ID

[Kyrie]

Hi Marvin,


It appears to be an ATF ruling rather than an ATF regulation, based on ATFâ??s interpretation of CFR Title 27, Sections 178.34 and 178.92(a)(1).


I learned about this back when I was building custom rifles based mostly on Mauser actions. The subject came up with my need to scale off the action (and incidentally remove all the markings, including the original serial number) before doing other work on the action. Iâ??d then apply my own manufacturerâ??s marking and serial number.


ATFâ??s view on this was the process was lawful if I logged out the action as originally marked as â??destroyedâ?� and immediately logged in the action as manufactured with my serial number and manufacturer stamp. I was however, warned that removal of the original manufacturerâ??s marking, serial number, and any marking identifying the importer would be unlawful under any other circumstances.


This ruling was based on ATFâ??s need to be able to run a trace on a firearm recovered at a crime scene. For domestically manufactured firearms this trace process starts at the manufacturer and proceeds through the distributor to the retailer, and thence to the individual buyer on the Form 4473. But for imported firearms, and especially milsurp C&R firearms, this trace process begins at the importer. Removal of the importerâ??s marking makes the firearm untraceable, just as if the serial number had been removed. And so ATF treats the removal of the importerâ??s marking in the same way as the removal of the serial number.


Hope this helps!


Best regards,


Kyrie

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