Is there a watch list?

R

Red Dog

New member
I heard from a friend that gun purchases are tracked. Once you reach a certain number you are put on the watch list. Is this true?
 
Tracked by whom? What about private sales? Your friend heard wrong. I'm sure there are parties that would be very interested in this but so far they are being kept at bay in most states.
 
I'm sure the 4473s are kept on file, but as far as tracking? Well, maybe.

But unless actual registration is required, how would you ever know?
 
No Tracking

I worked for an FFL for a time. At that time, we executed 4473s and kept them in house. They were not sent anywhere. However, things may have changed with the instant background check.
 
What my friend did was purchased 3 rifles at the same time. After he pass the background check the seller said now homeland security will be watching you.

Maybe just a joke..... sure made me think
 
Homeland Security seems to do whatever it wants, so I wouldn't doubt it one bit if they had the ability. Though three rifles isn't particularly uncommon.
 
What my friend did was purchased 3 rifles at the same time
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Multiple handgun purchases (two or more) within a 5 business day period from the same FFL requires the FFL to fill out an ATF Form 3310.4 and send it in.
Those are tracked by the ATF to insure the buyer is not doing straw purchases.

It does not apply to rifles or shotguns though.

Jim
 
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They know when you wipe your but.
But they are not tracking gun purchase,:D

We know they are not tracking gun purchases because they told us there not.
And the government dont do stuuf with out telling us about it first.;)
 
Once you reach a certain number you are put on the watch list.
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The ATF was trying to get dealers to report multiple sales of long guns but I don't believe that will ever become law. Otherwise, I doubt any of us are on a watch list because of the amount of guns we own.
 
I wrote this before here on TFL, and was called a kook by one person, another wasn’t so nice and flat out called me a liar. But here goes again…..

15 some odd years ago I applied for a Curios & Relics FFL. There was a problem. Seems a guy with my exact same name, first middle and last, social security number only two digits different then mine, same date of birth, and lives only two counties away from me, was arrested for domestic abuse. That flagged me on the background check. The BATF suggested that I call the FBI to see about straightening this out. So I did. I talked with a female FBI agent on the phone and told her my story. She looked me up on their computer system. She was able to tell me, and did tell me, every firearm that I had purchased for at least 10 years, then she caught herself and stopped. I have no idea if she could have gone back farther, but she named off every gun I had bought for 10 years prior to our phone conversation. Obvious to me that someone out there records firearm purchases and retains said records.

Call me a kook, call me a liar, that’s fine, because I know the truth. It is exactly what happened to me. I hired a lawyer and contacted my US Congressman to get this straightened out. I had to go to my county sheriffs office to give finger prints to prove I wasn’t the guy with the domestic abuse charges. It cleared my name, and a special note was placed in my files, keeping me separate from the other guy with my same name. After it was all said and done, the BATF told me too much time had elapsed and I had to re-apply for the C&R license. I tried again and something else popped up, so I gave up.

I have no idea about any "watch list" after buying so many guns, but it wouldn't surprise me any.
 
well email communications and internet searches were protected, right? oh wait, it came out later that the feds were illegally monitoring people and/or wiretapping them. I guess it depends on what they "perceive" you as. Do I think I am tracked? No, but I probably haven't reached the 'number' of purchases you eluded to. Do I feel that certain people have been 'watched' or 'tracked' for whatever reason? Yes, and the only ones who knew it would be the ones involved or the bosses.
 
With NICS it's possible that someone could know the number of times you bought one or more firearms at a dealer. However, 4473s are kept at the dealer's on paper in a file cabinet and the exact makes and models are not passed on with the NICS check. And no, ATF does not scan them during inspections. So I find it doubtful that the FBI could name every gun anyone purchased in the last 10 years.
 
watch list

Mike38 this old man believes u. i have felt this way for over 20 years. TOO much paper out there for it not to be true
 
Multiple handgun purchases (two or more) within a 5 business day period from the same FFL requires the FFL to fill out an ATF Form 3310.4 and send it in.
Those are tracked by the ATF to insure the buyer is not doing straw purchases.

It does not apply to rifles or shotguns though.
Click to expand...

This is the only notification "law" I know of.

We have here in NE a firearm purchase certificate which allows you to buy without having to go through the background check for every single purchase. You do not need the certificate for the purchase of long guns, so you would have to go through the call in that instance. You must have the certificate, (a concealed carry permit works too), for any handgun purchases, private or retail. I suppose if you were only buying long guns and getting called in each time, your name might somehow be able to be tracked or kept on file. If your using your firearm purchase permit or your concealed handgun permit, then no call is needed and the only guy who knows what your buying or how many you've bought is your friendly LGS since the 4473's stay there. However, if your LGS closes up, it is my understanding that all those 4473's are sent in to the FBI or ATF.
 
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