Registration? It's already here....

[iso1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_1161000/1161463.stm

Mr Pickett, 47, bought the gun from a pawn shop in his home town of Evansville, Indiana, a year ago, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Federal detectives traced the gun to Casey's Pawn shop through its serial number, the shop's manager David Sisson said.

(snip)

Major Karen Butt, commander of the Indiana State Police records division, said the forms are destroyed after 30 days because of state privacy laws, and there was no record of Mr Pickett's responses.

So, if the forms are destroyed after 30 days, and Federal law says that the FBI and all them agencies must destroy the records, then how were they able to trace the gun to where it was purchased after one year had passed?

 

[Jeff Thomas]

Let me get this right ... you think the government might be playing fast and loose with the facts? You believe they may not be telling everything they know? You may even suspect they keep track of people who buy / own guns even though there are laws to the contrary?

I'm shocked at your behavior! Absolutely shocked!

Regards from AZ

 

[glockten]

When tracing a gun used in a crime, ATF contacts the manufacturer.

Manufacturer checks their shipping records and finds out which distributor received the gun.

ATF contacts distributor to learn which retailer received the gun.

ATF contacts retailer to learn who bought the gun. FFL holders are required to keep 4473 forms (yellow forms) as long as they have an FFL.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Actually, we have had this particular form of registration since 1968:

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_registration.html

Glockten has a nice summary of the process, though I believe that the dealer only has to keep the 4473 for a mere 20 years (he has to keep his "bound book" until he goes out of business though).

 

[Zak Smith]

Maybe I shouldn't mention this, but..

The "forward path" for tracing is broken when I sell a gun that I am the original owner of, to another FFL. The distributor will contact the dealer I bought it from, who will give them my name. Now they think I still have it, but I am under no obligation to keep records about who I sell to. Thus, they have no way to "find it" at the 2nd FFL unless there is a central database of 4473's!

There's something to think about!

-z