form 4473 error

[pd5609]

I believe that I have put down the wrong "place of birth" on my form 4437 for a pending transfer, and instead put in my first childhood residence. Dumb mistake. Is this something that would kick back a denial or would this ultimately go through without correction. I do not have a common name that would need extra identifiable information. I have little knowledge of how the NICS system works. Do errors like this have a large impact?
Thanks!

 

[PT1911]

It is unlikely to be a problem.

Most of the form is used for Identity purposes, I dont expect that birthplace is going to be a big deal.

although i may be wrong.

 

[Oro]

form 4437 error

Um, do you mean "4473" error?

The NICS is instant (that's what the "I" stands for), so if it's "pending" it sounds like it was a problem and they are trying to sort out who you are.

 

[BhmBill]

You MAY get a "delay" or "pending" response, not necessarily a "deny" response.

If it's a delay, they'll probably have you come in and rectify the situation.

Of course, I'm not sure how "delay" responses are handled, so... take my advice with a grain of salt.

 

[pd5609]

yeah 4473 LOL . Maybe I shouldn't be trusted with a firearm. I wonder if dyslexia will disqualify me.

Also, I do not believe it was run yet, I think my FFL is waiting on my package to arrive . I am just trying to see if I can save the trip and embarrassment or redoing my form.

 

[Oro]

If you didn't get an automatic "yes" and you are eligible, then you should probably tell the dealer the mistake and have him re-run it with the correct information. I have only once in how many ever years had a "pending" and that was because the system was down for a short while in 2000 or something.

 

[Rio Laxas]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe that your place of birth is one of the items that they give the NICS operator. I think that piece of information just resides on the form for reference.

 

[Rodentman]

I heard my dealer say "1911 Custom" when he called in a couple of 4473's. I asked why he said that and he told me he always says that. I guess the question is "what is he buying."

 

[rbernie]

I don't believe that your place of birth is one of the items that they give the NICS operator. I think that piece of information just resides on the form for reference.

I've never heard it called it.

Just tell the FFL and correct it on the form. Happens all the time.

 

[1911swacp]

From the time I first bought a firearm and had to have a NICS ran I gave the wrong place of birth and never been denied or put on hold or pending. just bought 4 hand guns last week on 2 different days and walked out with them with in mins of doing the paper work. They had the wrong place of birth on them too. So I really dont think it will be a problem.

1911swacp

 

[dogtown tom]

almostfree: Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe that your place of birth is one of the items that they give the NICS operator. I think that piece of information just resides on the form for reference.

NICS will ask the following of the FFL:

FFL#
Codeword
How many names would you like to check?
Last Name
First Name
Middle Name
Cadence (Jr., Sr., etc)
Place of Birth (state or foreign country)
Height
Weight
Gender
Birth Date
Social Security Number
Race (ethnicity)
State of Residence
Country of Citizenship
Type of Firearm to be Transferred

Then they give you the NICS transaction number, followed by:
Proceed
or
"I'm connecting you to a NICS Examiner for further review"
Who may give you a Proceed/Delay/Deny on the transaction.


There is additional information regarding that person on the 4473, but the FBI does not ask for that.

 

[ServiceSoon]

Why do they ask what type of firearm? Asking that question does nothing to fulfill the stated purpose of the NICS checks.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Why do they ask what type of firearm? Asking that question does nothing to fulfill the stated purpose of the NICS checks.

From the FBI website:

ensure that each customer does not have a criminal record or isn't otherwise ineligible to make a purchase.

18 to buy a rifle, 21 to buy a handgun for example might be a reason. Just guessing.

 

[10-Ring]

Sounds like a correctable problem -- just inform your FFL -- at worse, it would just just be a delay not a flat out denial

 

[Duke of Doubt]

It's worth noting that the NICS check isn't a background investigation. They just verify that, according to certain limited (and incomplete) information, you legally may purchase a firearm. The city of your birth has no bearing on this question, and is at most an aid to identification -- and not a very helpful one at that (imagine how many Mike Johnsons and David Browns have been born in New York City over the last century).

According to certain well-placed rumor, during the inaugural year of NICS one "Homer J. Simpson" of various addresses purchased no fewer than fourteen thousand and some long arms.

 

[dogtown tom]

Duke of Doubt:...According to certain well-placed rumor, during the inaugural year of NICS one "Homer J. Simpson" of various addresses purchased no fewer than fourteen thousand and some long arms.

