im in Chicago Illinois not to sure of the rules or laws regarding this..
i no longer have the receipt, box, or any paper work for this gun... purchased over 4 years ago . i plan on going gun store to see if they can track down the paper work

i think it might have been a friend who took it but im not sure...

i was told that chicago has no gun registry so guns cant be traced to the owner... but i was thinking that all they would have to do is check the serial number and find out what gun store the factory sent the gun to, and to whom they sold it....is this true?.

i might have a picture somewhere that shows the serial # .. could this be used to claim it if its recovered by police

The same thing happens to many people. They simply do not record the serial numbers of their items. I seriously doubt the dealer can legally research your gun. I think this should be used as a life lesson. A small notebook cost $1 and can be used to record make and model and serial number of guns, lawn movers, wheel barrows, electric tool ect. For the items that do not have a serial number, I used a hand stamp set and give them a number. On early guns with no serial number, I remove the stock and inscribe and record a number on the underside that can not be see without removing the stock. Also under the grips and butt plates are excellent places to inscribe your name for identification purposes.

Your circumstances are unclear. You had a gun you have owned for 4 years, and it has been stolen. You did not record the SN anywhere. If that is the case,you may be able to go to the store where you bought it and find out, as they are required to keep the sales information regarding your purchase which would have the SN. Or maybe not, as the store might not release that information to you on legal grounds. You would have to try in order to find out.

If you did not buy it from a store, then you are simply SOL on getting a SN.

First off,,report that you have had a firearm stolen from you.
Get that process started.

If the stolen gun is recovered, possibly in a crime, there is a distinct possibility that the gun w/it's ser# can be traced from the mfgr, to a wholesaler (or more than one),,then to a an FFL dealer,,then thru a legal sale to you.
They will then come knocking asking where your pistol is. Your answer of 'it was stolen X'# of days/weeks ago isn't going to reflect well on you and will put you in a position of explaining why you didn't report it stolen,,which is what & why you should do it right now.

Not having the ser# written down isn't all that uncommon. But knowing exactly when and where it was purchased and the fact it was purchased from an FFL Dealer will allow the PD to easily access the info from the FFL dealer

Once the info is obtained the stolen gun info can be entered into NCIC

Even if you don't have the serial number I would think it still best to report it stolen. If you have home owners insurance they might cover the cost of it. Also there again you have a record of it being stolen.
You can bet if the gun is criminally used and the law has it then the law will trace who owns the gun. You better have an alibi or you could be in deep .........
I store the serial numbers of every gun I ever owned for just this type of thing happening. I sell a gun I also have it in writing who bought it and when.

"If you have home owners insurance they might cover the cost of it."

Not necessarily. If you do not have at least some proof of ownership, the insurance companies will generally not pay off on such a loss. Always take pictures, with a slip of paper below the gun telling what it is, its SN, and date of the picture. Easily done in the digital age. Store images on an SD card or thumb drive kept in a safe place, preferably kept off the property. Applies to everything else on your property also, appliances, electronics, antiques, furniture, etc. And, yes, you should definitely report the theft to LE even though you do not know the SN.

Did you pay for it with a check or credit card? Unless it was a cash deal some paper trail is around.

I don't know the local gun laws in Chicago Illinois, but you need to find out what they are before you do anything. Make certain your gun was legal to own by Chicago laws. Also the first thing to do, if you think you know who took the gun, is to find out if you are right about that. Without knowing the type of purchase you made I doubt anyone can give you good advice.

In Illinois you have 72 hours to report a lost or stolen firearm. They passed this law in 2013.

Good Luck. Hope you find you weapon.

Souds lke you bought it from a dealer. Go there explain what happened, you have id and foid, thdy should give it go you.

friend or thief by any other name needs busted.

ill and Chicago is serious bad, get it reported. Asap.

I do not know if they would look in their bound book but the record is there, you might have to pay them to look. I had an FFL for several year and when I got out I copied the book and the 4473 forms and a few years ago a friend that I got a AMT .380 for had it stolen and did not have the serial # and I checked his 4473 form and gave him the ser.#. It would be worth a try to check with where you bought it. Jeff

Long ago I worked part time for a shop with FFL.

Short version - Lady wanted to prove that SHE had bought a couple of guns. (They were gifts for her husband.) After divorce ex-husband kept the guns. (NO problem) EX-husband died. First wife wants guns back - second wife says NO! She did not know exactly WHEN the guns were bought. She did know the date of her divorce.

Being part-timer and low man on totem pole I was designated to SEARCH the Bound BOOKS for the using the ladies information.
It was faster to scan down the column of birth dates than names.
Finally FOUND the information.

Owner made copies of the 4473 for her.
Then highlighted question "Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form?" and her check marked [YES].
Had shop notary notarized the copy for lady to take to lawyer or judge.

NO CHARGE!

Do not know how things turned out.

Bekeart

We misplaced a handgun and the first thing I did was to notify the local police force and give them the serial number and model. An officer came by to make a report and let me know that I had followed to proper procedure. Were it used in a crime and I had not filed a report, things could have gotten expensive fast.

As soon as I found my wife had misplaced the handgun, my next call was to the police officer. They turn in the serial number to the feds and that gun is now listed as stolen. Were I to show up with it without the second report, that could also present problems.

A lot takes place in the background that normal folks have no idea about. Your best defense is to keep interested parties up to date on things of this nature.

Good luck filing for insurance without a police report on file.

I can't see where the OP has come back to the thread. We need more info. Was this gun new? Did you buy it from a gun store? Are they still in business? Please give us this information so we don't have to construct ten possible scenarios for you then maybe someone can help you.

I detect that the OP is in a flat spin over this as they suspect the thief may be a friend.

__________________
Release the Kraken

Steal from me, especially a gun, and you aren't a friend. Even worse, if it was someone who had access to your home, they might do something criminal then return the gun and leave you with a bag of unknown poop. Report it, report your suspicions. THEN contact the dealer (in person) and ask for their help.

__________________
NHI, 10-8.

I have a long list of serial #'s of guns stolen from me in 1969 and again in 1975. I even knew who stole mine in the 1st theft. Kiss them goodbye as no one does anything to find them. If you ever get back a stolen gun, count yourself fortunate.