Access to Stolen Firearms Lists

[lcrken]

Is there any way a private citizen can check whether a firearm is listed in any government data bases as stolen, using the firearm model and serial number? I'm asking for an elderly friend of mine whose husband just died. He left a .357 revolver in their safe, and she is worried about how to sell/dispose of it. It was given to her husband by a relative some years ago, with no dealer involved and no records, but the relative is a known bad actor, and she is worried the revolver might have been stolen or otherwise illegal. She thinks the transfer might have been done before 1990, so it could have been legal, but is still worried that it might show up as stolen if she tries to sell it. It is a S&W that was manufactured in 1980. Any help appreciated.

[Spaffo]

Consign it. Its status would show up in the 30 day hold period, I believe. If reported stolen, DOJ will send a pick up letter to the police jurisdiction and a hold notice to the FFL. In her situation, no one is getting in trouble. Gun will be seized and returned to the victim.

[RickD427]

Check with your local law enforcement agency.

Most will run a check on the weapon, if the weapon is presented to them, to determine if the weapon is stolen. The catch being that if it is reported stolen, they'll recover the weapon.

No agency that I'm aware of will run a check without the weapon present.

[edgerly779]

^^^ Dream on. Not in Los Angeles. I tried to check on firearm stolen from me with serial number and without pd id cannot access that info. Have you tried it Rick.

[RickD427]

^^^ Dream on. Not in Los Angeles. I tried to check on firearm stolen from me with serial number and without pd id cannot access that info. Have you tried it Rick.

I've been on the other side of that fence, and have run several firearms for folks in the OP's position. The only caveat is that I wanted the weapon in front of me when I did the check so that I could snatch it in the event it came back stolen.

And, Yes, This was in Los Angeles.

[Spaffo]

Rick is correct. When I was the Robbery Coordinator at LAPD Central Station, my detectives would run a firearm for a front desk "walk in", but we kept the gun in our hot little hand until it showed no record in the AFS. Often a serial will come back with "hits", so the officer would have to determine if the gun in hand was stolen. Usually the non-applicable hits were different types, makes, or calibers and could be sorted through.
Once I had to go Uncle John's Auction shop and seize a revolver that a cop reported as stolen when he retired. His widow put it up for auction years later when he passed away.

[SkyHawk]

The new federal "gun safety" law that was passed is supposed to enable licensees (FFLs) to check a gun to see if it is stolen. Who knows what form it will take or when they will actually implement it but the law said they have 90 days. It says access is solely for the purpose of verifying a firearm offered for sale to the licensee. So I don't know if they will be able to just run guns through it at random or as favors.

https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ159/PLAW-117publ159.pdf

‘‘(5) provide a person licensed as an importer, manufac- turer, or dealer of firearms under chapter 44 of title 18 with information necessary to verify whether firearms offered for sale to such licensees have been stolen.’

Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and without regard to chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code, the Attorney General shall promulgate regulations allowing a person licensed as an importer, manufacturer, or dealer of firearms under chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to receive access to records of stolen firearms maintained by the National Crime Informa- tion Center operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, solely for the purpose of voluntarily verifying whether firearms offered for sale to such licensees have been stolen.

[Tankhatch]

What happens if the pistol is not stolen and not registered in their name ? (pre-1990)
Asking this question, for a very distant friend, of many years ago.

[RickD427]

What happens if the pistol is not stolen and not registered in their name ? (pre-1990)
Asking this question, for a very distant friend, of many years ago.

Nothing.

[Spaffo]

Shouldn't be an issue, unless something points to something other than an an old non-registered gun.. If the gun was found (street, vacant building, storage unit,etc,), it must be turned-in as found property. If it came back to another owner, we might ask how to got to them. Lots of guns were transfered legally without an FFL in the past.

[lastinline]

If the OP decides to take it to the local police station, leave it in the trunk, unloaded in a case or locked box, and let the officer go out to the car to bring it in.