[Mike in Texas]

I suppose this is more of a rant than anything else, but always interested in others opinions and suggestions. We have two handguns that were inherited so value isn’t the highest priority since they will be handed down to our children and hopefully down to grandchildren. Anyway, we have both a Colt pocket hammerless and a WW2 German officer Walther PP that my wife’s father engraved his social security number into way back in the 70’s.. Back when that seemed to be the thing to do. 😫.

The Colt was engraved on the slide and the Walther on the front strap of the grip. Any thoughts as to options to remove the engraving. Again value isn’t the highest priority, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a factor either.

 

[David Murvihill]

I'd leave them there. You'll never be able to grind off the numbers, buff the metal back to smooth and reblue so the guns look like they did originally, and if you tried experts would call them out. At this point it's part of the guns' history. You could minimize the appearance temporarily with a black crayon or if you know cold blue you could use it to fill in the numbers so they aren't silver.

 

[milprileb]

Value diminished a tad but not end of world. Condition will always drive value so a buyer who
is not a ultra purist collector, will want those pistols as additions to his collection. Not all who
own & collect are anal. By the way when SSN became what replaced service number for those in military, many weapons got the SSN engraved on them by vets. Its just a point in history. Anyhow, those pistols
are family heirlooms so they are in a condition passed on by a relative so no problem. The only damage on value & desirability is when someone's full name is engraved on a weapon, then things turn side ways .
Both pistols are desirable. That is...if condition justifies desirability. Beat up pistols get beat up sellers.

 

[Nirvana]

I’d test cold blue and see how it turns out. If there is a texture from the drill bits you could try a light buffing compound to smooth it, but that’s as far as I would even consider going.

 

[pwcosol]

Back in the '60s L & E often recommended engraving your driver license number on valuables such as firearms. I have seen more service numbers penned (sometimes carved) on the underside of a holster flap which held the pistol or on the exterior someplace.

 

[milprileb]

Parting shot...mess with that number and you really screw up value. Leave it alone, don't make the pistol appear to have been worked over to cover up prior ownership. I can tell you , in my fathers gun shop any number on a fire arm that was remotely looking altered or messed with was not bought or put on consignment .

Some here mean well but buffing, cold blue , or other "half great ideas" are poison. If that does not resonate, nothing much will stop what happens.

 

[Mike in Texas]

Parting shot...mess with that number and you really screw up value. Leave it alone, don't make the pistol appear to have been worked over to cover up prior ownership. I can tell you , in my fathers gun shop any number on a fire arm that was remotely looking altered or messed with was not bought or put on consignment .

Some here mean well but buffing, cold blue , or other "half great ideas" are poison. If that does not resonate, nothing much will stop what happens.

A little history on both.

The Walther. Wife's dad was a WW2 veteran. Took the pistol off of a captured German officer (this is what my wife remembers directly from him). The Colt is a very interesting story. Wife's mom's aunt was a court reporter in New Mexico back in the 30's. She was a single woman and wanted something for protection. She asked. the judge she worked with for help and he told her to go back to the property room and find something she liked.. We have no idea on what crime was committed with the Colt, but an interesting story non the less.

 

[Miller Tyme]

The police encouraged this in the 70's, and at least in Cincinnati you could pick up an EP to use to do this at any police station or fire house.

 

[milprileb]

Miller undusted my memory, Yes Indeed, SSN onto valuables was a very pushed security recommendation in years past by Law Enforcement and it was a deterrent to thieves as they
could not dispose of stolen property so marked...not easily or without evidence of tampering.

That went away ,not sure when or why. I see no big deal EP marking some items common to being on
a burglar's menu of most wanted...Flat Screen TV, video camera etc. Guns....well that becomes complicated
if originality is a issue to the owner. I can see it but then I can't see it. If my fathers Luger captured in
WWII was altered with his SSN, some crook would not sell it easily so he might pass stealing it when breaking in and looting. On the other hand, I'd hate to see that Luger messed with, its just like it was when the old man captured it. Kinda nostalgic on that.

