Is it true that, although the government doesn’t (can’t) retain purchase paperwork, it can obtain records from gunshops which retain them for a long period of time? Can the government do this without a specific court order pertaining to one particular individual? Thanks.
the various fed/state/county/city/burough/district/PUD laws/regulations are all over the map on that issue. In Florida’s case, one generous lawyer publishes a book every year attempting to keep up with this morass of confusing/conflicting issues related thereto. Perhaps some states are even less gunfriendly...we at least now have Castle Doctrine, and Stand your ground in law...as to record keeping, who knows? Every now and then an anti-american newspaper editor publishes a list of gunowners he weaseled out of some anti-American bureaucrat. Usually at little cost to himself and serious cost to many others. Apparently, ‘that’s American’ nowadays...g’luck in your quest.
Yes, FFLs are required to keep paperwork for 20 years (at which point it may then be destroyed) but the BATFE may come in and “inspect” the paperwork at any time, including by making copies of anything and everything. Needless to say, the BATFE is pushing towards electronic 4473s, meaning, a database of purchases (make, model, serial number, + name, address, SSN), meaning, de facto registration.