How long does the fingerprint analysis take???

[Guest bwhited]

1. NFA Item: SBR

2. Form Type: Form 4

3. Transferee Type: Individual

4. Purchased out of state: 02/16/09

5: Recieved at my dealer: 03/17/09

6. Forms Sent: 4/06/09

7. Check Cashed: 4/08/09

8. Pending Date: 5/21/09

9. Awaiting Fingerprint Analysis: 07/21/09

10. Approved Date: .....................

11. Forms Received: ....................

12. Examiner Name: Ted Clutter

Ok, the last time I went through this process the entire thing only took a month door to door....... As you can see I am way past that and now when I call all I get is well your examiner has put that he is just waiting on your fingerprint analysis. Why is this taking so long and how long can it take to do a fingerprint analysis.

Edited August 4, 2009 by bwhited

[Guest redbarron06]

My time line is running about the same as yours for a form I on a SBR build. It is only getting worse. I sent in a form 4 for a can and it took 2 weeks just for them to cash the check.

I wish I had done a Trust before I ever started and I can assure you that I will be getting one soon. The only thing that is holding me up right now is the freaking fingerprints. I am in month 4 right now.

[Guest thorn]

There's no rhyme or reason for the lengths of time but I've heard the waiting on finger print check before and the paperwork showed up in just a few days after that.

I wonder sometimes of paperwork is just sitting idly and after you wait patiently then call it brings it to the surface then gets spat out?

[Guest clsutton21]

I wish there was a license that you could get that said you didn't have to have a background check done or go through all of what you are. Just a one time check. You could get a gov't issued card sort of like the HCP that is linked to your SSN and any time that you wanted to get a can or new rifle or anything, all they would have to do is see your card and run your SSN to make sure that you are still legit to own such items.

[Jasongar8]

It dosent take long to do the finger prints once yours comes up. Its the 100's or 1000's of other forms that are causing the back log. When it looked like Obama was going to win (a month before the election) everyone got scared and did their NFA paperwork. So ATF's work doubled or tripled overnight. We dont have nothing to complain about, ask some old time machine gun guys about how long the wait used to be. You didnt even call before a year had passed. If you just forget about it, it will show up in the mail before you know it.

-Jason G

[pops572]

My time line is running about the same as yours for a form I on a SBR build. It is only getting worse. I sent in a form 4 for a can and it took 2 weeks just for them to cash the check.

I wish I had done a Trust before I ever started and I can assure you that I will be getting one soon. The only thing that is holding me up right now is the freaking fingerprints. I am in month 4 right now.

The trust won't necessarily speed it up. I sent my second one in on 4-08, pending 6-11 and still waiting. Form 1 SBR trust

[Guest redbarron06]

The trust won't necessarily speed it up. I sent my second one in on 4-08, pending 6-11 and still waiting. Form 1 SBR trust

You might want to give them a call. I spoke with a guy a couple of weeks ago and his went through on a trust about 2 weeks after it went pending.

At least with a trust I would not have to worry about CLEO or fingerprints.

[Guest bwhited]

I already have my prints on file with the FBI about 3 times for my job and not only that but I already own another NFA weapon! I mean can the ATF not use a little common sense here??? And why would it take the ATF now three weeks to get my print analysis. This is STUPID!

[pops572]

You might want to give them a call. I spoke with a guy a couple of weeks ago and his went through on a trust about 2 weeks after it went pending.

I call every couple of weeks and get the same response, still pending, we are backed up. Due to call this week (fingers crossed for a different answer this time.)

At least with a trust I would not have to worry about CLEO or fingerprints.

This is true, less hassle and you don't have to wait for the CLEO to sign.

[Guest redbarron06]

I already have my prints on file with the FBI about 3 times for my job and not only that but I already own another NFA weapon! I mean can the ATF not use a little common sense here??? And why would it take the ATF now three weeks to get my print analysis. This is STUPID!

I agree between the military and all of the other crap I have done I would think they would have thier crap together. Hell Tn has them in digits now that should make it real quick to ID.

[Guest bwhited]

Thank you!!!

