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Serial number why?

Maxx424
What am I missing. I see serial numbers listed as something like
74XXX. Why only a partial number and not the whole thing?
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Comments

13 comments

Date Votes
  • Odawgp
    a guns serial number is like it's SSN. people can use it to report the gun stolen lost ect....
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  • kimi
    Some folks, for numerous personal reasons, be they sensible to other people or not, do not want to show the complete serial number of firearms in their ad(s). The number of "Xs" added to the number of digits shown, generally mean the total number of digits that make up the serial number.
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  • spryor
    quote:Originally posted by kimi
    Some folks, for numerous personal reasons, be they sensible to other people or not, do not want to show the complete serial number of firearms in their ad(s). The number of "Xs" added to the number of digits shown, generally mean the total number of digits that make up the serial number.
    ...and the first few numbers can provide answers to any questions potential buyers may have..
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  • joeaf1911a1
    Max424: Why do you not use your own name? For secrecy I guess. Same as not using the whole ser. #. Too much info given can bite one in the azz in this day and age.
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  • Maxx424
    OK thanks - actually did try and register with my first name but it, for some reason, would not take.
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  • 11b6r
    Remember seeing a forum entry- "Q. When was my rifle, SN 45XXXX made? A. It was made between 19XX and 19XX."
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  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by Odawgp
    a guns serial number is like it's SSN. people can use it to report the gun stolen lost ect....


    B*llpoop[xx(]... that is nothing more than a paranoid persons's wife's tale.

    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=240810

    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=222702

    http://forums.gunbroker.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=121186
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  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by spryor
    quote:Originally posted by kimi
    Some folks, for numerous personal reasons, be they sensible to other people or not, do not want to show the complete serial number of firearms in their ad(s). The number of "Xs" added to the number of digits shown, generally mean the total number of digits that make up the serial number.
    ...and the first few numbers can provide answers to any questions potential buyers may have..


    Wrong... the first few digits tell me absolutely nothing when I am attempting to have the Winchester researched by the Cody Firearms Museum research department!
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  • givette
    This is rediculous. A gun's serNo is like a car's VIN. Why aren't you afraid of the consequences of giving out a complete VIN? After all, the car may come back as stolen, right? May have, in the past, been used in the commission of a crime, right?

    Lets not restrict this conduct [using X's] to just firearms identification. If you choose to use the big X, you may as well go whole hog. Best, XXX
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  • Locust Fork
    In the many many years of selling guns I have never had a gun reported stolen from my inventory that was reported by a person who got the numbers from my guns. I only ONCE had a person walk in with a notebook and he bent over, started writing....and I asked "can I help you?" He said that this was HIS gun and he was getting the serial number. I asked...."when was your gun stolen?" and I told him to remember there are 17 cameras recording all of this. He said....last week. OHHHHH! Well then, your in luck!!! Since THAT gun has been there for several months. We pulled the entry on the gun log and told him he needed to leave before we reported him to the police. He left.

    Never have I EVER had a problem with my on line guns at all....and I usually TRY to post pics of the serial numbers so people can investigate all they want.
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  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by Locust Fork
    In the many many years of selling guns I have never had a gun reported stolen from my inventory that was reported by a person who got the numbers from my guns. I only ONCE had a person walk in with a notebook and he bent over, started writing....and I asked "can I help you?" He said that this was HIS gun and he was getting the serial number. I asked...."when was your gun stolen?" and I told him to remember there are 17 cameras recording all of this. He said....last week. OHHHHH! Well then, your in luck!!! Since THAT gun has been there for several months. We pulled the entry on the gun log and told him he needed to leave before we reported him to the police. He left.

    Never have I EVER had a problem with my on line guns at all....and I usually TRY to post pics of the serial numbers so people can investigate all they want.


    Thanks... you have given a perfect example of what I have been trying to get people to understand for quite some time. There is never a problem with listing the complete serial number online, or in a written ad. ALL of the reputable firearms auctions houses (Rock Island, Greg Martin, James D. Julia, Little John's, Butterfield & Bonhams, etc., always list the complete serial numbers for the guns they have up for auction. For all of you small time gun dealers on this site who do not list the serial numbers, you are simply ignorant, or just plain paranoid.
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  • Marc1301
    I have always listed the complete number also,......no big thing![;)]
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  • tobefree
    quote:Originally posted by Odawgp
    a guns serial number is like it's SSN. people can use it to report the gun stolen lost ect....


    That could be done...be damn risky though and something that if you repeated would be very suspicious. And if there happened to be a BOS you might be reporting yourself as the thief!!!!
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