Your best bet is to call your local law enforcement and have them run the cereal number
A FFL (gun shop etc) or a PRIVATE citizen can call the ATF to run a serial number to see if its a reported stolen firearm. See related links for a page on the ATF that covers all this.
Contact your local police department and give them the serial number. The Police can check on the stolen gun list maintained by the BATFE. If the gun is stolen, the Police will conficate the piece and begin investigation of how it was acquired.
Go to your local police with the sn. If it's been reported as stolen they can tell you.
Go to the local police with the serial number.
Strictly speaking, it's neither, but I know that's not what you meant. Owning or possessing a gun that is actually stolen CAN be a felony, however, it isn't always a crime. If you find out you have a stolen gun, you can, in most cases, turn it in to the local police without being charged with anything.Added: The biggest factor is if you KNOW that it IS stolen, or SUSPECT that it MIGHT be stolen. If you do not eliminate the doubt and confirm its legality you could be charged with Receiving Stolen Property.
what gun are we talking about here
I would contact the department of public service (State Troopers) or The Texas Rangers. There are also a few stolen gun posts on some of the bigger gun forums and databases
Probably not online, but any local police station can run the serial number and tell you. If it did turn up stolen, you wouldn't be in any trouble, but you would lose the gun.
You need a lawyer. If the gun was not stolen, nor illegally obtained, there would only be one question with registering it. "Why would you want to?"
There is no easy way for a private citizen to check the legitamacy of a given firearm. The stolen gun database (NCIC) is a Federal computer system open only to law enforcement. MOST states do NOT have a system nor a requirement to register guns. Local law enforcement MAY be willing to run your gun through the NCIC system, but will want to have possession of the gun in case it IS stolen.
Was thinking of buying a used firearm to defend my home from invasion. But how do I know if its stolen? Call your local police department and have them check it in NCIC. You may have to bring it in so they can confiscate it if it is stolen.
If you know it was stolen, yes, it would be illegal. If you purchase it through the police department, that would be legal.
Place your hand near the barrel. If you feel heat, it's hot. If you want to know if it's stolen, check with your local police.