Transfer question and time line?
- Thread starter mopar92
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UnknownGunMan
member
Time depends on a variety of factors... the main one being how LAZY your examiner is...
ATF splits the forms up Alphabetically to their examiners...
If your last name starts with Z... you'll get your forms approved faster than say a B or R...
ATF splits the forms up Alphabetically to their examiners...
If your last name starts with Z... you'll get your forms approved faster than say a B or R...
GoingQuiet
Member
It is hard work but somebody has to do it. I have nothing bad to say about the NFA examiners, all have been very professional and knowledgeable with me.
Yes, it has everything to do with the examiner. I had one Form 3 that took 2 months to get back. I had another from a vendor of mine take 9 days.
GoingQuiet
Member
Its not the "hardness" of it - it's the fact that every examiner has a few thousand of these pending at any given moment.
WoofersInc
Member
Just finished one transfer. Got the call yesterday that the paperwork was back at the dealer. I'm going to pick up my new suppressor tomorrow. Total time was 46 days from mailing it off to picking up the item.
It definitely has to do with the examiners. I have another form 4 that has been at ATF 3 weeks longer than the one that I just got back.
It definitely has to do with the examiners. I have another form 4 that has been at ATF 3 weeks longer than the one that I just got back.
Ironman
Member
Outline:
When you mail the F4 to GA, they take the check out and foward the packet to WV. Once in WV it sits until the check is cashed. Once the check is cashed its fowarded to the examiners where it waits again until its sorted by the 1st intial of the transferrer(dealer). Once sorted it will goto the assigned examiner (one of 12) depending on what initals they cover (this means its gone pending). THEN is goes into their pile using the roman calendar for what day your check was cashed. Then it waits again untill they get to your stack and your paperwork. Once the examiner actually has your F4 in hand it only takes 2-3min to approve it.
So depending on the examiner your dealer gets it could take anywhere from 30-100days or longer if you forgot to sign it or some other stupid mistake.
My last 3 transfers took 38days mailbox to mailbox because my dealer by luck gets one of the fastest examiners.
I generally call in 30 days increments from when I mailed the check. This way by the time i called I can find out who my examiner is (just ask the call takers if yours has gone pending, they can tell you who has it) and estimate a completion time depending on that persons history. Calling every 30days also lets you catch mistakes early. Sometimes they will set a bad F4 aside and forget about it or send it back when they have enough. So calling every 30 can speed up the process for fixing a mistake. Ive seen guys wait 100 days to find out it was lost in ATF limbo because of a stupid mistake on the paperwork.
Thats all I can think of. Im tired of people saying not to call as it will slow down everyone paperwork. Unless you ask to speak to your examiner(why?) then everything is fine.
*Wanted to add that the examiners go through over a million forms every year. Remember they also go through the Form1's, 3's, everything. The F4's are just a part of the workload.
When you mail the F4 to GA, they take the check out and foward the packet to WV. Once in WV it sits until the check is cashed. Once the check is cashed its fowarded to the examiners where it waits again until its sorted by the 1st intial of the transferrer(dealer). Once sorted it will goto the assigned examiner (one of 12) depending on what initals they cover (this means its gone pending). THEN is goes into their pile using the roman calendar for what day your check was cashed. Then it waits again untill they get to your stack and your paperwork. Once the examiner actually has your F4 in hand it only takes 2-3min to approve it.
So depending on the examiner your dealer gets it could take anywhere from 30-100days or longer if you forgot to sign it or some other stupid mistake.
My last 3 transfers took 38days mailbox to mailbox because my dealer by luck gets one of the fastest examiners.
I generally call in 30 days increments from when I mailed the check. This way by the time i called I can find out who my examiner is (just ask the call takers if yours has gone pending, they can tell you who has it) and estimate a completion time depending on that persons history. Calling every 30days also lets you catch mistakes early. Sometimes they will set a bad F4 aside and forget about it or send it back when they have enough. So calling every 30 can speed up the process for fixing a mistake. Ive seen guys wait 100 days to find out it was lost in ATF limbo because of a stupid mistake on the paperwork.
Thats all I can think of. Im tired of people saying not to call as it will slow down everyone paperwork. Unless you ask to speak to your examiner(why?) then everything is fine.
*Wanted to add that the examiners go through over a million forms every year. Remember they also go through the Form1's, 3's, everything. The F4's are just a part of the workload.
UnknownGunMan
member
If you don't have patience, don't buy NFA weapons... simple as that
GoingQuiet
Member
Don't forget that caseload gets reassigned from time to time.
Bubbles
Member
Right now there are only 11... one left last month. I hope they hire someone to fill the slot and get him trained up quickly.
And no, don't look at me. While I'm local to the ATF NFA branch, that would be a massive conflict of interest.
GoingQuiet
Member
Examiner is the ATF official that approves/denies your application for a tax stamp.
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