Excellent points regarding a background check vice a gun purchase. There could be check done for multiple purchases.So you think he's recalling the list of concealed permit holders and erroneously applying that memory to the ATF and Form 4473's?
So you disagree with Horrible and believe some lists are maintained at the state level? In states with a mandatory registration, a list of registered guns must be maintained. This holds true on the federal level for NFA items. I know some states perform the background check at the state level. If those states, if they are performed like the federal background check, the only possible list would be a list of people who requested a background check. A check does not equal a gun purchase. And a background check does not equal A gun purchase. If you buy two guns on one approval and the government does record there was an approval, they know only that there's a good chance you bought a gun. If they confiscate guns based on the list, they won't know how many guns to confiscate. I guess they might if they were to break into every gun shop to copy their records since the guns bought are recorded only on the form after the approval and stay with the business for up to 20 years as long as the store is in business. That's a lot of work that must be done to compile all the information needed for the super secret lists. And with all the manpower needed to accomplish this never ending mission, it's somewhat surprising that every single person tasked with assisting has been someone who is unwilling to spill the beans.
That said, There are states that absolutely have lists of all/most of the guns that their subjects own and confiscate using those lists. Are those lists complete? No. Do those lists contain firearms that you once owned but have sold? Yes. When all gun transfers are recorded online, it isn’t that hard to maintain a database that is mostly comprehensive, I would imagine.