Delay - who holds the suppressor until the paperwork clears?

View · by **silvor** on Sat Feb 20, 2016 7:17 pm

I read all this and get all this...
http://www.silencerresearch.com/Silencerguide.pdf

But who holds the suppressor until the paperwork clears? I assume the local dealer right? That's why we pay more money for the transfer I assume?

So I ordered a suppressor from a local shop over a month ago and I am starting to get the run around. At one point I was told, "we (the store) need to get a serial number from their wholesaler". Huh? Even so, should that delay anything? I've also been told "these things take time." For the paperwork, yes, but just to get one in stock. Other online shops have them.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I could of just ordered from Buds, sent to a local dealer who can transfer suppressors right? I figured having a local shop do it all would make it easier. And it was the same price. But now I've wasted I month I think.

View · by **Back In Black** on Sat Feb 20, 2016 10:55 pm

You pay more money for the transfer of NFA items because the license costs more for the dealer and it's a more involved and time consuming process.

The silencer gets transferred to your dealer and they hold it until you get your tax stamp.

They're not giving you the run around when they say these things take time. Because they do! Thanks to the ATF.

Once you order your silencer, it has to be transferred to your dealer on a form 3. They don't just ship it out the next day. It doesn't matter who you order it from. Once the form 3 is submitted, the form 4 gets submitted but I think they wait a few weeks. Not sure if the form 3 has to be approved before the form 4 gets submitted. But once they submit the form 4, the clock starts.

I ordered my silencer on 12-16-15 and it didn't get transferred to the dealer until 2-4-16. But the form 4 takes longer so it's irrelevant. You're looking at around 4 months wait time.

View · by **Dave Timm** on Sun Feb 21, 2016 2:24 am

When you make an order from a deal that does not have the suppressor in stock, the dealer has to order it. Easy enough. However, before the dealer can get it, the ATF has to approve the transfer from the maker or distributor to the dealer on a Form 3. That can take time and some distributors won't give the dealers serial numbers or info until the form 3 is approved. Once the form 3 is approved then the dealer can get it and start the Form 4 which is to approve the transfer to you or your trust. That gets sent in and more waiting. Once the from 4 is approve you can take your item home.

It really does take time and as a dealer I prefer to fill out the Form 4 based on the previous Form 3. I do this to make sure the exact serial number is used on both forms. True story, once serial number was listed as "XXX-12345" on the invoice but on the Form 3 it was "XXX 12345" which is a difference to the ATF. Difference enough to potentially reject a transfer all over a little dash. Also I had a new clerk for a distributor put "suppressor" for type when technically it is a "silencer" under federal terminology. Sometimes they make it through, other times they don't.

So yes, just to get one in stock does truly take time and for small shops it's hard to keep everything in stock. If I ordered a suppressor from a distributor that had it in stock I would have to wait right now around 4-6 weeks for Form 3 approval. It sucks but it is what it is right now.

View · by **silvor** on Sun Feb 21, 2016 6:33 pm

Thank you guys for explaining this in detail. This makes sense and I will eagerly wait!

View · by **Uffdaphil** on Sun Feb 21, 2016 8:03 pm

Local shops get the runaround from their sources too. A local guy I was talking to last week was spitting mad after a being told a customer's can was on the way for a month then, when checking on delay, told it was not even in stock. I understand the customer being peeved, but in this case not the storefront owners fault.

View · by **hammAR** on Sun Feb 21, 2016 8:54 pm

For some reason I want to say that Bills is the only local dealer with any stock-on-hand................. :cogitating:

View · by **gun_fan111v2** on Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:11 pm

hammAR wrote:For some reason I want to say that Bills is the only local dealer with any stock-on-hand.................

Arnzen usually has a few in their display cases

View · by **jshuberg** on Sun Feb 21, 2016 11:22 pm

I believe that Atomic has a couple as well.

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View · by **mmcnx2** on Mon Feb 22, 2016 7:50 am

Osseo Gun Club has a few. They are a SilencerCo dealer, they were at the Guns and Roses events with free demo's.