Suppressors Form 4 wait time

[Arc Light]

There is absolutely no published contact data for FBI NICS division that I could find.

So, I reached out to the VAF (this is the team for UPINs, right). They had an email address published.

View attachment 7896412
So, I wrote them...acknowledged that I understand that this has zero to do with their area of responsibility but asked if they could provide a contact name/data for who handles ATF NICS transactions. Son of a gun, I got a live wire who wrote back to me the next day that he/she reached out to the supervisor of that section who advised that my NICS check for ATF Form 4 was approved and a PROCEED sent back to the ATF....on the very same day we pinged them. sigh...it was probably sitting under a box of donuts for 3 months.

Now, understand that I did this as my Senator's office had gone to the ATF who advised that I was on NICS DELAY since end of March. Since I have zero arrest records and multiple security clearances as both mil officer and civilian this DELAY status simply could not be justified and apparently is was not insofar as soon as we pinged them it was suddenly approved. Oh, what a shock.

I would advise you to document your situation to your Senator's office and some constituent service staffer will reach out to the ATF Congressional liaison office contact. If you have no data/info at all as to where its hung up, they won't have much to work with so I'd start there, personally.

Thanks brother, I'm gonna use that email address and see if they will help me.

Did you include any other information in your email like your ATF transaction number, DOB, SSN, etc. when you initially wrote to them?

 

[Baron23]

Thanks brother, I'm gonna use that email address and see if they will help me.

Did you include any other information in your email like your ATF transaction number, DOB, SSN, etc. when you initially wrote to them?

I attached a pdf of my Form 4.

 

[Charger442]

The end of this abortion of a process is at hand.

After:

- engaging my Senator's office​

- provoking the FBI to finally run my Form 4 NICS check that they were sitting on for months (got to love that I for Instant in NICS, yeah?)​

- the FBI then sending it back to the AFT with a PROCEED​

I called the ATF NFA branch today and a lovely and very nice young lady named Taylor said "oh, this is your lucky day...your Form 4 was approved yesterday" (not clear how that happened as yesterday was a Fed holiday but I'm not complaining).

Just a few days shy of 13 months and IMO it would have been well longer if we (me and my Senator's constituent services staff) didn't start pinging both the ATF and the FBI.

Now, Taylor did tell me that the ATF is still holding 8 months as their current average processing time for Form 4's....but she couldn't break out the efile data from paper form data and I suspect strongly that if you took the efiles out of the average, then it would be more like 12-14 months.

And this is what we pay our taxes for....FFS.

Good. Make them earn their ridiculous government paycheck

 

[JJMoody]

21 weeks, 1 day from check cashed to approved and in hand.
Tbac dominus .30 cal
SS trust
Idaho

 

[K80/6.5]

Picked my first suppressor up today 13 months from purchase. Now I need to get a couple more in jail.

 

[ballisticdaddy]

Dead Air Nomad-Ti:
Form 3: Delivered to Dealer on 5/29/2021 8:27:40 PM
Form 4 (Single Shot): Tax Stamp Cashed on 6/8/2021

Dead Air Nomad-Ti:
Form 4 (Single Shot): Tax stamp cashed on 6/8/22
Approval: yesterday 6/21/22
379 days from tax stamp to approval

 

[Eurodriver]

Paper Form 4 Individual to Out of State Dealer - Machine Gun

Mailed at the end of March, stamp showed up in the mail today.

 

[HaydenLane]

Entity: SS Trust
Pending: 01/27/22
Approved: 06/22/22
Standardized Wait: 146 days
State: ND

TBAC Ultra 7 via SS

So much for 90 days, or 120 days lol.

 

[LeftyJason]

Still pending at 380 days on my ultra 7. Cash date June 7 2021.

 

[Baron23]

there is zero excuse for our Fed government to take over a year for these Form 4 approvals. Its just atrocious and I'm mad on behalf of you guys still waiting on approval.

As I mentioned, I was approved on 20 Jun so 389 days, I believe.

Now, let's see how long it takes them to mail the stamp....sigh.

 

[K80/6.5]

Dead Air Nomad-Ti:
Form 4 (Single Shot): Tax stamp cashed on 6/8/22
Approval: yesterday 6/21/22
379 days from tax stamp to approval

Mine was also nomad ti. Just picked it up yesterday. I will be strictly using efile from now on.

 

[30calDeath]

I'm at day 428 for a Trash Panda and day 400 for a Wolfman, non-eFile multi person trust.

 

[Electric B]

If they can’t get it processed in a year they should have to automatically approve it @ day 365!

 

[Longshot231]

If they can’t get it processed in a year they should have to automatically approve it @ day 365!

How about 3 days like a NICS check for a firearm? That's what the FBI checks when they run the so-called "background check."