 

[limpetmine]

I’m in the leave it alone camp.
Back in the day this was the thing to do. I passed on a virtually mint Winchester M1917 that I kept seeing at local gun shows. Never regretted not buying it.

 

[Clyde]

Leave things alone. Especially on the nickeled Walther. Yes - sad a DL or SSAN was engraved/electropenciled on the guns. But as noted, more damage will be done by attempting to camoflage or remove same.

 

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I had three stolen in the early 80's. Had my TX DL number on them under the grip. Got one back, as of today, haven't seen the other two! These were guns I KNEW I would never trade or sell off.

 

[Mike in Texas]

I had three stolen in the early 80's. Had my TX DL number on them under the grip. Got one back, as of today, haven't seen the other two! These were guns I KNEW I would never trade or sell off.

Was talking with a fellow collector a few days back. Had an old shotgun that he had stolen years back. He dinged the stock right after getting it and also put his name on the inside of the boot that he had installed on it... This was in Texas. Several years later he bid on one exactly like it on GunBroker from a seller in California. Won the auction. Went to the FFL to pick it up and realized he recognized the ding in the stock. Told them to pull the boot and sure enough there was his initials he put into it...

 

[Herschel]

When NCIC came into being every item was entered by serial number. That eliminated the method of identifying a gun
by SSAN.

 

[Doggoneit]

In the days before personal computing, using the SSN made sense. Now you SSN in the wrong hands opens you up to all kinds of thievery.
I have a couple of old shotguns that have the SSN engraved. If the owner of the number has died, you can search the SSN records and see who it was. I now know who both of the old guns belonged to. I have some firearms that never had serial numbers. I have engraved identifying unique markings under the wood, so that if they were stolen at least there is some way that they could be positively identified if stolen and recovered.

 

[curly1]

 

[Kawicrash]

That was a thing for a while here too.
No worse than an import mark...
(We don't have import marks in Canada)

 

[Clyde]

A little history on both.

The Walther. Wife's dad was a WW2 veteran. Took the pistol off of a captured German officer (this is what my wife remembers directly from him). The Colt is a very interesting story. Wife's mom's aunt was a court reporter in New Mexico back in the 30's. She was a single woman and wanted something for protection. She asked. the judge she worked with for help and he told her to go back to the property room and find something she liked.. We have no idea on what crime was committed with the Colt, but an interesting story non the less.
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Would be OK to have somebody really competent refinish the little Colt. It would look really nice with a high polish rust blue (though for sentiment's sake, might ant to leave it as is). In any case, don't fiddle with the electropenciled audition UNLESS you have a complete, professional, refinish done.

Does the Walther have Waffenamts indicating military procurement or is it a commercial gun (indicating personal procurement by the owner)? I don't think (no expert on those, so my understanding may well be incorrect) the German military procured any nickel-finished guns from Walther in WWII.

 

[dougstump]

As we know, prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968 firearms were not required to have a serial number. But after it into effect, there was a myth running around that firearms without a serial number were illegal. We had two that were made prior to this with no serials (a J.C. Higgins .22 rifle, and a Montgomery Wards single shot 410 shotgun) So Dad engraved his initials and date of birth on the 22 rifle, and my info on the scattergun. This might be when a lot of engraving was done.

 

[Mike in Texas]

Would be OK to have somebody really competent refinish the little Colt. It would look really nice with a high polish rust blue (though for sentiment's sake, might ant to leave it as is). In any case, don't fiddle with the electropenciled audition UNLESS you have a complete, professional, refinish done.

Does the Walther have Waffenamts indicating military procurement or is it a commercial gun (indicating personal procurement by the owner)? I don't think (no expert on those, so my understanding may well be incorrect) the German military procured any nickel-finished guns from Walther in WWII.

Yes, has the Waffenamt stamps.