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I just recently learned that buying a gun through an FFL doesn't mean the government knows what gun I bought. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the background check doesn't include any gun details. The form you fill out is the only place that has that info and the FFL keeps that in his files. I know there are exceptions for NFA items and some states have records and such.

An example of what this means is when the police need to trace a gun used in a crime. They first need to go to the gun manufacturer to find what dealer they sold it to. And so on until they get to the dealer that retailed it. Then they need to find and search that dealers FFL records to find the form you filled out which would then tell them you own it. If that FFL has closed business, then his records may already be with the ATF. I can picture a very large room with endless boxes of forms from out of business FFLs.

All that being the case, for anyone that bought guns 30, 40 or 50 years ago, how likely is it that this paper trail could be followed? A lot of things happen over that long of time. I'm sure it's at least a lot of time and effort and isn't 100% successful.
 
Not instantly will they know unless they catch you in the act or multiple witnesses point you out.

As for old detective work there is a reason that 4473 is REQUIRED to be kept on file for 20 years and in the event you close shop as an FFL you must send it in for records by the ATF. That 4473 has every detail about you on it. Crime shows also explain that police can use these forms in solving a crime. This is the importance of the serial number on the firearm and why they get anal if you try to erase it (good luck as they're imprinted into the metal) as for older guns long ago they'd have to do more foot work.

While they won't instantly know what gun(s) you own it is only a matter of time before they figure it out and connect the dots. More so for you tax stamp payers on your SBR/suppressors.

They made laws around this so you couldn't just hide from them.
The BGC is just to check if you've been a good boy or not since your last purchase. Wouldn't want you slipping thru the cracks a week after your first purchase and then going and buying a new one after being detained/sentenced.

Bottom line is there is no remaining anonymous fully with firearms when they want to find you.
 
Last I checked, most dealers utilize online portals for background checks. While the gun information may not be entered, though it is in Oregon, a serial is and your information. This is through an online portal, I HIGHLY doubt that this information is not being tracked and stored.

Ever wonder how any shooting that graces the realm of mainstream media, has all the stores and purchase information within minutes or hours?
 
Someday if I ever feel the need to buy a gun, I suppose I could just buy a used one in a face-to-face transaction. At least that's what some guy at the bus-stop told me the laws in Idaho are...
.... but, I may find out different if I ever actually wanted to own a gun. I'm told that around here the cops are really reliable and prompt so I feel rrrealllllyy protected. So there's really no need for a gun because, well, I don't hunt either.
 
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Given that over 80% of guns used in crimes were not purchased at retail by the person committing the crime, tracing is of little use. I would imagine it's pretty low on the priority list for a detective trying to solve a crime. Now, it you're hoping to build a police state, those records would be more helpful. But these days, you could just capture license plates outside gun shops and shooting places, track internet traffic, etc. Anonymity is getting harder and harder to maintain.
 
For most people it is very easy for the government to determine that you own guns. Depending on the type of gun and the particular jurisdiction it can be either easy or moderate difficulty for the government to determine exactly which guns you own.
 
for anyone that bought guns 30, 40 or 50 years ago, how likely is it that this paper trail could be followed?

Very likely, especially for handguns. Some states keep their own records on handguns. Like Calif. and Wash. I bought a revolver in 1985 or 86 in Calif. I later sold the gun in Wash. after I moved here. The sale took place in 1991. Which was a private sale, at the time perfectly legal to do without using an FFL. About five years ago, I got a call from a police department in northern California. They wanted to know if this revolver had been stolen from me. Somehow, the gun had made its way back to Calif. at some unknown date since I'd sold it in Wash. It had been picked up in a crime and the police were trying to back track its ownership. And pin an additional charge of possession of stolen property on their suspect in custody. Point being, after nearly 30 years, the people in Sacramento still knew I'd bought this gun new. And were able to find me no problem.

Washington has only recently tried to keep track of semiautos,

Semi-auto rifles, yes. They've been keeping DOL records on handguns for many years, at least 30 that I know of. Those extra forms that you fill out when you buy a handgun accomplish this.
 
...tracing is of little use.
Ask Canada about that.
After BILLIONS of dollars spent on their registration scheme they didn't solve a single violent crime with it and finally gave up. That's an actual registry, not the byzantine paper trail that is our own defacto registration scheme.
Our government can do it, trace guns, but it requires a level of concentration and competence that most alphabet agencies lack.
Now, multiply that a couple of hundred million times.
It'll be much easier for them to set a few harsh examples and cross their fingers for compliance.
 

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