A buddy of mine asked me to go to the C&E show this past weekend in Charlotte because he wanted to pickup an AR.  Although not needed for the rifle, he's received a pistol permit not too long ago from Cabarrus county and picked up a XDM pistol without a problem.  I stated the pistol situation becuase of what we encountered at the show.

I won't mention the name of the vendor at the show, but we walked over to fondle one of their DelTon AR's.  This vendor has plenty of firearms and accessories for sale and I'm pretty sure that he's been at about every show that I've attended lately.  So my buddy decided to purchase, so he filled out the paperwork and showed identification.  While waiting, the owner was calling in a purchase for a pistol that the lady before us apparently had a permit.  All that we know is that the lady before us was denied.  We kinda looked at each other and said "wonder what happened".  It was then my buddy's turn for the phone call about his purchase by the vendor and he got the same deal.  The dealer said that if he asked why, then all that he was getting was a hang-up on the other end.  Vendor said that he hadn't been able to sell a firearm all morning.

We actually walked around for a while checking to see if we could find anything similar, and ended up coming back to the original vendor again and asked if anything had changed.  Was told that that only firearms that he is selling today was through a CCW permit where he don't have to phone in the purchase.

I don't know for sure, but I assume that the phone call goes to the ATF.  Again, just my guess.  Anyone else have a similar problem if they went to the show this weekend?  I didn't think about it at the show, but I wish that I had just asked another vendor if they were having a similar problem.  At least that would have narrowed it down to possibly just one vendor not getting any purchases approved.  Pretty sure that it's NOT my buddy that is the problem..

All calls go to the FBI.

If your buddy had a CHP or PP he could have walked out of the show with a new AR, and the dealer wouldn't need to call it in.

You sure about that?  Why call?  There is no requirement to call when you have a NC Purchase Permit.

+1 - The sheriff's permit is the same as a CCW as it negates the NICS call.

I can only write about what I witnesed first-hand.  Of course I wasn't trying to get into the ladies business, but it looked to me as though she was purchasing a pistol and she was handed back a paper which I believe was the "pistol permit".  I'm definitely NOT argueing the law, but just inquiring whether anyone else experieneced the problem this past Sunday at the show.  Was curious whether there was some threat elevation on Sunday that I wasn't aware of preventing firearm sales...

My buddy is waiting for the Concord show in two weeks to try again from the same dealer.  My buddy and the dealer worked out a deal before we left to wait for this next show.

The vendor calls the same number every other vendor calls and he gets either a "proceed" or "further review" if "proceed" he proceeds with the sale and all is good, if "further review" and "proceed" follows, the vendor will be given a number code and name of person on the other line. If denied, there is nothing, nothing at all the vendor can do.
I don't know what kind "deal" you buddy and the vendor have worked out. Maybe the vendor was having problems with his password if he was not able to get any of the people at the show a "proceed" Seems odd that numerous people would be at that one booth and not be able to get a firearm.
And you friend has  a purchase permit? He is GTG.

he said his friend HAD a PP, for a past purchase. I believe he was only using that as a reference to say "there shouldn't have been a background check problem"

Gotchya, thanks. I didn't catch that. But, if he has had nothing from the time of that permit being okay'd and that day, he should have gotten a proceed. Very odd. But yeah, thanks again, I had to go back and read that, I did not catch that at all :) Old and blind apparently.