Actually you can call the ATF easily enough and simply ask them over the phone to check if the gun has been reported stolen. They don't care of anything else. If it was reported stolen, they will arrange to pick it up. If it's not, then you know it doesn't have a history. We've done it a number of times. My brother is a contractor and buys houses intact. Many time over the years he'll come across handguns hiding in attics or in walls, etc. We simply pick up the phone and call the ATF and ask them to run the number. Once, he discovered a handful of very nice revolvers............all stolen a few years earlier. The original owner got 'em back because of it. So, it's no biggie. The trick, however, is to call before you pay for it. Once you own it, you own it and if the ATF takes it, your out. But you do want to know if what you have is free and clear.
Rome