doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com V776356 Etched by someone on my gun??

V776356 is etched on the bottom of the receiver of an early A grade Fox. This is a long shot, but does anyone recognize the etching as a drivers license number? Vermont,maybe. Doesn't look like a SS#. A dog tag number? Geo. commented awhile back that he thought it gave the gun character. Yea, Some character on a bender chicken scratching on his gun. I wish this violation was on one of Geo.'s guns and not on mine. This Fox is sitting by my desk as one of the guns in the running as this years turkey getter. Aside from Geo.'s comment on the etching, the gun does have character. All original and honest wear from use, scratches and bruises. A straight grip, 12ga. 30" barrel, F/F, perfect bores, #1 weight barrel, 7 lbs/10 oz. I would feel better if there was a connection with the number. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. Randy

Just reading your post has go my interests up ,I love the chase part of this kind of history, The who, the when the why and whats of a numbering meaning so much to some one to do such a thing to their gun for all time. It Id's the man and the gun as a pair, So the mystery began?
Good luck with your chase of info, please keep us informed, it will speak loads of history to us.

I don't see how you can ever know what the alpha/numeric is, or was, unless you can somehow communicate with the owner who put it on his gun. Maybe a seance?

It is a mystery that will likely never be solved.

About 25 years ago, Texas was giving away electric etching
handheld machines to put SS numbers on valuables to stop
thieves. Of course it didnt work, but a lot of idiots did it to
their guns. I have seen nice Brownings, Model 70's etc with this
artwork.
Probably the same situation

Maybe it’s an evidence number from a LE agency.

Several years ago while attending the Southern Side x Side and individual came by the LCSCA booth and showed me a very high conditioned CE Grade Fox 16-bore; a former owner's Soc. Security number had been deeply etched on the bottom of the action. Nowadays if a thief sole a gun with the owner's SSN he'd not only lose the gun, but his cash and credit also.

probably saved you 4/500 on the gun.....you should be thanking the guy....

In the United Kingdom it is not uncommon to find on guns re- imported from India or other parts of the old Empire with local registration markings stamped , scratched or electropencilled on them (if you are lucky under the forend).

topgun,
The loss of money and credit is why some people started using Drivers Lic. # instead of SSN.
Mike

Or their Military Service Number--or their issued M-1 Garand rifle serial number--RWTF

Military service numbers (unlikely) -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_number_(United_States_Armed_Forces)

Note the letter prefixes - no "V"

Wonder if it is a Vermont or Virginia hunting license.

No clue as to the origin of the number, but I totally agree with your comment.

Instead of attempting to find out who the fool was who did the damage, maybe consider whether the damage is worth repairing with laser welding, perhaps followed by color case hardening if a substantial amount of case colors remain.

Tom Findrick might have it. It looks like a police inventory, crime lab, or case report number. God only knows which one. A friendly copper might run that number, or the serial number, on ncic, but who knows what you might find.