I was wondering if anyone has any info on Immortal Arms?  They seem to have gone dark.  I know that Mark has some friends on here as I chose him to handle my NFA transfers based off of recommendations I received from here.  He has stated that he is appt only at this time and is handling some other things on his facebook page.  I have sent emails with no reply. He seems like a standup guy and I was impressed when I met him.  Just curious.  thanks

Chris

Mark is still around.  I just picked up a can from him couple of weekends ago.

I see them on va guntrader.com

He's around. He is working on a project that is taking most of his time. Suffice it to say the project is not IA related. He did not seem to have a time frame for completion of the project.

He told me the best method of contact is by email, but it could take him a bit to reply.

So I was finally able to get in touch with Mark and it is like 10-7Leo said.  Mark has been ridiculously busy with his day job and it is taking him some time to return emails.  I was only concerned because he has always been nothing but prompt when answering the mail.

I'm still waiting on a can @ IA. I usually have more success reaching Mark via vaguntrader.

I'm also waiting on a call or email back (multiple attempts) on several cans I have pending with him... I've sporadic responses, but they all seem rushed and don't fully answer the question asked.  I hope he can find a balance with whatever he has going on and his IA work, because if he is not able to be responsive it's costing him business from existing customers (I'm taking at least one buy elsewhere) and referrals...
 

I've had the same experience.  I have 3 cans with him that I paid for back in January.  Back in June, I asked him to paper file for me since the E-file has been down, with no expectation when it will be up again.  I still don't know positively if he's filed the paperwork for me.  It's frustrating to say the least.  I can understand that he may have other things going on, but if he's so busy with that that he can't answer basic status questions on one's order in a timely manner, then he's taken on too much.



 

As far as I know, if he said it was filed, it was filed.

For some examples, I know F3's (transfers in) were taking 5 months. I know of a large batch of cans that had F3's submitted and the NFA branch was taking forever to process, so much so, that the distributor called to inquire as to what was up (they are out of state, obviously). Apparently our NFA branch in WV is a bunch of window licking, crayon eating, helmet wearing, idiots (not using the word I want to use). In addition to those F3's, a few F2's were paper filed (since e-file was down) and after a few months, no response, e-file came up and those same F2's were submitted using the electronic system. The electronic filing returned in 24 hours, with no response on the paper filed versions, going on about 6 months. Long story short, our branch is either incompetent or they are maliciously delaying forms, that is the only plausible explanation.

The NFA game has ALWAYS been a waiting game. Over two years ago, when the system (paper) wasn't overloaded, a can/sbr/etc could take 6 months to 10 months to get approved. After the stupid happened, that time table expanded to 8 months to 18 months, with no reasonable explanation or method to correct or track. E-file completely ruined NFA processing, both from an expectation perspective and also because forms were lost. This isn't just at our branch, but also in other branches. A business in TX is having similar issues with forms submitted via e-file. The expectation that it's a simple click of the mouse and your form will be approved in a day or a week or even a month are radically unrealistic. But, everyone seems to have the expectation that this is the norm, it is not.

If you want to get specific answers or insight, I will try and answer them as best I can.

I don't doubt he has filed what he says he has filed, and I know NFA is a practice in patience.  I know he cannot control or predict what ATF is going to do, and that is not where my concern is... In my case, getting basic transactional data has been difficult... confirmation of submission dates, getting receipts, SN's for the items in play... some of these things I still don't have, even though I have asked for them repeatedly in multiple emails and voicemails... I don't think any of them unreasonable, and providing them might actually lower his burden by managing my expectations and/or allowing me to check on the status for myself... I would much rather have the answers to these basic questions than be discussing anyone's business practices here... if I didn't think I  had made a diligent effort privately, I wouldn't be at all...  

I talked with Mark, you should expect him (or his wife) to reach out to you today or tomorrow.

As a point, what does the information get you? Serial number, received date, submission dates; what does that get you? You could call into the NFA branch and they will tell you it's either Submitted/Pending, Approved, or Denied. Basically, nothing more than you already know, meaning it was either filed or a stamp is inbound to the shop or it's not. The NFA process is still a waiting game, the additional information gains nothing... Managing expectations? Like what? It's either Pending, Approved, or Denied. There isn't any magical step in the process or information that can be gleaned from the branch that will aid or facilitate the process. As another point, someone had a serial number of SDII-xxxx and kept calling in asking for a SD2-xxxx. The branch kept telling him there was no record of it, mostly because the guy didn't know what he was asking. In the end, he finally asked the right way and all they told him was that it was Pending, which was the same thing he was told by the shop. It was submitted, pending review, it would eventually be determined. If I was an examiner, every time someone called in to ask about the status of a form, I would move that form to the bottom of the pile until they stopped calling, but that's how I would be as a Government employee.... Considering a know a few government employees, that's pretty much par for the course...

I've already discussed this over in the Silencers section months back, but here is a summary for you:

Guns and Ammo Warehouse forgot to file my paperwork in March, then lost the copy of the trust I gave them, then denied doing so for 5 months of me hounding them for information - ANY information.  In August they "admitted" their mistake after I put them on the spot and demanded that they call the ATF with me there with them.  It was at that point they said they forgot to file.  Really?  How did they suddenly, immediately, remember that only with me threatening to call the ATF?  If they knew, at what point were they going to tell me?  Makes you wonder, huh?

You know what makes me madder than anything?  They simply said to me "Sorry, stuff happens, ya know?".

So, I'll keep my opinions to myself, but unless this concerns you personally - which it clearly doesn't - you should probably just let jdhill ask his legitimate questions.  Who knows, maybe it never got filled.  Stuff happens, ya know?  

I did get an email from Mark with my SN's last night, and will have receipts when he returns to the office (out of pocket at the moment)... I did check the status with ATF and they are indeed in a pending status... That call did raise some additional questions that I will not characterize or comment on until I have some follow up conversations with the relevant parties.