On 05-13-98 11:00 JERRY GOODSON wrote to DAVE ARONSON Re: Re: guns
 
 JG> it DIDN'T have a serial number... I went
 JG> out and bought a number dye set, and put my fiance's social securi
 JG> number on the bottom of the barrel.
 DA> Be careful never to refer to it as a serial number.  There are, th
 DA> I don't know quite what they are, all sorts of complicated federal
 DA> regarding putting serial numbers on guns, with some heavy penaltie
 DA> I think it's something to do with a firearm manufacturer's license
JG>Oops... I stand corrected...  I know of a lot of people putting their
JG>driver's licence or social security numbers on their guns... but I
JG>didn't know I could get into any trouble for it.... thanks for that tid
JG>bit...
If you are marking the firearm so it can be recovered in case of theft, it is
better to use a driver's license number rather than Social Security number.
The name of the person to whom the Social Security number is issued is 
protecte
by Federal Privacy laws. If the police recover an item marked with a Social 
Security number, they would have to apply for a court order to get the name 
and
address of the person to whom that number was issued. Most departments will 
not
go the to trouble and expense. Driver's license numbers are available to the 
police. The disadvantage of using a driver's license is, if you move from 
state
to state, the number changes. If you use a driver's license number, mark the 
item with the state abbreviation, e.g. CA for California, and the number. 
 
 Brooks Gelfand                              gelfand@failurea.exponent.com
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 * PW * Hardware:  The part you kick.
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