Firearm Lifecycle Management

[Handy Mann]

I have a Pre-27 3.5" S156xxx (forum members dated this to 1956).
Is there an agency where civilians can trace the lifecycle/ownership of their firearms from manufacture through commercial sales, to individual or professional transactions all the way down to the present time if they have the complete serial number? This is a 56 yo firearm and it would be interesting to trace its ownership.
Thank you.

 

[Titegroups]

I most certainly hope not. There are some in this country who would like the govt to keep records of who owns what but I'm not among them.

 

[PMRet]

Is there an agency where civilians can trace the firecycle/ownership of their firearms from manufacture through commercial sales, to individual or professional transactions all the way down to the present time if they have the complete serial number?

I hope not...

 

[Texas Star]

I've not heard the term, "firecycle. Are you American?

You can pay about $50 to Roy Jinks, the S&W Historian, to learn where your gun was initially shipped. From then on, you'd probably have to be in law enforcement and with a valid reason to TRY to track ownership.

I gather that this is seldom useful, as guns often change hands, and the original dealer on a gun that old is probably dead and his store records difficult to locate.

One exception is if the serial number shows the owner/buyer to be famous. Then, the gun's history may be traceable, if it remained in his family.

 

[DWalt]

At least in the US, no, at least not yet - but just give the government time, as there are many politicians that would love to find out who has what so they can be confiscated. In many oppressive and anti-firearms countries, there are probably means available.

 

[Alk8944]

Short answer is no! Long answer is when even the US Military cannot document what units and individuals specific forearms were issued to how do you suppose it would be in any way possible to follow a firearm sold in free commerce. Especially the millions of guns that were manufactured before serial numbers were required before the Gun Control Act of 1968?

I'll second Texas Star's question of what do you mean by "firecycle"? It doesn't make any sense.

 

[2hawk]

Oh, I thought you meant one of these:

 

[Handy Mann]

Appreciate your replies.
I stand corrected the word should be Lifecycle not Firecycle. Thanks to Texas Star and Alk8944. I mixed up the two words. Firecycle is a web-based firearm data management solution that allows agencies to track the life of a weapon – from manufacture to destruction. Its for LE use. Nice firecyle pic you have 2hawk.

 

[remat457]

I have never heard lifecycle management referred to with firearms. I could understand wanting to know the revolver's professional (agency) past ownership but why private hands?

Interestingly, S&W will tell you if it was shipped to an agency originally, but other mfgs may not. I got a SIG P225 CPO and they told me that it was a dept trade in from Europe but refused to tell me who.

P.S. I suspect that FireCycle (http://www.forensictechnology.com/firecycle/) would be illegal to implement on a U.S. Federal level as it is illegal to centralize such records.