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EFA-10 and vintage firearms with no serial number

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mossy_22

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Hello all,

My first post... did my best to make sure this wasn't already covered, forgive me if it was.

I'm trying to do an EFA-10 for a vintage rifle with no serial number that I bought from out of state. I filled in all the information using NSN for serial number and I get the following error message: "The sales/transaction cannot proceed. Please correct the following errors: The weapon is already registered". It makes sense because if somebody has already registered the same make and model and used NSN as the serial number, it's already in the system. The portal software would have had to been written to accept duplicates of "NSN", apparently it hasn't.

I have FA-10 copies of a similar purchase from my local FFL that has no issue with NSN. I could probably find a version of NSN that works (like picking an unused username on a website - NSN123, NSN445, etc.), but it just seems wrong...

Thoughts and/or suggestions?
 
Mossberg Model 42B

I have 3 old 22 rimfires: one Westernfield and two Mossbergs (different models)... all with no serial numbers. The first Mossberg EFA-10 went straight through using "none" as the serial number. A couple of years later I acquired a Westernfield and I got my first "The weapon is already registered" error using "none" as the serial number. When I switched it to "NSN", it went through.

Fast-forward to today, the Mossberg 42B with serial number "NSN" gives me the "The weapon is already registered" error. It makes sense, because somebody else could have the same make and model with serial number NSN, but part of me is saying it's because I have a firearm already in the system with serial NSN which would make no sense because its a Westernfield.
 
"The weapon is already registered" sounds... bogus.

For starters, there's no such thing as "already registered". I can "register" a gun, and then someone else can "register" it, and then a third person can "register" it. The eFA10 system only records *transactions*, it has no concept of current ownership or "registration"

You could try "none" for serial number, or just leave it blank (although I expect leaving it blank will throw an error, even though it shouldn't)
 
mossy_22 said:
Mossberg Model 42B

I have 3 old 22 rimfires: one Westernfield and two Mossbergs (different models)... all with no serial numbers. The first Mossberg EFA-10 went straight through using "none" as the serial number. A couple of years later I acquired a Westernfield and I got my first "The weapon is already registered" error using "none" as the serial number. When I switched it to "NSN", it went through.

Fast-forward to today, the Mossberg 42B with serial number "NSN" gives me the "The weapon is already registered" error. It makes sense, because somebody else could have the same make and model with serial number NSN, but part of me is saying it's because I have a firearm already in the system with serial NSN which would make no sense because its a Westernfield.
Click to expand...

Mossy, I don't think you read @Palladin 's post correctly. [cheers]
 
milktree, Len2A - "none" or "None" throws the same error (In both cases the text is forced to "NONE" in all caps)

milktree - leaving it blank throws a different error: "Serial No. is required to continue."

PATRON - yes, "NSN" was entered in both the "Serial No." and "Confirm Serial No." fields

Len2A - Yes, "No S/N" got me successfully to the next page and I could have completed the transaction (I didn't yet), but I'm willing to bet I wouldn't be able to use it again for the same reasons I can't use "NONE" or "NSN" now. I could post a screenpic of what I see if that helps. There's no identifying info on that page, but I don't know if that's against forum policy to do so.

And for giggles, I tried a serial number from one of my later model Mossbergs in the system, it was happy and I could have completed the transaction.
 
It really does make you wonder what the database constraints are on this table. It sounds like the working theory is that the combination (LTCnumber, SerialNumber) must be unique. Maybe I should try re-registering one of the guns that’s already registered. Or is that what Mossy was implying with post #15, that the later model gun is already registered and he could re-register it?

This doesn’t make any sense with my understanding of the system. Is there something special about the NSN value? It sounds like NO S/N would work. Someone somewhere on this forum has enough pre-1968 guns that they should have run into this by now, if y’all are filling out FA-10s as much as you say you are.

Maybe a bug? Probably a bug. Who even has the contract to support MIRCS?
 
@mossy_22

I just posted the solution to your problem in a new sticky in my Len-2A Training sub-forum. I lock those threads so nobody has to wade thru 100s of extraneous posts to get valid info.
www.northeastshooters.com

How to Register (eFA-10) Guns Without S/Ns

It appears that there may be a problem registering a "no serial number" gun on the Mass eFA-10 system. In speaking with the current Director of the FRB, I raised this issue and here's the solution that will work. He advised to put Zeros in the S/N boxes. So "0000" should work and that makes it...
www.northeastshooters.com www.northeastshooters.com
 

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