How Often Is NICS Down ?

M

Mike H

New member
I guess that this is directed to those of you who have made handgun purchases recently on your drivers licences. Everyone I speak to seems to be saying that the instant check system is no such thing since the NICS computer is "always" down, and that the average purchase takes about 3 days. Is this true and does anyone have any recent experience of problems ?

Regards,

Mike H
 
I was at a gun show in Indianapolis on June 3rd and overheard one of the dealers saying that NICS was down. A few of the dealers were only selling to those people who had an Indiana permit--I assumed it was to speed up sales. With a permit, no check is needed.
 
As many of you know Terri and I have been "setting up" at gun shows practically every weekend this year. The system has been down nearly every weekend.
I had planned to start a thread about this in General when it came back up but.......
Many dealers are now proceeding with sales at shows in spite of NIC's being down. A bad practice if you ask me. The Clinton administration would like nothing more than to "shut down" dealers for making "illegal" sales.
But I have a plan. If the antis were to be lead to believe that when the system goes down dealers are allowed to sell without the check then the antis work to get this "reasonable" legislation in place was wasted. For some time now I have been posing on one of the liberal (anti) boards as a single "mommy" to plant that seed with them as well as a few others. Once the antis begin to complain about the system being down I'm sure it will be corrected.

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Gunslinger TFL Imperial Potentate

TFL End of Summer Meet, August 12th & 13th, 2000
 
Out of my four purchases so far this year(2 handguns and 2 long guns), I've had to wait anywhere from 22-70 hours. :mad:
For me, the delay seems to be getting a little more frustrating each time.

have tape, will travel...

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...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
 
I have made six handgun purchases in the last ten months, all in Virginia and all requiring an "instant" computerized background check through the Virginia State Police (I presume this is the NCIS check that is digitally forwarded to the FBI ?). In every instance, approval verification has taken less then five minutes. Virginia charges a $2 fee for this check, which may possibly explain the speed. In addition, I guess I have been lucky in purchasing on days when the system was operative.
 
Hey, don't you guys know that three days IS an instant to the federal government!!! ;)

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BOYCOTT SMITH AND WESSON!!!
Defend the Constitution from the foreign threat!!!!

"Man killing is nasty business"---Finn Aggard
 
RWK and Bob, I also live in VA, and even this weekend, at a gun show in VA Beach, the system was "reported" to be down. It came back up, however, and delivered to me the longest wait of my life to purchase a firearm, all of 10 minutes!

Tom



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A "Miss" is the ultimate overpenetration!
You can never be too rich, too skinny, or too well armed!
Wake up and realize that you have the moral imperative of action..!!!
 
Banzai,

So you were at the Pavillion show! Was it any good? I talked to my local dealer and we didn't expect to see many handguns there, seeing how you have to have a purchase permit for them in Virginia Beach. This dealer didn't take any to the show.

Bobbalouie
 
A purchase permit in VA? Since when did this happen? I''ve lived in VA since 1972 and all I've ever needed to produce was a valid driver's license to buy any pitol or long gun.

There is no permit required to purchace any firearm except automatic weapons in Virginia
 
I live in MD. The NCIS check is for long guns and is supposed to take only minutes. If the gun shop does not get a response from NCIS in 7 days they have to sell you the gun without question. Every time I go to buy a gun it always takes me 7 days. I just assume that when i go into the gun shop im going to wait 7 days no matter what. that way im not disapointed.

Tim
 
Here in Mass, I've bought 3 handguns in as many months. My shortest wait was an hour and my longest wait was 3 days. The 3 day wait happened during the Million Moron March.
I have NEVER seen the check work on the dealer's first call. I would assume its because the volume of checks is high. Consumers are buying as many guns as possible before they can't buy them at all. Thats what I am doing. Mass has some scary jackass laws so I'd better hurry. As it is I can NEVER buy a new glock and good luck finding a used one.
Watch OUT
Jeepster
 
Libertarian,

Who said anything about a "Virginia Permit to Purchase"? My initial -- and all the following -- Virginia-oriented posts have simply talked about the instant Virginia State Police criminal-background check.
 
Surprise. Municipalities are allowed to tack on their own regulations to the VA firearms laws. Chesapeake in particular is quite restrictive. You can get the details in a book called, "The Virginia Gun Owner's Guide". Site below:
http://www.bloomfieldpress.com/vgog.htm

Specifically, in this case, the city of Virginia Beach has imposed a "purchase permit" program on handguns for a while now. It really is pretty straight-forward: You go down to the First Precinct, show ID, and pay $10. They run you through NICS and one other check. Once approved, you are issued a form and given one month to use it. It is only good for one handgun. The form is filed with the rest of the papers at the FFL and no info is forwarded back to the city (thus there is no extra record of a purchase). The process takes about a half-hour (mostly due to standing in line at the cashier's window). Funny thing is you still have to go through the VA State Police check at the FFL, and thus through NICS again (and pay the $2).

The local dealers call it a "purchase tax", because it doesn't accomplish anything which isn't already accomplished at the dealer, except the charge. You can avoid the purchase permit by purchasing in a nearby town.

A Chesapeake resident ran into some of his city's attitude toward the CCW regs and netpublished this:
http://www.exis.net/virginialawsdonotapplyhere/

Very interesting. It was resolved.

Bobbalouie
 
Mine have always gone through instantly. My dealer calls, doesn't even get put on hold, and gets to check off the proceed box. I have heard that you get alot of delays on Saturdays though.
 
RWK, My error. I neglegted to say that I was responding to Bobbalouie in my post. He stated that there was a purchase permit in VA. Apparently in his area they are illegally adding a provision that state pre-emption law is supposed to stop.

I have heard that Richmond has no teeth in enforcing State gun laws with municipalities. They only have "stones" when they are going after tax payers.

[This message has been edited by Libertarian (edited June 14, 2000).]
 
Libertarian,

One of the problems with the VA pre-emption statute is that it doesn't negate municipal laws existing before the pre-emption law itself was passed. These existing, tighter restrictions are grandfathered in. It only prevents any FURTHER restrictions which don't agree with state law.

Funky, eh? Watch out in Chesapeake...

Bobbalouie
 
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