EDIT: In a perfect world, we wouldn't have any of this silliness to deal with. We could walk in any gun store and buy a can.

 

[FuhQ]

How about 3 days like a NICS check for a firearm? That's what the FBI checks when they run the so-called "background check."

EDIT: In a perfect world, we wouldn't have any of this silliness to deal with. We could walk in any gun store and buy a can.

That’s what the Hearing Protection Act was going to do. 4473 and simple NICS check. But Paul Ryan (like a nutless pussy) shelved the vote when he had enough votes in 2018, after the Vegas false flag.

 

[Arc Light]

Anyone else still waiting on eForm Form 4 approval from early February? There is no rhyme or reason to the way these are approved. Some have been approved in 30 days or less, and others are going on month 5+

 

[waspocrew]

Anyone else still waiting on eForm Form 4 approval from early February? There is no rhyme or reason to the way these are approved. Some have been approved in 30 days or less, and others are going on month 5+

Yep, certified on 2/7 and still no word.

 

[KZP]

Anyone else still waiting on eForm Form 4 approval from early February? There is no rhyme or reason to the way these are approved. Some have been approved in 30 days or less, and others are going on month 5+

E-file forms are sorted in a special order. It takes the sum of your birthdate, divides by 2, this number is now multiplied times the sum of the date your tax stamp was cashed. Divide all this by π. This number determines where you fall in the queue which is then sorted alphabetically using the 3rd letter of your middle name.

 

[hlee]

Anyone else still waiting on eForm Form 4 approval from early February? There is no rhyme or reason to the way these are approved. Some have been approved in 30 days or less, and others are going on month 5+

Mine was denied in late May- certified Feb 10. I figure that if my dealer hadn’t fucked up id have been approved then…

 

[kthomas]

Currently at 125 days and counting on my first E-file...

 

[Nosteponsnek]

check cashed on 05/05/2021
approved on 05/15/2022
stamp at dealer ????

the dealer closed there shop but kept there license I've been messaging them on Facebook and one of them told me they may have gotten it and the boss put it in the safe and is now on vacation till July 3rd..... I'm past my 45 days so I want to know if its here or if I need to call and have them send a new one....

 

[clcustom1911]

4/28/2021: 2 Form 4s submitted (SF Socom 556RC2, AEM5)

6/22/2022: both stamps at dealer.

14 months.

Getting back from Iraq (again) end of August, so I'll get them at that time. Yay cool

Edit (6/25/22, 0630 Arabian Standard Time) all you E-File fucks can suck a fucking dick with your "errmmagerrdd 120 dayzz much terrible" attitude.

E-file probably delayed my (and all other Form 4) stamps by an additional 100+ days. Form 4's were coming back at 10 months (300 days) until e-file hit. Now Form 4's are at 400+ days.

 

[JMil72]

Efile 142 days and counting

 

[FuhQ]

eForm 4 Otter Creek Labs Hydrogen-S

Certified 5/17/22 - Currently at 38 days and counting...

 

[Arc Light]

Over on Reddit I've seen guys post that their eform 4 was approved in as little as 2 weeks. These were normal applications too, not expedited. Others like me are approaching 150 days. Only a government program could be so fucked up. In any other rational system, it would be first in, first out. You'd also be able to get meaningful status updates.

 

[leclairk]

eFile 4/4/22
Approved 6/23/22
How long does it take before I can pick it up from my FFL?
Sorry to everyone still waiting. If it makes you feel any better I waited almost a year for my 1st one.

 

[Bluedog82]

eFile 4/4/22
Approved 6/23/22
How long does it take before I can pick it up from my FFL?
Sorry to everyone still waiting. If it makes you feel any better I waited almost a year for my 1st one.

If you got the email with your stamp my understanding is you can get it now.

 

[FuhQ]

eFile 4/4/22
Approved 6/23/22
How long does it take before I can pick it up from my FFL?
Sorry to everyone still waiting. If it makes you feel any better I waited almost a year for my 1st one.

Yep, like was mentioned... If you got the ATF email with the stamp, then you can go to your dealer and get it immediately following. Your dealer should have received a copy of the same email.

 

[Sil17sd]

Today is 120 still waiting

128 today still waiting

 

[sam4886]

eFile 4/4/22
Approved 6/23/22
How long does it take before I can pick it up from my FFL?
Sorry to everyone still waiting. If it makes you feel any better I waited almost a year for my 1st one.

Oh cool. I certified 2 that same say. Maybe I'll get lucky too.

 

[greg1147]

eForm4
Trust no RP
17 days waiting
RC2

 

[Arc Light]

@Baron23, thanks again for providing the FBI contact info. I heard back from a nice woman this AM informing me that my application was APPROVED.

