The short version of this story is that I bought a rifle that had an approved SBR Form 1. I bought it with an integral (17.5" long) permanently attached suppressor and got an approved Form 4 and did a 4473 on the rifle as a Title 1 gun. Now ATF says the "SBR" is missing...

So in 2010, I bought a Ruger 77/44 new off GB. It was transferred through a local pawn shop to me. I then sent it to SRT to have an integral barrel made for it. I believe I have about $2,200 in that gun, and I love it.

In 2016, I saw a 96/44 integral by SRT listed in classifieds on another gun site for around $550 and jumped on it- Louisiana Class III dealer that was getting out of the game. He transferred it to my Arkansas Class III dealer and sent the Form 4 in Jan 2016, and got a stamp approved in August 2016. I did a 4473 on the Title 1 rifle receiver and picked up the rifle, with integral suppressor and approved Form 4.

Get a call from dealer today. The ATF is doing some paperwork at LA dealer's place and can't find shit on the 96/44 RIFLE. They have the paperwork on the 96/44 suppressor, just not the rifle's serial number. Apparently, the LA dealer originally registered the rifle as an SBR on a Form 1 and then later sent it to the SOT that installed the integral suppressor (non-user serviceable- can't unscrew anything to make it a barrel of under 16", assume welded or silver soldered on just like the 77/44). LA dealer never sent anything in to notify that it was not an SBR anymore.

As it sits right now, if LEO runs the 96/44's serial, it's stolen. Suppressor is fine.

LA dealer's Class III license is now out of business (I guess), and ATF is up his ass and has called my AR dealer trying to track down the "missing" "SBR".

Now ATF is telling my AR dealer that I might have to do a Form 1 to register it as an SBR even though I CAN'T MAKE IT HAVE A BARREL LESS THAN 16". It is already listed on the national "lost gun" registry.

Send a letter / photos showing its not an sbr and ask that it be removed from the registry? Shouldn't be your fault that the guy dicked up his books.

Wonder if I cold get the LA dealer to send a letter like the one at the link, if that would work?
Sample SBR Removal Letter

The question is why was it entered into NCIC as a stolen firearm? Who did that, and when? What's the case # and agency? Get that un-done ASAP.

correct me if I'm wrong (I don't hold a FFL), but should it not be in both dealers' books how it came and how it went?

If it is on your local dealer's books as a title 1 firearm and out with the assoc 4473 seems it would be back on the other FFL.

Came in to ARK as Title 1 for the rifle and Title 2 for the suppressor.  Same on the outgoing dealer's books.  But the rifle is also still on Louisiana dealer's books as a Title 2 MIA SBR.

Maybe the shipping dealer went out of business, sent his old paperwork to ATF, and the SBR is not disposed of, so they labeled it as missing.

Since his books DO show the rifle being transfered as a rifle (not SBR), that shouldn't be a hard thing to clear up, but you need to find someone that is willing to clear it up. That can be a hard thing.

Fixing the registry should be just a few pictures and a letter or two.

I would be worried more about NCIC for now.  I had a issue with a (title I) gun that was stolen while I was traveling.  I had to make a number of phone calls and never did get the problem straighten out.  The LEA that reported the gun stolen was very nice to work with, but the LEA in the city where the gun was recovered was a pain (to make a long story short, I abandoned the gun and told them to destroy it).

I had to start with the reporting agency.  If you can make friends with some one in your local LEA they can probably tell you who put the gun in the system.

If ATF put it in the system because it is missing from an out of business FFL them you may be able to fix everything through Martinsburg.

Good luck.  I know what a pain these things can be.

ETA:  IIRC Martinsburg stopped doing single stamp guns.  I don't know if that is true or not.

Yeah you cannot form 1 a stolen gun.

And since you have it, it is not missing either.

Maybe you should talk to ATF directly, instead of hearing it 2nd hand from your dealer.

And you may want to double/triple check the silencer is permanently on.

As usual Renegade, very salient points.  SRT was already contacted by ATF on this.  He confirmed that the suppressor is permanent- blind pinned and welded over inside the tube.  Both the Form 3 ( LA to AR dealer) and the Form 4 (AR dealer to me) for the suppressor indicate in Description of Firearm e. length of barrel is "N/A" and f. Overall length is "17.5"".  Which is exactly how the details were listed on the Form 4 for my 77/44 (but the 77/44 was never a SBR).

I'm going to see if my AR dealer will give up the ATF contact he's working with.   I don't want to 1) have to figure out how to remove the integral from the rifle and turn over the rifle to LEO (and then have to try and find another donor 96/44), 2) file a Form 1 for this bastard (although for what I bought it for, another $200 would still make this package an incredible deal), or 3) continue to live in the dark side of maybe having a 'stolen/ missing' gun or a not-quite-papered 'SBR'.

Oh, another factoid I learned- the LA Dealer that was giving up his Class 3 toward the end of 2015 when I bought this is evidently now suffering from some serious medical problems.

UPDATE- Just got the call from the Louisiana ATF Inspector lady.  She consulted with the NFA Branch. The Louisiana dealer has been requested to simply prepare a memo stating that he permanently converted the SBR back to a Title I rifle. ATF inspector is traveling to the Lousiana dealer this Thursday to pick up the memo and will forward it to the NFA Branch to remove it from the registry AND remove it from the list of "Missing Title II" firearms.

Once it is removed from the Missing List, she is going to call me and let me know.  That will work!!

That's great news! I would request a copy of the memo. Some kind of statement from the ATF would be great but that may be asking for too much.

Good news, but what a waste of taxpayer money for such bullshit.  Keeping track of an SBR is much more of a priority than tracking an illegal alien.

Sometime these things have simple fixes once you get them to the desk of someone with some common sense.

Unfortunately, those people are sometimes far and few between.

Glad it worked out for you.

It has been said repeatedly, that "they are just trying to keep the registry accurate." /s

Glad it is working out for you. Man that is some story. Pics are a must now.

Ruger 77/44 on top- the black synthetic stock- with a Douglas fast-twist 1:11 barrel.  Ruger 96/44 lever action on bottom with OEM 1:38 barrel on bottom.  Both converted to integral by SRT in Arizona.  The bolt action will put five 300 grain Nosler handloads into a 3" circle at 100 yards.  The lever will put the same loads into 4" or 240 grain handloads into 3" at 100 yards.  Best money I ever spent on guns is the Timney 77/22 trigger upgrade.  Oh, and I can literally clap louder than these guns shoot a 300 grain piece of lead at 1,020 FPS.  I just wish they used the same mags.