There’s a bill coming up for vote in Pennsylvania, known as House Bill 1845, which increases the penalty for possessing a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number from a first degree misdemeanor to a second degree felony (underlined portions of a bill are parts being changed. Non underlined parts are part of the existing law).
Now, the important part for gun owners is what’s planning to be amended to this bill.  I’m hearing there are plans to ammend the “Castle Doctrine” provision, as well as a provision that will make possession of a Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms a substitute for the PICS check. These amendments are sponsored by State Representatives Steven Cappelli (R- 83) and Richard Stevenson (R-8).
But there is a danger lurking.  State Representative David Levdansky (D-39) has filed an amendment for the “victimized twice” provision that enacts criminal penalties for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm. It’s important to call your state representatives and ask them to support the Stevenson and Cappelli amendments, while opposing the Levdansky amendment. Getting HB 1845 to come out clean depends on us, so let’s get to work.
I’d be worried about the “altered” serial number thing, too. I sat on a jury last year where the guy was charged with felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. When I took a look at the Jennings .22, the “alteration” appeared to to scratches associated with normal wear.
So you could still read the serial number? Sounds like an overzealous prosecutor who hit the guy with everything they could think of. I hope the jury didn’t convict him on that count.
you could read the serial number from across the room practically.
It was a hung jury, 9-3 to convict on both counts. I couldn’t have slept at night had I voted to convict a guy for possession because the cops found a gun in the projects, and he happened to be 15 feet away when they found it.