Gun Registration in The U.S.

I get this question from many different people. Do I have to register my gun?
Let me try to set the record straight. Hollywood and the left mainstream media have been somewhat successful in their propaganda war against the 2nd amendment. At least in the area of registration. Most people think that guns must be registered. Even those who have bought a gun think that filling out an ATF Form 4473, Firearms Transaction Record, is registering their gun. There is no national database or system or registry that ties gun owners to their firearms. The background check is not even in a system for more than 24 hours. In 1986 the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act makes it illegal for the national government or any state in the country to keep any sort of database or registry that ties firearms directly to their owner. The exact wording of the provision is as follows:
“No such rule or regulation prescribed [by the Attorney General] after the date of the enactment of the Firearms Owners Protection Act may require that records required to be maintained under this chapter or any portion of the contents of such records, be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or any political subdivision thereof, nor that any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or disposition be established. Nothing in this section expands or restricts the Secretary's authority to inquire into the disposition of any firearm in the course of a criminal investigation.”
A few things here you should understand. First notice the use of the word “after” in the first sentence. That means that any law that existed prior to the passing of FOPA, that required guns be registered, can still exist and be legally enforced.
FOPA revised many of the provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968.
Remember that just because something is illegal doesn’t mean it isn’t being done. New York for example. It’s interesting to me that those that are for “sensible” gun laws, decide to ignore a federal law. They are for federal gun bans, but FOPA they ignore.
The NYPD has a record of the manufacturer, model, serial number and caliber of every firearm (handgun and long arms too) in NY. You need to have a registration certificate for every long arm in addition to needing a “Permit to Possess Rifles or Shotguns In New York City” (which are limited to 5 rounds among other restrictions). Other municipalities also have a track record of ignoring the Federal Firearm Owner's Protection Act.
Local Jurisdictions that Register Guns:
States that Require Registration of All Firearms
1. District of Columbia
2. Hawaii
States that Require Registration of Handguns
New York
States that Require New Residents to Report Their Firearms
1. California
2. Maryland (handguns and “assault weapons”)
States that Require Registration of Pre-Ban “Assault Weapons” and/or 50 Caliber Rifles
1. California
2. Connecticut
3. Hawaii
4. Maryland
5. New Jersey
6. New York
Despite FOPA There Are Some Limited Government Gun Databases
In addition to the local authorities who may disregard the local law we also know that the ATF keeps at least 5 databases of specific firearms and their owners to include:
1. Multiple Sale Reports. Over 460,000 (as of 2003) Multiple Sales reports (ATF F 3310.4 – a registration record with specific firearms and owner name and address – increasing by about 140,000 per year). Reported as 4.2 million records in 2010.
2. Suspect Guns. All guns suspected of being used for criminal purposes but not recovered by law enforcement. This database includes (ATF's own examples), individuals purchasing large quantities of firearms, and dealers with improper record keeping. May include guns observed by law enforcement in an estate, or at a gun show, or elsewhere. Reported as 34,807 in 2010.
3. Traced Guns. Over 4 million detail records from all traces since inception. This is a registration record which includes the personal information of the first retail purchaser, along with the identity of the selling dealer.
4. Out of Business Records. Data is manually collected from paper Out-of-Business records (or input from computer records) and entered into the trace system by ATF. These are registration records which include name and address, make, model, serial and caliber of the firearm(s), as well as data from the 4473 form – in digital or image format. In March, 2010, ATF reported receiving several hundred million records since 1968.
5. Theft Guns. Firearms reported as stolen to ATF. Contained 330,000 records in 2010. Contains only thefts from licensed dealers and interstate carriers (optional). Does not have an interface to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) theft data base, where the majority of stolen, lost and missing firearms are reported.
Gun registration DOES NOT STOP CRIMINALS! How could it? Even if law enforcement know who owns a gun used in a crime, that does not convict anyone! It does, however, burden a law enforcement agency. All registration does is track the innocent. Criminals are not going to participate.
Making it easy for our government to identify what they perceive as a threat, and ignoring Constitutional, God given rights, is always pursued in the name of law enforcement. Please don’t misunderstand my attitude toward law enforcement. I think they are the best in the world! I’ve trained, and trained with, many of these fine men and women. I applaud their tireless efforts to keep Americans safe and secure. But they do work for the people. The people’s rights should not be ignored in the name of making law enforcements jobs easier. I want law enforcement to succeed. But not at the expense of my rights. Why is anyone so trusting of government? I agree that our governments are not perfect, but I’ve never seen a better one. But the people should ALWAYS have power over government, not vice versa. A good example of government gone crazy is the case of the FBI trying to force Apple to open the phone of a terrorist. What kind of police work is that? It’s not the responsibility of the people, or Corporations, to do the FBI’s work! Then, after taking Apple to court, they did what they should have done all along, hired someone to hack into the phone. Instead they took Apple to court and tried to force an American citizen to do their work! What kind of lazy police work is that? This is what I think of gun registration. I’m not really worried that my government is going to storm into my house demanding guns, but I do know that if they don’t know who has guns it would make it much more difficult. I should be difficult. That’s why the 2nd amendment is there. So that the people have power over the government.
Regardless of those governments that think they rule over the people (yea I’m talking to YOU Hawaii and Washington D.C.) there is no gun registration in the United States.
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn