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

[Glacierwolf]

Twice I have been out in the middle of nowhere with several rifles - AR's and bolt guns - set up for long distance shooting and an Alaska State Trooper has happened by in a 4x4 or ATV. They have politely asked me if they can call in the serial number - I have agreed in the past....... but when you read below I will not be saying yes in the future. One guy called them in on his radio - other guy wrote them down because we were well out of radio + cell range.

I meet a man who bought is his son a brand new 22 rifle in a local store for his birthday. 7 years later the kid is entering the US at Washington state border crossing and he has the 22 - and the number comes back as stolen. They confiscated it. Dad - still had the original bill of sale - but the state of Washington says that is not enough. Unfortunately, the store they bought it from had closed and they have no access to the original 4473 form. This happened 5 years ago to them...... what dad has learned in this time, is the US General Accounting Office has claimed the NCIS data base of stolen firearms has at least 20% corrupted information....... mostly serial numbers entered wrong.

When people ask about running a gun's serial number - I tell them to put the make and model on a piece of paper and walk into the local police station and ask them to run it. Usuaually early in the morning when they are not busy. I also tell them to never, ever, bring the gun with them or leave it in the car. This way if it does pop back as possibly stolen they don't loose it. Last thing you want is to walk into a cop shop with a gun you have not bought yet - have them take it, now you are in court trying to defend yourself against not paying for it. Yeah - this is a headache we can all do without!