paperwork process for suppressor

[gsreimers]

The Peoples Republic of Minnesota this year passed a law allowing suppressors. I, in October paid my 100.00 to create my gun trust and then through my local gun shop purchased my suppressor (which they promptly put in their safe) filled out all of the paperwork and sent it along with my check for 200.00 to the ATF. While my check was cashed within 2 weeks, nothing else has happened.

From what I have heard, this is normal. Those of you that have been through this process, how long have you waited? And more importantly why? What does the ATF do with my app and why does it take so long.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

[Aaron Baker]

I think the current wait times for the Form 4 are about 3-4 months. Should be no more than 5.

Why? Because there's a backlog and insufficient staffing.

What do they do with your application? It sits in a pile until they get around to processing it.

Welcome to the stamp collectors' club!

Aaron

 

[yugorpk]

5-10 minutes on their desk. It just takes 4 months to get there. All they do is do the equivalent of a NICS check if you are going with the traditional CLEO signoff and make sure all your paperwork is in order. No reason it should take that long other than they have a couple of dozen inspectors doing hundreds of thousands of forms each year and its in no ones in the governments interest to make the system work better. The slower it is the better as far as the ATF is concerned. To be honest though the efile thing has been working out pretty well for form 1's.

 

[CodeSection]

Gsr, it took mine 4 months to get approved. I, too, have a trust.

Hang in there....

 

[Theohazard]

My first two silencers took almost 12 months when I bought them a few years ago. The current 3-5 month wait time is awesome in comparison. My last can took 5 months and I'm hoping the one I just bought takes even less, but I'll be OK with anything under 6 months.

 

[CaptHank]

My check was cashed on August 24th. The Osprey is in my dealer's safe, still waiting on the Form 4 approval. I called last week, was told the wait time is now around 5 months.

 

[Ryanxia]

Count your blessings, at one point a couple years ago some people were waiting 15 months to get their approval back!

I've been lucky, my 2 SBR's this year (both e-filed which you can't do with a form 4 at the moment) took 10 & 12 weeks.

 

[yugorpk]

My check was cashed on August 24th. The Osprey is in my dealer's safe, still waiting on the Form 4 approval. I called last week, was told the wait time is now around 5 months.

That 5 month thing is just their patent answer they give out on the phone. Actual wait time is right at 4 month these days. You should be approved early next month or so. I filed one July 27th ( thats when it went pending ) and it was approved Dec.9th and my dealer had it in his hands on the 23rd.

 

[CaptHank]

I sure hope that is the case. Waiting for the phone call from my dealer.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I have 2 pending right now. Current wait time is 3-5 months. I received my last 2 in 4 months. My bet is that you will get a call from your dealer in mid February. NFA stuff is a waiting mans game grasshopper.

You can call to check on where the ATF is at in your application. Have the name of your trust ready, the name of the shop transferring it to you and the serial number of the item you purchased. Most of the time they will just say "pending" but it is worth a shot. Here is the number (304) 616-4500.

Also, check out this website: www.nfatracker.com/
It'll give you a good idea on how everything is trending. Add your stuff if you want! It helps out the community!

 

[Ryanxia]

You can call to check on where the ATF is at in your application. Have the name of your trust ready, the name of the shop transferring it to you and the serial number of the item you purchased. Most of the time they will just say "pending" but it is worth a shot. Here is the number (304) 616-4500.

I could be mistaken but I believe the same people answering the phones to tell you your 'status' are the ones actually approving the forms, if that's the case, we probably shouldn't bog them down with phone calls of everyone trying to 'check in' on their form. Just be patient and it will go through when it goes through.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I could be mistaken but I believe the same people answering the phones to tell you your 'status' are the ones actually approving the forms, if that's the case, we probably shouldn't bog them down with phone calls of everyone trying to 'check in' on their form. Just be patient and it will go through when it goes through.

I'm not sure if they are the same people or not. I have never considered that though. I have only called once in the past. I had 2 stamps sent from the ATF to my dealer the same day. One arrived and a week later the other still hadn't. I was freaking out! I thought it was lost in the mail or something. I'm a big fan of the NFA tracker though. I always put my stuff on it.

 

[Swing]

Those of you that have been through this process, how long have you waited?

My last two stamps were just past the four (4) month mark. One of those two took a week for the paperwork to get mailed out and the postal system nearly three weeks to get said to my dealer. I had one suppressor take nearly nine months (9). I have two Form 1s just past four month mark and counting. YMMV.

 

[adcoch1]

So for the form 1, how detailed have your designs been that you submitted, and does giving more or less detail speed up or slow down the process. About ready to do my first one and this thread is timely...

 

[Charger442]

yeah, im still waiting on my latest Form 4 on a trust. First week in January will be 5 months.

So for the form 1, how detailed have your designs been that you submitted, and does giving more or less detail speed up or slow down the process. About ready to do my first one and this thread is timely...

and the last form 1 suppressor i submitted, i did not include any plans. it wizzed through in 95 days.

 

[yugorpk]

Not the same. They have someone dedicated to answering the phone. Lately its the snarky guy. Let him earn his check.

 

[yugorpk]

So for the form 1, how detailed have your designs been that you submitted, and does giving more or less detail speed up or slow down the process. About ready to do my first one and this thread is timely...

You dont need plans. Just length and caliber.

 

[adcoch1]

So just a description then? That's pretty quick...

 

[adcoch1]

Thanks Yugorpk!

 

[yugorpk]

Not really even a description. Just length and caliber. Whatever is on the form 1. Theres a lot of misconceptions about Form 1' ing stuff. As long as all the boxes are filled in that need to be filled in the ATF could give a damn what you are doing.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

Not the same. They have someone dedicated to answering the phone. Lately its the snarky guy. Let him earn his check.

Well then, game on!

 

[gsreimers]

Thanks for the replies guys. Sounds like it will be here pretty soon. I think as I get older and crabbier I'm also getting tired of putting up with crappy service. As the owner of my own small business I bust my tail to give good service to keep customers. I don't accept bad service from businesses any more. I guess with the government, I just have to accept it.

 

[yugorpk]

Yeah there is no over riding reason for them to give you good service. In fact there is probably more pressure for them to sandbag the whole process. They had actually made some headway towards streamlining the whole process by hiring more examiners and even temp examiners and allowing form 4 filing over the internet with e-file. Then the e-file form 4 setup got yanked and the ATF director "resigned" after the M855 debacle.

 

[Swing]

Well, speak of the devil, one of the two Form 1s that I mentioned in post #13 was approved today. So, for that one, four months and two days.

 

[Jim K]

If all you people out there would stop sending in your silly applications, MINE would be processed immediately.



Jim

P.S. and seriously, BATFE is hurting in its budget; they have pulled so many shenanigans that Congress responded in the only way it can, by cutting funds. The BATFE leadership won't cut its field people because the guys with ATF jackets who show up at every purse snatching make for good PR, so they cut their HQ staff (not the big chiefs, of course, but the workers). With fewer people to cope with an increasing work load, delays are inevitable.

Jim