Horsecrap. The FBI has had the ability to read serial numbers that have been ground off with a power grinder, based on the metal deformation in the metal by the number stamps.
And they've had that ability for years.
/johnny
Depends on how deep the grinder cut is. The FBI’s serial number recovery trick is not 100%.
I’ve always wondered, why couldn’t a ne’er-do-well stamp new numbers over the old numbers in the same manner as the original numbers were stamped, thereby leaving authorities unsure which stamp is the original? Or is that equipment unavailable to the general public? You’d think organized crime, at least, could grab hold of it. Or is it simply not worth the trouble, and the stamps don’t mean much if you’re the tenth person, or whatever, down the line to possess the gun?
Yep. But what's scary is that anybody gives a rat's ass what the serial number is on a freaking shotgun!?! Maybe it's the same shotgun my Dad carried over his shoulder when he was 12 and walked down his neighborhood street to Pennypack Park to hunt, as passing drivers beeped their horns and waved.
Here is a clue guys. It is quite easily done to remove a serial number that can not be raised. All it takes is a little knowledge in how to do it. And there is more than one way to do it.