A serial number is a series of numbers and/or letters applied to an item, vehicle or firearm for identification purposes. In relation to a firearm, the serial number be conspicuously located on the frame or receiver of the firearm, but can also appear on the slide, chamber, butt plate, or other areas. All firearms manufactured post 1968, are required by law to have a serial number. A serial number restoration involves the scientific techniques used for the retrieval, recovery, and/or revisualization of the manufacturer’s identifier, in cases where the serial number has been obliterated. Due to the way that the numbers are stamped or etched on the firearm, the metal in the area of the application of the serial number exhibits different properties than the surrounding metal. Various techniques can be applied to the surface of the metal that highlight the differences in the metal structure and allow recovery of the number.
Department of Public Safety
Vermont Forensic Laboratory