they started putting serial numbers on guns in 1968.
when did they start putting serial numbers on guns?
1968
serial numbers became commonplace after the united states passed the gun control act of 1968. this law mandated that all guns manufactured or imported into the country have a serial number. prior to 1968, many firearms either did not have a serial number or the serial numbers were not unique and were reused by a manufacturer on multiple firearms. if a recovered weapon has had the serial numbers altered or destroyed, examiners can attempt to recover the original numbers. the two main methods for the restoration of serial numbers are magnetic particle inspection and chemical restoration. it is recommended that magnetic particle inspection be performed first due to the nondestructive nature of the method. if magnetic particle inspection fails, chemical restoration is the next step in the forensic analysis.
forensic firearm examination
bullet::::- serial numbers: serial numbers on guns are not sacrosanct. recording of serial numbers by atf, police or dealers is subject to human error, as it is easy to misread a serial (for example: confusing the number 0 with the letter o, 2 with z, or 5 with s), omit a digit or two, or transpose a couple of numbers. these and similar errors when entering a serial into the tracing system result in false traces. certain categories of firearms will provide false results because of multiple duplicate serial numbers (german luger pistols, p.38 pistols, k.98 rifles, for example). to further complicate the issue, it is relatively simple to add letters or numbers to a firearm serial (an illegal act) which will cause the trace to fail or produce a false trace. it is also simple to exchange parts on multiple guns such that (on certain pistols) the frame has one serial, the slide has another number and the barrel yet another number. according to the atf national tracing center data, an invalid serial number was the most common reason for unsuccessful traces from mexico, but the report doesn't clarify how a serial number can be "invalid".
etrace