[BondageJaguar]

went in to pick up a mossberg 500 yesterday and I came up delayed by the NICS which is supposedly 'normal' for people buying their first with it (not my first gun mind you, just the first in which I'm the one getting the background check done on) So, what's the deal here, why can't they look at my record an either say 'yes' or 'no' right away?

[WalkerTexasRanger]

If you have a common name, it is pretty common to be delayed. Normally the delay is only a couple of hours. Happens to me all the time...

[cuervo]

Delays can come from just about anything--even their computer's being screwed up which they wouldn't admit to if it was the case. Often it's from too much traffic to process all at once.

In theory, if you give your SSN, you have a better chance of not getting a delay. There may be someone with the same name someplace with a record and they need to verify who is who.

About the only saving grace is delays usually don't run for more than a couple of hours--an inconvenience if you had to travel to get the gun. At worst, a delay will run for the three days they have to not turn it into a "deny."

[BondageJaguar]

three days? I was told 8. Thanks for the info, I can go pick it up Tuesday now instead of next sunday.

[Preacherman]

If you've ever had an FBI background check done, for any reason, you'll be delayed... I had one done for my Federal LE security clearance, and whereas before that I'd been approved immediately, ever since then I've had to wait two to three days! :fire:

Doesn't help to complain, either... I tried to do that, but was told that since there's no way (in the present system) to distinguish between those who've had a background check for legitimate reasons and those who've had it for criminal reasons, we just have to put up with it. Bureaucrats! :barf:

[Onmilo]

Here in Illinois, if the FTIP does not provide an approval or deny in 72 hours the dealer has the right and option to release the firearm to the customer or try a second phone call.
This almost never happens, we usually get an approval or deny within 24 hours of the delay number.

[Ala Dan]

Lots of times if you have ever been fingerprinted, that will cause a delay.
I've been fingerprinted many, many times; but NEVER been delayed on
a firearms purchase. Military prints, law enforcement prints, security
clearance prints, etc. I guess it helps having spent 20+ years as a
LEO?

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[cslinger]

Preacherman,

I am NCIC certified, among other things and had to go through quite the background check and I recently picked up a new .22 and it just sped right through. I have only been delayed twice, once before I went through all the background rigamarol.


Chris

[BondageJaguar]

Preacher, who does the background check for Military Security Clearance? that would explain it as I enlisted a few months ago.

[cuervo]

Three business days, that is:

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#p37

[Mr. Mysterious]

BondageJaguar, when you enlist they usually conduct a background check, basically making sure you aren't a felon, or have a record, warrants, etc. The security clearance, either Secret or Top Secret is extensive. It takes hours to fill out all the information, if you have this done you know it. Your average enlistee will not have a security clearance packet sent through because they are expensive and time consuming...they average about a year to come back with an answer.

The last one I did was a real pain...I've moved a lot the last 7 years, since I've been in school, and had a lot of part time jobs. Well, you have to have a different person that knew you at each address, and every manager listed. You have to have every day accounted for, and cannot have any gaps.

Interestingly, the most common cause for a no-go on a security clearance is bad credit...

[psyopspec]

Preacher, who does the background check for Military Security Clearance?

Much more extensive than NCIC. Depending on the level you're going for, they'll refer to your family and other references and double check most of the things you wrote down. Not so for NCIC, which as I understand it is simply a warrants and criminal record check. The security clearance background investigation is anything but instant.

[landon74]

For whatever reason, I always used to get delayed, I could never understand it have a clean background record, no arrests. I used to get pretty upset about it, but then I got my Texas CHL and in addition to being able to carry, it also means all you have to do it fill out Form 4473, they don't have to run the check on you, so now I can buy from gunshows and take it home the same day. You've gotta love the Lone Star State.

[Werewolf]

If you've ever had an FBI background check done, for any reason, you'll be delayed... I had one done for my Federal LE security clearance, and whereas before that I'd been approved immediately, ever since then I've had to wait two to three days! Not always true. I had the full blown, talk to friends and neighbors, elementary school teachers and your dog check by the FBI guys shortly after I joined the Navy in 1975. I've been fingerprinted more times than I can remember. Never been delayed once - in fact the check usually takes no more than 3 to 5 minutes. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[foghornl]

Guy I work with gets delayed every single time. What he finally found out through his local PD is that some guy with a similar name, but different Middle Initial wrote a whole bunch of bad checks.

