Stolen guns
 

I'm just wondering how you tell if a gun is hot.Is there a number to call
or can you look it up on the computer.I work a lot up by gary indiana
and not to far from chicago so i get offered a lot of guns but don't want to take them becouse, well you know,sometimes i have a day or two to
decide.

RE: Stolen guns
 

If it is legal to buy or trade with no paperwork like it is here in AL you can call the local PD and have them run the serial # for you. If the seller doesn't want to stand there while you make the call that's a good indication for you to get out of there.

RE: Stolen guns
 

I have a friend who is a police officer. And I ask him. I do not know for sure where he gets the information, however I think there is a national data base that they use. I do not know if a citizen can just call in or not. I know a couple of times over the years a couple of the guns were HOT. And the police responded instantly. I am like you, I do not wish to buy a HOT gun. Tom.

RE: Stolen guns
 

Good point. Tom.

RE: Stolen guns
 

As a rule, when the police get a report of a stolen gun, the information is entered on a nationwide data network that all police agencies can access, if they want to. I do not think this network is open to the public, however....

RE: Stolen guns
 

Eld. - Your right. There is a National Data Base that only police can use. It contains information on stolen guns,other majorarticles, wanted persons and criminal records, etc In most instances the police would be only to glad to run the serial numbers as a public service.

RE: Stolen guns
 

If I suspected a gun being hot, I would make the call to the local PD. Even when I purchase a gun legally from another individual, besides writing down the model and serifal number of the gun, I write downthe seller'sname and address off his license, phone number, and we both sign it. Make a copy for him and I keep the original in my safe. That way if I happen to trade it later and it is hot, at least I have a leg to stand on (I hope).

RE: Stolen guns
 

Along with what others have said, a too-good-to-be-true price can be an indicator of a stolen gun.

RE: Stolen guns
 

You can call your local PD with the make and serial and they can run a computer check for you if they aren't being particularly lazy that day. State police stations are sometimes more likely to help out. If it comes back clean, there's still no guarantee it's not stolen. A weapon with 2 or 3 bodies on it isn't likely to be reported stolen if it wasn't already. Still, it's better to check it out than not.

RE: Stolen guns
 

What happens when you take a # there and it is dirty?

RE: Stolen guns
 

The BEST thing you can possibly do is take the firearm to your local police dept along with seller, or before you pay for it. They'll run the serial number, and if's it's stolen, they;ll confiscate it on the spot with NO charges filed against you. If not on stolen list, it's yours.

RE: Stolen guns
 

If you buy a stolen gun and it is later discovered to be on the list, you will be forced to give it up to the original owner, and you will be out the money.

RE: Stolen guns
 

That is exactly correct. I have seen it done on several occasions. Including me. I lost a good bit of money on one that I bought that was stolen. And baically you have no recourse. It will cost you more for legal fees than the money you MIGHT possibly recover from the thief. Tom.

RE: Stolen guns
 

If it's stolen, they will keep the gun, if you have the gun with you, or go after the seller. You won't be in trouble for asking. Don't buy it before you check. Or you willbe out the money .

RE: Stolen guns
 

Rule of thumb!

If you have to ask or are unsure? Then it is probably is HOT and or defective in some way?!?

Good advice to stay away of a purchase!

RE: Stolen guns
 

How in the world could you say that?
If I'm wanting to buy a gun from a stranger (which usually is the case) and I want to know if it's stolen/or been involved in a crime then in your opinion is that it "probably is HOT or defective in some way"?
That's absurd, I'm going to ask just to make sure before spending my hard earned money on a gun..

RE: Stolen guns
 

Pnut-don't get excited. I'm pretty sure what Rugermike is trying to tell you is this: if it sounds too good to be true,it usually is. In other words, if someone offered you a Colt Python for 300$, you know SOMETHING is wrong somewhere. or say if somebody tries to sell you a Remington model 700 for 100-150$ you KNOW it's probably stolen. See what we're saying? All you have to do is have your local LE run it's number, and even if it is reported stolen the next day or week, YOU are in the clear and won't be charged with stolen firearms.