Now I did contact my Congressman last week and his staff did send an inquiry to the ATF and FBI regarding my application. So not sure if it is all coincidence and it was going to be approved today regardless. But with my luck, if I hadn't pursued it on my end I probably would be waiting God knows how much longer.

 

[Baron23]

@Baron23, thanks again for providing the FBI contact info. I heard back from a nice woman this AM informing me that my application was APPROVED.

Now I did contact my Congressman last week and his staff did send an inquiry to the ATF and FBI regarding my application. So not sure if it is all coincidence and it was going to be approved today regardless. But with my luck, if I hadn't pursued it on my end I probably would be waiting God knows how much longer.

So, it was the FBI? NICS? If so, that means your background check was done with PROCEED then it’s back w the ATF do do whatever the fuck they do.

Or was it ATF who said your form 4 was approved?

 

[Arc Light]

So, it was the FBI? NICS? If so, that means your background check was done with PROCEED then it’s back w the ATF do do whatever the fuck they do.

Or was it ATF who said your form 4 was approved?

I woke up this AM to two emails in my inbox. One was from the FBI NICS division in response to the email I sent them. It said I was approved and to contact the ATF. The second was an automated email from ATF telling me I was approved and had a pdf attached of my tax stamp. This was an eForm application.

 

[Klay23]

105 days

 

[Klay23]

.... back of the line! New fish!....

Haha. This waiting sucks…..

 

[kthomas]

Efile - 136 days...

Right behind you at 125 days.

About to go on vacation, maybe it'll be approved by the time I get back...

 

[Arc Light]

141 days until my approval this morning for me.

 

[DellaDog]

About a year out now. Called this am and still "pending." For grins I asked if it would be faster to cancel the paper process and resubmit e-file.

"No sir, you'd have to submit a cancellation request which is a minimum 90 days, then e-file after the cancellation is approved."

3 months to approve the cancellation of a year-long un-started examination process.

 

[Hondo64d]

My check was cashed in April of ‘21. over 14 months now.

John

 

[stefan73]

120 days and still waiting on first E-file

 

[hlee]

2 weeks ago people were arguing with me that e form approvals are 90 days and my response was that was true a month ago but now they're 4 months and they're trending towards 5 months. I think the mean average of people waiting on E forms are within a week to a week and a half of being 5 month approvals. I wonder when it is going to cap out? 5-6 month approvals? A year ago I was getting paper 4's back in 8 months

Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.

 

[stefan73]

Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.

You're bringing me down with your negativity.

 

[Arc Light]

When I picked up my can this morning I spoke to the owner of the shop. Supposedly this is Silencer Shop's largest dealer in the country. He told me eForm form 4's have been taking an average of 4 months. I was just shy of 5 months, so in the ballpark I suppose.

But it makes me wonder how some people have gotten approved in 30-90 days. Luck of the draw? State dependent? A lot of praying? WTF is the process? No one seems to know for sure and ATF ain't telling apparently.

 

[hlee]

When I picked up my can this morning I spoke to the owner of the shop. Supposedly this is Silencer Shop's largest dealer in the country. He told me eForm form 4's have been taking an average of 4 months. I was just shy of 5 months, so in the ballpark I suppose.

But it makes me wonder how some people have gotten approved in 30-90 days. Luck of the draw? State dependent? A lot of praying? WTF is the process? No one seems to know for sure and ATF ain't telling apparently.

My feeling is that the wait has a lot to do with the case load of the local examiners. Some may just not be as busy (or industrious) as others...

 

[Arc Light]

My feeling is that the wait has a lot to do with the case load of the local examiners. Some may just not be as busy (or industrious) as others...

I think you may be right. So are examiners assigned specific states? Or are they just assigned randomly? I think it may be by state because over on the huge Reddit thread there was a bunch of people from AZ that were approved in something crazy like 2-4 WEEKS.

 

[stefan73]

I think you may be right. So are examiners assigned specific states? Or are they just assigned randomly? I think it may be by state because over on the huge Reddit thread there was a bunch of people from AZ that were approved in something crazy like 2-4 WEEKS.

I know they were assigned to regions at a time, not sure if it is still that way. I used to know the names of a few and which ones you hoped you didn't fall under.

 

[07SGT4623]

Bought on 10/19/2022 got my e-tax stamp today (6/24/2002)...i think i was caught in the change over normally i was less then 6 months

Dead Air Mask 22

 

[JMil72]

141 days until my approval this morning for

I know they were assigned to regions at a time, not sure if it is still that way. I used to know the names of a few and which ones you hoped you didn't fall under.

Maine must be one of the slow as slug states. Lucky me…

 

[QS-1911]

Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.

I was sitting here thinking the same thing. One of the treads I'm already seeing by the postings here it's starting to take longer and longer for those who e-filed to get approved. In another two to three months, we'll start seeing e-file number creeping upwards to 150-170 days.