How long are the NICS Checks taking?

Mine have always taken seconds. My last one was when I was on a recently renewed CPL, and as such, NICS wasn't required. SURPRISE, Dicks checks with NICS anyway.:rolleyes: Didn't matter, as usual took only seconds.
 
I know in Missouri, if you are always delayed when going through the NICS check, you can get a special ID number issued that eliminates the wait. You still have to go through the whole process but the dealer gives that number to NICS and you get approved, no wait. I have never had any wait, so I haven't looked into it further, but if I was having to wait hours or days, I would definitely go that route.
 
They came from the dealer who got his information from NICS personnel.
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I don't see how he could have gotten that information. I've spoken with folks from the NICS operations center--they won't disclose the criteria to anyone.
 
I am in the military and can't discuss a security clearance. I bought a pistol 2 weeks ago and it took about an hour. My kid was getting a deer rifle and it took weeks.
 
My FFL dealer gave me a bit of background on why some checks are delayed. Almost always, he says, it is because the individual shows up on a database to which access is limited, and the person doing the initial check does not have access. That means the check has to go to a more senior person who is authorized to access the database.

Our city is located near a military base and he sells quite a few guns to military personnel. Almost always they are delayed. Access to military records is strictly controlled. Another example is a security clearance. If the person applying has a security clearance it will likely be delayed, and the higher the clearance generally the longer the delay.

To give an example, let's say the person buying the gun has a top-level security clearance. The person the dealer first speaks to when requesting the NICS check wouldn't know about the clearance, or be allowed information on it. All he would know is the computer says something like "senior personnel access only" or something similar. He then sends the application to a higher level. The next person may not have access either and it may have to go still higher.
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I think your local FFL dealer was pulling that theory out of his back end. I spent 20 years in the Army and have worked for a defense contractor for the past 4 plus years and hold a secret clearance for my job. I have never waited more than a few minutes for approval and that was before I had a CCW.
 
Just got home from a day at the range, glad to see everyone is having fun with this thread. The person who gave me the information is a part-time dealer and 30+ year career law enforcement officer, currently with a department of homeland security.

Another officer I've known 25+ years is authorized to do security clearance checks. He tells me he's never heard of a "Top Secret" security clearance and doesn't think there is such a thing except in movies. Maybe only super secret people know about it, though I'd have thought such people wouldn't talk about it on a public forum.

Anyways it's nothing to me either way, believe who and what you want. It is wonderful and deeply moving to learn so many people get prompt approval. I do so myself, never considered it particularly noteworthy, or as evidence the government reposes special trust in me.

I felt the information might be of use to the OP who, as he mentioned in a later post, did indeed have a military background and security clearance. Probably just coincidence.
 
Actually there's 3 levels of clearances.....Confidential (level I) , Secret (level II) and Top Secret (level III).

Well 4 if you count the Interim, but it's not really a clearance.
 
Another officer I've known 25+ years is authorized to do security clearance checks. He tells me he's never heard of a "Top Secret" security clearance and doesn't think there is such a thing except in movies. Maybe only super secret people know about it, though I'd have thought such people wouldn't talk about it on a public forum.
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Your friend is either feigning ignorance of Top Secret clearances, or he's an idiot. Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, and SCI are all well-established and well-known US clearance levels. They're not even particularly uncommon.

And there's nothing secret about *having* a particular clearance level. In fact, they're highly prized by many employers in the civilian sector, so if a retiring service member has a clearance that's still active, it's usually prominently featured in his resumé if he's applying for a position where it would be useful.
 
I have a security clearance from my military days which causes a delay while they go scare up a higher level NICS monkey to access my records. Usually cleared by the time I get done scratching out the 4473.
 
Mr. Anderson, you are either intentionally being obtuse to try to cling to the threads of your credibility, which has taken a serious beating in this thread, or you are actually as ignorant as you sound. Neither is very flattering, but hopefully it is the former and not the latter.

As has been well established by others, Secret, Top Secret and Top Secret/SCI (Secure Compartmented Information) are standard US government clearances and are common knowledge. You can go on google right now and look them up. Go to google and type TS/SCI and see what pops up. Here, I will make it easy for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_clearance The fact you have never heard of them and that you supposedly scared up a source "authorized to do security clearance checks" that has never heard of a Top Secret clearance and thinks that they are only in the movies is laughable.

I noticed that you failed to answer a simple question I asked previously, so maybe you can run this by your dealer or better yet, the guy who has never heard of a TS clearance and get back me with an answer.

1) Where on the Form 4473 do you list your government or military background (other than dishonorable discharge) that would prompt them search "other data bases"?

I will save you the time, it's not on the form.

I felt the information might be of use to the OP who, as he mentioned in a later post, did indeed have a military background and security clearance. Probably just coincidence.
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Sarcasm noted. This is the only correct thing you've said so far, because, yes, it is just a coincidence as evidenced by the multiple responses by folks with previous or current military and government service that have stated that their NICS checks go through instantly. Apparently you have chosen to discount all of those responses.

I see from your webpage linked in your post that you are an author. I would hope you research information and vet your sources better when you are writing an article than you did when posting on TFL...
 
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Never heard of a "Top Secret" security clearance and doesn't think there is such a thing except in movies.
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Oy vey :rolleyes:

In Illinois, the last NICs check I did took 10 seconds - I think Illinois law says they have to use the Illinois system unless the Federal system is down.

The time before that it took 10 seconds also.
 
Guys,
you're digressing about military security clearances.

I believe some states have a "cooling off period" but I have no idea which ones.

Here in Texas, I've bought about a dozen guns in the last five of years and approval has always taken ten minutes or less. Even before I got my concealed handgun license it took only a few minutes.
 
Outside of a dishonorable disharge, why would gun dealers or states get any access to or visibility into a members security clearance?

The military doesn't even want people to know which people have TS / TSSBI or anything like that, and it's really not relevant to purchasing firearms anyway.

I can see how some states might want to know that, but the DOD doesn't care about NICS checks and I doubt they're not going to open up military records so someone can do a verification check for gun purchase - that's my opinion anyway...

I know I'm digressing but even in the terrible terrible anti-gun state of Illinois THE ONLY STATE NOT TO HAVE SOME FORM OF CARRY - NICS checks take 10 seconds for me, so now I'm curious about how a clearance relates to a NICs check at all.

I don't think it does.

Only military thing I can see impacting it is a dishonorable discharge.
 
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BGutzman, do you put your Social Security number on the 4473. It is optional, but without it you can count on NICS delays.
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I always put in the SSN...

I dont know but if it happens again I may have to see if I can get one of those pin numbers your supposed to be able to get to help get the check done faster. Im not sure what I would need one for but it seems like the only solution...
 
Only military thing I can see impacting it is a dishonorable discharge.
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Correct. That is the only question on the 4473 pertaining to prior military service and has nothing to do with having a security clearance.
 
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