The Scope and Implications of a Tracing Mechanism for Small Arms ...

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• accessibility of the records (physical location or accessible
electronically);
• timeliness of retrieval system;
• retrievability of information (i.e., how the records are filed).
Wholesalers and distributors also play an important part in the tracing
process because they form a link between the maker and seller of the
firearm. More significantly, because wholesalers and distributors often deal
in large shipments of firearms, they can be targets for theft or serve as the
diversion point for illicit trafficking. Accordingly, any tracing system must
account for the accurate recording of each firearm transfer between
manufacturer and wholesaler or distributor and, subsequently, between
retailer or dealer. Important considerations for the wholesaler and
distributor, in addition to those of the record keeper, include:
• ensuring that accurate records are maintained during large shipments;
• establishing proper reporting and followup procedures when shipments
fail to arrive or arrive incomplete.
It should be pointed that importers are crucial in the tracing process
when they are required to impress an additional permanent marking to the
firearm at the time of import. In the US, for example, importers are required
to mark all imported firearms with a unique marking. (This mark is
recorded.)
This system can expedite the tracing process because the marking
provides an “update” on a firearm, especially where the firearms was not
marked or poorly marked (as in older, used guns). Thus, a trace can
commence from the record kept at the time of import, not from the time of
manufacture. Therefore, the role of the importer as a key player in the
tracing process must be acknowledged.
Dealers play a significant role in the tracing system because they
sometimes represent the last recorded collection point for firearm
information. In the US, for example, private transfers of firearms are not
generally regulated, leaving the transfer from the dealer to the first retail
buyer the last record of the firearm. While this system requires an often
time-consuming investigative trace by individual law enforcement officials,
it does not shift the burden of record-keeping to non-licensed persons, i.e.,
those not under regulation by the government. In other States, such as