Why do people blacked/whited out their gun's serial number?

[meno377]

In a recent thread we were able to tell that a recently-purchased Ithaca M1911 had the original finish because of the appearance of the serial number.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1182248

Couldn't have done that if the OP in a fit of paranoia had obscured the serial number.

Obscuring the serial number is a fetish that is mostly limited to people showing newer production guns, and collectors of US military arms (except M1911's and M1911A1's). You almost never see it when collectors post pictures of foreign military surplus arms (British, German, Japanese, Soviet, Finnish, etc.) because valuable information can be obtained by observing firearm features related to certain serial number blocks or ranges. True that it isn't really useful for modern stuff.

If there is a specific reason then yes it makes sense. But if you are just sharing pics there is no reason to post the serial number. Again if the owner decides to post or not, that's their choice.

[Milsurp Collector]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...cated-by-lapd/

Guys here will believe what they want. I've proven who I am and what I do here over and over but somehow guys don't believe anything I say. I'll make no other comment on this. Go ahead and post more #s. They will end up on other lowers. PD will not come and wipe their feet on your doormat and come in for coffee either. Court will not be held in your living room.
If you think you are familiar with this story, you are not.

There's nothing in that story about serial numbers being posted on the Internet. What does that story have to do with this thread?

[Metal God]

With the way bulk collection is now , just imagine what they'll be able to program there collection software to collect in ten years . Pretty soon they will be able to push one button and the software will be able to cross reference so much data they'll be able to look right up the girl next doors name and address . Every pic you post is now google searchable .

I googled Bedding a specific type of stock and one of the hits was the thread I posted my pictures in . Now still on the first search screen I clicked on images and in all those images that came up so did all my pictures I posted on the subject .


If you like see if you see that pic here .

https://www.google.com/search?q=bedding+a+savage+accustock&biw=939&bih=611&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCoP7J3fbLAhVM8GMKHVoSB8kQsAQIMg

Don't fool your self , the software is just around the corner to find anything at any time . Why add to there ability to narrow down the search .

[FiveSeven]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/201...cated-by-lapd/

Guys here will believe what they want. I've proven who I am and what I do here over and over but somehow guys don't believe anything I say. I'll make no other comment on this. Go ahead and post more #s. They will end up on other lowers. PD will not come and wipe their feet on your doormat and come in for coffee either. Court will not be held in your living room.
If you think you are familiar with this story, you are not.

As already mentioned above me, what does that story have anything to do with a photo of serial # on Internet?

[GM4spd]

[AGGRO]

Can't any halfway savvy hacker geek backtrack your post trail to your physical location? PAX

About as close as your street or block.

[Mitch]

As already mentioned above me, what does that story have anything to do with a photo of serial # on Internet?

I don't really need to chime in now, but I will. I concur with the above.

So we are back to paranoid handwaving.

[Marauder2003]

Can't any halfway savvy hacker geek backtrack your post trail to your physical location? PAX

To a point. Using a website I can see my WAN address is in my town but not my address. To get that you would need access to my ISP's internal accounting. Plus my WAN is DHCP assigned. It can change if my router/modem loses power or my ISP wants it to. You would need a date and time and, again, access to ISP records.

[dyson]

Who cares what others think, do what you want

[meno377]

Who cares what others think, do what you want

THIS^^^ Best advice.

[glock_this]

How about all of the "paranoia" people go ahead and post up a list of the SN off all of their actual weapons (not ones you find on the webs)? I'll be waiting here to see... thanks.

[desertrider]

LE agencies, LEO can pull info from it

Have any proof it's actually been done or is it merely folklore?

I'm living proof that if a LEO has a personal interest in finding info out about you, it will happen.

My first wife's dad was a Sergeant with a large SoCal police department. He ran my license plate at the very least and followed up with any records he could find on me. She told me after we got married.

After he retired he did a short stint as a PI and skip tracer.

I don't like having him in my history. At all. He was with the same department from the age of 22 until he retired at 53, and still has ties with people there.

[Mitch]

How about all of the "paranoia" people go ahead and post up a list of the SN off all of their actual weapons (not ones you find on the webs)? I'll be waiting here to see... thanks.

Here are all the serial numbers of all my stripped lowers:

USA43391, USA43392, USA51175, USA51176, USA51177, 15057407, 15057408, 15057409, DDT00355, 5191V, A1156, A2031, A2222, 1110, 1422604043, 1422604060.

You see among them the serial number from the photograph I posted earlier in this thread.

[meno377]

[glock_this]

Here are all the serial numbers of all my stripped lowers:

USA43391, USA43392, USA51175, USA51176, USA51177, 15057407, 15057408, 15057409, DDT00355, 5191V, A1156, A2031, A2222, 1110, 1422604043, 1422604060.

You see among them the serial number from the photograph I posted earlier in this thread.

Simple statistics told me 1-2 guys might actually post up, but not everyone who posted the "paranoia" claim. So, good for you. I will now jot these down

But really, I agree with the above poster, looks to me like those numbers have been blurred. I will now import into PS and see if I can get any meta data off that photo and tie it to a name, then a location, then some Google searches, then find out who you are