I mailed my application in 1-25-11. And tonight I checked my online banking (for other reasons than checking on the status of my application) and there is a posting from where I authorized the ATF to charge my debit card and its dated ... 1-30-11 I am sure that they were checking to see if funds were present before starting my application review. Just thought I would share.

On a different note, what kind of discounts do C&R holders get from places like Brownell's and such?

It varies from item to item; I'm sure it is somewhat related to what the merchant's own margin on the product is.  But 0-25% would be the general range.

Brownells offers some attractive discounts.  You might pay for your license with your first order.  Midway, not so much.  Graf's is good also, but you must send your order in with a check or money order to get the full discount.  If you buy a nice Leopold scope at Grafs, you will pay for your license for a few renewals.

Midway's retail prices are usually a little lower than Brownells'.  The dealer pricing discount can change things depending on the item, but I find that Midway is usually still a little cheaper on most things.  However at Midway you cannot combine dealer pricing with any other promotions or sales, while at Brownells you can, and there is almost always a free shipping promo going on for Brownells for orders above $100 or $125.  This is often enough to tip the balance in favor of Brownells, and I have to say I have been using them more than Midway recently, but I still take the time to price things out with both of them before buying anything.  I also like that if some items from a larger order are back-ordered at Brownells, they do not charge you separate shipping.

Thanks for the replies. My debit card was processed 1-28 so hopefully it will be here soon.