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Smith and Wesson serial replacement?

shredinstead
Hey all, I have recently inherited a couple of my grandfather's prewar handguns. Unfortunately, the SW 38 special has had the serial number on the bottom of the handle defaced. I can tell it was done by somebody in my family recently that didn't know any better. I really want to restore the integrity of this gun and I was hoping for some tips on how I could go about doing that.
The good news is, whoever did this was dumb enough to only chisel off the number on the handle, so I still have the original number (minus the beginning letter). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • 11b6r
    DISCLAIMER- I am NOT a lawyer, not an agent of the BATFE. As I understand the law, possessing a firearm with a defaced or removed SN is a Federal felony. I know of ONE case, gun was stolen in a burglary- thief ground off the serial number- gun was recovered by police. The owner applied to BATFE regional office, who granted permission to have a serial number they assigned restamped on the gun. There are some very knowledgable people here, but you are getting on REALLY shaky ground here. Be SURE that what you do is legal. SERIOUS penalty here for being wrong. And anyone that gives you bad advice does not share consequences with you.
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  • givette
    Difficult call. No reputable gunsmith will touch it, if you bring it in to have any work done on it, or to have the number re-stamped.

    ATF are the only folks that will authorize the replacement of a SerNo...and they'll demand to know just who had the gun between the time of Gramps' death, and you assuming posession.

    Again, you have no recourse but to contact ATF, or lose the gun. Whomever did the removal committed a felony. Best, Joe
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  • nmyers
    The guys are right.

    In your position, I'd cut the frame with a hack saw or Dremel cutting wheel, or throw it in the ocean. No gun is worth the consequences of getting caught by the authorities. But, it's your choice; I hate prison food.

    Neal
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  • mark christian
    Your only recourse is to contact your nearest BATFE field office and explain the situation. Besides federal law, many states also have penalties for removing or defacing serial numbers and as Joe already pointed out, no licensed gunsmith will even touch it. That gun is nothing but trouble.
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  • Hawk Carse
    I know of one local case where a gun had the official serial number on the frame removed, but it remained in another location. The BATF was agreeable to remarking it. The difference being that the gun had been stolen and recovered, the serial number that the crook overlooked being used to locate the rightful owner.
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  • perry shooter
    Strip of all parts to sell Here and then Throw frame away FAR AWAY. If you are convicted you will forfiet EVER owning a fire arm again. IT would not spend ONE night in MY house
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  • shredinstead
    Thanks for the advice,guys. It was well taken and I'm sorry to report that the risks were weighed, and it is nothing but metal shavings now. What a shameful end for grandpas WW2 heirloom, but atleast the other was untouched to be passed on hopefully.
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  • givette
    quote:Originally posted by shredinstead
    Thanks for the advice,guys. It was well taken and I'm sorry to report that the risks were weighed, and it is nothing but metal shavings now. What a shameful end for grandpas WW2 heirloom, but atleast the other was untouched to be passed on hopefully.

    Keep that same family person (if you know who did it) away from further exposure to your firearms.

    As a matter of fact, I'd keep that person away from anything of value in my household, or garage. Best, Joe
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  • shredinstead
    I couldn't agree more. Fortunately the remaining gun is the more significant of the two, and it will be kept in responsible hands only, just the the way Gramps would've wanted.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by shredinstead
    Hey all, I have recently inherited a couple of my grandfather's prewar handguns. Unfortunately, the SW 38 special has had the serial number on the bottom of the handle defaced. I can tell it was done by somebody in my family recently that didn't know any better. I really want to restore the integrity of this gun and I was hoping for some tips on how I could go about doing that.
    The good news is, whoever did this was dumb enough to only chisel off the number on the handle, so I still have the original number (minus the beginning letter). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


    Before going all crazy, make sure the serial number isn't duplicated somewhere else on the gun (ie inside the crane, etc).

    I believe the BATFE has a policy where they don't prosecute individuals who come to them with potentially illegal firearms. Makes sense from a policy standpoint (ie you want to encourage people to report these things, not discourage it, plus it would be REAL hard to secure a jury conviction here).

    So as long as YOU'RE the one bringing in the gun, I don't think YOU'RE going to get in trouble.

    In SOME cases the BATFE will authorize re-inscribing either the old serial number, or a new one they permit. At absolute worst, they destroy the gun.

    The REAL problem is the BATFE is going to want to know the full story, and depending on what you told them, there is a real chance they might go after the idiot relative who defaced the serial number.

    Assuming you didn't want that to happen, best thing to do would be pull off all re-usable parts and destroy the frame.
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  • Doc
    On old S&Ws the serial is on the rear of the cylinder and on the barrel bottom. Find the serial and electro-pencil it on the frame under the stocks. This is what the ATF would do if you went through the process to make the gun legal so just do it yourself and say nothing.
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