The manual is designed as an operational tool to help police officers and other law enforcement officials understand and use the capabilities of the NLETS Trace Request Submission System. It is divided into four sections: (1) organization of the user's manual; (2) general background information on trace requests and on manual trace submissions; (3) information needed to send a routine trace request through the NLETS; and (4) types of responses to an NLETS trace request that can be generated by the Firearms Tracing System. The manual defines a firearms trace as the systematic tracking of a crime gun from the place of manufacture to the place of sale and notes the necessity of having an NLETS-accessible computer terminal at individual remote sites from which to submit trace requests. A glossary of terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used in the manual and an alphabetized index of information on important topics in the manual are included. References and exhibits