Can I run a pistol serial number?

Can you Google a gun serial number?

In many cases, the serial number will be noted in the owner's manual. If you don't have the owner's manual you will need to locate the serial number on the body of the gun. The serial number is usually located on the handle or inside the gun, but this does vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Can I run a serial number on a gun to see if it's stolen?

When a firearm is lost or stolen, the owner should immediately report it to the police. Unfortunately for purchasers in private sales, only law enforcement agencies are allowed to request a gun serial number check or search of the lost and stolen gun database.

Can you run gun serial numbers?

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is legally authorized to track firearm ownership with a gun serial number. They do so through the ATF National Tracing Center. All law enforcement agencies have the right to submit trace requests, but private individuals do not.

What can you do with the serial number of a gun?

Most individual manufacturers habitually put serial numbers on the weapons they produce. Such numbers can be used to ascertain the name of the manufacture, place and date of manufacture. At least for some manufacturers, a serial number can unlock myriad details about the weapon.

Can you trace a gun by serial number?

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is the only agency authorized to run a trace on a gun serial number to see if it has been involved in a crime. Law enforcement can only legally use this service when a gun is involved in bona fide criminal investigations.

What does a gun serial number tell you?

The serial number includes information related to the date and location of the weapon's manufacturing. Additionally, if the weapon is stolen, it can help link the firearm to the original owner when the government places the serial number into a national database.