want to by a gun from my iowegian uncle what's the legal way

[xd ED]

I won't disagree with doing the transfer by the book, but I wonder: would any secondary or tertiary FFL transfers, not sequential, or related to the original chain of custody, or the original sale FFL be discovered? If so, how?

National gun database that "does not exist"...

Seriously?
I thought the info normally stayed in the FFL's book, onsite at the place of bussiness.

[Squib Joe]

However, the only trace from the factory to the FFL ends with the retail sale unless it goes through an FFL on a subsequent sale.

Not recorded doesn't mean not investigated. I've been contacted by law enforcement about a privately purchased gun that I sold ten years ago that they were attempting to follow up the ladder. I can assure you that tracing isn't limited to FFLs at all.