quote:
Wait just a minute! I was told by more than one poster on here not but a few weeks ago that there is abaolutely no possible way the ATF has information on i,dividuals.
This must be false reporting. Remember, the government is here to help.
IIRC, we were talking in the other thread about a vast database of gun owners compiled via NICS.
Multiple sale forms are being sent to BATFE. It's pretty well know that they're keeping that info. Otherwise there's no reason for FFLs to send it.
Access 2000 isn't some vast database of gun owners either. "ACCESS 2000 is a partnership between ATF and firearms industry members, such as importers, manufacturers, and wholesalers. It provides the National Tracing Center with online access to records to assist in the tracing process" These are all big fish that aren't generally selling direct to consumers. It's the first step in the trace process to get to the dealer who sold the gun.
It's worth reading the actual report:
http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/678091.pdfquote:
A2K for firearms records of in-business industry members complies with the appropriations act restriction on consolidation and centralization based on A2K's statutory foundation and its features. ATF believes, and we agree, that A2K for in-business records appropriately balances the restriction on consolidating and centralizing firearms records with ATF's need to access firearms information in support of its mission to enforce the Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended. Federal law requires FFLs to provide firearms disposition information to ATF within 24 hours in response to a trace request in the course of a criminal investigation.55 ATF officials told us that they developed A2K in response to industry member requests for an automated option for responding to trace requests. Prior to A2K, FFLs could only respond to trace requests by having dedicated personnel research firearms disposition information and then submit that information to ATF by phone, fax, or e-mail. In contrast, A2K provides industry memberswho voluntarily participate in A2Kwith servers to facilitate automated electronic responses to ATF trace requests.56 Under A2K, industry members upload their electronic firearms disposition information onto the servers located at their premises on a regular basis. Industry members not ATFretain possession and control of their disposition records and, according to ATF officials, they may withdraw from A2K and remove their records from the servers at any time. A2K includes a secure user web interface to each of the servers and ATF may only obtain A2K disposition information by searching individual industry member servers by exact firearm serial number. Through this search, ATF obtains the same information from each industry member as it would otherwise obtain by phone, fax, or e-mail, and in similar disaggregated form.
*According to ATF, as of April 25, 2016, there are 35 industry members representing 66 manufacturer, importer, and wholesaler FFLs participating in A2K. Generally, retail FFLs are not able to participate in A2K. However, NTC officials stated that they are not aware whether an A2K industry member has a retail store as part of its operations, as was the case with one A2K industry member we interviewed. For the purposes of this report, the term "industry members" refers to FFLs participating in A2K
