Armory Sponsor
Posted: 4/25/2013 3:21:02 PM EDT
| I pose this question to other members on this board who have DoD clearances like me. Why does it take the same amount of time to get paperwork back from BATFE when I have a high level clearance as a regular citizen? I mean the DoD takes longer and does a much more in depth bacjground search (actually talk to people from my past) than the BATFE does. I know that the BATFE can see my clearance so why the delay? Just frustrating because of the DoD trusts me witth senstive material and knowledge why can't the rest of the Gov't? |
| Because your application is laying in a pile for 99% of the wait before it's ever even looked at. It's no different than those of us that have already been approved multiple times. I wish they would assign a ID number for buyers after they have been approved the first time to use on future forms, but I really doubt the BATFE cares about our waiting... |
| Yeah I know what you mean. I have been around the Gov't long enough to know the different levels of BS and red tape. Its funny to me when I meet people who have never worked with or been exposed to the Gov't side of things and think it is a well oiled machine, especially the military. I like your idea though of an ID number to help speed things along, and I do know some people who know others in BATFE that get processed in 30 days max, but havent been able to crack that nut yet. I guess with all things Gov't related....its all about who you know and what social/networking ties you have. |
| What does the ATF do above and beyond a regular NICS? It should just be another step the dealer makes to pay the ATF for the tax. I guess I could see waiting for them to mail a tax stamp to the dealer to put on the paper work, but that shouldn't be more than 5 days. Yet they don't want to fix the system, so it stays the same. |
| I don't know about MG's...too steep for me..$10K+. I do see your point about Suppressors and SBRs though. However, I am currently stationed in Germany and in the Netherlands it is actually required that you get a Suppressor for your firearm to combat noise pollution. You can get one at a hardware store like Home Depot... |
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Quoted: I pose this question to other members on this board who have DoD clearances like me. Why does it take the same amount of time to get paperwork back from BATFE when I have a high level clearance as a regular citizen? I mean the DoD takes longer and does a much more in depth bacjground search (actually talk to people from my past) than the BATFE does. I know that the BATFE can see my clearance so why the delay? Just frustrating because of the DoD trusts me witth senstive material and knowledge why can't the rest of the Gov't? Because your clearance has nothing to do with it. I have customers that are ATF Special Agents, guess what? They wait in line too. Very few people can pull the strings to get moved to the top of the pile, I only have one customer who can do that. |
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I work part time for my local gun shop. we were talking yesterday about how nice it would be and how many suppressors we would sell if they issued an ID card of some sort. This ID card would give you almost instant ability to buy and make NFA items. It would be so much better,
but then we stopped day dreaming and realized the ATF would never consider it |
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Quoted:
I work part time for my local gun shop. we were talking yesterday about how nice it would be and how many suppressors we would sell if they issued an ID card of some sort. This ID card would give you almost instant ability to buy and make NFA items. It would be so much better, but then we stopped day dreaming and realized the ATF would never consider it It's not a matter of ATF considering it. Replacing the NFA process with an ID card would require changing federal law, which means it may only be done through an Act of Congress. Do you really believe that the 2013 Congress would pass, and Obama would sign, a new law that makes it easier for civilians to buy machine guns, SBRs and SBS's, AOWs and suppressors? 
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I work part time for my local gun shop. we were talking yesterday about how nice it would be and how many suppressors we would sell if they issued an ID card of some sort. This ID card would give you almost instant ability to buy and make NFA items. It would be so much better, but then we stopped day dreaming and realized the ATF would never consider it It's not a matter of ATF considering it. Replacing the NFA process with an ID card would require changing federal law, which means it may only be done through an Act of Congress. Do you really believe that the 2013 Congress would pass, and Obama would sign, a new law that makes it easier for civilians to buy machine guns, SBRs and SBS's, AOWs and suppressors? I'm more concerned that some idiotic EO would make it harder or even more prohibitively expensive, like tying it to the inflated 1934 value of $200. 
