Re: Transfering without serial numbers
Private party. In Michigan all small arms sales must be precluded by obtaining a purchase permit from the police dept. This involves a background check, 15 question safety test, and signing a form that says you agree not to break the law or something to that effect.
Then you get 3 copies of the purchase permit. One for the seller, one for the police, and I think the third is for the county sheriff or state police. Then you take the gun to the PD after completing the sale and filling out the permits. Hand the nice man behind the counter your new best friend and trust him to give it back later. The nice man writes the serial number down and checks the history of the gun against some sort of registry then gives you a form with the serial number, make, model, caliber, capacity, barrel length, etc. Take that form to the purchase permit counter upstairs and get a "ownership card". I don't know the technical term for it.
Show your new green colored card to the nice man and hope he gives you your gun back. Then the process is completed. I bought two guns over the last two weeks and I'm getting tired of the process. The worst part is that you only have ten days to buy or the permit expires and you can't get a permit on weekends! I should move to Minnesota.
Bryan
EDITED
The bold text is included on the purchase permit not recorded by my buddy behind the counter.