Legality of duplicate serial numbers

**win67** · November 26th, 2014, 10:15 PM

I recently attached a TacStar shell bracket to the receiver of one of my shotguns. It obscures the serial number, so I plan to write the serial number on the new bracket so it's visible without disassembling the gun. Are there any laws against this? I don't think there are but most gun laws make no sense to me so I figured I'd ask. Thanks in advance for any replies.

**jw34** · November 26th, 2014, 11:13 PM

Don't worry about it. No one needs to see the serial number. I can't forsee any situation where you'd need to have it exposed, other than during a sale.
If an accessory covers the serial number, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

**Statkowski** · November 26th, 2014, 11:22 PM

I believe there's a handgun or two out there where the grip actually has to be removed to see the serial number.

The important thing is that the original serial number isn't altered or mutilated in any way.

**win67** · November 26th, 2014, 11:52 PM

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen. Good info here, as always. Just to clarify, it is me who wants it to be visible, for a variety of reasons. I know it doesn't have to be, but it seems the consensus is that it's not a problem to put it elsewhere on the gun as long as the original stays in place.

**Boots_DE** · November 26th, 2014, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by win67

I recently attached a TacStar shell bracket to the receiver of one of my shotguns. It obscures the serial number, so I plan to write the serial number on the new bracket so it's visible without disassembling the gun. ....

If there is any reason the serial number of the gun needs to be seen, the only one that counts is the original number on the gun. The s/n on a bracket is not the s/n of the gun.

**bortle** · November 27th, 2014, 01:27 PM

Could you tell us the reasoning behind having to see the serial number? I for one could care less about most of them. Other than old milsurps with matching numbers, WWII era Garands and so forth.

**win67** · November 27th, 2014, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by bortle

Could you tell us the reasoning behind having to see the serial number? I for one could care less about most of them. Other than old milsurps with matching numbers, WWII era Garands and so forth.

First, I own several of the exact same receivers and I want it to be differentiated. Second, I'm obsessive about all my tools/machines/ etc being numbered and carefully documented. I keep meticulous paper records of all my guns and most things that are not guns, and I believe a visible number is also a small deterrent to theft. Unless I remember the number off the top of my head I can't update the records without the number being visible. I realize that's uncommon and possibly makes me crazy, but it's served me well so far.