Firearm serial numbers

[eka]

Allright guys, put your thinking caps on.

What year were manufactures required to put serial numbers on firearms. I searched for it on Google, but didn't find it. The reason I'm curious, is that an antique revolver followed me home today. It is a nice nickel 2 1/2" barreled five shot Harrington and Richardson The American Double Action in .38 S&W. There are no serial numbers on it, but they were apparently produced from 1883 to 1941. I saw some listed for sale on websites that had serial numbers, so I figured somewhere during that time period manufactures probably had to start putting the numbers on. Just trying to narrow down the possible birth date. Obviously, there will be no way to know exactly. Anyway, it's a neat little pocket pistol from yesteryear that has been pretty well cared for.

Regards,

Keith

[eka]

OOPS!

The number was under the grips on the frame. Now I guess the question is, does anyone have any serial number data for year of manfacture?

Thanks,

Keith

[Char-Gar]

My memory tells me it was 1968...

[GP100man]

if you go to the marlin web site theres a link to h&r , but havent explored it though
probably for the revamped h&r co. that doesnt recognized it manufactured hand guns at one time !!!

GP

[9.3X62AL]

I think Chargar nailed it--Gun Control Act of 1968 required firearms sold in the USA to have an identifying number unique within its make and model. MANY gun makers serialized their products prior to this time, but some chose not to do so until required by law.

[Uncle Grinch]

Charger and Deputy Al are correct. The GCA of 1968 serialized all firearms. This included a great many of .22's that previously did not carry serial numbers.

[Willbird]

I also know of ONE gun where the exposed serial number is not THE serial number. That is a Wards Western field model 30, aka a stevens model 530 (unless I have those numbers swapped). The exposed serial number is on a part that screws to the receiver.........the serial on the actual receiver is covered by the butt stock. SO there is the possibility of parts getting swapped and a gun being sold under the wrong serial #


Bill

[NVcurmudgeon]

It was common for .22 rifles to have no serials for years after more expensive firearms from the same manufacturers were serial numbered. For example, I know of one Marlin .22 bolt gun that was won on a punchboard before WWII. The person who has it now is a direct descendant, so it has never transferred. Understand that if that rifle ever goes through a dealer, it will have to be numbered to be legal.

[beemer]

I purchased several older 22 rifles from a local dealer. Both of these rifles were US
made and had no serial number. They had been exported to somewhere overseas and were being imported back to the US.The importer had to serial number the rifles before they could be sold. Some of the numbers were put on by Bubba.One of mine was a fairly nice 550 Remington.I was lucky,it was done with small letters and very neatly.
beemer

[grumpy one]

Australian firearm regulation is probably quite a bit more bureaucratic than in the US. All firearms have to be registered and the owner licensed. In my state (Victoria) the police have a branch that does all this, and it began with a few problems due to historically having only regulated handguns and centerfire rifles (all full autos have always been prohibited from private ownership). Having no good data on serial numbers, when the regulatory approach was introduced they had to build up data bases, until they could tell whether a serial number declared by an owner was plausible or not. Because of this history, when a firearm changes hands it has to be taken to a police station, and the serial number read and verified by an officer. Incidentally this doesn't thrill certain anti-gun officers, who are unfond of having people wander into the stations with firearms.

I have an el cheapo Chinese air rifle - a species which has always required licensing, even when rimfires and shotguns did not, because of its low noise level. When they got their serial number databases sorted out, the police noticed that these Chinese air rifles didn't have serial numbers. I was instructed to take it to a licensed dealer, and have it numbered under his supervision. Of course that cost me as much as I'd paid for the air rifle new. Oh well, I guess there are enough school kids plinking at passenger train windows with air rifles already, without making it easier for them to buy new ones. My current pain is an investment in future civilization.

[Paul B]

"Understand that if that rifle ever goes through a dealer, it will have to be numbered to be legal."

I'm not doubting you, but I wonder if that is entirely correct? My point being, I have a custom rifle based on an FN mauser that has no serial number and never did have one. The rifle was originally a J.C. Higgins M50 in .270 Win. and I had it rebarreled and restocked into a neat 7x57 Mauser. I biught the rifle originally from Sears in San Francisco in, IIRC, 1951 and it had no serial number at that time.
When I had the gun customized, the lack of a number bothered me, but my gunsmith said that as it was made prior to 1968, it needed no number nor did he have to put one on the rifle. Now he is not only a gunsmith but a firearms dealer as well. He did build the rifle about 5 years ago, so maybe the "batmen" had added new regulations, but AFAIK, if it wasn't numbered it doesn't have to be. I would imagine as was mentioned that an imorted firearm even one secondhand might need a number.
Not saying anyone is wrong, but just curious as to exactly what the law really is?
Paul B.
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[Char-Gar]

I bought a 1949 vintage Mossberg 146B from a dealer recently and it has no serial number. On the Federal Form the dealer put..no serial number.

[MT Gianni]

I have seen several marked nsr [no serial number] on the paperwork. Is it by chance a Ca. thing? Gianni.

[Freightman]

NSN is what you put on the paper work on non SN firearms, per. ATF agent in our area, state regulations may be different.