Have you ever called in a guns serial # to have it checked by the NCIC system to see if it was stolen?

[Crazy Dan]

In order for the serial to be in the database, someone has to report to the police that it's missing, right? From what I understand, MOST people do not report that their gun is stolen. I believe after the whole 2012 mass panic, some states were proposing that it would be a felony to not report a gun stolen.

In my current state, we have a legislation proposed this year where a FFL dealer can optionally check if a gun is stolen before buying it as part of their background check in consignment sales.

However, I have sold a pistol last year on armslist and on a local state forum for firearm advertisement. I had several folks sending me messages asking if they can check if it was stolen or not. I asked how they go about the procedure and they said they didn't know. I told them I am not comfortable in doing business with them if they didn't know how to purchase a firearm. I checked over my local state law and see that the only requirement I have as a private seller is to make sure they're over 21 and that I do not believe (in reason) that they are unable to acquire a firearm by checking for a state issued license and a voters card or CHP license. One person who bought my gun stated he would like to see my original receipt that I had to which I felt was a reasonable request and brought the receipt for him to see that I was the first and only owner of the pistol.

So I think people who say they want to check if the gun is stolen are either idiots who watches too much TV and decided to go online to buy their first gun (to which I would not feel comfortable in selling to anyway) OR just people who don't know or want to buy a firearm but have no idea how to do it. I would not sell a firearm to someone who wants to "check if it's been stolen by some unknown agency that I have no idea" because it would tell me that it's their first firearm (I value and care for my gun and wish to sell it to folks who will equally enjoy and take care of it) and I would not feel comfortable knowing that they would either abuse it or not handle it poorly and injure/hurt someone else.