That same tax stamp would be $3,474.22 today. |
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I work part time for my local gun shop. we were talking yesterday about how nice it would be and how many suppressors we would sell if they issued an ID card of some sort. This ID card would give you almost instant ability to buy and make NFA items. It would be so much better, but then we stopped day dreaming and realized the ATF would never consider it It's not a matter of ATF considering it. Replacing the NFA process with an ID card would require changing federal law, which means it may only be done through an Act of Congress. Do you really believe that the 2013 Congress would pass, and Obama would sign, a new law that makes it easier for civilians to buy machine guns, SBRs and SBS's, AOWs and suppressors? I'm more concerned that some idiotic EO would make it harder or even more prohibitively expensive, like tying it to the inflated 1934 value of $200.
That same tax stamp would be $3,474.22 today. The $200 tax was set by Congress and is written into federal law. No executive order can change the $$$ amount without an act of Congress amending the amount. |
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Tony;
Without an act of congress couldn't BATF create a new type of license? One for hobbyists that would give you a license number to use on the forms, but not exempt you from paying the transfer tax. Sort of an "NFA C&R thing? A form 3.5, maybe? Tax-paid, but no background check because you have already been through it. I dunno- just thinking about it. |
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Tony; Without an act of congress couldn't BATF create a new type of license? One for hobbyists that would give you a license number to use on the forms, but not exempt you from paying the transfer tax. Sort of an "NFA C&R thing? A form 3.5, maybe? Tax-paid, but no background check because you have already been through it. I dunno- just thinking about it. AFAIK, regular Form 4's for C&R NFA submitted by C&R license holders today take just as long as a Form 4 submitted by an individual, trust or corporation. So I do not see how creating a new class of FFL would have any impact whatsoever. The problem is not the background check. Those are all done by the assistants before your application gets to the examiner's desk. The problem is the huge backlog before it get into the examiner's hands. This is not a procedural problem -- it is a staffing problem, and as long as NFA Branch is severely understaffed, there will be long waits. |
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Do the math: 150,000+ applications per year. Exactly ten NFA examiners to check and sign them all. They hired more examiners. They're just still being trained. Correct. They will start their on-the-job training in late May or Early June. In the short-term -- for the first few months -- this will actually slow down the process, as the six new hires will be trained by the existing ten examiners ... and as anyone who has ever submitted a Form 1 or 4 knows, there are a ton of small issues and questions that come up. Until each of the new hires builds up their individual knowledge base, they will be bugging the veterans with questions. And when they do all get up to speed? Well, the 150,000+ applications will be processed by 16 examiners instead of 10 examiners. If you believe that is going to cut the six-month+ turnaround time back to six weeks, I have a bridge to sell ya. IMHO, the system is broken. This is an excellent bandaid and I welcome it .... but a bandaid is a bandaid, and what is needed is major surgery. Or at least, triage. Your Mileage May Vary.
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Quoted:
I pose this question to other members on this board who have DoD clearances like me. Why does it take the same amount of time to get paperwork back from BATFE when I have a high level clearance as a regular citizen? I mean the DoD takes longer and does a much more in depth bacjground search (actually talk to people from my past) than the BATFE does. I know that the BATFE can see my clearance so why the delay? Just frustrating because of the DoD trusts me witth senstive material and knowledge why can't the rest of the Gov't? You are a piece of paper in a stack, thats it. |
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I pose this question to other members on this board who have DoD clearances like me. Why does it take the same amount of time to get paperwork back from BATFE when I have a high level clearance as a regular citizen? I mean the DoD takes longer and does a much more in depth bacjground search (actually talk to people from my past) than the BATFE does. I know that the BATFE can see my clearance so why the delay? Just frustrating because of the DoD trusts me witth senstive material and knowledge why can't the rest of the Gov't? You are a piece of paper in a stack, thats it. Exactly. I've known ATF employees who have NFA firearms, and even they had to wait the 6 to 7 months for the paperwork to clear. |
Armory Sponsor