What are your times redbarron06? And who is your examiner?

[Guest crotalus01]

No rhyme or reason in the BATFE universe. Tons of ways they could speed the process up but then everyone and their mother would have an SBR, SBS can or DD - something the Gubmint (particularly this administration) doesnt want to see happen.

Just FYI my last transfer (MG) took 5 months or so.

[Guest redbarron06]

Thank you!!!

What are your times redbarron06? And who is your examiner?

I am running 3 and a half months now on my SBR and 3 weeks on my can.

I have not gotten to the point of talking to the examiner yet. The person that answers the phone can pretty much tell me anything the examiner can.

I do have a buddy that says ATF is getting jsut as frustreated as we are. right now they are farming out the fingerprints to the FBI but are trying to start doing them in house again because they were doing them faster without having the FBI "helping"

I just keep thinking "I cant wait for the day when our health care and a life saving surgery needs to go through 3 different govt agencies to get approved!":doh:

[Jasongar8]

The person who answers the phone can tell you who your examiner is if you are in the system. BTW there is no need to talk to an examiner unless your paperwork is taking longer than usual (like 7 or 8 months). All this does is take them away from actually doing thier job. Presently there are nine examiners 1) Andrew Ashton 2)Ted Clutter 3)Nicole Dudash 4)Nancy Flanigan 5)Jason Frushour 6)Albert Lamberger 7)William Shipman 8) Sandra Snook and 9)Barbara Payne. There are also two supervisors 1) Dawn Henson and 2) Rob Howard. When you add up all the forms (1,2,3,4,5,6,10, and 20) the current submission rate is over 1 million forms a year for 11 people. I know it could be better, but just think about this when you start to bitch about having to wait 4 months. Ted Clutter and Barbara Payne are good to go, I have delt with them on quite a few forms. William Shipman is never there, so if he is your examiner be ready to wait.

-Jason G

[Guest MikeH]

Just FYI, I sent my paperwork off for a .22 can on Jan 22, got my stamp back on June 22. 6 months......

[Guest bwhited]

Like I stated eairler I had one in 2006 that had a total turn around time of a month. I started this process on Feb. 16th. Here it is six months later and I am still waiting. There is no excuse, I don't care how many applications they are getting because of the election.

[Guest redbarron06]

With all of the govt expansion you would think that they would add some examiners but I guess that would help put those evil machine guns in the hands of law abiding citizens.

Jasongar8, Which one does the letter W? I guess they do it by last name.

[Jasongar8]

Like I stated eairler I had one in 2006 that had a total turn around time of a month. I started this process on Feb. 16th. Here it is six months later and I am still waiting. There is no excuse, I don't care how many applications they are getting because of the election.

Keep bitching, that will make it get here faster. Im not making excuses for anyone brother, Im just giving you the facts.

-Jason G

Jasongar8, Which one does the letter W? I guess they do it by last name.

Yeah they do it by the first letter of your last name. Nicole Dudash should be your examiner. Rob Howard has been helping on some of the "W" forms so he might sign yours.

-Jason G

[Guest redbarron06]

Has anybody tried calling thier congress critters about this? I know that we dont have many good ones here in TN when it comes to guns. I would not bother calling Alexander, or Gorden but mayby some of the others. I think it is fair to say that this office is understaffed for the job they have to do. It seems like they should have 90 folks riather than 9.

Edited August 6, 2009 by redbarron06

[Jasongar8]

I agree that they need more staff, a lot more. But I dont think that BATFE as whole cares how long it takes. As bad as the economy is I cant see them spending more money just to speed up the process. This doesnt mean that we shouldnt try though....

-Jason G

[Guest redbarron06]

I agree that they need more staff, a lot more. But I dont think that BATFE as whole cares how long it takes. As bad as the economy is I cant see them spending more money just to speed up the process. This doesnt mean that we shouldnt try though....

-Jason G

I just sent this letter to my Rep and both Senators.

