Form 4473 changes by ATF

[Ryanxia]

FTA: "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Monday the release of a revised background check form."

Link has the changes. Among them is a note clarifying that marijuana is still federally illegal regardless of State laws. Another is a change from 'Gender' to 'Sex'. I'm surprised they didn't add another question about the buyers racial or ethnic background.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/11/16/form-4473/

 

[Sistema1927]

Section 10 already asked for Race(Ethnicity).

 

[Vern Humphrey]

FTA: "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Monday the release of a revised background check form."

Link has the changes. Among them is a note clarifying that marijuana is still federally illegal regardless of State laws. Another is a change from 'Gender' to 'Sex'. I'm surprised they didn't add another question about the buyers racial or ethnic background.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/11/16/form-4473/

I applaud the chance from "gender" to "sex." "Gender" applies to grammatical entities (for example, "Mesa" in Spanish is feminine gender.) People who say "gender" when they mean "sex" are obviously anal-retentive.

 

[Acera]

I think sex is a lot more specific and accurate than gender. People have created dozens and dozens of genders (FYI Facebook lists 58 different ones), so I think it is a viable option as opposed to putting a 'other' box for some people to identify with.

Think this puts to rest some folks thoughts that since I have a card or live in a certain state I can do illegal things and lie about it on the form. Now it is pretty clear.

.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

It looks like all good changes and some over do. The flow was confusing on the initial form.

Race and sex are for identification purposes and legal sex is more prevalent than ever for identification.

Mike

 

[Tommygunn]

I think sex is a lot more specific and accurate than gender. People have created dozens and dozens of genders (FYI Facebook lists 58 different ones), so I think it is a viable option as opposed to putting a 'other' box for some people to identify with.

Think this puts to rest some folks thoughts that since I have a card or live in a certain state I can do illegal things and lie about it on the form. Now it is pretty clear.

.

Typically, "gender" has to do with grammar. In some languages, nouns have a "gender": that is, they are masculine or feminine.
Sex has to do with whether one's Sex organs are inside or outside.

 

[splattergun]

My sex is Male. My gender is Masculine.
I don't know about the rest of y'all

I have been known to write in 'masculine' on forms that ask my gender. Even had a loan denied for
that infraction once.

 

[Frank Ettin]

Moved to Legal from General

 

[Frank Ettin]

This thread is now a lot shorter than it once was. A lot of off-topic and useless posts have been deleted. Let's now keep this thread a serious discussion.

HINT: We are not discussing whether marijuana should or should not be legal.

 

[orpington]

What are the chances of, with a Republican in the White House, who may be very pro-2A, as well as a Republican Senate and House, that this form and/or the GCA of 1968 might be abolished or significantly modified? I realize this might be a long shot, but just seeing what others think.

I know this is just an opinion, and everyone has one, but I find it rather offensive that I am subjugated to filling this form out, and being subjected to, a background check, anytime I purchase a firearm. I can purchase an unlimited amount of gasoline without any restrictions, and yet, if I choose to abuse how I utilize this product, I could potentially burn down an entire city or thousands of acres of timber and grasslands.

 

[MAKster]

Not sure why some people are getting worked up by this. Illegal drug users have been "prohibited persons" since the 1968 act. All this additional wording is doing is making it clear that federal law hasn't changed despite what the states have done legalizing marijuana.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Comparing the new Oct 2016 to the Apr 2012 F4473 (the last I had dnld'd).
Most appear minor, like shortening the title to "Firearms Transaction Record" dropping "Part I Over-the-Counter"; the word "transfer" often replaces "sale"; "Prepare in original only" expanded to "at licensed premises" including "qualifying gun show or event" which is a clarification not a law change.
Some of the slight rewordings may be responses to complaints by FFLs that the old form was hard to follow or confusing.
_ the ambiguous term "Gender" is now the biometric "Sex"
_ instruction added that Questions 10.a. Ethnicity and 10.b. Race require both (not either or)
_ added a warning to Question 11.e. that marijuana is still a federally controlled substance
_ Question 11.f. states the question, then refers (See Instructions for Question 11.f.) rather than include partial instructions then refer to full Instructions
_ citizenship and alienage Questions 11.j through .l and 12, 13, and 14 are now Question 12.a through .d.2.
_ the old Question 15 is now the new Question 13, and the following questions renumbered
_ added a block for FFL employee completing the NICS check
_ added time limit "by close of business" to complete ATF Form 3310.4 for multiple purchases of handgun with 5 consecutive business days

To me the really new thing is this:
_ added a block if this 4473 used to facilitate a private party transfer