[joebogey]

My checks never go straight through either.
But, within 30 minutes they always call back with a release.
My FFL says I'm the only one he has this with on a regular basis.
Never understood why?

[MikeB]

After moving back to PA from CO about 6 or 8 years ago, I got delayed for almost 2 weeks. PA has their own PICS. Since then they have to get an operator on the phone every time - the automated system won't approve. This causes it to take about 15 mins instead of 5 mins for me to complete a purchase. One time I went from going to the operator to delayed to denied to approved within a 40 minute space of time. That time when the operator tried to delay/deny the gunstore owner argued with them and told them to check again; I usually buy at least 1 or 2 guns a month from them so they're used to dealing with this with me. Apparently on the next screen on the operators computer is where whatever the heck the issue is was resolved. I keep meaning to find out what the problem is.

[alex-v.]

A guy I know has been an LEO for 20 plus years. Since they started the NICS system he has never been able to make a purchase without a delay. Usually only a day but a delay none the less.

[moa]

When I was in the Army back in the 1960s I had a Secret and Crypto Secret security clearance, and apparently they were given out like candy, especially Secret. Eventually they did find out one guy in our outfit with a Secret security clearance was not even an American citizen.

I don't think anybody did any background checks for those clearances.

[Dave R]

Dunno about your state, but here in ID, if you have a CCW permit, you do not have to have a NICS check when you purchase a gun. You have to fill out a 4473, but they just use your CCW permit number in the blank for the NICS approval.

That's a good reason for getting one, if your state operates the same way.

[keyhole]

I've been an LEO for 20 years, and never had a problem, but I do know of those who had. I did have a friend who was denied, and requested the reason. I helped him get the snafu worked out, and now he has no problem.
Gremlins :cuss:

[BlkHawk73]

My brother who has a FFL gets a delay. I can happen to anybody.

[Old NFO]

I've had the checks and currently have all the requisite clearances, I have yet to be delayed... Guess I fall into that lucky category too... FYI, DISCO is the most prevalent of the clearance providers. DIS is no longer doing clearances so there are even longer delays than normal- 12-18 mos for most clearances. :banghead:

[joshlm]

For me it seems that I almost always got a delay when I first started buying guns. After the first ten or so I have not had a single delay. As others have said it could just be luck.

[Sam]

Bondagejaguar,
Just so you know it is taking over 300 days average to process initial clearances. Periodic re-investigations are taking much much longer than that.

Sam

[DWS1117]

In my case there is a delay almost every time I buy a gun. It seems that the times that I wasn't delayed were when I bought the gun during the day between Monday and Friday. If the purchase was made on a weekday night or anytime on the weekends it was a delay. The delay was always the full 3 days. It just got to the point that I would buy the gun and tell my dealer that I would seem him in 3 days.

My CHL should be in my hot lil hands in a few weeks. No more delay. Just in time for my Kimber to come off of law-a-way. :) :) :)

[Hawkmoon]

BondageJaguar, when you enlist they usually conduct a background check, basically making sure you aren't a felon, or have a record, warrants, etc. The security clearance, either Secret or Top Secret is extensive. It takes hours to fill out all the information, if you have this done you know it. Your average enlistee will not have a security clearance packet sent through because they are expensive and time consuming...they average about a year to come back with an answer.
Things must have changed since I was in. (A long time ago.) There was a HUGE difference between a SECRET clearance and a TOP SECRET clearance. The check for a SECRET was a National Agency Check (NAC), and it probably wasn't much different from a firearms purchase check. It certainly didn't take hours to fill out any form, or I would remember the drudgery ... and I don't.

TOP SECRET was a totally different animal.

[Old NFO]

Things must have changed since I was in. (A long time ago.) There was a HUGE difference between a SECRET clearance and a TOP SECRET clearance. The check for a SECRET was a National Agency Check (NAC), and it probably wasn't much different from a firearms purchase check. It certainly didn't take hours to fill out any form, or I would remember the drudgery ... and I don't.

