De facto registry?

[RevolverRob]

Hundreds of thousands (probably millions) of 4473s are sitting in storage containers outside of ATF. They don't have the manpower to search through them effectively or organize them to generate a paper database, let alone a digital one. There are apparently efforts to digitize them, but the digital files are (supposedly) not searchable or indexable (against federal law to do so). Regardless, digital files are easier to destroy in many respects. As it is, 4473s get sent to the ATF or destroyed regularly. So, I'm not worried about the 4473 functioning as de facto registration.

Besides, I have a concealed handgun license issued by a state. ANYONE can actually find that out with the proper request to the proper state government. So, it would be completely reasonable to assume because I have a concealed handgun license, I might actually own a handgun. That's not a big leap. So, I'm not really hiding.

[jetfire]

What I'm getting from this is that the gov't requested the record, you gave them the record, and they showed up at the house. That doesn't sound like it has no usefulness at all.

That’s only for active 4473s with a currently operating gun store, and even then if the information on the form isn’t valid any more, like say the person moved, then what? Literally nothing happens.

[TC215]

Anyone that thinks that 4473's amount to a de facto registry has never had any experience with ATF gun traces.

[Joe in PNG]

And what's the general compliance rate with places that have registered & banned guns? Maybe 10%?

[OlongJohnson]

Three LGS that I did 4473s with have shut down. Presumably, those 4473s are molding in a shipping container somewhere controlled by BATFE. Also have CHLs in two states. And have talked about owning guns on this site. I'd have to have acquired stuff with cash and no BOS and buried it in a yard far away to keep it if a general confiscation happens.

[HCM]

Anyone that thinks that 4473's amount to a de facto registry has never had any experience with ATF gun traces.

This ^^^^.

[LOKNLOD]

It’s a piss poor registry. Thankfully.

Until you get “universal background checks” and the end of private sales.

Then it becomes a better registry.

Then the background checks won’t work very well without a real registry. And they’ll get one.

None of that will make a meaningful dent in any kind of real crime. It’ll create a few new “criminals” who break a paperwork law.

Meanwhile criminals will still be shootin’ and stabbin’ each other and its easy to rob any unarmed old lady, even with a rusty .32 HR revolver that’s been on the street for years.

[Lester Polfus]

As an aside, I rarely venture outside this forum when it comes to gun-related interneting, but a year or so ago I had reason to visit another forum while researching a topic.

A thread about Polymer 80 receivers caught my eye, in which the poster commented he'd bought a stock of their receivers FROM AN INTERNET RETAILER AT A GOOD PRICE, so he could have some heaters that were "off the books."

[HCM]

And what's the general compliance rate with places that have registered & banned guns? Maybe 10%?

Yup. And in those places it is generally enforced by attrition. Even in Australia, the gun ban the progressives love to tout. Every amnesty turns up huge numbers of guns.

How many WWII small arms still turn up in the UK and Europe ?

[LOKNLOD]

Yup. And in those places it is generally enforced by attrition. Even in Australia, the gun ban the progressives love to tout. Every amnesty turns up huge numbers of guns.

How many WWII small arms still turn up in the UK and Europe ?

And it doesn’t keep the bad guys from using them.

But it’s damn effective at shutting down the good guys.