How To Register A Gun Is Stolen

The hotgunz stolen gun database is not all inclusive but it is quickly making it much more difficult for gun thieves to sell stolen firearms.

How to register a gun is stolen. Contained 330 000 records in 2010. This might cause some tricks if the gun you bought got stolen from a long time citizen. The easiest way to check a gun s history is to obtain the serial number from the body of the gun and then ask a gun professional to run a stolen weapons search. Unless you buy a gun brand new there is a risk that the weapon may have been stolen or used in a crime. It is even more difficult to verify a gun in maryland because before oct 1st 2013 all firearms got registered voluntarily.

Contact your state firearms registration office if your state has one. New york s authority only registers handguns. Recover a gun you want to trace. In march 2010 atf reported receiving several hundred million records since 1968. If you are trying to trace a gun without a serial number submit the weapon to the atf where various techniques may be used to recover serial numbers that have been mechanically or chemically removed from legally manufactured firearms.

Firearms reported as stolen to atf. Check if lost or stolen. Resources for law enforcement if you are a law enforcement agency and require assistance in obtaining a serial number for a firearm reported stolen by an individual your request must be in writing. If you are purchasing a gun or checking one that is already in your possession. View local stolen guns.

You are about to buy a second hand item or you just found something on the street it is always a good idea to check if it is reported as lost or stolen. Private party sales of stolen guns are also uncommon but can occur. These are registration records which include name and address make model serial and caliber of the firearm s as well as data from the 4473 form in digital or image format. Check if an item is reported as lost or stolen by entering any identifying information such as serial number imei vin mac etc. Some websites also have searchable public databases of stolen registered weapons.

Write down the serial number on the gun if it is available.