You're still correct Hawkmoon, except it's called a DISCO instead of a NAC. The SSBI and BI are STILL a PITA :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

It's about 15-20 pages of stuff, EVERY job, supervisor, address, etc. for 15 years; and God forbid that any supervisor died... and you haven't even started the real checks :scrutiny: Put it in, wait 12-18 months and IF there are no problems, you get the upgraded clearance (maybe). And yes on the BI's they do go talk to each of your references :what:

[GLOCKME]

I have never been delayed for any purchase...

From weekend shows, to pick up at the FFL..

:cool:

[FPrice]

If you've ever had an FBI background check done, for any reason, you'll be delayed... I had one done for my Federal LE security clearance, and whereas before that I'd been approved immediately, ever since then I've had to wait two to three days!

I had my first FBI background check in 1967-68 for a TS Clearance and periodic reviews since. I've never had a delay.

[Sergeant Sabre]

three days? I was told 8. Thanks for the info, I can go pick it up Tuesday now instead of next sunday.

Federal law does not prohibit the transfer if a resolution is not reached within three business days. Here's the part you need to pay attention to, and the part that should have been explained to you:

Gander Mountain (apparently where you tried to purchase) has a corporate policy that 8 business days must transpire before the transaction is completed. I dunno why, it's stupid.

They used to not transfer at all on a delay. If you go back on Tuesday, they'll tell you to keep waiting.

[RavenVT100]

Just out of curiosity, for people doing the FBI checks. I have somewhat of an interest in the FBI in the future, and I was wondering how this type of thing works.

How far back do they go? Will they talk to your high school teachers? How about before high school? Is the cutoff after 18, or will they go back to when you were a minor, even if you do not have or have never had anything resembling a record?

I had a couple of HS teachers who seriously disliked me, not because of me specifically, but because of my parents (they were both in academia, had differing political beliefs, and apparently couldn't handle it).

I was also in a situation at one point where a landlord of mine was upset about something that was not my fault, i.e. the apartment I was living in had some damage that had been there since before I moved in. He tried to blame this on me; I recovered my deposit after some wrangling. But he holds a grudge. Nothing transpired between us that went beyond exchanging a few angry words (and no threats or anything), but I have no trouble believing that this guy would make up whatever he wanted about me to someone who asked.

I'm sure people have all kinds of situations like this in their lives. Will the FBI reject people out-of-hand based on little stuff like this?

[71Commander]

Mine is always 24 hours. In the early 70's, I went through AIT in Ft. Huachuca and needed a security clearance. I've heard that this will delay an approval.

[RRTX]

I've been through the background check to get a TS/SCI clearance and have never been delayed. It's nice not even having to have the phone call now though :)

[Mr. Mysterious]

RavenVT100, I think its like 7 years, and yes, they'll look at you prior to 18. I can't imagine high school teachers coming into the picture unless you are trying for a top secret clearance. I'm not really the end all on this, I've only done the stuff for a secret, which is the lowest that I need to be a commissioned officer. One other thing that you should note if you are thinking about the FBI is they do not have open employment right now...to submit an application you have to:

Only applicants possessing the following critical skills will be processed at this time:
For critical skill definition, click each of the following hyperlinks:
Accounting/Finance (Accounting/Finance Degree/CPA/or at least 2 years relative work experience)
Computer Science or other Information Technology specialties
Engineering
Fluent in a Foreign Language
Intelligence Experience
Law Experience
Law Enforcement or other Investigative Experience
Military Experience
Science (such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Nursing, Bio-chemistry, Forensics, Medical Specialties, etc.)

https://www.fbijobs.com/JobDesc.asp?src=001&requisitionid=368

[Leatherneck]

Periodic re-investigations are taking much much longer than that. Correctamundo. My five-year update initiated two years ago is just now interviewing neighbors and references. :rolleyes:

TC
TFL Survivor

[RavenVT100]

Oh, well that's interesting, Mr. Mysterious. I'll be close to 28 years old by the time I apply, so if they only go back seven years, then <18 is irrelevant. As far as those skills are concerned, I have a few years of work experience in two of those. But I'm not yet ready to switch careers.

Thanks again to those who PMed me with advice.