"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
I believe there is a restriction on law enforcement that prevents them
from keeping the records of purchases for more than a brief period.
I don't know the reference. It's not important enough for me to look
it up.

You're right. The law forbids FBI and BATF from diverting tax dollars away
from law enforcement to keep redundent records that the same law already
requires gun dealers to keep. Why spend $millions to keep duplicate and
triplicate records? Because catching criminals is a far more dangerous and
demanding pastime than keeping records and filming congressmen with
prostitutes.