The US government, through the ATF's firearm tracing branch, can trace firearms, but with significant limitations. Established by the Federal Firearms Act of 1968, this capability is constrained by a 1986 law prohibiting a national gun registry. Tracing is only initiated when a firearm is recovered from a crime, and the process relies on records maintained by retailers (Form 4473). The ATF's technology is deliberately limited to avoid creating a registry, forcing them to rely on manual, old-fashioned methods.
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