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Suppressors Form 4 wait time

#8,153
there is zero excuse for our Fed government to take over a year for these Form 4 approvals. Its just atrocious and I'm mad on behalf of you guys still waiting on approval.

As I mentioned, I was approved on 20 Jun so 389 days, I believe.

Now, let's see how long it takes them to mail the stamp....sigh.
 
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#8,157
Electric B said:
If they can’t get it processed in a year they should have to automatically approve it @ day 365!
Click to expand...

How about 3 days like a NICS check for a firearm? That's what the FBI checks when they run the so-called "background check."

EDIT: In a perfect world, we wouldn't have any of this silliness to deal with. We could walk in any gun store and buy a can.
 
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#8,158
Longshot231 said:
How about 3 days like a NICS check for a firearm? That's what the FBI checks when they run the so-called "background check."

EDIT: In a perfect world, we wouldn't have any of this silliness to deal with. We could walk in any gun store and buy a can.
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That’s what the Hearing Protection Act was going to do. 4473 and simple NICS check. But Paul Ryan (like a nutless pussy) shelved the vote when he had enough votes in 2018, after the Vegas false flag.
 
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#8,161
Arc Light said:
Anyone else still waiting on eForm Form 4 approval from early February? There is no rhyme or reason to the way these are approved. Some have been approved in 30 days or less, and others are going on month 5+
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E-file forms are sorted in a special order. It takes the sum of your birthdate, divides by 2, this number is now multiplied times the sum of the date your tax stamp was cashed. Divide all this by π. This number determines where you fall in the queue which is then sorted alphabetically using the 3rd letter of your middle name.
 
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#8,162
Arc Light said:
Anyone else still waiting on eForm Form 4 approval from early February? There is no rhyme or reason to the way these are approved. Some have been approved in 30 days or less, and others are going on month 5+
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Mine was denied in late May- certified Feb 10. I figure that if my dealer hadn’t fucked up id have been approved then…
 
#8,164
check cashed on 05/05/2021
approved on 05/15/2022
stamp at dealer ????

the dealer closed there shop but kept there license I've been messaging them on Facebook and one of them told me they may have gotten it and the boss put it in the safe and is now on vacation till July 3rd..... I'm past my 45 days so I want to know if its here or if I need to call and have them send a new one....
 
#8,165
4/28/2021: 2 Form 4s submitted (SF Socom 556RC2, AEM5)

6/22/2022: both stamps at dealer.

14 months.

Getting back from Iraq (again) end of August, so I'll get them at that time. Yay cool 😎

Edit (6/25/22, 0630 Arabian Standard Time) all you E-File fucks can suck a fucking dick with your "errmmagerrdd 120 dayzz much terrible" attitude.

E-file probably delayed my (and all other Form 4) stamps by an additional 100+ days. Form 4's were coming back at 10 months (300 days) until e-file hit. Now Form 4's are at 400+ days.
 
Last edited:
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#8,168
Over on Reddit I've seen guys post that their eform 4 was approved in as little as 2 weeks. These were normal applications too, not expedited. Others like me are approaching 150 days. Only a government program could be so fucked up. In any other rational system, it would be first in, first out. You'd also be able to get meaningful status updates.
 
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#8,171
leclairk said:
eFile 4/4/22
Approved 6/23/22
How long does it take before I can pick it up from my FFL?
Sorry to everyone still waiting. If it makes you feel any better I waited almost a year for my 1st one.
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Yep, like was mentioned... If you got the ATF email with the stamp, then you can go to your dealer and get it immediately following. Your dealer should have received a copy of the same email. 👍🏼
 
#8,175
@Baron23, thanks again for providing the FBI contact info. I heard back from a nice woman this AM informing me that my application was APPROVED.

Now I did contact my Congressman last week and his staff did send an inquiry to the ATF and FBI regarding my application. So not sure if it is all coincidence and it was going to be approved today regardless. But with my luck, if I hadn't pursued it on my end I probably would be waiting God knows how much longer.
 
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#8,176
Arc Light said:
@Baron23, thanks again for providing the FBI contact info. I heard back from a nice woman this AM informing me that my application was APPROVED.

Now I did contact my Congressman last week and his staff did send an inquiry to the ATF and FBI regarding my application. So not sure if it is all coincidence and it was going to be approved today regardless. But with my luck, if I hadn't pursued it on my end I probably would be waiting God knows how much longer.
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So, it was the FBI? NICS? If so, that means your background check was done with PROCEED then it’s back w the ATF do do whatever the fuck they do.

Or was it ATF who said your form 4 was approved?
 
#8,177
Baron23 said:
So, it was the FBI? NICS? If so, that means your background check was done with PROCEED then it’s back w the ATF do do whatever the fuck they do.

Or was it ATF who said your form 4 was approved?
Click to expand...
I woke up this AM to two emails in my inbox. One was from the FBI NICS division in response to the email I sent them. It said I was approved and to contact the ATF. The second was an automated email from ATF telling me I was approved and had a pdf attached of my tax stamp. This was an eForm application.
 
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#8,182
About a year out now. Called this am and still "pending." For grins I asked if it would be faster to cancel the paper process and resubmit e-file.

