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Is there any truth to what people are saying about running a 4473 or having other NFA items to speed things up? I feel like that would have little to no effect on how fast it gets to someones desk.
Doubt it. Had NFA stuff, also had NFA stuff going thru the process just before this upgrade. Approved in Feb.
Amidst that approval timeframe Oregon auto-canceled my drivers license (because Massachusetts auto-extended a drivers license I hadn't had in 10 friggen years), so OR State Police canceled 2 firearms background checks I did in March. Not delayed or rejected, canceled. A phone in by the FFL using my Oregon CHL garnered an approval along with letting me know I didn't have a drivers license (for an unknown timeframe).
Straightened out DL the following week, same DL # reissued. With the "real ID" scam. New pic. Expires 2032.
Bought a suppressor early April 6 day approval, another end of April 2 day approval.
Prior to the DL crud was always instant approval on firearms purchases/transfers (Oregon, everything goes thru an FFL/4473)...
So in short, I believe if you don't have any issues which would require a person at ATF/NICS to have to look into (common name, name associated with some criminal, misdemeanor convictions etc etc) my understanding is its all automated. Then batch rubber stamped by a bureaucrat "approved electronically by ATF official".
Edit, Tues 5/14: Picked up an FAL varient STG58C (by EAI) yesterday. Back to instant approval BGC's...