to help with ATF wait times, what info did you provide to them? I received a couple of docs requesting my own info and me to sign a doc allowing the senate office to use this info to contact the ATF on my behalf along with of course a question about what I needed help with. What did you provide?

I'm presuming - name, address, phone #, the devices (S#?) you are wanting assistance with. Anything else? Thanks.

Usually your Rep will have a link on their page. Something along the lines of “help with a federal agency”. You’ll have to fill out a release for them, then another from ATF usually.

As for info, usually stuff like name, control/serial number, the issue. I’ve had one rep never respond, and one that was super helpful, but basically got a C&P response with a link to the average wait times.

I’ve had better luck getting info from NICS if the hold up is them, or IPB if not.

More info about who/how  here

Ah okay. I've already reached out and they sent me the release forms already. My main info/question was the control/SNs for the items so I'll need to reach out to my local FFL to get those details but I can provide the one for my Form 1. Thanks!

If you used Eforms, the email/pdf you received at submission should have the control and serial on the first page of your eForm 4.

If paper forms. Yea, unless you already have a copy of your form 4 or a receipt with the info. You’d likely need to reach out to your dealer.

I had my Congressman do a inquiry about three weeks back..It has done NO good..They pretty much told them the same thing that the ATF tells me on the phone. So that was a complete waste of time.. Do the Congressional representative inquiry if you wish..But do not expect results.. The ATF seems to just not care about you and you little suppressor, nor the money you invested in something you cannot own..They only care they received your 200.00 fee for themselves, that is it.

Congressmans office was simply told it has not been assigned to an examiner and Trusts just take longer, I can find that much out myself in a simple Phone call..

I called them again today trying to get an answer as to what the process is for getting mine to an examiner..Who makes the decision to elevate it to an examiner, and I would like to talk to whomever actually makes the decision to assign it to an examiner..

I pretty much got stonewalled and I just have to wait..I am 4 months in on a Single Shot, she said my NICS has to be returned.. I told her I have been in the Registry since the early 1990s, and I have a State issued card that allows me to bypass NICS checks for a period of three years..I can buy a Firearm without the need for running a NICS with that card every time I purchase a Firearm..In other words I am pre checked for that 3 year period.. I will keep asking every week till they get it done I guess.

Below you say its been "4 months".......good grief man do you have any idea of the average processing times over the last year? Two years? Six years? If not you should know.


Any SOT could have told you the same.





I have around thirty customers waiting since September 2023. You ain't special.




You don't really understand the process:
1. ATF cannot approve your form until NICS returns a "proceed". This is different that Title I gun transfers.
2. You could have "been in the Registry" since '87........it doesn't mean shit. Federal law requires a background check now.
3. Your "state issued card" means jack shit on NFA firearms. That exemption is part of the Brady Law that has nothing to do with NFA firearms.
4. Your "state issued card" only allows exemption from Title I firearms, not NFA.
5. "prechecked"? In your dreams.





You should start calling your FFL/SOT twice per week and asking him if your stamp has arrived. It will speed up the process and he'll appreciate your interest in efficiency.

Thanks for the wise input from you fellas.. Are you ATF employees,LOL  Sounds like you are defending their inactions, and trying to justify their behavior.. And why are you attacking me for their incompetency..WOW

Nope.
<----FFL/SOT





Don't confuse understanding and explaining as defending. There isn't an FFL/SOT in the country that enjoys babysitting your silencers while ATF/FBI take their sweet assed time.




Pointing out your misconceptions isn't an attack.
And it isn't incompetence. It's government. I've found NFA Div employees very competent over the years, but they are saddled with Dollar Tree software and an administration (including Trump, Obama, Bush) that doesn't care to increase their budget. There is no incentive for ATF to operate more efficiently, NFA Div costs them more to maintain than the  revenue can cover.
Congress, as always, is to blame.

Don't forget the entire process was designed to deny/delay your ability to have these firearms.

You also have to realize everyone here has been through this, so while we can all relate - you'll find sympathy between shit and syphilis in the dictionary.

Hearing about all of these quick approvals gets guys itchy (myself included).

I went in with the mindset that it'll be 10 mos or so knowing the track record.

I'm at 150 days, which seems fucking unreasonable when guys are seeing between 30 hrs-9 days consistently,  only because of the recent changes and it being my first supressor.


ETA: ATF has been no help and my dealer said flat out, status is all they can check. Just chill.

It really isn't consistent.
March 7th I posted about a customer who had a 41 hour approval. In the week that followed I had one four day approval for a trust and one ten day approval to a trust.
In the last two weeks I've submitted a dozen or so eForm 4's.....none approved yet.

This is just like the implementation of eForm 4's a couple of years ago:
ATF/FBI changes procedure, very fast approvals for the first submitters.
Causing........
A spike in NFA sales.
Causing........
Slower processing times.


While I'm happy for those that get fast processing times, its a travesty that ATF/FBI hasn't cleared the backlog of 6-12 month applications. Those guys deserve to be approved first.

Consistently being reported....would have been a better statement on my behalf.

And agreed, first in/first out makes too damn much sense.

Have you tried to do a Title I NICS without using your carry permit recently?  If not you should.  If you get delayed then that's the problem, as the FBI is not mandated to respond to the ATF instantly or even ever for a Title II transfer.

So I did reach out to my Senator's office and eventually got contacted about 4 work days later (weekend in between). They had me fill out a couple of forms and send it back to them. Besides the general info, I provided the control numbers for the 3 approvals I was waiting on.

About a week later I got a call from one of the rep's stating she had reached out to the ATF who said they were waiting on FBI background check and then called the FBI. She told me they would get them to go through and that she would follow up with the ATF again in about a week to make sure they got the FBI approvals.

About 45 mins after receiving her call, I got an email that my oldest submission (from late Sept 2023) was approved. This was yesterday. This morning I got the note that my SBR submission was approved (submitted 3/4/24). Now I'm just waiting on one more suppressor from mid Feb of 24.

All in all, very impressed with my interactions with my rep's office and the progress/time it took. ~ 2.5 weeks. I'll take it.

Update: 2nd suppressor just approved. So I have nothing waiting now. Yeah!