Oh I agree. It is very likely that the electronic checks are recorded and could be used as a non-official registry of gun owners. I removed my comment to that effect because it is speculation. But, electronic records are so easily recorded that I have little doubt that the electronic checks are in fact an illegal registry.

I could go on a whole tirade about how policing should not scale with technology, Katz v. USA was decided when surveillance had to be done with still images and film cameras, but the horse left the barn long ago and nobody really gives a shit about the constitution anymore.

can the police not use a found weapon's serial number to determine its owner? how can they do that if there's no registry with that info?