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Does the ATF Already Maintain a National Gun Registry?

Robert Farago - comments 15 comments

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (and Really Big Fires) is creating an “emergency” database of gun buyers who purchase “two or more rifles within any five consecutive business days with the following characteristics: (a) Semi automatic; (b) a caliber greater than .22; and (c) the ability to accept a detachable magazine.” Once activated, the ATF directive will apply to some 8500 gun dealer near America’s southern border for 180 days. The move has stirred-up a gun rights’ hornet’s nest, as well it should . . .

The initiative puts the ATF on a slippery slope towards a national gun registration scheme, with all the taxation, purchase restrictions and Katrina-esque federal gun grabbing (bye Dan) that implies. The only thing is, the ATF’s been slidin’ down that slope for some time.

If a federally-licensed gun dealer (FFL) goes out of business, the ATF takes possession of all records of all firearms sales since the dealer opened shop—often decades of customer data—and enters them into their eTrace database. That includes everything that’s on ATF Form 4473: name, address, date of birth, social security number, weapon or weapons purchased and serial numbers for same.

As the Wiki hive mind points out, this same data transfer occurs when a gun dealer leaves the trade:

The dealer also records all information from the Form 4473 into their “bound-book”. A dealer must keep this log the entire time they are in business and is required to surrender the log to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) upon retirement from the firearms business. The ATF is allowed to inspect, as well as request a copy of the Form 4473 from the dealer during the course of a criminal investigation. In addition, the sale of two or more handguns to a person in a five day period must be reported to ATF on Form 3310.4.

Note the bit about inspection of the dealer’s “bound-book.” Once upon a time, this was done manually during inspections. These days, the ATF routinely photographs the contents of the bound book during inspections. TTAG has learned that the ATF is now entering this information into a database.

Nothing new there. Back in 2000, the ATF admitted that it was data-capturing Form 4473 info into its database without a warrant. Here’s a turn-of-the-century story from The Denver Post about a paperwork-aversive gun dealer named Jim Gowda.

[Inspector Chris] Eastburn entered the serial numbers of thousands of guns that had passed through Gowda’s hands into ATF’s national “suspect gun database,” in case they turned up later in criminal arrests . . .

In an interview, [Denver ATF enforcement chief Gerald] Petrilli said ATF routinely entered Trader Jim’s identifiable sales into its suspect gun database because “Mr. Gowda, as far as we’re concerned, was trafficking guns all over the place.”

Translation: if the ATF suspects a gun dealer of dealing guns illegally—without having to prove so to any judicial authority—the dealers’ legal sales are entered into the ATF’s eTrace system.

Flash forward and the ATF has developed a 4473 “eForm” whereby a gun dealer enters all the customer data into their computer, enabling more rapid and efficient transfer of the purchase information to the feds—as and when. Or . . . now?

Regardless, the bottom line remains the same: the ATF maintains a national gun registry. It may not be complete or up-to-date, but if you buy a gun through an FFL, the chances are the feds will keep a record of the transaction. Maybe not now, but soon. And forever.

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

15 thoughts on “Does the ATF Already Maintain a National Gun Registry?”

  1. “If I were to select a jack-booted group of fascists who are perhaps as large a danger to American society as I could pick today, I would pick BATF.” Rep. John Dingell (D-MI).

    It’s good to know that those jack-booted fascists will soon have my name in their database.

    Reply
  2. 1. There complaint is: There is about 8500 Gun Dealers Store Fronts Stores too. Lets cut off about 8200 Smaller Class-1 (01) & Class-2 Is (02) too. I agree! There is to many Firearms Dealers near the border of Mexico too. Do you agree! Lets in those Four States is around 500 F.F.Ls Retailers Dealers alone too! Let’s Striped There option License is N.F.A. License is Class-(09) Applications is off Limits too. The A.T.F will not processes Option License is Class-3 Gun Dealers Only too. Lets leave 300 Gun Dealers remained in business too Do you agree! cover 4 States of border of Mexico . too. The Mexico people would like it a lot too. I do agree! The A. T.F should cut off 8200 Un necessary Dealers out too. Close them down too. To many Guns going into Mexico too. Being sneak in by Drivers From Mexico too. It True!! A.T.F U.S.A. Border Patrol Should be aware of the Gun Running Problem too> it true> Wake Up smell the Coffee Or Tea too. do you agree? Yes? Or Disagree? No?

