A quick question for those of you who have more experience in this matter. Years ago I had a break in and now the only gun that I had no record of the serial number seems to have surfaced. Do I go to the retailer or the ATF to retrieve the number? Thanks, Dave

I had a Merkel O/U shotgun stolen in 2004. I went to the dealer I purchased the shotgun from and they would not look it up for me. They said they didn't have the time to mess with it. I haven't darkened their door since. It was a $6K gun and I had bought several rifles from them also including a Dakota Safari. I wasn't the type of customer that comes in before hunting season and buys a box of shells.

My current dealer says that they will be glad to provide any purchase information on any firearm I have purchased from their shop

I've never tried getting any numbers from the BATFE.

I'd try retailer first....

I don't think BATFE will have your information. AFAIK, the only source is the dealer, and they will probably want an exact purchase date, which you may be able to retrieve from checking/credit card data.

Did you offer them $$$s for their time to look??

Thanks for the replies guys. I thought that the retailer was the right idea but it’s been almost 30 years since I purchased it and I think I paid cash. I’ll give them a call but since I am not exactly sure what year I bought it it might be a tough find. Thanks again, Dave

They weren't interested in helping in any way, no matter what. I told them I could narrow it down to a weeks time and they just said no and walked off.

I had my receipt, it was just that most of it had faded away and It wasn't possible to read the serial number. I found out later that Merkel puts the serial number in the booklet they send with each firearm and I still had the booklet in the case for the shotgun. So I got the serial number reported to the LEO.

I take a picture of those printed receipts now.

Of course they've got it- - - - -they just won't admit it!

30 years exceeds the storage requirement set forth by the ATF, and therefor the dealer may have disposed of the records.

How would they have it? When a NICS check is done they ask if the purchase is a long gun, hand gun or both. They don't get make, model and serial number. That information remains with the FFL in their files.

Exactly

After a few phone calls I got a hold of a young gentleman who said that he would look for it. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to narrow it down a whole lot but we’ll see. He sounded like they still had it but would take some effort to find. Hopefully I got a person who likes a challenge. Dave

Bound book required 30 years ago would still have that info and they are not destroyed...

What do you mean “it seems to have surfaced”???

Sorry I’d just as soon not say until I know for sure.

This thread serves as a reminder to myself I need to do a better job of inventorying. I've got a spreadsheet with make, model, serial number, where purchased, purchased amount, etc, but have neglected adding to it. To take it a step further, I have always planned on photographing both sides of each gun and the serial number. Coulda woulda shoulda is what I'll probably end up saying someday...

Not knowing how sneaky govt is,but BATF only gets the numbers when FFL dealer goes out of business. The way it is suppose to work is LE gets a gun used in a crime, they go to the Mfgr. The Mfgr tels them which wholeseller got the gun.Wholeseller tells which business gets gun. That business then can check their records of who purchased it. Of course you have this whole business of govt keeping NICS records when they are only suppose to keep them 30 days.
I don't know how it would work in reverses if s/n is not known.

Serial number??????? What is this "number" everybody keeps referring to? "80% receiver"!!!!!