Old .22 rifle: No Serial number?

[Martinjmpr]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that serial numbers were not required under Federal law until the Gun Control act of 1968.

So I have a question: My father passed away in March and before he died he gave me some of his guns. One of them is what I believe is the first gun he ever owned, a JC Higgins .22 single shot. It's about as simple as a gun can be, basically the entire action is contained in the barrel. Bolt action single shot. Doesn't even have a true "safety" (but it won't fire until you chamber a round and then pull back the plunger to set the striker.) Will fire (per the writing on the side of the integrated receiver/barrel) .22S, L and LR.

On the barrel it reads "JC Higgins 101.24" and "Sears, Roebuck & CO." Below the front sight are some patent numbers. On the left side of the receiver is the wording about the caliber.

But I can't find a serial number or anything that looks like a serial number. This rifle would have been purchased - likely by mail order - some time either during or after WWII (Dad was born in 1937 and grew up in the Panama Canal Zone until he turned 18, which was 1955.) Dad used this rifle to hunt small game in Panama.

My question is, was it normal for this type of rifle to not have a serial number? I've pulled the receiver/barrel off the stock and looked all over, there's no SN anywhere.

Photos for fun:



Close up of the action. As you may be able to see, the receiver is basically cut out of the barrel:

[ray1970]

Yep. I have that same rifle. It was my dad's from sometime before I was born. No serial number.

[ray1970]

I also have a Stevens shotgun from the same time that also does not have a serial number.

[Little Dutch]

Yes, totally normal. Some companies were doing SN’s for record keeping, others weren’t until they had to.

[CS1983]

A freedom relic!

[O2HeN2]

Evyl ghost gun!

[Circuits]

There's millions of 22s and shotguns and off-brand hunting rifles out there without serial numbers from before 1968. Only really major manufacturers or those with military contracts bothered.

Everyone gets freaked out and says FFLs cannot or will not handle anything without a serial number, but the instructions for handling an unserialed firearm are right on the back of the 4473 and have been as long as that form has existed.

[Gman]

In a situation like this, wouldn't it fall under C&R?

[Martinjmpr]

Everyone gets freaked out and says FFLs cannot or will not handle anything without a serial number, but the instructions for handling an unserialed firearm are right on the back of the 4473 and have been as long as that form has existed.

Don't plan on selling this one, ever so it's not a consideration for me (not that it'd be worth much on the open market.)

It's the perfect "first gun" for teaching kids because it won't fire until you pull back and cock the striker. About as simple as a firearm can be, even simpler than the AR-7 I used to own.

[Circuits]

In a situation like this, wouldn't it fall under C&R?

Yeah, anything pre-1968 GCA is now considered C&R by virtue of being over 50 years old. That one's kinda snuck up on me, since I've been dealing with and in firearms since the 1990s when even the oldest AR-15s were only about 30 years old at the time.