"No sir, you'd have to submit a cancellation request which is a minimum 90 days, then e-file after the cancellation is approved."

3 months to approve the cancellation of a year-long un-started examination process.
 
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#8,185
reubenski said:
2 weeks ago people were arguing with me that e form approvals are 90 days and my response was that was true a month ago but now they're 4 months and they're trending towards 5 months. I think the mean average of people waiting on E forms are within a week to a week and a half of being 5 month approvals. I wonder when it is going to cap out? 5-6 month approvals? A year ago I was getting paper 4's back in 8 months
Click to expand...
Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.
 
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#8,186
hlee said:
Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.
Click to expand...
You're bringing me down with your negativity.
 
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#8,187
When I picked up my can this morning I spoke to the owner of the shop. Supposedly this is Silencer Shop's largest dealer in the country. He told me eForm form 4's have been taking an average of 4 months. I was just shy of 5 months, so in the ballpark I suppose.

But it makes me wonder how some people have gotten approved in 30-90 days. Luck of the draw? State dependent? A lot of praying? WTF is the process? No one seems to know for sure and ATF ain't telling apparently.
 
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#8,188
Arc Light said:
When I picked up my can this morning I spoke to the owner of the shop. Supposedly this is Silencer Shop's largest dealer in the country. He told me eForm form 4's have been taking an average of 4 months. I was just shy of 5 months, so in the ballpark I suppose.

But it makes me wonder how some people have gotten approved in 30-90 days. Luck of the draw? State dependent? A lot of praying? WTF is the process? No one seems to know for sure and ATF ain't telling apparently.
Click to expand...
My feeling is that the wait has a lot to do with the case load of the local examiners. Some may just not be as busy (or industrious) as others...
 
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#8,189
hlee said:
My feeling is that the wait has a lot to do with the case load of the local examiners. Some may just not be as busy (or industrious) as others...
Click to expand...
I think you may be right. So are examiners assigned specific states? Or are they just assigned randomly? I think it may be by state because over on the huge Reddit thread there was a bunch of people from AZ that were approved in something crazy like 2-4 WEEKS.
 
#8,190
Arc Light said:
I think you may be right. So are examiners assigned specific states? Or are they just assigned randomly? I think it may be by state because over on the huge Reddit thread there was a bunch of people from AZ that were approved in something crazy like 2-4 WEEKS.
Click to expand...
I know they were assigned to regions at a time, not sure if it is still that way. I used to know the names of a few and which ones you hoped you didn't fall under.
 
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#8,193
hlee said:
Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.
Click to expand...
I was sitting here thinking the same thing. One of the treads I'm already seeing by the postings here it's starting to take longer and longer for those who e-filed to get approved. In another two to three months, we'll start seeing e-file number creeping upwards to 150-170 days.
 
#8,194
reubenski said:
I don't see any real difference to the consumer between a paper form 4 or e-file form 4in terms of initiating an application. If you used silencer shop or Capital Armory before it's pretty much the same except the additional requirement to certify with someone. The big difference was supposed to be wait times. If that's not going to be the case this whole thing is much ado about nothing plus 8 to 10 months of disruption.
Click to expand...
Except the ATF was going e-file whether the public wanted it or not. "3 months to approval" is the marketing department spin.
 
#8,196
hlee said:
Eventually, the new system will be slower than the old system. Theoretically, electronic systems allow for increased efficiency- each examiner can process more files per day than with the paper system. Some bean counter will see this increased efficiency and reduce staffing. But, being bean counters, the math will not add up and the new electronic system will be worse than the old paper system. Count on it.
Click to expand...
Then we start submitting Paper Form 4's again, and getting them back in a month like Form 1's. 🤔
 
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#8,198
FuhQ said:
Then we start submitting Paper Form 4's again, and getting them back in a month like Form 1's. 🤔
Click to expand...
Dear Firearms Enthusiast,

Thank you for your interest in ATF form 5320.4.- application to make a firearm. We have received your submission, but regret to inform you that the manual submission process has been superseded by the electronic submission system. You can access the electronic forms a www.eforms.atf.gov. This system promisses to reduce processing time and increase the accuracy of application submissions. Additionally, the improved efficiency of the system has allowed us to redirect resources into previously neglected areas of enforcement. The eForm system has been wildly popular with the public, as evidenced by the ever growing backlog of applications. We realize that the current processing time does not meet the initial expectations of the system, but expect this to normalize as the initial wave of excitement wanes. However, we consider the crushing backlog of submissions to be an important marker of success of the system, and expect the success of the system to grow. Included with this letter is your application, as well as a receipt for your charitable contribution of $200 to the BATFU general fund. We truly appreciate your support.

Sincerely,
ATF Special Agent Sunshine Rainbow Starlight

——————

Except, they won’t send a letter. Your app will either bounce as “return to sender” or get filed in the circular file cabinet.
 
#8,200
Commonalities:
392 days: “This is bullshit!! FTATF!”
92 days: “This is bullshit! FTATF!”
Haven’t put in yet: “I won’t do it because waiting is bullshit! FTATF! I’m waiting on the HPA… then I won’t have to wait….”
I won’t disagree with any of em. Hell, I was #3 for years…. Good luck to all. Hope you’re approved tomorrow, even though you shouldn’t have to be.
 
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