So what exactly happens during the DROS period?

[Roo]

I know for a handgun they register the exact serial number to you but do they do that with rifles/shotguns as well? Is your name listed in a database with what you own? If police runs the serial on your rifle does it show you as the owner? Past owners? Whole ownership tree? What about pistols? Just current owner or previous owners? Or do they just run serial numbers for stolen rifles/pistols? I was told by someone who needs to remove his tin foil hat that if you get pulled over or for any reason the cops look up your name you are labeled as dangerous and it list what you own, but I find that hard to believe. Or is the DROS period just a way to see if you are mental or so you 'cool down'? I find it hard for them to do anything with receives since your not registering what you are buying just the receiver so whats the point?

[hoffmang]

For 98% of DROSes, here is how it works.

1. Handgun - The DROS information is sent to DOJ. They forward it to an outsourcer (who last I heard was in AZ) and they run the NICS check and enter your name and the firearm make, model, and serial number into a database if the NICS comes back clean - which is usually in the first 4 hours after the DROS is submitted.

2. Long gun - Same outsourcer - no information on the firearm or arms other than "long gun." Same NICS turn around generally.

The other 9 days are because the Brady Campaign could. The theory is that its a cooling off period. Its probably of some marginal use for the first gun in class (handgun/longgun) but isn't even rational if you already own another gun of the same class at home.

-Gene

[Roo]

Since there is no information for long guns how do they know who owns what? So they don't record serials for long guns? What if one is stolen from you and you didn't know the serial? From what I have read about DROS it is a waste of time and money for anything besides hand guns. And I don't get they whole I must wait 10 days to purchase a gun if I already own a couple.. I am going to write down all my serials just incase a rifle is ever stolen from me I can have it in a secondary place.

[Shane916]

Since there is no information for long guns how do they know who owns what? So they don't record serials for long guns? What if one is stolen from you and you didn't know the serial? From what I have read about DROS it is a waste of time and money for anything besides hand guns. And I don't get they whole I must wait 10 days to purchase a gun if I already own a couple.. I am going to write down all my serials just incase a rifle is ever stolen from me I can have it in a secondary place.

The 4473 is the ATF form you fill out. It has all your info as well as every firearm in the transaction with Make/Model/Serial/Cailiber. They are held at the FFL. Storing the serials to your guns is a good idea as it would take a lot of footwork to obtain them after a theft. The 10 day wait is by far a waste of a law. I find it rather insulting it even applies to military and law enforcement...

[hoffmang]

1. The State does not get to know who owns what long gun. If your long gun is used in a crime, during a valid police investigation an officer can request FFL log book information to try to trace back to a 4473 that is generally stored at the last FFL that you bought from. However, quite politically intentionally, there is no central database of long arm serial numbers and owners.

2. Keeping track of your own long gun serial numbers is your problem. I have a list and photos for my insurance and theft reporting purposes.

3. The DROS and 10 day wait is what the antis can get away with to make acquiring a firearm more difficult. The only rational basis at all is that it does deter a handful of suicides for first time firearms buyers but at high cost to law abiding citizens.

-Gene

[leelaw]

Since there is no information for long guns how do they know who owns what?

They know that "This person owns a number of longguns, and these makes, models, and serials of handguns" unless they raid every FFL that you've shopped at and copy down their 4473 information, at which point they know all info about every gun you own (presuming no guns were purchased over 20 years ago, at which point the FFL could destroy the records)

[Roo]

The 4473 is the ATF form you fill out. It has all your info as well as every firearm in the transaction with Make/Model/Serial/Cailiber. They are held at the FFL. Storing the serials to your guns is a good idea as it would take a lot of footwork to obtain them after a theft.

So they keep all the paperwork in files but do not enter it into a database so it is easily accessible? Is it just me or is this nothing but a pain in the butt?

[Roo]

They know that "This person owns a number of longguns, and these makes, models, and serials of handguns" unless they raid every FFL that you've shopped at and copy down their 4473 information, at which point they know all info about every gun you own (presuming no guns were purchased over 20 years ago, at which point the FFL could destroy the records)

So what if you sell a long gun? Is it taken off your 'record'?

[hoffmang]

So what if you sell a long gun? Is it taken off your 'record'?

If you buy a long gun from FFL "A", own it for 5 years, and then PPT it through FFL "B", then the trace generally dies at FFL "A." Depending on the crime, they might contact you to see if you still possess it and ask you who/where/when you sold it - but you don't have much obligation to remember other than doing the right thing when the gun you resold was used in a crime. If you remember FFL "B," then the LEO continues the trace to FFL "B's" bound book and 4473s.

-Gene

[Roo]

You know, maybe I wouldn't mind so much waiting 10 days to pick up a firearm if I knew that time was being used for something useful. It is a great system for hand guns but not so much for long guns...

[hoffmang]

It is a great system for hand guns but not so much for long guns...

Why is it a "great system?" There are very strong liberty arguments against the government keeping a centralized list of handgun owners. You'll notice they don't have a centralized list of ISP subscribers.

-Gene

[Roo]

Why is it a "great system?" There are very strong liberty arguments against the government keeping a centralized list of handgun owners. You'll notice they don't have a centralized list of ISP subscribers.

-Gene

Sorry I guess I should have reworded it. It is a great system FOR THEM to use and keep track, but their long gun system seems almost pointless. Besides making sure criminals/illegals don't purchase guns....

[hoffmang]

Ok.

The only real point of NICS (which DROS is just a state wrapper around NICS) is to stop prohibited folks from purchasing. Through political ground holding we've been able to keep more of our rights around long guns.

Demonizing handguns has been one of the divide to conquer strategies of the Antis. Just read the Supreme Court Filings in Parker/Heller to see them still up to the usual.

-Gene

[Roo]

Ok.

The only real point of NICS (which DROS is just a state wrapper around NICS) is to stop prohibited folks from purchasing. Through political ground holding we've been able to keep more of our rights around long guns.

Demonizing handguns has been one of the divide to conquer strategies of the Antis. Just read the Supreme Court Filings in Parker/Heller to see them still up to the usual.

-Gene

I agree with the NICS part but like you said that takes hours, I shouldn't have to wait 10 days.

[DedEye]

I agree with the NICS part but like you said that takes hours, I shouldn't have to wait 10 days.

Hours? Guess again. In free states you can walk out of the store with your successfully "DROSed" (or that state's equilvalent) after the completion of the NICS check in about five minutes.