How to determine if a weapon is stolen or if registered prior to buying

K98

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Curious to know if there is a way to investigate a weapons status by the serial number. Obviously concerning is if the weapon has been reported stolen, or if the weapon has ever been registered.
I know LEO can research this info, but what about the "average Joe"?
 
No legal way to do this. Even dealers can not legally do this! [AFAIK this is true thru-out the US.] Neither MIRCS or NICS are tied in to the NCIC database of stolen property.

Keep your paper, it shows good faith and can avoid a "receiving stolen property" charge.

And who cares if a gun was ever registered before or not? NOT OUR CONCERN!!
 
Curious to know if there is a way to investigate a weapons status by the serial number. Obviously concerning is if the weapon has been reported stolen, or if the weapon has ever been registered.
I know LEO can research this info, but what about the "average Joe"?

You don't. Also whether or not it has been "registered" in MA is NOT RELEVANT to legal ownership. EVER. Period, end, full stop. Just flush that shit out of your brain, PLEASE. [laugh]

-Mike
 
It doesn't make sense though. If I want to sell your guys with efa10 online, I doubt the transaction will go through.
 
OP call the local ATF field office and tell them that you have a firearm that you suspect is stolen and ask if they will send an agent to your house with a laptop to check.
 
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
 
I actually was just thinking about that. A guy left his wife and left a gun behind that she wants to sell me. (she has no LTC). Thinking of going to an FFL and having it transferred to me but was curious what would happen if it was "FA-10'd" to him already.
 
I actually was just thinking about that. A guy left his wife and left a gun behind that she wants to sell me. (she has no LTC). Thinking of going to an FFL and having it transferred to me but was curious what would happen if it was "FA-10'd" to him already.

Nothing will happen as the MIRCS dealer FA10 shows who the FFL is and who the person who the gun is being transferred to is. In a private sale through and FFL it is the FFL transferring the gun to you, not the private party.
 
Nothing will happen as the MIRCS dealer FA10 shows who the FFL is and who the person who the gun is being transferred to is. In a private sale through and FFL it is the FFL transferring the gun to you, not the private party.

This. None of the ancient history stuff matters. [smile]

-Mike
 
Nothing will happen as the MIRCS dealer FA10 shows who the FFL is and who the person who the gun is being transferred to is. In a private sale through and FFL it is the FFL transferring the gun to you, not the private party.

With that said, could you just do an Efa-10 and just leave whom you got it from blank?
 
You don't. Also whether or not it has been "registered" in MA is NOT RELEVANT to legal ownership. EVER. Period, end, full stop. Just flush that shit out of your brain, PLEASE. [laugh]

-Mike

I'd like to sneak back in here from North Carolina for a moment to put an exclamation point on this. In free America the MA paperwork is a joke. Even the FFLs barely write anything down. I destroyed every piece of paper I ever had. There are still a lot of loud-mouth moonbats down here, but NOBODY pays any attention to them about guns.

What a wonderful feeling it is to be free. I had forgotten what it is like.
 
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
This is a job I'd like to do...and boy would I have a great personal collection of free guns!
 
Just hide the dog. Wives get shot less often than dogs, or so says the statistics.

Except for families with cops. Those wives are more likely to get shot. Mostly by those scary guns that go off by themselves. When unloaded. And being cleaned.
 
Curious to know if there is a way to investigate a weapons status by the serial number. Obviously concerning is if the weapon has been reported stolen, or if the weapon has ever been registered.
I know LEO can research this info, but what about the "average Joe"?

What is a registered weapon?
 
there-be-a-shit-storm-a-brewin.jpg
 
what about stolen smart guns?
do they need to be registered?

- - - Updated - - -

What about a purchase from an unlicensed owner via a eFA10?

this idea is up there with the "jump to conclusions" mat
 
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
I'll bet that this registry is about as accurate as the NFA registry. Do you think that the Boston cops, after taking a gun from a gangbanger, will bother to report it to ATF? Jack.
 
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