Need to buy a gun to find out if you can own one?

As a dealer, like others have stated... we need to have the 4473 filled out before calling in the check. Reason being like others have stated.... ATF counts them, and the call is to see if someone is approved or delayed or denied from buying a firearm. When someone fills out the forms and answers the questions, they then sign it saying they told the truth. If they did tell the true and any of the questions are Yes, we deny the sale and don't make a phone call.

If they fill out the form correctly, sign it that its the truth.... when its NOT. They usually get denied and we as the dealer have to log these... along with faxing the paperwork in to the operator on the phone. I have even had police units dispatched and arrested people in the middle of the shop.

The paperwork MUST be filled out before calling from a dealer standpoint. We never ring up the gun or anything before the phone call.
 
I posted the answer to 44 AMP's question regarding Concealed Carry Permits and exemption to the National Instant Check System (NICS) in Post 34 if anyone is interested. ;)
 
Well the ATF see's my forms... They have been standing next to me in the shop before, they can also come in and do an audit on the black powder logs as well. In PA I call PICS not NICS, virtually the same thing, but its Pennsylvania Instant Check System, run by our state police.
 
is there an echo here, i said if they do an audit a couple posts ago.

and being state run i bet the buyer pays, whether pass/fail.
 
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For all of my firearms purchases, they have me fill out the 4473, then they fax it and wait for it to come back good (or now, they call in to verify my carry permit) before ringing the sale. All the local stores I have been to (from mom 'n pop to national chains) do it this way in my area........so maybe some people are confused about the regs, or just want to make sure the buyer actually has the money for the sale before they go to the trouble of the background check.

As Frankenmauser stated, our brother has contacted everybody from the local BATF office, state courts, county sherrif, city police, and anybody in between, and all had the same answer.........go try and buy a firearm.......if it goes through, it must be legal for you........if it doesn't, its not legal.
 
In Georgia, you either have a GA Firearms License (CCW) or you get the phone call for all firearms purchases. The call is not made if you have the license.

Either way, we can walk out with our firearms, long guns or pistols, as soon as we buy them, no waiting.
 
As others have mentioned, at worst you would come up as "delayed". They will usually tell you a specific date you will be delayed until. During this time someone will go into your file and see why you were flagged for delay. In your case they will see that the restraining order has expired, and mark you as cleared. They often get this done much sooner than the date they tell you. The one time this happened to me I was told i was delayed until a few weeks out, but I got a call from my dealer just a week later saying I was in the clear.

Also, charging for a failed background check is perfectly reasonable. Pass or fail it costs the store money to call in a background check. Even if you fail you had the store to do a service for you, it is only right that you pay for it. However, having you still pay for the gun if you fail is just absurd.
 
In California, you can do a dry run in order to verify your status:

CA DOJ FAQ:
"I'm not sure whether I can legally possess and/or purchase firearms. Is there a way to find out before I attempt to purchase one?

Yes. You may request the Department of Justice to conduct a firearms eligibility background check by submitting a Personal Firearms Eligibility Check (PFEC) to the Department of Justice. For more information about how to request a PFEC, please visit our PFEC FAQ section. Applications are also available through your local firearms dealer."
 
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