Firearms Serialization And Bureaucratic Momentum

By John Farnam

Opinion
Editors Note: Some say firearms serial numbers are just another invasive tool of the government to keep track of your guns. What do you think?

Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- Serialization refers to the act of assigning a unique identification code to each item in a series. Although each identifier is typically called a “serial number,” it can include letters, numbers or symbols.

Firearms Serial Numbers

Serialization of various parts of military rifles and pistols was necessitated in a bygone era of manufacturing, where much hand-fitting was necessary at the end of the production process, and parts were thus not interchangeable between individual guns.

Accordingly, consumers understandably wanted a way to keep together all parts assembled at the factory into one gun.

In those days, guns were “roughed-out” by machine, then “finished” by hand. Individual parts were carefully adjusted and modified, as appropriate, so that they worked perfectly together.

Thus, “matching serial numbers” were valued, indeed highly prized.

Today, “hand-fitting” is confined to expensive sporting and “collector” guns.

With current production military guns, and other guns designed for serious purposes, matching serial numbers, at least with regard to functionality, are irrelevant.

With modern serious guns, matching serial numbers attain relevance only within …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand