Called the ATF today....

[Speedo66]

for an update as to my E1 silencer application.

Got a very curt and seemingly short tempered woman after about a 20 minute wait.

Getting information out of her was like pulling teeth. I stayed polite and cheery but she wasn't having any of it.

I had submitted my electronic application for a homemade silencer stamp on Oct. 9, and other than a confirmation that they had received the application, nothing since. I asked if there was anything holding it up. "No, just volume".

Is there anything else I should be doing? "No".

Any idea when things would start to move? "No".

I started to thank her but she hung up on me before I could.

Have to guess she was overworked or stressed, because all other phone calls with ATF people have been pleasant and helpful. Lucky me....

So after 3 months on an E1 application, seemingly no progress. A little frustrated and disappointed, thought the E1's moved faster than this.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Ya,.must be nice to work for the 'Gubment. SMH.

 

[WisBorn]

Go over her head. All calls should be recorded. Talk to her supervisor.

Remember they work for us! It's not going to help speed up the process but, she should be kind. The people answering the phone are customer service.

 

[LNK]

Ya,.must be nice to work for the 'Gubment. SMH.

Great benefits, regular hours, hated by the public. Sounds great. I will stay private sector just for the lulz.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Everybody has bad days, and they deal with literally hundreds of the same calls every single day. As well, some people just aren't cut out for customer service. That's why I have my wife field most of the communications; I get very curt with people who ask questions that are answered on our services page, or ask the same question in different ways searching for a different answer.

Eform 1 is usually pretty fast, but sometimes it can take awhile, up to 5 months from what I've seen.

 

[Demi-human]

Take heart! I I filed July 26 and just received mine the other day. Yours should be a lawn very soon. But, yeah it is quite annoying to get no information when calling the information desk.

Plus, yours could be at a completely different agents desk it could come even sooner!

 

[Speedo66]

Take heart! I I filed July 26 and just received mine the other day. Yours should be a lawn very soon. But, yeah it is quite annoying to get no information when calling the information desk.

Plus, yours could be at a completely different agents desk it could come even sooner!

Thanks for the info, was yours also an E1 silencer application? And why would they convert it to a lawn? lol

 

[Rule3]

Go over her head. All calls should be recorded. Talk to her supervisor.

Remember they work for us! It's not going to help speed up the process but, she should be kind. The people answering the phone are customer service.

I worked for State Govt. Doing what you suggest will then move your request to another pile, never to be seen again!

"We have our ways of dealing with you"!

 

[Demi-human]

Thanks for the info, was yours also an E1 silencer application?

Yup! 22rimfire. Totally worth the wait!

Whenever I use talk-to-text...
I must be hard for Siri, I sound like Larry the Cable Guy when I get tired.
When I get mad and yell at her, she misses nothing...

 

[WisBorn]

I worked for State Govt. Doing what you suggest will then move your request to another pile, never to be seen again!

"We have our ways of dealing with you"!

Do they record all calls in to your department?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

So after 3 months on an E1 application, seemingly no progress. A little frustrated and disappointed, thought the E1's moved faster than this.

They probably do, during normal times. We are not experiencing anything close to approaching the norm and haven't for months in the gun world. "just volume" holding up your suppressor is probably an understatement, LOL. If NFA items follow gun sales, then they have may more than double the typical work load.

 

[jmorris]

They have always been nice when I call but I’ll admit to not calling much.

I send in a personal check so I know when they open the envelope and cash the check.

Once I know they have it, it’s like waiting on Christmas, calling the North Pole everyday isn’t going to make it happen any faster.

 

[Speedo66]

So, is it the fact I called, luck, or coincidence, but today I got an email from the BATF saying status has change to "submitted/in progress, and to mail my prints in.

I had my prints taken when I first sent in the application, so they'll go in the mail tomorrow. Hopefully, the USPS doesn't do what they do so well and send them all over the country first.

Anyone have an idea what the wait time might be from this stage?

 

[Ryanxia]

I'm 8 months into an AOW on a paper form 4 Trust. Good thing this ain't my first rodeo and I'm focused on other projects.

 

[Rule3]

Do they record all calls in to your department?

Yes, they DID but of course we never answered the phone and let it go off to some unknown black hole answering service

All lines are busy, we are experiencing heavy call volume, please try again later Click!

 

[plodder]

"Called the ATF today"
That is usually a mistake.

Seriously though, the one time I contacted ATF about a delay/glitch in a Form 1 app for a silencer I talked with a very helpful agent. Not only did he take care of the problem with that particular Form 1, but I had 2 other Form 1s in the pipeline and he looked those up and hand picked them for approval that very day. As a result, I got 3 Form 1 stamps on the same day. 2 of which were submitted only about 2 weeks prior. Probably some kind of record (that was about 5-6 years ago, YMMV, etc.)

 

[Elkins45]

So, is it the fact I called, luck, or coincidence, but today I got an email from the BATF saying status has change to "submitted/in progress, and to mail my prints in.

I had my prints taken when I first sent in the application, so they'll go in the mail tomorrow. Hopefully, the USPS doesn't do what they do so well and send them all over the country first.

Anyone have an idea what the wait time might be from this stage?

I efiled a Form 1 for a silencer in the summer. It was 18 days from the time I submitted, including the Labor Day holiday.

 

[KeeperOfScrolls]

I can only imagine with the upcoming bills coming to the house in regards of SBR =/= Pistols, magazine capacity, et cetera, there's an extremely high volume of callers and it's probably getting the best of people like that. It might not be a bad idea of going over that person, and calling back again some other time.

 

[Commader47]

Since you called and were obviously a citizen, your application was probably moved to the bottom of the pile now.