Via Jeff, this article has a glaring inaccuracy:
Cho allegedly answered no, but the panel wasn’t allowed to see the forms he filled out, which were destroyed within 30 days anyway, both restrictions courtesy of National Rifle Association lobbying. His psychiatric hospital history was not in the database, anyway, so Cho got away with it. And these checks aren’t mandatory in the first place.
I’m not sure why the panel wouldn’t have had access to the 4473, but 4473 is required to be kept for twenty years by the dealer in his records.  I’m going to guess, though I will admit that I don’t know for sure, that ATF can come in and make a copy of 4473, and probably subpoena the original.  Plus the background check is absolutely mandatory if you’re buying a firearm at retail.
But why research, when you just spew.
Isn’t it the record of the background check that is destroyed after 30 days.
Yes
Any bets that the original is “destroyed”, but that a copy is kept?
Original/Copy doesn’t have much meaning in a digital context.