Advise omn altering a firearm

[thughes]

I've got an older Colt Mustang Plus II (meaning it holds 2 more rounds in the magazine than the original Mustang) that I bought a while back for a future project. I'd like to cut it this winter, but most of the prime engraving real estate on the right side of the slide is taken up by a hideous looking PLUS II stamped in the slide. My two questions are;

1) Is there a regulatory issue with doing away with this PLUS II? It's not an identifying serial number or anything like that. I've talked to guys at a couple of different gun shops and they don't believe it would be an issue, but I thought I would see what you guys thought.

2) Would this be a good candidate for laser welding? I don't own a laser welder but I know it's not an issue to send to someone to weld up because I recently sent a 1911 slide off to have new sights put on it with no problem.

Thanks
Todd

 

[rmgreen]

There are others in this forum who have Firearms Manufacture's License as I do. It is my opinion from what is said in the FFL regs concerning what must be on each firearm this information IS NOT required by the BATF&E. DO NOT alter the Manufacture name, address, where made, and the serial number other than polishing. The remaining depth after polishing of this information must be in excess of .003" deep.

RmG

 

[Eugene Carkoski]

I can not tell you if you can remove it. but it is a shame that the manufacture wants to use it as a road side bill board

 

[Ed Westerly]

My reading of the regs is that the only thing on a non NFA firearm that must be retained is the serial number. I am not a lawyer, however, and two of the ATF agents I have asked both said that you can't change any markings. The regs published don't say that, so... I will say that I have seen a lot of guns with most of their makers marks missing, and have never heard of anyone going to jail because of it.

 

[Dulltool]

You are free to do anything you like to the slide. It's just a "part" and not considered a "firearm" which the frame is... It's a replaceable part the frame isn't.

Hope this helps.

 

[thughes]

Thanks for the thoughts y'all. Any body got a laser welder that would weld it for me?

Todd

 

[Beathard]

Everyone here is correct even though they are saying different things. Roger listed the items you cannot change, but it applies to the frame. But as DullToll stated, any of this information on the slide can be altered. If there is a serial number on a non-action part it is there to assist in keeping parts together during the manufacturing process.

I would laser weld the same material into the firearm. It would be even better if you can harvest the metal from the same pistol. If the frame is of the same material, you can harvest the material from under the grip.

If it's blued watch out, the material you weld in, even if from the grip, may blue differently.

 

[rhenrichs]

Start calling jewelry stores that do repair work....you stumble across a laser welder somewhere...

 

[Southern Custom]

I have laser welded 416 to fill a section of lettering before. There were no issues with cutting the section afterwards. It cut as smooth as the surrounding material. I have not laser weld filled carbon steel before on a gun but as long as your welder is competent I cant see any issues.
I have also been down the road of "is it legal or is it not" regarding changing lettering. As was stated, it is the serial number that concerns the BATF. You can fill anything you want and re engrave "BATF SUCKS" on the slide and it will still pass muster. In my case the customer wanted to add letters to the serial numbers thereby making them a custom # with their company name included. We ended up separating the lettering from the serial number by 1/8 of an inch in order to distinguish it from the serial #.
Ideally you would find a jeweler that also engraves guns and has plenty of experience with the laser welder. Have fun with the project!
Layne

 

[monk]

this would provide an excellent exercise in learning to design around obstructions. which is something we all learn to do anyway. personally, i'd never remove anything put on a gun at the factory. this way i know i'm in the clear if there's ever an issue with the gun. i also agree with your thoughts on plastering the gun with a bunch of baloney. all too often, this seems to be the case.

 

[thughes]

Monk, I'll try to get you a photo on here, it's really ugly. It looks like a complete afterthought, which I guess it kind of was.

 

[Big-Un]

John David Jewelers in Durham, NC is a very good (great, actually) engraver and has a laser welder. He could do it for you. I'm sure there are others closer to you, but he is available and good. Contact David Phelps there or his son John.

Bill

 

[Gatekeeper]

I would not alter any serial numbers on any firearm...there is a reason for that. The piece has to be tracked in case of a crime, sale, export etc. -- it's not exactly "uber-government" but more for the protection of the populus.

 

[Brian Marshall]

Guess I'll be goin' to the proverbial "Lake of Fire" for messin' with 1911 slides?


Brian

 

[Marrinan]

You may be able to purchase an after market slide cheaper than laser welding. BATF depth requirement and altering serial numbers has always confused me. I have seen before and after pictures with worn serial numbers repaired. I have seen them gold inlayed. Now as I recall off the top of my head the gold inlayed ones were of foreign manufacture. BATF as no authority to regulate weightier Belgian Brownings are numbered at all. I also have both a 32 and a 22 long that have no serial numbers-old but both shoot smokeless powder there just old Saturday Nite Specials. Fred

 

[Brian Marshall]

They have to be numbered in order to legitimately import and sell commercially. They check in customs. (or they are supposed to?)

B.

 

[Marrinan]

Less than 1% of what crosses the border is inspected. It is even lower in the ports. Fred

 

[Brian Marshall]

Umm, I suspect they might be doin' it a bit more inspectin' with a crate of firearms than a crate of hand woven baskets?

In fact there may be special tracers/monitors & inspectors just for commercialy imported firearms?

Don't want them to be unofficially "rerouted" don'tcha know? Kinda high dollar stuff, some of it...


B.

 

[thughes]

Thank y'all very much for your thoughts. Big Un, I'll try David Jewelers. Gatekeeper, it's not a serial number, it's more like an advertisement. Brian, I never thought about looking for another slide. Depending on what it would cost to get someone to weld my slide, it might be cheaper. Full size 1911 slides are easy to find, maybe someone makes Mustang slides.

Thanks again
Todd

 

[Klepto86]

1. No, the Plus II would not create issues with the ATF.

2. Prolonged exposure to heat is not good on critical parts of a firearm. You need to be very mindful of the depth your laser would engrave.