§ 479.102 How must firearms be
identified?
(a) You, as a manufacturer, im-
porter, or maker of a firearm, must
legibly identify the firearm as fol-
lows:
(1) By engraving, casting,
stamping (impressing), or other-
wise conspicuously placing or
causing to be engraved, cast,
stamped (impressed) or placed on
the frame or receiver thereof an
individual serial number. The se-
rial number must be placed in a
manner not susceptible of being
readily obliterated, altered, or re-
moved, and must not duplicate
any serial number placed by you
on any other firearm. For firearms
manufactured, imported, or made
on and after January 30, 2002,
the engraving, casting, or stamp-
ing (impressing) of the serial
number must be to a minimum
depth of .003 inch and in a print
size no smaller than 1/16 inch;
and
(2) By engraving, casting,
stamping (impressing), or other-
wise conspicuously placing or
causing to be engraved, cast,
stamped (impressed), or placed
on the frame, receiver, or barrel
thereof certain additional informa-
tion. This information must be
placed in a manner not suscepti-
ble of being readily obliterated, al-
tered or removed. For firearms
manufactured, imported, or made
on and after January 30, 2002,
the engraving, casting, or stamp-
ing (impressing) of this informa-
tion must be to a minimum depth
of .003 inch. The additional infor-
mation includes:
(i) The model, if such desig-
nation has been made;
(ii) The caliber or gauge;
(iii) Your name (or recog-
nized abbreviation) and also,
when applicable, the name of
the foreign manufacturer or
maker;
(iv) In the case of a domes-
tically made firearm, the city
and State (or recognized ab-
breviation thereof) where you
as the manufacturer maintain
your place of business, or
where you, as the maker, made
the firearm; and
(v) In the case of an im-
ported firearm, the name of the
country in which it was manu-
factured and the city and State
(or recognized abbreviation
thereof) where you as the im-
porter maintain your place of
business. For additional re-
quire-ments relating to im-
ported firearms, see Customs
regulations at 19 CFR part 134.
(b) The depth of all markings
required by this section will be
measured from the flat surface of
the metal and not the peaks or
ridges. The height of serial numbers
required by paragraph (a)(1) of this
section will be measured as the
distance between the latitudinal
ends of the character impression
bottoms (bases).
(c) The Director may authorize
other means of identification upon
receipt of a letter application from
you, submitted in duplicate, showing
that such other identification is rea-
sonable and will not hinder the ef-
fective administration of this part.
(d) In the case of a destructive
device, the Director may authorize
other means of identifying that
weapon upon receipt of a letter ap-
plication from you, submitted in du-
plicate, showing that engraving,
casting, or stamping (impressing)
such a weapon would be dangerous
or impracticable.
(e) A firearm frame or receiver
that is not a component part of a
complete weapon at the time it is
sold, shipped, or otherwise disposed
of by you must be identified as re-
quired by this section.
(f)(1) Any part defined as a ma-
chine gun, muffler, or silencer for the
purposes of this part that is not a
component part of a complete fire-
arm at the time it is sold, shipped, or
otherwise disposed of by you must
be identified as required by this
section.
(2) The Director may authorize
other means of identification of
parts defined as machine guns
other than frames or receivers
and parts defined as mufflers or
silencers upon receipt of a letter
application from you, submitted in
duplicate, showing that such other
identification is reasonable and
will not hinder the effective ad-
ministration of this part.