When I buy a new gun, is it registered?

If the 4473 were registration, it would follow the weapon, which it DOES NOT!
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Very good point as the weapon becomes the focus of the governmental effort. But, that is not to say that the government could not search on an owners ID and sort by owner. I would assume that a registry would have that utility as most data base programs do. Hence a well thought out registry would include the owner, serial number, make and model, and so forth, all of which are searchable parameters.

A crucial bit of information might be what details the government requires when a NICs check is done. By law, the government is not allowed to retain that information (24 hrs I believe), but with some detail, they could construct a pretty good registry over a period of time just using transfer/NICs data especially if unversal background checks become a requirement. The record keeping is a very big deal for 2A supporters.
 
Here's a question for one of you FFL's here. Five years after the sale (you don't know that yet) a crime scene gun trace leads to your shop. (Assuming you have sales of about 20 guns per week (is that a fair average?) for about 5 years, that's 5200 guns.) Who's job is it, yours or LE, to pore through those years of records?
 
Here's a question for one of you FFL's here. Five years after the sale (you don't know that yet) a crime scene gun trace leads to your shop. (Assuming you have sales of about 20 guns per week (is that a fair average?) for about 5 years, that's 5200 guns.) Who's job is it, yours or LE, to pore through those years of records?
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I don't know what the actual law is, but I know we do the searching, which is why it helps to have good computer records so you can find the paperwork more easily.
 
A crucial bit of information might be what details the government requires when a NICs check is done. By law, the government is not allowed to retain that information (24 hrs I believe), but with some detail, they could construct a pretty good registry over a period of time just using transfer/NICs data especially if unversal background checks become a requirement. The record keeping is a very big deal for 2A supporters.
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People keep talking about the government stockpiling an illegal registry. Well, that registry would have everything EXCEPT the most crucial information: what the gun is and what its serial number is.

Under the current system, when an FFL uses the paper 4473 and calls in the NICS check, there is NO other information given about the gun besides "handgun", "long gun", or "other".

So in this supposed registry everyone is talking about, the only way the government could get the information about the gun itself is to actually contact the FFL directly.
 
Theohazard, that is the current system. They revise the 4473's, so why can't they revise what is listed for the automated NICs check? My statement was mostly to pay attention. Regular folks do not know what information is given to get a nics check. All you are told is that you "passed".
 
Regular folks do not know what information is given to get a nics check. All you are told is that you "passed".
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If by "regular folks" you mean people who buy guns, the questions and other information are right there on the 4473. All anyone has to do is read it. (As one should with any document one signs.)
 
...the questions and other information are right there on the 4473. All anyone has to do is read it. (As one should with any document one signs.)
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And the 4473 *does* record specific information about the gun(s) being purchased (blocks 26-30).

Now, Section D (which has blocks 26-30), doesn't have to be filled out until after the NICS check is complete. You know that, and I know that. But when a buyer fills out his part of the form, then hands it over for the background check, the next time he sees the form, it may be completely filled-in, including the make/model/serial number of the gun being purchased. How does the buyer know what information the seller sent to NICS?

I don't think the form makes it obvious exactly *what* information is being submitted as part of the background check, and what information is just being retained locally at the gun shop, so I'm not going to blame an average Joe for not knowing.
 
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