That's only at the federal level, though. Here in Washington State, a handgun purchased by a permit holder is entered into a state level database which is most

That's only at the federal level, though. Here in Washington State, a handgun purchased by a permit holder is entered into a state level database which is most certainly computerized. Sadly, I know this because there was a shooting spree just a couple of years ago in my hometown. http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/05/police-release-details-of-cafe-racer-and-first-hill-killings/ http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2012/05/police-release-det... The above news blog post has a screen shot of how local cops were able to pull the records on the six legally owned handguns of the (mentally disturbed) murderer. They include serial numbers and purchase dates. So, no, NRA does not know how to avoid big brother. They know how to perpetuate their power and influence by using concentrated voting blocs in a relatively few key congressional districts in order to invent a wedge issue of dubious relevance. But when it comes to having lists of guns in a computer run by a government, that train has sailed. (All that said, there is certainly an effectiveness to what NRA has achieved here. But couldn't we acknowledge that effectiveness and then put in place a distributed crypto / key escrow system that would allow the guns themselves to be tracked by serial / model / dates of transfers, and then with the second keyholder's approval to unlock the names of individuals?)