TexasCHLforum.com

C-dub wrote:Something is still bothering me about this and I'm wondering if we're not making too much out of this. I have two questions.

1. Because of the way 4473 forms are handled there is no electronic database linking a gun I purchase new from an FFL, right?

Nope. There's an A&D log, which shows the chain of custody from the manufacturer to licensees to unlicensed people. After that, a gun can be privately sold many times over with no record.

Want to know the worst thing: What's stopping a private seller from claiming a firearm was stolen after they sell it to you? Going down this path is a sure fire way to keep people awake at night, worrying.

C-dub wrote: 2. When a LEO "runs"a serial number to see if it is stolen, it is merely being checked against a database of known stolen guns' serial numbers, right?

What's interesting is: Whose database? Certainly nothing Texas FFLs are required to check. So, even if you buy a used gun from an FFL, it's POSSIBLE that it's stolen. Going down this path is ALSO a sure fire way to keep people awake at night, worrying.

The system is unbalanced and inconsistent. Only law enforcement can check NCIC for a stolen firearm, so neither a citizen or FFL can "pre-clear" the serial number of a firearm (i.e., certification at time of purchase that the firearm was not stolen). To my knowledge, DPS doesn't even offer this as a service to citizens, so ALL the risk of carried during a traffic stop. Pity. Unfortunately, it seems like the only way this will ever be resolved is by somebody taking the ride and getting a prosecutor involved.

PATHFINDER wrote:I don't like the presumption that a CHL'ers handgun may be stolen either, but any of us who buy a used handgun ( or any object ) through a private sale run the risk of acquiring stolen property. I would ask for a copy of the original FFL purchase receipt especially when buying a handgun from a private party. Actually it's probably not a bad idea to carry a copy of the FFL receipt in the wallet. Having said that - I've been stopped for traffic violations maybe 5 times in last 16 CHL years - open carried in Colorado for 4 years, and never been disarmed let alone have serial number checked.

Not every firearm purchased can have a receipt. First, it's not required, second, it could be merely lost (and FFL's don't always carry copies of receipts -- and personally, unless you're the original buyer or an LEO with a warrant, I'm gonna tell you to get stuffed if you ask for a copy of a receipt).