Buying from Gunbroker.com...

[Tread_Head]

I've been searching Gunbroker.com for M1 Garands for a while now, and one thing I always see with people selling Milsurp rifles (M1 Garand, K98, ect.) is they will black out part of the serial #. Does anyone know why people do this? I find this annoying because it makes it seem like there is something to hide.

[Rampager]

I've wondered this myself, but I always figured it was sort of a privacy issue, much like blanking out a license plate on car when posted to the public.

[Tread_Head]

Yes, but when you sell a car, the seller keeps the license plate. When you are selling a rifle, the SN# goes with it!

[Enigma Nostra]

I think its probably an anti crime thing.

Couple ideas that have come to me in regards to this :

Serial number can be used to claim ownership or that the weapon was stolen, thus leading to legal hassles for the real owner from fraudulant claims.

Serial Numbers could be faked on other weapons, and then lead back to them if the others used in crime.

Other sorts of fraud are possibly possible as well Im sure.

-E

[hunter_la5]

I find this annoying because it makes it seem like there is something to hide.

nothing to worry about, that's perfectly normal. it protects both the buyer and the seller. there is nothing shady about it at all. its just like blurring out someone's face or license plate on a picture. every rifle I have ever bought online had the SN blacked out in the pic

[Perro]

do you freely give out your social security number online? why not? cause it can be used against you badly

if i were a retard, i could find a serial number in an auction
report it to my local police dept. as stolen from ME
stolen firearms enter a database..
you get your gun and your dealer is trying to process it for you, and it comes up as stolen from ME

what happens to your gun??

it aint paranoia, its CYA
just like you dont freely post your address online, nor your phone number, nor your social security number - cause some jerknuts is going to steal your identity or at least sell your information to someone

Mike

[Tread_Head]

Huh, I never thought about fraud protection. Thanks for the info, makes sense now.