“If these guns had been back on the streets, you can imagine the number of homicides would have been involved in,” Chow said. Saucedo was convicted in October of assault with a firearm and sentenced to 364 days in jail and three years probation, court records show.
Investigators seized assault rifle manufacturing equipment and parts along with 3 pounds of methamphetamine, vehicles and a silencer, as well as a stack of bulletproof vests.Īt the center of the criminal enterprise was Enrique Saucedo Jr., who detectives say is the primary suspect in the transportation, distribution and sale of illegal firearms in Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley.ĭetectives say Saucedo was a pipeline for weapons for street criminals across L.A. “It was like driving up to fast food restaurant, ordering whatever you wanted, somebody manufacturing it, that person comes to Hollywood, pays the money and they were on their way,” he said. “They manufactured all over Hollywood in the hotels in the community,” he said. Blake Chow.Ĭhow said many of the weapons recovered were made in the heart of Hollywood, not a random warehouse. “They are ending up in the hands of some of the most violent gang members,” said LAPD Cmdr. Ghost guns are legal for those allowed to own firearms, but investigators say they are now involved increasingly in crime.
Police said the parts needed to assemble a working rifle, including magazines of ammunition, were shipped in from out of state.įederal gun regulation has long targeted the lower receiver because it is the heart of the firearm that holds together the weapon.
In 2013, John Zawahri killed five in the Santa Monica area using an AR-15-style rifle, which he built from a partially manufactured lower receiver that did not have a serial number and therefore did not have to be registered. Investigators explain that those forbidden from purchasing a gun, such as felons and those with documented mental health issues, can still buy the partial lower receiver and then buy the other parts of the weapons off the internet. It is then ready for a barrel, trigger mechanism, stock and upper receiver to be attached. The lower receiver then can be completed easily by drilling a few remaining holes into the unfinished metal shell. A buyer can legally purchase a partial built lower receiver, which is not part of a firearm that is required to be stamped with a serial number when sold.Īn unfinished lower receiver, sometimes referred to as an “80% receiver,” can legally be purchased without a serial number from a seller who is not a federally licensed firearms dealer as long as it is missing the key components that would make it a firearm. However, some police stations will run checks through the National Crime Information Center to see if the gun is listed as stolen.Investigators say ghost guns begin as partially manufactured weapons. Tracing a gun's serial number through the ATF to see if it was involved in a crime is only permissible for law enforcement agencies involved in a bona fide criminal investigation where a gun is recovered or suspected to be involved. Get a notarized bill of sale for any gun you purchase so you'll have some protection if the gun is later identified as stolen property.
#Browning high power serial number table serial numbers#
People who lose their guns' serial numbers won't be able to report them on the sites. The sites' information comes from citizens reporting their stolen guns. Not getting a hit doesn't mean the gun isn't stolen, however. Check the serial number online through HotGunz, Stolen-Property or other stolen firearm sites.If the sale is illegal, chances are the gun is too. Not all states allow private individuals to sell firearms without going through a licensed firearms dealer.
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