sterile with no markings on it. If you do want to mark it, then something simple like when you SBR a receiver would work, and could even be in the mag well lip if you want to keep the sides of the receiver sterile looking still. To add, if you intended to send it out at some point to have any work on it (anodizing or such), then have it engraved like you would a SBR. This gives the FFL easy information to log into his books when he receives it, verses the cluster fuck it will turn out if he receives a sterile firearm isntead. https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=51&t=444840 |
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