Ivy Mike
Member
It may or may not have one, but defacing or obscuring is as bad as altering it and that's the part that should be made clear to shady gunsmith. The guy with the krylon special has all the power and ability to make this other's guy's life a living hell.I didn't see that he had altered a serial number. Maybe I missed it, or maybe the original didn't have a number.
At the very least, gather up every ounce of evidence you have, and your entire correspondence at this point should be "I sent you gold, you sent back garbage. You owe me for all of it."
If the immediate response isn't to fix it, contact everyone applicable. Mistakes or a missed QC point are one thing, this is both fraudulent and openly insulting.
So, if the Austrian parts kit has been substantially altered with counterfeit markings, that's an actual crime.
If there happens to be an identifying number that has been altered or otherwise obscured, that's an actual crime. And that's what needs to be gotten across to shady gunsmith. 'I have the evidence of your criminal behavior in my possession and I am going to turn your ass in unless you make it right financially. Reimburse me for all costs and the cost of the parts kit, or return the original parts kit, or the ATF will hear of this.'
Also, this assumes the shady gunsmith has an FFL that permits manufacturing. By welding up the receiver and making it ready to use as part of a business transaction, this person has manufactured a firearm. Also of note is that when you manufacture a firearm, you have to serialize it (or it must already have one) to be inside the law. If the gunsmith failed to do this, he's in violation of the law. It sounds nitpicky, but these rules apply for the protection of everyone.
https://www.atf.gov/file/11711/download
Basically, if shady gunsmith hasn't dotted the i's and crossed the t's, he could be in a world of hurt if the owner of the ruined parts kit wanted to push the issue. Speaking for myself, I'd be happy with a full refund for all the labor and shipping costs plus the cost of the parts kit that has been destroyed or the return of the original parts kit.