FYI

[cruzerlou]

A friend of mine has a " lunchbox " 1911 Colt, non serial number gun, I've held it shot it and looked over good . No serial number anywhere,.
Now y'all can lock this thread too.
Lou

 

[Jeepnik]

I know of an exact duplicate of a S&W .357 Magnum (yep the original not renamed) is. I watched it being made by a machinist. It actually is tighter and more accurate than one from S&W. No serial number on that one either.

Now there's an interesting point. If you make it yourself from scratch and don't sell it, does it need to be serial numbered?

 

[Mike J]

I know of an exact duplicate of a S&W .357 Magnum (yep the original not renamed) is. I watched it being made by a machinist. It actually is tighter and more accurate than one from S&W. No serial number on that one either.

Now there's an interesting point. If you make it yourself from scratch and don't sell it, does it need to be serial numbered?

The answer is no. That is why some companies are selling 80% lowers for AR-15s. There is a small amount of milling one has to do themselves & some holes have to be drilled but it can be bought without involving a FFL.

Edited to add a link to the product http://aresarmor.com/store/Category/hmgar15

 

[Colonialgirl]

I SAW one Colt Automatic in the museum at Woolaroc Ranch, OK; One of the Phillip Brothers was a Colt collector and this was a trial model made at the Colt factory and Never assigned a serial number. Did you know that Colt ALSO made 50 Cal water cooled Machine guns during WW2?

 

[Sin6Sec63451022]

So, if you buy one of the 80%ers, do you have to fill out all the FFL paperwork? How does that work? Wouldn't seem to make much sense.

 

[bsnake]

So, if you buy one of the 80%ers, do you have to fill out all the FFL paperwork? How does that work? Wouldn't seem to make much sense.

An 80% AR or 1911 is basically considered a paper weight. No paper work involved.
Perfectly legal to build and shoot. However, if you ever want to sell it, it will need to be serialized and the transferring FFL would need to document it.
At least that's how it was explained to me.

 

[Jeepnik]

I SAW one Colt Automatic in the museum at Woolaroc Ranch, OK; One of the Phillip Brothers was a Colt collector and this was a trial model made at the Colt factory and Never assigned a serial number. Did you know that Colt ALSO made 50 Cal water cooled Machine guns during WW2?

No, but it's not a surprise. They made the "potato digger" during WWI. So, they have experience with machine guns.

 

[cruzerlou]

No this was a1911A1 and it was parked just like the late war guns and the serial number HAD NOT been ground off I miked the frame with a dial caliper and it was true .
There were NO signs of the number being groung off or the ground out spot being filled in with weld.
This gunwas a factory gun WITHOUT a serial number.
Guns like this did get out if the factory.
Take my 1986 3" round butt smooth finger grove grip 657 , by the serial number its a custom shop pre productions prototype and should have never left the factory, and that comes from the Smith & Wesson historian ,but I own it legally ,it went through the VCIC & NCIC checks when I bought it ,but S&W had been looking for that gun but it had never beeñ reported stolen the original owner bought it legally and so did I .
Lou

 

[cruzerlou]

No this was a1911A1 and it was parked just like the late war guns and the serial number HAD NOT been ground off I miked the frame with a dial caliper and it was true .
There were NO signs of the number being groung off or the ground out spot being filled in with weld.
This gunwas a factory gun WITHOUT a serial number.
Guns like this did get out if the factory.
Take my 1986 3" round butt smooth finger grove grip 657 , by the serial number its a custom shop pre productions prototype and should have never left the factory, and that comes from the Smith & Wesson historian ,but I own it legally ,it went through the VCIC & NCIC checks when I bought it ,but S&W had been looking for that gun but it had never beeñ reported stolen the original owner bought it legally and so did I .
Lou

 

[radicalrod]

Well that does it.....LOU has made me a TRUE BELIEVER......

1911's and A1's abound with no serial numbers......

I stand humbled......just remember a LUNCH BOX GUN is a STOLEN GUN.

YMMV....RR

 

[rugerguy]

...you don't give up do you.......then you wonder "why" .....poor baby :(

 

[radicalrod]

...you don't give up do you.......then you wonder "why" .....poor baby :(

Thanks Dan, I appreciate your support :lol: :lol: :lol: RR

OK I will admit that you are correct....

There are 1911's and a1'S WITH NO SERIAL NUMBERS.....

The problem is the COLT FACTORY NEVER shipped any this way so a LUNCH BOX GUN is/was stolen buy an employee....it may have been a long time ago and I am sure the BATF does not really care about them anymore or if they ever cared....so you win on a technicality......I concede defeat....you win .....I don't know what I was thinking challenging your decades of "in the trenches" experience.....Please oh please accept my most humble apology.....just remember this is the internet and everything you read may or may not be true :roll: :roll: :roll: RR


MAKE RUGER FORUM GREAT AGAIN....VOTE FOR RADICAL....I approve this message

 

[cruzerlou]

Never said there were a lot of them or that an employee didn't steal the gun.
My buddy bought it at a gun show from a dealer as a package deal along with an M 1 Carbine.
He did the paper work and we assumed that both guns were legal .
We found out later that day after shooting them both while cleaning them.
No since jumping down my throat over something this simple.
BTW you need to grow some thick skin, and as far as you being a mod, not if I can help it.
Lou

 

[radicalrod]

Lou, I have no beef with you....I do believe you had a 1911 with no serial number...

Why is it so hard to believe that the COLT FACTORY never shipped a gun through official channels without a serial number....

I have never encountered a legit RUGER without a serial number...has anyone else ????

So the guy at the end of the production line who wrote the numbers in the book and invoiced them just said OPPS....no serial number oh well no one will care I will just write down NSN in the book....

No problem Lou...I didn't mean to appear to be going after you....RR

Well thanks for you vote of confidence Lou.... my skin is as thick as your I promise :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[cruzerlou]

LOL

 

[blume357]

I've got a shot gun that does not have a serial number.... that I can find.

So, if I build a handgun... don't mean a zip gun but a real high quality handgun, revolver or semi-auto... in my machine shop, which as far as I can tell can be done.... y'all are telling me I am now a terrorist or what ever the government wants to name 'our' enemies.