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

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Canada, nearly all transfers require an amendment of the firearms record,
permitting a faster, more reliable and more accurate trace of the legal
possessors of the firearms.
Certainly, to the extent that a State’s constitution and legal system
permits, firearms dealers do not need to be the final record keeper. As
discussed infra, a tracing system benefits whereby accurate and
comprehensive records are maintained by all the players in the chain of
distribution.
4.3.2 Civilian Law Enforcement
As noted supra, a trace often begins with recovery of a crime gun by a
local, regional or national law enforcement official. This action begins the
task of identification of the firearm and its markings, a task requiring a fair
degree of training and expertise. Depending upon the resources at their
disposal, the law enforcement officials must be educated and well trained
to complete a successful trace. It is not, however, necessary (and not
practically feasible) for the law enforcement official to effectuate the trace
itself. Rather, law enforcement must know how and when to contact the
other players in the tracing circle. Thus, a law enforcement official can
ordinarily submit a trace request to a specialist who will contact the
manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor, retailer, purchaser or last know
possessor and forward that information back to the officer. In other
circumstances, the official may contact a central registry of firearms owners
as a starting point for the investigation. In both cases, the role of the law
enforcement official is to initiate the trace. 9
4.3.3 Military Tracing Systems
The loss of military stockpiles of firearms (e.g., in the Balkans) in the last
decade has proved the importance of establishing and maintaining a tracing
system for all military small arms. Maintaining a separate military tracing
system is advisable for several reasons, most notably the national security
concerns of a transparent tracing system for military weapons. Such
sensitivities are understandable and appropriate. However, the ready
identification and tracing arms held by the State must be available on a
case-by-case basis, so that States can identify and investigate losses and
other States can combat illicit trafficking in such weapons.