How frequently should I call ATF?

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  • Mike OTDP

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 12, 2008
    3,319
    I've had a can in the Form 4 transfer pipeline since June of 2019. Called ATF at the end of last month, it's still "pending". How often should I call them back? I haven't done so yet, but thirteen months is excessive even for NFA paperwork.
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,538
    Columbia
    13 months is not out of the ordinary for many folks. I’d wait at least a month, besides, calling won’t get it approved any faster


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    ATF is surprisingly responsive via "ask the experts". Just recently had a several hour long exchange with someone there via email. Was almost like having an online chat.

    Sorry for the wait. I submitted a form for in May and was one of the lucky ones that had stamp and can in hand at 87 days flat. My buddy who submitted one in August got his stamp like 2 weeks ago. I'd imagine you are getting close.
     

    Bob A

    όυ φροντισ
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Nov 11, 2009
    30,691
    Put in my paperwork for a suppressor March 20, 2019. Still waiting, 15 months later.
     

    calicojack

    American Sporting Rifle
    MDS Supporter
    May 29, 2018
    5,348
    Cuba on the Chesapeake
    I've had a can in the Form 4 transfer pipeline since June of 2019. Called ATF at the end of last month, it's still "pending". How often should I call them back? I haven't done so yet, but thirteen months is excessive even for NFA paperwork.

    I think you could call and explain that 13 months is unusual and you wanted to make sure something didn't get lost. I would if it were me.

    Speaking of which, I submitted application in March; this does not inspire confidence. I think this is going to be an 11 - 14 month wait for all of us.

    In this age of fast information technology, there is absolutely no excuse for this. The process should take at most 5 business days.
     

    Mike OTDP

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 12, 2008
    3,319
    In this age of fast information technology, there is absolutely no excuse for this. The process should take at most 5 business days.

    No dispute there...especially for those of us who have been through the whole rigamarole previously.
     

    rsideout

    Senior Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 11, 2009
    6,709
    MD - Capital Region
    When my stamps are close to my estimated date for being approved, I call every 2 - 4 weeks to check. I did that recently and had a few others that I found out were approved a couple months earlier than estimated.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I think you could call and explain that 13 months is unusual and you wanted to make sure something didn't get lost. I would if it were me.

    Speaking of which, I submitted application in March; this does not inspire confidence. I think this is going to be an 11 - 14 month wait for all of us.

    In this age of fast information technology, there is absolutely no excuse for this. The process should take at most 5 business days.

    Yes it should. But how many inspectors do they have? A hundred or two? Dunno, maybe more, maybe less. How much NFA paperwork they gotta push in a given year? I assume hundreds of thousands. So figure each one has to handle from 5-30 per day. 5 a day they should be able to stay on top of. 30 a day though...

    It isn’t THAT much more than a NICS check, but the point is the paper “system” is still more manual and takes longer per application to work through. I’d be shocked if they could do more than 5-8 paper applications per hour. And I assume the same folks who have to handle all of the other NFA stuff. Look at form 1s. Read over change of address. Permission to temporarily move NFA items out of state. Etc.

    Yes they can and should automate so much of this. But I doubt ATF has much of an IT tech branch. Which means funding a contractor to build or add on to a system. And government contracting blows way harder than the government doing stuff themselves 9 out of 10 in my experience (that 1 in 10 though is a doozie!)
     

    04RWon

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 13, 2010
    5,178
    Orlando, FL
    Yes it should. But how many inspectors do they have? A hundred or two? Dunno, maybe more, maybe less. How much NFA paperwork they gotta push in a given year? I assume hundreds of thousands. So figure each one has to handle from 5-30 per day. 5 a day they should be able to stay on top of. 30 a day though...

    It isn’t THAT much more than a NICS check, but the point is the paper “system” is still more manual and takes longer per application to work through. I’d be shocked if they could do more than 5-8 paper applications per hour. And I assume the same folks who have to handle all of the other NFA stuff. Look at form 1s. Read over change of address. Permission to temporarily move NFA items out of state. Etc.

    Yes they can and should automate so much of this. But I doubt ATF has much of an IT tech branch. Which means funding a contractor to build or add on to a system. And government contracting blows way harder than the government doing stuff themselves 9 out of 10 in my experience (that 1 in 10 though is a doozie!)

    Nahh, I dont buy it. They could easily bring it up to speed. NICS checks take 20 min at the most. Probably longer these days. FDLE is somehow up to 24 hours unless you get an instant approval. Normally those take 10-20 minutes like NICS.

    If NICS can do regular firearm purchases in that amount of time, NFA stuff shouldnt be nearly as bad.

    If a form 3 can be done in a few days, a form 1 can be done in a couple weeks, a form 4 shouldnt be that bad.
     

    SkiPatrolDude

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 24, 2017
    3,331
    Timonium-Lutherville
    I just had an Eform 1 approved on the 20th day. That same morning I emailed them asking them to confirm that they have received my prints, to which they said they did. Within 2 hours I had an approval. Coincidence? Maybe...but more than likely my app got in front of them to check and they decided to process it.
     

    boss66tcode

    a bit of an Eddie Haskle
    Sep 8, 2008
    2,024
    in 'da hills
    I just found they (BATFE) charged my card for the $200.00 tax. Now I wonder how long it will be to get the actual ok on the Suppressor. Date of purchase was 8/20/2020
     

    woodline

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 8, 2017
    1,947
    I just found they (BATFE) charged my card for the $200.00 tax. Now I wonder how long it will be to get the actual ok on the Suppressor. Date of purchase was 8/20/2020
    You probably would get the most accurate results from consulting a Psychic or a Ouija board. Form 4 stamps are taking anywhere from 4.5 months to 18+ months at the moment. Things do seem to be trending shorter at the moment, but your guess is as good as mine. If you are the kind of person who can’t stand to wait, at least give the ATF about 6 months before you call. Some people like to call as soon as the check is cashed to confirm ATF has everything they need (check cashing is done by a 3rd party vendor), and then at about 6 months. I am lazy and only call after about a year at this point.
     

    Mike OTDP

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 12, 2008
    3,319
    Yup. Form 4s are random, but you have to assume 8-12 months. I would not call until the one-year mark.
     

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