Why do some people blur out the serial # on a firearm that's for sale?

[Ironhippie]

Maybe there's a good reason for it, I really don't know, that's why I'm asking. I like to use it if I can when looking at a firearm thats for sale.

 

[Kurr]

I wont show my serial numbers in case some anti-gun "guns off the streets by any means necessary" lunatic decides to report it stolen.

I'm not paranoid, I just try to not underestimate crazy.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Dont forget this "experiment"

NOTICE: Facebook And Google Indexing Your Firearm Serial Numbers

Google and Facebook have now made it possible to find photos of firearms by simply searching for a serial number. A story today showed that photos of cars could be found by searching for license plate numbers. It appears the same is now also true of firearm serial numbers.

www.thefirearmblog.com

 

[Ironhippie]

Both very good reasons. I think I would do the same now also. I never thought about a crazy psycho using it as a weapon to claim a theft and Id never heard of the OCR indexing. Thanks to both.

 

[MrSmitty]

I wont show my serial numbers in case some anti-gun "guns off the streets by any means necessary" lunatic decides to report it stolen.

I'm not paranoid, I just try to not underestimate crazy.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THIS.....

 

[xwing]

IMO putting private information (such as serial number on anything) on a purely public forum is not a good idea. PM it to a specific individual if they're buying it is probably the best route.

 

[Vodnik4]

During the firearm dry spell, there was a lot of shady GunBroker listings with pics pulled from other people’s posts and just Internet-wide pic search.
My best guess is, as stated above, if the posting is legit the seller will PM the SN.

 

[tim7431]

Now I know...I was always curious myself.

 

[BugI02]

It is, however, nice when they show a partial - perhaps only blocking the last three numbers

Such information will often let me know year of production or in the case of sigs whether the frame was made in Germany or the US without having to message the seller. Often the information garnered will eliminate the firearm from consideration without contacting a seller

 

[tbhausen]

Don’t forget, any potential buyer might object, as well.

 

[KomradeEli]

It is, however, nice when they show a partial - perhaps only blocking the last three numbers

Such information will often let me know year of production or in the case of sigs whether the frame was made in Germany or the US without having to message the seller. Often the information garnered will eliminate the firearm from consideration without contacting a seller

Yeah I can see how that’s helpful. Would be especially helpful for collectors with very specific interests in particular guns. Thanks for sharing! TIL.

 

[BugI02]

I also have a collection of PT series Tauruses, and the three letter prefix gives the year and month the gun was made. When I was a buyer I never went for anything after 2005 with the '98 through '03s being probably the most desirable IMO. Starting in 2006 they were drastically ramping up production to feed a frenzied market in the US (made so by Democratic gains in FedGov) and quality suffered a great deal

For the people who scoff at the idea of a quality Taurus, that was just all the more for me

 

[Amishman44]

Dont forget this "experiment"

NOTICE: Facebook And Google Indexing Your Firearm Serial Numbers

Google and Facebook have now made it possible to find photos of firearms by simply searching for a serial number. A story today showed that photos of cars could be found by searching for license plate numbers. It appears the same is now also true of firearm serial numbers.

www.thefirearmblog.com

That's it for me...I never allow a serial number from a gun I own to be visible via the web!

 

[HCRMPD1]

That's it for me...I never allow a serial number from a gun I own to be visible via the web!

Good idea......better cautious than screwed over.