Sorry, As funny as that may seem I've got to call BS on this. And I'm not exactly sure what a "certain well-placed rumor" is. Do you mean a rumor started by someone who is in a position of authority with the FBI or ATF?

I find it VERY unlikely that FFL's would risk their license by accepting 14,000 Form 4473's with Homer Simpson on them.

Before the NICS check is called in, the buyer must complete the 4473 AND provide identification (drivers license or other government issued photo identification).

While I'm sure someone out there is actually named Homer J. Simpson, it's doubtful there are enough for 14,000+ transactions.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

dogtown tom: "Sorry, As funny as that may seem I've got to call BS on this. And I'm not exactly sure what a "certain well-placed rumor" is. Do you mean a rumor started by someone who is in a position of authority with the FBI or ATF?"

No, what I meant was that, whether fact-based or not, the story was a rumor, placed well by a political operative seeking to discredit NICS during the period mentioned above, about a decade ago when the system was plagued by outages and seemed vulnerable to political attack, during a time when enhanced gun control or other changes seemed possible -- days of the so-called "Million Mom March", the Second Amendment Sisters and all that. No way to prove or disprove that rumor all these years later; supposedly it was based at least in part on fact. It would be a mere footnote to the gun politics of that era, but for the fact that I happen to find it not merely plausible but also hilariously funny.

 

[Corey]

I heard my dealer say "1911 Custom" when he called in a couple of 4473's. I asked why he said that and he told me he always says that. I guess the question is "what is he buying."

The correct answer to that question is either "handgun" or "long gun" Make, model, caliber or anything else is not needed.

If he gives that "1911 Custom" answer on an 18 to 20 year old buyer, the transfer will be denied.

 

[waterhouse]

dogtown nailed it. They do ask for your place of birth when you call it in.

They do not ask for the make, model, serial number, or caliber of the gun you are buying, only if it is a handgun or a longgun.

From the time I first bought a firearm and had to have a NICS ran I gave the wrong place of birth and never been denied or put on hold or pending. just bought 4 hand guns last week on 2 different days and walked out with them with in mins of doing the paper work. They had the wrong place of birth on them too. So I really dont think it will be a problem.

Are you saying that when you buy a gun you intentionally lie about your place of birth on the 4473?

 

[WardenWolf]

From what I understand, the NICS is a database of flagged criminals, not everyone. Effectively, as long as your info doesn't trigger a match with a criminal, they won't know you from Adam. Note that giving your social security number is optional. In my opinion you should never provide it the first time. If they run into problems clearing you, you can always give it later, but you shouldn't put it on the form the first time.

 

[kanook]

i have only been asked a couple of times where the purchaser was born. i think that is only because of similar names with no ss# given.

 

[mtang45]

NICS is a strange animal and sometimes yields strange results. Last year I purchased 4 handguns for 4 of my children (all over 21). After they all filled out the 4473 the dealer began calling them in. My son received a proceed, and so did my next two daughters. The last info to be provided the FBI operator was on my 22 year old and youngest daughter who has had MAYBE one traffic ticket in her life; she was issued a delay. At the time she very innocently looked at me and said "What did I do?". There could not have been identity confusion as we have a very unusual last name and there is all of 6 of us in existence in the US and for all I know, the world.

So in my mind it remains a mystery as to why NICS seems to randomly kick out delays. Perhaps someone with deeper knowledge on NICS could clarify this for us.

 

[highorder]

Quote:
I heard my dealer say "1911 Custom" when he called in a couple of 4473's. I asked why he said that and he told me he always says that. I guess the question is "what is he buying."

The correct answer to that question is either "handgun" or "long gun" Make, model, caliber or anything else is not needed.

If he gives that "1911 Custom" answer on an 18 to 20 year old buyer, the transfer will be denied.

In this case, it sounds like "1911 Custom" is your FFL dealer's CODEWORD.

If you had the 15 digit FFL number, you would have outed his NICS info!

NICS will ask the following of the FFL:

FFL#
Codeword
How many names would you like to check?
Last Name
First Name
Middle Name
Cadence (Jr., Sr., etc)
Place of Birth (state or foreign country)
Height
Weight
Gender
Birth Date
Social Security Number
Race (ethnicity)
State of Residence
Country of Citizenship
Type of Firearm to be Transferred

Then they give you the NICS transaction number, followed by:
Proceed
or
"I'm connecting you to a NICS Examiner for further review"
Who may give you a Proceed/Delay/Deny on the transaction.

+1 word for word.

 

[Kharn]

+1 to it being his NICS password.

Kharn