How to tell if it's stolen?

[hunter_02]

Down here in Florida, the state has a website that you can enter ser#s to see if thay've been reported stolen. <myflorida.com>
Jim

[jgaynor]

myflorida.com eventually links to:

http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/item/displayGunSearch.a

the only data you can enter is the sn and supposedly only Florida theft report records are checked

Regards,

Jim

[Sako]

Thank you TomSudz for putting my list on here.

Handguns are traceable with a serial number. Rifles are not. Most gun stores are reputable, and will be alerted if they know of a specific rifle that has been stolen. In my case, Almost all of them are a bit rare (not the 686 or the M1 Carbine), and would draw attention if they are offered for sale.

They were either already sold by the time I was made aware of the break-in, or are located where I have always suspected the thief put them, not 30 feet from my truck. The poliice were made aware of my suspicions, and the name of the individual, but since there were no witnesses, they coulld not pursue that avenue without breaking the law themselves. I won't check it out myself, and i have had to tell several others to leave it alone, or they would break the law too. The one thing I do know, is the prime suspect (who was a friend) ignores me as much as possible, and won't even look at me when we are in the same room. Another friend says the suspect is guilty, but he, too, cannot break the law.

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi

`

Gyrene, have you ever though about getting an anonymous person to report your neighbor for waving a gun and making threats.

[Gyrene]

Sako - The person has a history with the police, and they know him by his first name in 3 of the 4 cities, not to mention the Sheriffs' Department, and the Highway Patrol that perform police activities in the part of the County I lived in (I have since moved).

Gyrene VSM - OFC

semper fi


`

[Michaelp]

I know a guy who got a shotgun returned after almost 20 years.
This doesn't always happen, but a record of stolen guns exists once they've been reported.
An area to watch out is some guns, like lugers, are numbered in series with a letter suffix.
Omission of that suffix can lead to all kinds of trouble.

[jgaynor]

I know a guy who got a shotgun returned after almost 20 years.
This doesn't always happen, but a record of stolen guns exists once they've been reported.
An area to watch out is some guns, like lugers, are numbered in series with a letter suffix.
Omission of that suffix can lead to all kinds of trouble.

Precisely on many firearms you would need the model, caliber, Maufacturer's name or code as well the serial number including suffix. The date and barrel length wouldn't hurt either.

Regards,

Jim

[firefly]

I don't know much about the following web site but I thought I would pass it on. http://www.hotgunz.com/
I had a Springfield M1 Garand (Danish) SN 3389927 and M44 Mossberg SN150337 stolen out of the back of my van on 11/10/01. Report was filed with the Newark, Ca Police.

[rayg]

The problem with serial numbers is there are many different versions of serial numbers. Japanese rifles might have the same serial number as listed as stolen but of a different series. Same with many other serial numbers with prefix letters. Unless that series or prefix letter is completey listed on the stolen report, it can come back to a different gun. Ray

[Stephan]

I have a son in law in law enforcement..so I have him run numbers on occasion to see what info is available.

Most important thing is keeping a serial number list and description of your arms. If the guns are stolen..you have something to report besides "My 870 got stolen..it had a 30 inch barrel and pretty wood"..this is precisely what happened to a coworker of mine..I sold him the shotgun..I had bought it from another coworker and sold it to the coworker from whom it got stolen...nobody(me included) bothered to record the serial number..the gun had come from a hardware store that no longer sold guns..so they had no records either. So that 870 is probably still out there..stolen..but not listed as stolen.

I imagine a large number of guns floating around the market are 'hot'..but no way to trace them to particular previous owner.