How did the law find out where the FL shooter bought his guns?

[jim in Anchorage]

Looks like my understanding of FFL record keeping is incorrect. I thought it went as follows-
1] Dealer phones in BC. Only your name is used. The gun you are buying is not part of this.

2] You fill out 4473. Dealer keeps this. It is not transferred to BATF, electronicly or other wise.

So how did they find the dealer so fast? Would they have records of a BC in his name and use that?

 

[MtnCreek]

They start with the manufacturer, then to the distributor, then to the LGS.

 

[Reefinmike]

Maybe they searched recent NICS inquiries with the given name of the sob. From there, they would get the location and the gun store will have the serial in their bound book as required by law. The only info given to nics by the ffl about the firearm is whether its a pistol, rifle or shotgun(?).

 

[jim in Anchorage]

They start with the manufacturer, then to the distributor, then to the LGS.

Your right. I forgot it was tracked all the way. Thanks.

 

[Jeff H]

It really isn't that difficult since they have the guns in their possession.

FBI "Mr. Sig, what distributor did you sell this serial number to?"

SIG "Well, I sold it to XYZ distributor."

FBI "Mr. XYZ distributor, what gun shop did you sell this SIG to?"

Dist "Well, I sold it to Joe Blow gun shop."

FBI "Mr. Joe Blow, I need to see your 4473 forms right now."

 

[MedWheeler]

It's even possible the dealer spoke up first. This is a gun shop attached to a range at which I shoot every now and then (I live in the same city.) The owner's a pretty stand-up guy. If he or his staff remembered the individual after the story broke, they would know investigators would be comin' a knockin', anyway.

Incidentally, the other gun shop mentioned, the one that reportedly turned the subject away when he asked about body armor and bulk-purchases of ammunition a few weeks before the attack, is also a tightly-run outfit. I've purchased several firearms there myself, and have shot them in the attached range.

 

[Onmilo]

They start with the manufacturer, then to the distributor, then to the LGS.

Yep, follow the trail is easy on a new firearm purchase

Used guns, not so much.

This guy didn't care if they found out.
His intent was to murder and die.

But remember, according to the far left, Radical Islamic Terror act was not his intent.
He just hated gay people,, right?

 

[wally]

Fact of the matter is it didn't take much longer to "trace" Oswald's rifle to him from a Klien's mail order purchase using only normal business records pre-4473 and well before the Internet and widespread usage of computers.

 

[tark]

Does anyone here really THINK that the FBI is NOT keeping a record of those BCs?? Illegally, of course. When has the law ever stopped this Administration??

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Looks like my understanding of FFL record keeping is incorrect. I thought it went as follows-
1] Dealer phones in BC. Only your name is used. The gun you are buying is not part of this.

2] You fill out 4473. Dealer keeps this. It is not transferred to BATF, electronicly or other wise.

So how did they find the dealer so fast? Would they have records of a BC in his name and use that?

The way it was supposed to work.
ATF starts with manufacturer or distributor and sees who they sold it to, then keeps going down the line. That's why dealers need to keep their records for a number of years.

Mike

 

[MICHAEL T]

They will find you. I bought a pistol in 1968 while in Army . I was stationed in CO in 1973 when FBI knocked on my door . Wanting to know if I owned such and such pistol . I told them no I had sold a few months before . I got name for them and I ask about the pistol. Was told used in bank robbery in Seattle. Coast to coast

 

[Al Thompson]

MtnCreek nailed it.