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M3 Serial Numbers


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I will be receiving a Guide Lamp M3 in a few days and am seeking information on it's serial number. This particular gun has a prefix before the serial number which is IRS. The gun appears all original with original finish. I am wondering why the odd prefix before the number and if this is an indication of some type of rework or what the significance is? I vaguely recall seeing an article years ago where there was a photo of an M3 with this prefix but I cannot find it. Thre is no mention either in Frank Iannamico's book of this prefix. The only thing comes to mind with these letters is The Internal Revenue Service. ???

 

Mike Hammer

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Mike,

The M3 Guidelamp guns start the serial number with USNO whis is United States Number.

The IRS designation is a gun that was registered during the Amnesty and the IRS assigned the number because the original number was missing or removed.

I hope this helps.

MY GG has the USNO and was registered during the Amnesty but the serial number was still there.

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Thanks for the info guys, what reference book might I find such information like this, or is this just common knowledge? Under what circumstances would the original serial number have been removed, it would seem that even in a arsenal refurbish that the serial number would be left alone? And why was the IRS involved with the NFA Amnisty registration back in 1968? As Artie Johnson used to say on "Laugh-In"..Verrry Interestinggg....

 

Mike Hammer

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And why was the IRS involved with the NFA Amnesty registration back in 1968?

 

At that time ATF was under the Department of Treasury as a subpart of the IRS. No conspiracy, just part of the history of ATF.

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And, as there was a no questions asked policy during this period , when these stolen- from -the -US govt. guns showed up minus thier removed-by -the-thief serial numbers , new numbers had to be restamped to show that the paperwork was for that gun and not for any ol' gun with no serial number. Chris
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My Guidelamp still has the US No 343xxx S/N on the gun. No IRS prefix. It was a 68 amnesty registration. I have the whole story from the old vet who originally "liberated" it from a tank (he was in a mechanized outfit) how he got it back, then into a trunk b/t 45 - 68, registered it, then into a safety deposit box until 08 when I bought it. The gun had only been fired during one fight (a really strange story there), then put away for over 60 yrs. It was in almost new condition. The best part of it is knowing the full history behind it.
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I could certainly understand G.I.'s from WWII, Korea, and Nam slipping there M3's into their duffle bags and bringing them back with them. They didn't take up much room, especially field stripped and they don't weigh very much so I would bet that quite a few got into private hands that way. And it's almost surprising that some who did pilfer these guns actually learned about the Amnisty in time to get them on the registry.

 

Mike Hammer

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