Silencer/suppressor approvals could take only 3 weeks with new barcode system

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Without rule changes, regulation amendments, politicians or legislation, a partnership between the U.S. government and a small private industry group has dramatically changed the process in which National Firearms Act (NFA) controlled items are transferred between individuals and entities. There is now a system in place within the BATFE’s NFA DIvision, that will allow nearly everyone who files a Form 4 to transfer controlled items, such as silencers, a genuine chance at receiving approved forms in a few short months. Alongside the ATF, three silencer industry stalwarts spearheaded the best modernization of the registry in 83 years: Dead Air Armament, GEMTECH and Silencer Shop.

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HOW IT WORKS: Buy a silencer, any silencer from anywhere (or any NFA item): When it comes time for your local dealer to transfer your NFA item(s) to you or your legal entity, they head over to one of the three websites setup to generate barcode enabled NFA forms: available now at Silencer Shop and coming soon to Dead Air Armament, GEMTECH and silencer wholesalers. There are no costs or fees for either the consumer or the dealer.

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After your dealer completes the Form 4, they print out all the copies with the barcode imprinted on the top (if you are buying through Silencer Shop, the bar code process occurs entirely behind the scenes)

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Obviously, then you mail your forms to ATF Atlanta for payment and processing. Once they hit West Virginia, however, instead of waiting in stacks of boxes for an assistant to manually enter all of your information, your barcode is scanned and the form is all ready for the background check portion of the application phase.

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Here’s where the only caveat comes in – the background check for NFA forms usually takes three weeks for the FBI to complete. In a small amount of applicant submissions, the background check can take longer, depending on some unknown variables. (Don’t ask, I don’t know. And yes, I know we have an instant NICS system for Title I guns and, no, I don’t know why it can’t get used for NFA).

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If you are lucky, your background check is done in about three weeks, your form is approved and everything, including your minty fresh stamp, is mailed back to your dealer so the transfer can proceed as planned. Again, the goal is ultra-fast approvals. It may take a little time for everyone involved to get used to the new data entry process, but everyone involved agrees that wait times will drop dramatically

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Boom, there it is. A simple system with basic technology has now upgraded the NFA application and approval process as well as reduced wait times. Besides Silencer Shop, who developed the bar code system and Dead Air and GEMTECH who harnessed their decades of experience and industry relations, much of the credit should be given to the ATF. It would have been easy enough for the NFA Division to politely decline outside industry assistance and maintain the status quo. On behalf of NFA aficionados everywhere, thank you BATFE for making this possible.

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