In the rare event that the media must discuss handgun use by civilians, they invariably refer to the handguns as "registered" or "licensed" even in states without any such schemes. I believe that this is calculated, to get people used to the notion of licensing and registration.
That’s what I suspected. Thanks.
If it’s still the same as 10 years ago, all handguns purchased in MD were “registered” by the fact that a spent shell casing provided by the manufacturer had to be sent to the state police, who keep it on file in the lost hope that it might identify the gun owner from casings found at a crime scene. I don’t believe that that has actually led to any convictions, but in any case, the state has a record of the purchase. A handgun purchaser must also have a certificate of training (which is what you were talking about), which is also kept on file with the state police, and which must be presented at the time of purchase.