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Even if he wants to "turn it in", he should strip it for parts first.
The vast majority of GI 1911 parts don't have a serial number.Originally posted by GoodEyeSniperOriginally posted by ChopperXOriginally posted by Jeff LComment
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Before jumping to irrational conclusions as some have done in this thread, if the "grinding down" of the serial was not done aggressively enough to take out the underlying marks impressed into the lower layers of steel (inevitable) and those numbers are discernible in the shape left behind, that essentially can be deciphered and/or determined enough and/or that they match other parts on the gun to verify if hard-to-read, there is nothing in the law that says you can't restore those numbers (note - not make new ones - restore).
If you can reveal them as readable, even if damaged or blemished whether by accident, damage, rust or some idiot doing it intentionally, that means they are still there and not removed. Often the "scratchings" are superficial because they are done by hand and leave an burly mess on just the top of the numbers that to the eye, distorts what's there; but smoothing it out makes them all clear again with little effort.
In many cases, lightly sanding the 'scratched out' numbers will reveal what they were, once you level out all of surface scratches, because the latent deeper rollmark impression will appear through it all, often even discolored compared to the rest of the scratches once it's buffed. When the serial numbers are made, they often push the steel "aside" leaving indelible marks that can't be so easily scratched out (permanently) by hand alone.
I had this situation on a rifle that had been in my family for decades; 11- year old doofus cousin inheriting it gets some ingenious brand of idiocy of needing to go covert in his head, to scratch out the numbers (this was more than 30 years ago, and he was a minor - so it's pointless now for anyone to get bent about it).
I sanded the area my finger with small piece of 220 grit, then down to 400, then 600, then 1000 which revealed the general shape of the original letters/numbers as a "shadow" in the steel, and were easily readable as if they had never been scratched out - just shallow, no different from when you see shallow roll-marks on a refinished gun, but still readable. With some careful application of punches, pins, and micro-slotted screwdrivers, I was able to give a stronger relief to what was there anyway to the point that they looked as if they were never messed with. Gun was re-Parkerized and looked great.
Give it a try before assuming it needs to go to the crusher. If you CAN'T reveal them and they have been 'obliterated' ... well, then yes, according to the law - you have a problem.Last edited by The Gleam; 06-22-2016, 2:19 AM.-----------------------------------------------
Originally posted by LibrarianComment
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Well that's all well and good, but try telling that to some ahole from Turners while doing a PPT.
My weapon was determined by "authorities" while it was to be returned that it should be destroyed before I could do anything.
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My 1911 says property of united states government. It fell out of a slick in Cu Chi in 1968 and came back to Ca.Comment
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Ground-off or altered serial numbers don't fly well with Cali agencies. If it were booked safekeeping or for any other reasons, you'd never get it back.Comment
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Family business should never involve the gub'ment, or any of its agents.Comment
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