The FBI knew who bought pressure ccookers within a hundred miles of Boston after the marathon bombing. Almost all gun owners leave a trace whether it was intended or not when they make a purchase.
@NavyCanDo Yeah that's right, if the transaction is over the counter... At the least, the dealer calling in to register an application for the buyer means that somewhere, the FBI has recorded the name of the applicant and that the applicant has purchased a gun. I do not believe for a minute that that transaction is discarded.
Which is why I am so very opposed to registration or universal background checks. I think private sales should remain independent of any transaction record. The guns they don't know about are the guns that keep us free. And that is why I have said I will not comply, and I mean that absolutely.