DIAMOND ARMS SHOTGUN

Question
I inherited my Dad`s old 12 guage, he bought it in aprx. 1945.  I can not find a serial # on it.Is this gun illegal to own?
I don`t want to add (stamp) numbers on it, do you have any advice?
Thank You, Ron A

Answer
Hello Ronald Anderson. Your Shotgun is known as a 'hardware store' gun. There were several firearms manufacturers around the turn of the century '19th-20th' that made special guns for hardware companies and sporting stores. Your Dad's old 12ga was, most likely, manufactured around 1910 by Iver Johnson Arms Company. The 'Diamond Arms Company' was not a gun manufacturer, but a name that was ordered by a store. It was the independent store owner's only chance to compete with some larger stores like Sears & Roebuck. These shotguns were a cheaper line of shotgun, being manufactured with lower grades of wood and few, if any, engravings. Most were very dependable and got the job done.
As for the missing serial number, this wasn't a requirement until the Gun Control Act of 1968. This is why it is so hard to pinpoint a maker or date of these less expensive firearms. Most of the major firearms manufacturers #Winchester,Remington,Savage,etc.# used serial numbers. No, it is not illegal to own one without a serial number. If it were my gun, I would remove the forearm and electric pencil an identifying number on the underside of the barrel. This would only be for your advantage if it were stolen from you.
I hope this has answered your questions and thank you for asking for me. Charles Gage