RE: Stolen guns
 

I'm a contractor for Missouri State Highway Patrol so I can have serials ran through NIBRS at a request.
I understand the whole " if it sounds too good.....", his post just made it sound like you should avoid anything in question which isn't true. I've found deals from total stangers several times.
I'm looking for that deal on an XDm 9mm right now........Prolly end up buying a new package as soon as the wife signs off on it though .

RE: Stolen guns
 

Stalking Bear,
Thanks Neil,
That was exactly what I was trying to say? Jeezz!

Pnut,
There are alot of youngsters on these sights and one that started this thread. If the deal is too true to be real, be careful is all I'm saying?

RE: Stolen guns
 

Mike i hear what you are saying,but there is also people out there that don't know what they have.
I got offered a 38 revolver 1st policeman edition for 350 once but did not take it for not knowing how
to get it checked .Now check the books on that,i'm still crying about it.If you stop and think about
the gun buy program where they give you 100.00 no questions asked,imagine how many women for
example take there dead husbands guns there.The only other problem is there is hardly ever the ones that
to good to be true for the fact the people up there can't get them because of a felony, so they pay a good
price too.By the way i'm not young i don't know why you would think that over this question? Being older does
not make you smarter,but asking questions to the answers you don't know, at least helps

RE: Stolen guns
 

The MAIN class of guns I've been made aware of from gun "buybacks", are stolen guns or guns that have been used in crimes. To begin with, how can it be a gun buyback when they (city/location offering it) didn't own them to begin with. As to the buybacks, I think they're a great chance to rub the local government's nose in it. Example-when Louisville had an gun buyback, they offered 100$ FOR ANY WORKING HANDGUN no questions asked. I ordered a CASE of Raven .25acp pistols from my distributor as fast as my fat fingers could push the buttons. At that time, the Ravens were going for about 25$ each with bulk deal. Yall should have seen them cuss when I brought a whole case of them still in boxes and made them fill out the 4473 purchase forms on each of them!!!!!!:D:D:D:D For SOME reason, the Louisville Ky gun buyback program ended suddenly very soon afterwards.:D:D

RE: Stolen guns
 

I hear what your are saying stalkingbearbut there is still alot of people out there that don't know what they
got or what it is worth.I got a reputation at work as to liking guns and hunting so they come to me with what they got ,that is the point of the whole question.As to the buy back programlike you said, main not all

RE: Stolen guns
 

Sorry Hunting Junkie?

There was an under aged kid that was using this name(handle) and I assumed it was the same? Assuming gets me in trouble all the time. My appologies, but on the other hand about everyone is a yougster to me even stalkingbear?

By the way thanks Neil! You are the man!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Stolen guns
 

Appolgoie accepted Thank you mike

RE: Stolen guns
 

I just found this new website www.firearmsfax.com. You can check serial numbers before you buy a gun and also list you stolen guns. They send email notifications out to the gun and pawn shops within 50 miles of the reported stolen gun. It's about time!! I've called my local PD in the past to check the serial number on a gun and it's a hit or miss whether they will call you back and sometimes it could be weeks. Unfortunately, they have "more important" things to attend to.

RE: Stolen guns
 

Stalkingbear, do they check the ballistics of the "buyback" guns to see if they match any from a crime? If they don't, then unsolved crimes remain unsolved and again the good guys like us again suffer with these restrictive gun laws.

RE: Stolen guns
 

The only gun "buyback" of which I have any knowledge is that in which I participated was that 1 in Louisville Ky where I "sold" a bunch of cheap ravens to them. As far as I know, that 1 was no questions asked and it appeared to be straight to scrap the way they threw them in among a huge pile without any regards to their condition.

RE: Stolen guns
 

Boy, our gov't sure knows how to waste our tax dollars. I wonder how much our local gov'ts have spent on these buybacks? It makes me madwhen I hear them wasting their time & our money trying to pass legislation that only hurts the good guys. My local is trying to pass a law making it a crime if I didn't report a lost or stolen firearm within 72 hours. They are so stupid!! Of course people like us will report it but the criminal won't. And let' say a criminal does get caught, he could easily say he didn't realize his gun was missing. How can the police prove he's lying? What MORONS these politicians are!