Delayed again! Why?!

S

Stressfire

New member
Ok, so bought my first (or attempted to) handgun about 2 months ago at a gun show. Filled out 4473, dealer called FBI for check. Result: Delayed, for the full 72 hours - they finally called him back on day 4.

Due to the fact that this was a first time purchase, I kind of get it.

However, went to LGS yesterday afternoon to purchase a carry weapon (took the class over the weekend and applied at sheriff's office yesterday morning) and was delayed again!

Gotta ask, wth? Not a felon, no violent crimes of any kind, so why do I always get delayed? Starting to get annoying, especially if I cannot purchase immediately at a gun show or something of that nature.

Am I on a list of some sort? How do I get off of it if so? Or, option 2, stop buying new, go private and let them guess how many guns i have?
 
Get used to it. Chances are very good that once you're delayed the first time, you'll be delayed every subsequent time.

You likely share a name that is the same, or very similar, to someone with a felony record.

My friend Chuck runs into that every time.

He's about 5 8, 130 pounds, and white.

His nemisis, with the exact same name, a laundry list of felony arrests and convictions, is 6 6, well over 300 pounds, and black.
 
I have a pretty unique name.

Would legal trouble of any kind cause this? Am a full law-abider nowadays, but got a little nuts in college, but that was about 7 years ago and again, nothing that would legally prevent me from owning one.

Hypothetically, i could have the wife buy and transfer, but she's anti-gun :confused:

As stated, I am applying for a CCW, with no doubt that it will be approved. Will that streamline anything?
 
God bless my Polack last name every time I go to buy a gun.

Sorry to hear about your delay but like what others have said most likely someone with a similar or exact name is a criminal.


Interesting question though, why does it take 72hrs+ to figure out that "5'6" white John Smith law abiding citizen" is not "6'6' black John Smith criminal" ? Wouldn't a DOB check solve this 99.9 times out of 100 in 10 seconds flat?
The same thing comes up all the time with the no fly list, you would think our government could get their stuff together and come up with a system that works.
 
I have a theory.....

you would think our government could get their stuff together and come up with a system that works.
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...... and that is that they get paid the same either way, and may get a cookie from their anti-gun boss or a warm and fuzzy feeling from their anti-gun selves by denying you out of hand.
 
Once again, God bless Florida. With a CCW license, the check takes about 3-5 minutes.

I hope things get better there for you guys.
 
did you use your social security number?

i know some people are hesitant to put it down, but it might
be just what you need to speed that check through

sounds like you have to go buy another gun and use the ss number
and see if you get approved faster

i bet you will
 
Yes, I did put down my SS#.

What really gets me is that they give absolutely no reason for the delay.

With my first purchase, I never bothered pursuing it after the show, too far to drive and I found what I wanted via a private seller. But I asked the dealer what had happened, he said that he asked but they would not provide a reason.
 
A social security number is NO guarantee of positive identification.

Numbers are hijacked, cloned, or simply created all the time.

As for a unique name, mine's not rare, but it's not particularly common, either. But there are at least FIVE Mike Irwins in the DC Virginia Maryland metro area, and three of us live in Northern Virginia, and at least one other one lives in my town.

For months I've been getting dunning phone calls for the other Mike Irwin in my town. USAA, Chase, BoA mortgage, etc. All wanting to know where their money is. I've gotten rather... brusque... with USAA on several occasions because, despite my telling them (and giving them ways to verify the information) I'm not the deadbeat they're looking for, they keep calling.

If an organization that's owed money can't get this information right, what makes you think a government drone working in a government records center is going to be able to get it right?
 
The system does not keep a record of previousw checks. In fact the FBI is required to destroy records of approved checks within 24 hours of approval.

If you're delayed once you will be delayed every time. Because they don't keep a record of previous checks they have to go through the same process every time. If there is something that requires additional review it will require additional review every time.

There are two options for dealing with the problem:

1. If your state's CCW permit exempts you from the NICS check then just get your CCW.

2. Apply for a UPIN from the FBI. By applying for the number you authorize the FBI to keep a record of you in there system to avoid delays. They give you a unique number that you put on the 4473 when you buy a gun.

I get delayed every time but they always come back within two days telling the dealer to proceed.
 
He's about 5 8, 130 pounds, and white.

His nemisis, with the exact same name, a laundry list of felony arrests and convictions, is 6 6, well over 300 pounds, and black.
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Sounds like the same guy to me:eek:
 
Would legal trouble of any kind cause this? Am a full law-abider nowadays, but got a little nuts in college, but that was about 7 years ago and again, nothing that would legally prevent me from owning one.
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Well well now it comes out.

Dont blame the system if the "little nuts" involved an arrest wherein you go a break and were granted informal probation or suchlike, or if you copped out to a LIO after a disqualifying offense.

In that case you become a hard copy check, wherein NICs contacts the local agency to verify the disposition of your matter.

So if all the foregoing is correct, lets not feign outrage at the system working the way it is designed to work

WildnicsmakesmenutsAlaska ™©2002-2011
 
If you're delayed once you will be delayed every time.
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Nope.

I get delayed about 1 in 3 times on average. No idea why it would vary, but it does.

They always give the "proceed" within 24hrs, usually the same day.
 
I too am always delayed. I have a rare last name, provide ss#, have ccw (does not matter), and have C&R FFL. My delays average 2hrs and one time for 27hrs...never been in any legal trouble.
 
CCW is pending as we speak, county likes to take their time with them so will be a bit before I hear back. Am hoping that will help. If not, where/how would I find out about a UPIN?

I don't necessarily blame the "system" as it is functioning as designed, though it just seems silly to me to do that every time.

And yes, I fully realize and recognize that the Feds really don't give a crap if I get the gun I want in a timely fashion and, in fact, would probably prefer I did not have it at all.

Thanks for all of the quick (albeit depressing) responses.
 
the Feds really don't give a crap if I get the gun I want in a timely fashion and, in fact, would probably prefer I did not have it at all.
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I don't necessarily blame the "system" as it is functioning as designed,
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Yep. It was designed to make it more difficult to get a gun.

If you want more of something, make it cheaper, easier and safer.

If you want less of a thing, make it more expensive, less convenient and riskier.

Thus the .gov saddles the law abiding with more regs and prosecutes them vigorously when they don't follow th law, yet does not bother to prosecute felons who are refused when they attempt to buy a gun.........

They want more felons.
 
@jimbob: Only because felons can't vote anymore

But anywho, ah well, for the best anyways - wife has banned me from more buys until we get a bigger place.

Not sure how she managed to get me to agree to that...:D
 
I have a pretty unique name.
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In a nation of 300,000,000 people, there aren't a whole lot of unique names. I had a friend, who's a former sheriff's deputy, get denied because a guy with his exact name was racking up warrants in another state.

Delays can happen for any number of reasons. If you got convicted of a minor misdemeanor years ago, perhaps the prosecuting law enforcement agency didn't get their records entirely straight. Folks who've had foreign citizenship, even if they're now US citizens, almost always get delayed.

Heck, I've seen it happen because the call center didn't have enough operators working that particular day.

Given how often this question comes up, I wonder if we might consider a sticky about it...
 
"I get delayed about 1 in 3 times on average. No idea why it would vary, but it does."

You are the FIRST person I have ever heard of, in almost 20 years of instant check systems, who has had that experience.

From 1994 to 1997 I worked in several gunshops and had a number of repeat customers who would be delayed every time. I once asked the operator during a slow day (Virginia Instant Check) about it, and she said that once you clicked into the system and were delayed, there was no way of ever changing that.
 
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