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  3. They said you would not need them until they tried to take them away. Incrementalism is the mechanism of change to strip away personal freedom.You propose taking away people’s livelihoods and a funneling of locations where firearms may be lawfully procured for a defacto registration system and larger businesses such as sporting goods stores may be pressured to stop selling certain types of weapons. Repeal NFA and GCA and disband BATFE. Almost every firearms law and regulation is in fact a violation of the constitution. That is REAL Common Sense and not your pretzel logic put forth by Progressive Totalitarians (Marxist, Franfurt School, Fabians, etc.), the DNC, and the Military Industrial Media Complex. You must admit the current crew are strange bedfellows… This a Free Republic and not a Democracy. 1969: VC in the wire; 2009: VC in the White House!

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  4. 1. 01/03/2021 A.D. The total of F.F.L.s (01) 52,971 Regular Gun Dealers. The total of Pawn Shops & Gun Shops 7087 (02)too. The Total of Class-3 is 127 Store Law enforcement Gun Dealers is 127 in the U.S.A too. The Total of Gun Dealers is Now 60,185 F.F.L.s too! By each month they are decline in each month time period too.

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  5. 1, in Washington State there is Class-1 Is (01) is 936 total. The Class-2 is 135 (02) is Pawn Shops & Gun Dealers too. The Class-3 is (09) is 3 too. There is total of Retailers Gun Dealers Store Fronts is 1074 F.F.L.s License holders Store Fronts Dealers to is total count ! Each month they are declining less each month too!!!! It true!!! The Population is over 7,000,000 + too!

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  6. 1. 01/20/2021 A.D : The Current President Joe, & Harris Will Cut about (010) of the Gun Dealers are bad apples in 50 States too. They Will Ban Large Clips over 10 Rounds in Semi Pistol too! Drums will be Banned too. An Sr Plus Ammo Will be not Allow to Enter in the U.S.A From other Nations in the Middle East Counties do mfg them too. The Import Ban will Sign by Biden & Harris too. of Sir Plus Ammo will be on the import ban List is Military Ammo to is mfg by Foreign Nations too! On the import Ban List too! West to East Cost of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Ships Yards too. Atlanta Cost & Pacific Cost Shipping Ports too. The In specters will watch for those Products is Shipped from other Nations too. Or they will make Record an send them back to other Counties were they Came from too. This is Disarmed the U.S.A. Citizens too. Or U.N Troops with blue Helmets will come in the 50 States too. of all there Guns items too. This will be Communist U.S.A. too. It Cumming soon too. This is a warning to all American Citizens of 50 States too! Wake UP smell the Coffee !!!! A New Sol list Government is be Fact too. A Warning !!!

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  7. 1. The State of taxes has (01) & (02 ) N.F.A. only is (09) 01/03/2020 A.D. 4597 (01) 1596 (02. is,6,193 IS Total Of F.F.L.s! The Total OF store fronts ON Commercial Properties ONLY IN INDUSTRIAL ASSIGN AREAS BY THE State TEXAS Highway Pa troll 7State Police too. The State Of Texas Decline to 4470 F.F.L.s Dropped Down too.

