Bought an AR last weekend, and instant check came back 'delayed'.  I now have my weapon, but I'd sure like to know why.  Only possibility is a nice ride downtown about 30 years ago...

Can I find out what the problem was?

Mine has come back delayed several times.  This is due to being a naturalized citizen born outside of the US, my parents wre US citizens.

If your place of birth is outside of the US, it most certainly will be delayed.

MRW, is there any specific reason why you don't include your SSN on the yellow form?  I know its optional but I have always been told I need to put it on to pass NICS quicker

keving67

Unless it is absolutely necessary, you shouldn't be giving someone you don't know, and that would be anybody at the gun store with access to the 4473's or other paperwork your SSN.  With you other ID info and the SSN, they can steal your identity and do all sorts of damage to your credit and even land you in jail.  

An acquaintance recently spent a few days in jail on a no-bail warrant courtesy of a buddy who used his ID info to avoid prosecution on a traffic misdemeanor and failed to appear.  Now suppose someone takes your ID info and obtains "valid" ID, credit cards, etc. with it.  It would take you a long time and lots of legal costs to fix it.

The SSN is optional.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER disclose your SSN to anyone unless required by law to do it.

I've never seen the INSTANT background check system work instantly, its always delayed. This law needs to just go away.

I don't know about your experiences with the instant check system, though i am not a fan of it at all, I have never had any problems with it.  All my forms go through "instantly".

The system.

The system looks for certain features of you and those in the various databases.  I have also been told there is a scoring system that will increase the likelihood of a delay occuring depending on answers to various questions.

Based upon my expierence:

Commonly used names.
Where you were born.
Having court actions in process.

There are others, but I cannot think of them off hand.

I know of one poor soul where the state POC will OK a handgun purchase, but the NICS ALWAYS delay long guns.  Way to solve that problem is to always buy a handgun with his long gun purchase, as LG can piggyback on the state POC handgun check.

mark

I was always given the "proceed" instantly up until last year when a scumbag with the EXACT same name as mine (right down to the middle initial) started doing home invasion robberies in my area. His name went up to number one most wanted in Saint Louis County and bam, every one of my yellow sheets has come back delayed every time since. But here is the kicker, ever since this started the time of "delay" as doubled every time I go in to get a new gun. The first time they called back in 15 minutes, the next time it took half an hour, the third time it took an hour plus, then just this week it took one whole day. It's not the delay that bothers me but the fact that three of these NICS federal yellows where processed along with local pistol paperwork that ALREADY INCLUDED A LOCAL BACKGROUND CHECK! The feds should iron out the bugs in this software before even thinking of asking congress to considder new gun legislation. It's a catch 22 when the bleeding hearts ask for better gun legislation when the current stuff they worked so hard for still doesn't prevent that drug dealer from buying that gun on the street but messes up the law abiding's legal purchase that fuels the economy.