Cascade1911
New member
I see some do and some don't. I'm wondering why you would or wouldn't.
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Hiding serial numbers in posted pictures
- Thread starter Cascade1911
- Start date
Double Naught Spy
New member
It is identifying information that others don't need to know...which is a good reason to hide it.
Cascade1911
New member
I'm sure you are right as far as less info is better but what exactly would someone do with the info.
Or to put it another way, you declare to the world that you own a 4" Colt Python, post a picture of it, how can showing the serial number be more revealing?
I'm of the mind that if I'm concerned about what info I put out on the internet (and I am) I probably shouldn't be posting pictures of my gun collection at all.
Or to put it another way, you declare to the world that you own a 4" Colt Python, post a picture of it, how can showing the serial number be more revealing?
I'm of the mind that if I'm concerned about what info I put out on the internet (and I am) I probably shouldn't be posting pictures of my gun collection at all.
Double Naught Spy
New member
Watch what happens if somebody sees a pic of your gun with its serial number and then reports it as stolen. You now have a gun with a serial number that is on a lot of lists as a stolen gun.
Is that a hassle you are willing to have to handle?
The notion that if you should not post the serial number that maybe you should not post the pic at all is a bit silly. However, if you are into the all or nothing sentiment, then you should not even be on the internet.
Your picture alone won't do anything because it is a picture of an item for which there are 10s of thousands or more. A serial number makes it very specific.
Is that a hassle you are willing to have to handle?
The notion that if you should not post the serial number that maybe you should not post the pic at all is a bit silly. However, if you are into the all or nothing sentiment, then you should not even be on the internet.
Your picture alone won't do anything because it is a picture of an item for which there are 10s of thousands or more. A serial number makes it very specific.
Cascade1911
New member
Same reason you don't post your SSN on the net. Someone out there will find a way to use that info in a way harmful to you.
Again, not disagreeing but what is someone going to do with the serial number? How is posting the S/N more dangerous than posting a picture of the firearm itself with the s/n blanked.
I could be wrong but I do not think SSN is a good analogy. I can't open a line of credit with a gun s/n. I can't access a bank account with a gun s/n. What can someone do with a s/n any more than they could do with say a VIN #?
Cascade1911
New member
Watch what happens if somebody sees a pic of your gun with its serial number and then reports it as stolen.
That's an interesting idea. Not sure how it works in the real world, If I wanted to do that I could go to a gun shop, gun show or gunbroker.com, copy a s/n and report it stolen. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me but you could have something.
As far as "all or nothing", not at all. To me, I can see that making my collection wide spread public knowledge could be much more dangerous (to would be thieves) than the actual s/n. Again, I could be wrong.
teumessian_fox
New member
It's nothing more than paranoia. If you peruse gunbroker.com you'll find hundreds of examples of people fully revealing the serial numbers of their guns.
And, it's absolutely nothing like posting one's social security number.
With all the caveats re posting the serial number, nobody has ever shown where anybody has gotten into difficulty doing such.
And, it's absolutely nothing like posting one's social security number.
With all the caveats re posting the serial number, nobody has ever shown where anybody has gotten into difficulty doing such.
Rifleman1776
New member
I have always thought hiding the ser # was a silly, paranoid, precaution.
However, the argument that the gun might be reported as stolen seem, to me, to be a valid concern and reason to conceal the number.
Why someone would want to do that is a silly question.
Same reason someone would want to create a computer virus that harms peoples computers and lives.
Because they are nutso, sociopathic creeps. That's why.
I'll hide my numbers on-line in the future.
However, the argument that the gun might be reported as stolen seem, to me, to be a valid concern and reason to conceal the number.
Why someone would want to do that is a silly question.
Same reason someone would want to create a computer virus that harms peoples computers and lives.
Because they are nutso, sociopathic creeps. That's why.
I'll hide my numbers on-line in the future.
teumessian_fox
New member
OK. I'll bite.
Show me a single instance where someone has done what you describe.
Show me a single instance where a legitimate gun owner has run into difficulty because a) he posted a gun's serial number online and (you understand the significance of the conjunction in logic, right?) b) someone else falsely reported the gun as stolen.
With the, probably hundreds, of threads posted re this subject, and the thousands of paranoiacs singing the same tune, it shouldn't be difficult. That is, if, in fact, it has ever happened.
Show me a single instance where someone has done what you describe.
Show me a single instance where a legitimate gun owner has run into difficulty because a) he posted a gun's serial number online and (you understand the significance of the conjunction in logic, right?) b) someone else falsely reported the gun as stolen.
With the, probably hundreds, of threads posted re this subject, and the thousands of paranoiacs singing the same tune, it shouldn't be difficult. That is, if, in fact, it has ever happened.
Quote:
Same reason you don't post your SSN on the net. Someone out there will find a way to use that info in a way harmful to you.
Again, not disagreeing but what is someone going to do with the serial number? How is posting the S/N more dangerous than posting a picture of the firearm itself with the s/n blanked.
I could be wrong but I do not think SSN is a good analogy. I can't open a line of credit with a gun s/n. I can't access a bank account with a gun s/n. What can someone do with a s/n any more than they could do with say a VIN #?
Using a photo of your gun with SN can and has been used in insurance scams. A dishonest person can print a photo of your gun to show proof of ownership and report it as stolen to the police and his Insurance company. You may never know it happened unless the police run the SN on the gun for some reason. It could be years, even decades later. Probably never, but if your gun shows up on a list of stolen guns it will be a major inconvience for you at least. Many of my guns were purchased used with no paper trail decades ago before I ever gave any thought to such things. It becomes my word against someone else.
While I'm confident I could stay out of jail, it is just so much easier to never put myself in such a position.
teumessian_fox
New member
A dishonest person can print a photo of your gun to show proof of ownership and report it as stolen
Yeah, like I said, I'm still waiting for you to show an example of this having happened. Just one example, please.
Double Naught Spy
New member
^^^ditto^^^, sure would look funny me having the receipt and someone reporting it stolen.
Unless you carry the receipts with you at all times, your chance to prove you have the receipts certainly may come AFTER you have been arrested, booked, and/or charged with a crime.
While not from a gun image online, when I worked in a pawn shop, we had 2 particular guns seized (handguns). The owner was arrested for the stolen guns. He did not have the receipts and it would not have mattered if he had given that he was arrested away from home (where most folks keep such records). Eventually, things were cleared up. The report was given by a disgruntled former roommate who was seeking revenge on our customer. He had actually reported a lot of things stolen several months prior, but only the guns had been pawned. Before they split, the upset roommie had copied down makes, models, SNs, etc. of many of our customer's items. Being arrested caused numerous problems for our customer, though in the end he was cleared, record expunged (or so I was told) and the roomie arrested.
The reason I am familiar with the incident as this was back when all of our pawn tickets were collected weekly by the police and so we were kept in the loop on what was happening with the case regularly.
Is letting folks know the SN a big threat? No, of course not. However, it is a simple precaution that could prevent you from suffering a lot of hassle you don't deserve.
an ounce of prevention I think it goes...
I doubt anyone would do anything with my serial numbers, unless they plan to be truly malicious. I'm just not willing to take that chance.
I do however like guns and photography both, so I try to take good pics and share them with whoever cares to look.
I doubt anyone would do anything with my serial numbers, unless they plan to be truly malicious. I'm just not willing to take that chance.
I do however like guns and photography both, so I try to take good pics and share them with whoever cares to look.