I am curios, does ATF or the importer keep any records of the serial numbers on the front trunion of the kits?

My hypothetical situation; My weapon was built on a flat, it gets stolen, it gets used in a crime (or just picked up at under a search warrent) the ONLY marks on it are the trunion numbers, can someone hypothetically check import records and see what company bought it, like Sportsmans Guide, or Cheaper Than Dirt, then go check all records at the store to see who in the area may have bought, then built that kit?


This just kinda started eating away at my mind a while back.

Once the kit is demilled, it's seen as a "non-weapon", so serial # are (should be) a non-issue. Only looked at as parts by .gov

The Kit is not a registered item,at best,the original serial numbers can be traced back to the importer.

I bet they would have a huge difficulty even tracing it back to the importer, let alone the retailer and no way on the end user.

If lost/stolen is a concern, I would have it engraved with your DL# or whatever identifying number you feel good about.

I might be wrong, but I am under the impression that when you 'manufactured' a receiver from a flat you were required to mark it with your name, and city/state, caliber and a S/N of your choosing......

Of course that info is totally unknown to the ATF and is only really usefull in positive identification of the weapon in question if stolen, etc. once it is found (if ever).

Quoted: I might be wrong, but I am under the impression that when you 'manufactured' a receiver from a flat you were required to mark it with your name, and city/state, caliber and a S/N of your choosing...... Of course that info is totally unknown to the ATF and is only really usefull in positive identification of the weapon in question if stolen, etc. once it is found (if ever).

I think I read an ATF letter where the TB just advised that you "should" put "identifying  marks" on your weapons. I'm pretty sure it was in an ATF/TB letter that I read that. I noticed the other day that most manufacturers don't even have anything other than SN on the RECEIVER, my Winchester, marlin and Ruger rifles have the name on the barrel, wich meens if the barrel was replaced or missing when found, the law men would have no way of knowing who made it. Just an observation.

Keeping track of the serial numbers would involve generating a database and paying someone to take the numbers off the kits and enter the data.  My bet is that they just throw the suckers in a bag/box and ship them out.  Heck, the Romys are probably already in a bag when the retailer gets them.  The bags I have seen look the same  regardless of who sold them.