Keep Your Firearm’s Serial Numbers Handy!

Firearm serial number are normally located on the barrel and the upper receiver but depending upon the age of the gun — there may only be one. What if your gun is stolen? That’s terrible bad luck and even more bad luck if your don’t know your serial numbers. As a trusted source for holsters, we also know a lot about other gun related issues. Why are your gun serial numbers important and what’s the best way to store them?

Option 1: Keep the bill of sale separate from your firearm. When you purchase a gun — whether through private sale or through a dealer — make sure that bill of sale has the serial number written on it. Keep that receipt in a separate file cabinet. Most thieves don’t want to go through your old tax records from 2005 and they’d likely miss a folder with gun receipts in it.

Option 2: Electronically record the serial numbers. If you understand basic encryption techniques, you know how to encrypt an external hard drive or thumb drive. You can keep this thumb drive taped to the bottom of a desk or anywhere you please.  If you don’t know how to encrypt a thumb drive or external hard drive, there are some really good tutorials and open source software available on the internet. There’s plenty of other ways but just make sure you remember the password. If you forget the password — the information is useless.

Option 3: Have a combination of the above two. It’s always good to have a paper backup. An encrypted copy can be convenient and useful. Both can be stored separately in case something catastrophic happens like fire or flood.

Why are serial numbers important? The reason firearm serial numbers are so important is, obviously, extricating yourself from the liability of your firearm being used without your consent or permission. In the event your gun is stolen or lost, that serial number can be used to inform law enforcement of the particulars.