Dear Senator/Rep,

I understand that you are busy with some of the larger items on the agenda with congress today so I will try to make this as short as I can while still conveying my concerns. I am writing to express my concern with a possible oversight in manning within the National Firearms Act office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in the Department of the Treasury.

Regardless of your personal stance on firearms it would be difficult to argue that the firearms and ammunition industry is one of the few industries that can not keep up with with the current demand nationwide. The sales of these items are contributing to the tax base, employment, and the economy. Some of the firearms and accessories are regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934. These items are legal but an individual must submit a special $200 tax fee and receive the approved application in order to take possession of an item that they have already paid for. Failure to do so can result in a fine of $10,000 and several years in prison.

In the past this process has taken as little as one month. The current time frame is in excess of 4 months, I have heard some people that have been waiting as long as 8 months to get the approved application back. I have submitted two applications. The first took about one week to cash my check, eight more weeks to enter my information into the computer system, and as I write this, 3 days short of 15 weeks after the check has been cashed, my application is still "pending". The second application was mailed in less than one month ago so I have not even tried to inquire about the status. Please keep in mind that I and hundreds of thousands of other people that are waiting on this proof of tax payment in order to take possession of items that we have already paid for. In some cases the cost of these firearms exceed $10,000. Would you be happy if you were to go into your local department of motor vehicles and pay $200 for your car tags and then have to wait six months to get the little sticker in the mail so you can drive your new car to work?

Part of this process is analyzing fingerprints. Each separate item has to have two fingerprint cards submitted with it and must be analyzed in order to complete the process. Many people already have fingerprints on file with the federal government for different reasons such as previous purchases, employment as law enforcement officers or in my case a current "not going to type it here" security clearance for military service. In an age of computerized information sharing I can not understand why it should take so long to compare my fingerprints to the ones already on record, run a criminal background check and cash my check.

I spoke with a member of the NFA branch of the BATFE this morning and according to her, they are manned with 15 people to process all of the applications submitted in the United States. Not only are these 15 people handling the applications for an individual to take possession of the item, but must also process applications for the manufacture build the item, and then another application to ship the item to the store to sell it. In my case, it took almost two months to get the paperwork back to transfer an item from the maker to the store. This means that, at the current rate, I will have waited more than 6 months to receive a tax receipt on an item that I have already paid for.

If you don’t mind please make a few phone calls and inquire as to why this process to take possession of a legal item takes so long and why this office has not been more appropriately staffed.

Thank you for your time.

Redbarron06

I'll let you know if I get anything back other than a canned form letter. anyone that wants to copy and sent off to your critters please feel free to do so. I live in Nashville so I dont expect much from those that are supposed to be representing me. If you live somewhere else please write your critters too. Maybe we can get some more folks and get this time cut down to something reasonable.

[Guest bwhited]

I don’t think the entire problem is with staffing but just a lack of supervision and accountability. The examiners should have to log in every form, have every form to a pending status and then to an approved status within so many days. If this is not accomplished within a set time frame then they should have to put in writing to their supervisors as to why these deadlines have not been met and what they are doing to get the issue resolved. I do plain to speak with my Senator and follow up with complaints as soon as my stamp is in my hand.

[Guest redbarron06]

I don’t think the entire problem is with staffing but just a lack of supervision and accountability. The examiners should have to log in every form, have every form to a pending status and then to an approved status within so many days. If this is not accomplished within a set time frame then they should have to put in writing to their supervisors as to why these deadlines have not been met and what they are doing to get the issue resolved. I do plain to speak with my Senator and follow up with complaints as soon as my stamp is in my hand.

Well as I understand it, at one point ATF did thier own fingerprints now they are farming it out to the FBI. My bet is the FBI is where the hold up is.

[Guest bwhited]

Well thats what I have heard. They just tell me when I call to check the status that Examiner Clutter has put in the comments that he is just awaiting the fingerprint analysis. So there going somewhere................

[Guest redbarron06]

Well thats what I have heard. They just tell me when I call to check the status that Examiner Clutter has put in the comments that he is just awaiting the fingerprint analysis. So there going somewhere................

I think they go to the same place that one sock goes to in the dryer.