Defarbing Barrel

[pondoro]

OK something I read years ago came back to me. Under title 18 PA Consolidated statutes section 6117, no person shall remove, obliterate, alter the manufacturer's number integral to the frame or receiver.

This is where everybody jumps and says but under federal law, muzzle loaders are not firearms.

And then I point out, that under PA law, this section applies to any firearm which is defined as: any weapon "designed to or may readily be converted to expel any projectile by the action of an explosive or the frame or receiver of such weapon".

Possession of such a firearm is a presumption that the person in possession is the one that removed the number. It is a class 2 felony.

So defarbing the numbers from a cap and ball revolver could also land you in some hot water. Don't come to a re enactment at Gettysburg with such a weapon.

Yes a dumb law! I did not pass it. The legiscritters did, back in 1972.

I wonder what happens if you defarb a muzzleloading long gun that is marked on the barrel? (Not the receiver) I do not plan to test this!! I was just wondering.

 

[Grenadier1758]

And how does that law apply to my rifles, some of which have no markings of any kind on them? At least one of mine was assembled in the 1960s.

 

[bangfxr]

I've been to Gettysburg several times with the same musket and have had no issues at all about the removal of the company and country stamps and I left the serial number in place.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

A sidelong musket does not have a reciever. An 1853 Sharps repro does, a burnside, smith, merrill, greene, etc do have such things. This mostly pertains to those who would defarb cap and ball revolvers.