It began in the 1800s. In 1934, US law required SNs on all handguns and machineguns. In 1968 law required them on rifles and shotguns. Prior to 1968, some long guns had serial numbers, some did not.
From the day they started making them.
1968 0r later savage started putting serial numbers on their guns then.
SOME guns had serial numbers in the late 1800s. They were required by law on handguns and machine guns in 1934 (in the US) and on rifles and shotguns in 1968.
To identify and account for otherwise identical guns.
None of the existing ORIGINAL guns have serial numbers.
1968
Inventory tracking for firearms. BTW, ammunition does not have a serial number.
Firearms don't have registration numbers, they have serial numbers. No way to know who was the first to put a number on a firearm. Military firearms have had serial numbers for many years, to aid in the accounting for large numbers of identical guns. Serial numbers were not required by law in the US until the 1934 National Firearms Act reqired them on machine guns and handguns. The 1968 Gun Control Act required them on newly made rifles and shotguns.
They were required after the Gun Control Act of 1968.
barrel, butt, receiver, under forearm.
A lot of older lower end rifles and shot guns didn't have serial numbers. The fed didn't require guns to have unique serial numbers until after WW2
SN's were not required until 1968