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  8. 1.01/03/2020 A.D. The Total of F.F.L.s is 2840 in 67 counties of State of Pennsylvania too. The Total of Store Fronts On Commercial Assign Locations in Industrial Locations to only too.The Number of Store Fronts is 853!!! Cal Commercial Zones only too. By Zoning Commission of Building Codes & Industrial Properties too. Agree! The Total of Illegal Gun Dealers total is 1987! They Could not Proved An Store Front Store & In industrial assign location of Town , Town ship, or city, too. they were not issued an F.F.L. License is (01) )r (02) too. Or N.F.A is (09) too. I do agree! They A.T.F.E A. Getting Straight on number of extra F.F.L s extra Gun Dealers too. So they go the population of : each of Following States is 49 in included too. They are cutting off the Slack of unnecessary Gun Dealers Should not be there too. Taking up Space too. They Reduced those Gun Dealers by Population by each State too. Do Agree? Sir Or Mam? This the Right thing to solve this problem is; old Saying to many eggs in one , town,township , Cities , an counties or States as well too! Agree!!! This involves the rest of 49 States too. Like California, Florida. Texas, Illinois,Michigan,An few other States is over populated by F.F.L.s Holders (01)(02) N.F.A. (09) too. they need to cut way down too. To fit the number of F.F.L.s to Fit 100,000 Residences per one Gun Dealer by trade too. is Gun shop Dealer by trade too. Do you agree.Sir? Or Man? What does public think about set plan too! To cut of the extra Gun Dealers Retailers (01)(02) Regular Gun Dealers Retailers Store Fronts. N.F.A Gun Dealers is (09) is option Gun Dealers too. Stop here too. There Certain Licenses is Off Limits to Retailers Gun Dealers Should not Apply for is off Limits too. In port & Export F.F.L.s Licenses N.F.A. (08) & N.F.A , (011 too. The Megs F.F.L.s is (06) Ammo mfg, Regular Gun Mfg is (07) N.F.A. Is (010) is off Limits to all Retailers Gun Dealers Store Fronts Stores too. Do you agree? Sir ? or Mam? What does public say about this good Plain to control number of Gun Dealers number too. Do you Agree? Sir Or Mam? The The A.T.F.E .A has a good perfect Plan of right thing to Be careful too. I agree!!!

    Reply
  9. 1.01/03/2020 A.D : Some States has to many Extra Gun Dealers Retailers are smaller Gun Dealers too. They must count the population of People living in those States too. They must de determent the number of F.F.L. Dealers Store Fronts & Commercial Properties too. Is high population States too. I do Agree! Rule is 1 Gun Shop Dealer By Trade Retailer Store per 100,000 Residences too. The B. A.T.F.E.A. Agency By The U.S.A treasury Sets the Rules to in : al 50 States too. Do agree? Sir? or Mam? What does Public say about this careful Plan too. To control the number of unnecessary Gun Dealers Should not be there too! I do Agree! Sir? Or Mam? The Public would Approved of this Plan too. By B.A.T.F.E.A .Agency of License department would accept it too. A good Plan too. Thank you Sir

    Reply
  10. .1. There is total of regular GunDealers a Gun shop by trade too. Class-1: (01) F.F.Ls. is 52,971 too. Class-2 is (02) 7087. F.F.L.s PawnShop Junk & GUN Shop Dealers you can to.put money on a Gun too. There is Class-3 is N.F.A. is (09).is 127 F.F.Ls .The total is .60,185 F.F.L.s on 01/08)2021 A.D. too. Is offical too
    By the B.A.T.F.E.A.by Agency Headquarters too. By U.S.A. Treasury too.

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  11. 1. Out of (01) 52971F.F.L.s.(02)Pawnshop GunDealers 7087 regular F.F.Ls (09) N.F.A. 127 class-3 . Dealers . Total is 60 185 F.F.Ls.Question is very important ISSUED? Is how many fake F.F.L.s licences were issued by suspect is 1800-123 .com . F.F.Ls is Fake F.F.Ls is (03) collectors license (06)(07 ) N.F.A. mfgs (010) import & export (08) (011) how many are fake F.F.Ls Licenses is .question is could it possable it a fact or real F.F.Ls or illegal copies by privite company . Or Corpation or Incopated co. Could be doing to mfg fake F.F.L.s Licenses to make look real of regional legal F.F.L s like Class-1 (01) or Class-2 (02 . They will have different color too. They will be Fake F.F.L. s. 1800123.com question
    is : they sponsored those fake Licences too. Or they could be offical too. Do you agree? Sir? Or MAM ? WHAT DOES THE PUBLC THINK ABOUT THIS ARITICLE OF THE TRUTH!!!

    Reply

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