Super-fast approvals on pre-purchase background checks?

S

ScottRiqui

New member
What are some of the factors that determine whether you get a fast approval, a slower approval, or a "delayed" response when a seller submits your information for a background check?

During my last three gun purchases, the sellers have all commented on how quickly my approvals have come in (usually within five minutes). At the gun show today, my approval came back ahead of about a half-dozen other people's, even though they were already sitting around waiting for a response before I even walked up to the booth to start browsing. Some of them got approvals after me, while a few got a "delayed" response.

The only two things I can think of are:

1) I have no infractions more serious than speeding tickets, and

2) I hold a fairly high-level security clearance through the DoD, so my background has been very carefully vetted several times over the past 18 years. I don't know if the various databases "talk" to each other, though, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
 
If you have a fairly unique name I would think that might speed things up. Also, I have heard including your social security number on the form can speed up the process.
 
As far as my name goes, it's not "Scott Smith", but it's not "Scott Wojohowitz", either. I do put my Social Security number on the form, and never really considered not giving it - after almost twenty years in the military, I figure it's already out there in a million places anyway.
 
What is this "Approval" of which you speak?

Hello from Nebraska, where we kept the "Firearms Purchase Cerificate" that the NRA tried to trade away for a list of "Firearms Too Dangerous to Own".....

Support your State and Local Gun Rights organizations, with at least as much zeal as the NRA.
 
Don't forget that in some states your concealed carry permit is good enough as well. If you work around DC, Virginia is one of them.
 
I have a Virginia carry permit and the only thing I'm exempted from is the one-handgun-a-month law.

I had to google Nebraska's "certificate". Dang, they have to have one for almost every transaction it appears, even for private purchases.

www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/police/pdf/gun.pdf

"In the State of Nebraska, any person 21 years or older is required to have a Firearm Certificate to purchase, lease, rent, or receive transfer of a handgun from ..."
 
I had to google Nebraska's "certificate". Dang, they have to have one for almost every transaction it appears, even for private purchases.
Click to expand...

Consider your source- the LPD (and much of the city of Lincoln!) is decidedly "gun control friendly" and the Former Chief fought pre-emption of his City ordinances by the State Concealed Carry law tooth and nail.....

You do not need a Certificate for a private sale, and Concealed Handgun Permit works in place of one for sales from dealers ..... but I don't know of anyone who would buy or sell a gun without asking for some kind of proof that the buyer is not a prohibited person.
 
What are some of the factors that determine whether you get a fast approval, a slower approval, or a "delayed" response when a seller submits your information for a background check?
Click to expand...
Nobody's ever told us for sure what factors contribute and how they're weighed.

You can get a delay if they're busy at the processing center, or if their computers are running slow that day. In a country of 300 million people, someone out there is bound to have the same name as yours. In some cases, a 30-year-old speeding ticket in Buffalo Rump Iowa might not have been entered correctly in the computers as having been resolved, leaving a flag in your information.
 
I have never had a delay of any kind.

Generally it goes something like this:
Salesman picks up phone and dials number.
When the line is answered...
Salesman, "This is Joe from Joe's Guns, dealer number XXXW#XX. I have a long gun sale for FrankenMauser, DL # XXXXXXX. Yes. Yes. Yes, paper form. Thanks."
He hangs up the phone, while writing the transaction number and "proceed" on the paperwork.

It takes all of about 30 seconds.

The worst I have ever had was a 10 minute wait, where they had to call the dealer back on a busy day.

I have heard of cases of mistaken identity, identity theft, and records mix-ups causing delays, though.
 
If you're referring to the call-in NICS check, it takes longer for them to read off my info to the person on the other end than it takes for my "proceed" to come back.

It just doesn't take long at all.
 
"You do not need a Certificate for a private sale"

The page I linked to says Lincoln residents do. Aren't they Nebraska citizens? Hey, it's a government web site, it must be correct. ;)

"In the State of Nebraska, any person 21 years or older is required to have a Firearm Certificate to purchase, lease, rent, or receive transfer of a handgun from anyone (private or business)."
 
I work at a LGS and do dozens of NICS checks every week. I have talked with the FBI customer service people and it does help to include your SSN#. Also, they have told me if they are extremely busy they will sometimes delay a customer over that. We do 99% of our checks by computer and I get most proceed/delay/deny decisions within 30 seconds.
 
I've never had a delay either per or post CCW license and no checks have taken more than just a few minutes.

I'd guess that including your social security number has more to do with it than your DoD clearance.
 
I wish I knew what worked. I spent 20+ years in the military, held top secret clearances most of those years, held an FFL with SOT for many years, never had any problems with the law (other than my heavy foot) yet whenever I have to have a NICS check, I include my SSN, and I am delayed every single time. Oh, except for the next to last handgun I bought a couple of months ago received an OK right away. Bought another one last week and.......wait for it.........delayed again. :confused:
 
Ive been pretty lucky in those regards, I think I do have a unique real name, and a flawless record, but When I have bought firearms here in MA, I show my LTC, get a fingerprint scan, a call in check, fill out some papers, and after about 10 minutes, hand over the cash and leave with the gun. I know that might seems like some BS to go through, but for MA, thats as quick as it gets.
 
"when a seller submits your information for a background check"

I've never heard of such a thing. I have always had to submit my own info and sign the forms. What am I missing?
 
Yes, I filled in the forms and signed them, but I didn't key the information into the online background check database and submit the request - the seller did that - that's all I meant.
 
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