I tried to buy a clearance Turkey Shotgun at Walmart tonight.   I saw someone walking out with a turkey gun for $175.   They had one other,  I grabbed it.   But, nooooooo....  NICS claimed technical difficulties.

Walmart won't sell it without approval, they won't even guarantee to hold the weapon for you.  Actually, the clerk said he would, but when I asked to speak with a manager to get some sort of receipt/accountability that I had paid my nics fee, and that the weapon should be held for me, he then claimed that they don't do it.

grumble grumble grumble *insert libertarian rant  here*

The 'call in case denied number' was answered by the state police, so VA-gunnut's comment would make sense.

3 1/2 hours later, I got my gun, they called back, and amazingly, it didn't get lost in the shuffle of people at walmart.

Now I have a turkey gun to play with just in time for turkey season  . . .


P.S.,  walmart is having a sale on shotgun shells right now,  cheaper by the box than even purchasing 'value packs'  ($2.98 a box/25 shells).   Several different  sizes between 6 and 8 to choose from.


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Now, there's a sale on shotgun shells, there's a sale on turkey shotguns, and Hokie students are coming back to town?  Coincidence, I think not . . .

I learned something today.  I though Virginia used NICS, but it turns out they use a state program, which checks the NICS data as well as four points of state data.

www.vsp.state.va.us/cjis_vftp.htm

Glad the transfer went through!  A friend of mine was always subject to an "extra" check when he purchased a gun.  The only explanation he got was that he might have a similar name to a prohibited person.  I'm not sure if he ever got that cleared up.

Quoted: Glad the transfer went through!  A friend of mine was always subject to an "extra" check when he purchased a gun.  The only explanation he got was that he might have a similar name to a prohibited person.  I'm not sure if he ever got that cleared up.

I used to get that sometimes.  My dad and I share the same name, so I sometimes figured it was that.

Last couple of times I've purchased, it went through almost instantly.

Sometimes I wonder if they don't just make you wait for the hell of it.

NICS is down again tonight..............

Steve.

Quoted: Sometimes I wonder if they don't just make you wait for the hell of it.

That reminds me of an excellent quote from the Simpsons:

"Sometimes we don't let the line move at all.  We call those: weekdays."

Sounds like a good time to hit the VA EE forum, arrange to meet someone selling a gun and bring some cash.  One or two nights of downtime is nothing compared to having your "instant" check (Remember the I in NICS) take several hours each time that you make a purchase.