Firearm purchase application "delayed"

[josh30]

Hello VA! I just ran across this site today. Great information! Couldnt help but register!
Could someone please explain what it means for a firearm purchase application to be "Delayed"? Im a bit worried, because Im trying to purchase my 2nd handgun, and my last purchase resulted in a 2 hr wait, however, i was not made aware of why. Gunshop owner said possible "backlog"....this time, different gunshop, different reason! i do have a CHP (for about a month now). Last time, I used my DL, and vehicle regis. This time I use DL and CHP,.......still a wait either way? What gives? Do I have a history Im not aware of? (ha) Ive never even had a traffic ticket! Am I over reacting?

[nosreme]

The gun shop guys here tell me that delays could be anything from processing delays due to backlog from ongoing gun shows to ... who knows? Some of my purchases have taken as little as 1 minute to go through, one took almost two hours, and the average for me has been about 5-15 minutes.

[NOVAArmament]

Here's a tip, if you have a CHP then use it for purchases. It tends to speed things up. Another reason could be that you have a similar name to a criminal. This happens more than you think. If you are consistently delayed, you can get a UPIN (Unique Personal Identification Number) from the VA State Police that will assist in speeding up your background checks.

Another reason could be when you purchase. If you purchase on a Saturday afternoon on the same weekend as a gun show, you will wait. It's just a matter of capacity and the VA State Police will be buried.
If you go on say a Monday afternoon, your approvals will most likely be quicker.
Still, it beats a mandatory 7 day waiting period like MD.

[jadedone4]

Here's a tip, if you have a CHP then use it for purchases. It tends to speed things up. Another reason could be that you have a similar name to a criminal. This happens more than you think. If you are consistently delayed, you can get a UPIN (Unique Personal Identification Number) from the VA State Police that will assist in speeding up your background checks.

Another reason could be when you purchase. If you purchase on a Saturday afternoon on the same weekend as a gun show, you will wait. It's just a matter of capacity and the VA State Police will be buried.
If you go on say a Monday afternoon, your approvals will most likely be quicker.
Still, it beats a mandatory 7 day waiting period like MD.

I'd have to disagree with the suggestion of using VA-CHP; two shotgun purchases (90+ days apart) first shotgun, used CHP as second ID = 48hr wait; second purchase used vehicle registration as second ID = 2hrs - no gun-show in town that weekend (but will not go further and say no-gun show in VA that weekend). Both purchases were with Dick's in FairLakes... think that there is a discussion thread on this previously - the wait/processing times varied; and the use of VA-CHP was about 1/2 compared to another second ID. So YMMV...

[GS78]

If you know you are clean, don't sweat it. This happenes to me every time, I remember being a little nervous the second time too.

[josh30]

If you know you are clean, don't sweat it. This happenes to me every time, I remember being a little nervous the second time too.

thanks for the help people. good info no doubt. GS78.....i guess thats what it all boils down to. just dont sweat it when you know your slate is clean. i cant help but get a little curious, though. in a world full of identity theft, etc. it may just be my luck. not only that but the i filled out the paperwork yday (monday) at 4pm. hes closed tday (tues), and he dosent open till 4pm tomorrow.....dang, id really like to enjoy targeting tomorrow, being tomorrow is my day off. heck, its dark by 5pm.

i wish i could just go do the whole thing over again early tomorrow through another dealer.....or is that a no no???

[herohog]

It IS a NO NO... Unless you have a CHP and are buying a second gun.

[allingeneral]

id really like to enjoy targeting tomorrow, being tomorrow is my day off. heck, its dark by 5pm.

I left work early yesterday, picked up all 4 kids from school and took them to the range to shoot the new 10/22 yesterday. It got dark and cold quickly, but not before we could rattle off 500 .22 rounds!


The thread mentioned earlier discusses the use of CHP as second form of ID versus say - a Voter's Reg card. Here is a link to that discussion: http://vagunforum.net/carrying/gun-purc ... t1407.html

[zephyp]

I wouldnt worry about any delay. By law if the delay goes beyond 72 hours (I think) the weapon can be transferred without a BC. Proshooter probably knows the delay time. I think its 3 days. At any rate no response or response beyond that window means you can get the weapon without the BC IF the dealer is willing to comply.

[CajunBass]

I get delayed every time, from ten minutes to 24 hours. I've got a common name but I put my SS number on the forms. I've gotten to the point where I usually start the process on Friday evening, then just leave and come back Sunday evening to pick up whatever I purchased.

My wife on the other hand, gets hers back in five-ten minutes.

[USMCGunner]

Everytime I buy, it happens to me too. I also have to disagree with the CCL "speeding things up." I've also "heard" but cannot confirm that if you have or used to have a security clearance, it slows things down. I've just gotten used to the fact that mine takes a little longer.

[zephyp]

Everytime I buy, it happens to me too. I also have to disagree with the CCL "speeding things up." I've also "heard" but cannot confirm that if you have or used to have a security clearance, it slows things down. I've just gotten used to the fact that mine takes a little longer.

I've got and had a clearance for years and never had a delay. I used my CHP a couple weeks ago due to the 30 day rule and no delay on that one either. The only time I ever had to wait more than 2 or 3 minutes was a SG purchase at a Dicks which took about 15 minutes. I'm not sure what happened because everything was back room and beyond my sight. Could have been the guy just took a smoke break.

[ksanftleben]

I've also "heard" but cannot confirm that if you have or used to have a security clearance, it slows things down.

Interesting. . . . My experience is like DK's. I've had a TS/SCI clearance for years and mine (with one exception) have never take more than 2-3 minutes too. The exception: one of the times that I bought something at the Dulles Expo Center gun show, it took about 10 minutes, and I assume that was because of the number or requests being done at the same time.

R/Kurt

[Paliden]

I'm delayed for 45 to 60 mins everytime. I found out there is a a-hole in Ohio with same name and a warrant. Lucky me! But if they just look at race they will see it is differant.

[WildBill44]

I have worked part-time in a gun shop for several years and I'll share some insight into what I know of the process. Before the system went computerized it was not real uncommon to get put on hold for several minutes before you got to even give them the information on a purchaser. Sometimes the phone was busy and it would take several calls to get through. I know, that was then, this is now but the human factor is still there and the phone/computer line access is still the same.

If you were born or resided in certain states such as New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Mass., California or any other state where they are goofy about guns it will slow your application down. From my experience it makes no difference what two forms of ID you use, the computer or the employee at the State Police rely on the clerk at the store to list the forms of ID uses on the application such as DL, CCP, VA. hunting/fishing licence, voter card, even a bank statement or utility bill IF THE ADDRESS MATCHES THE PHOTO ID. You MUST have two forms of ID and one MUST be a photo ID. As has been stated, if there is a gun-show that week-end it will slow things down. Awhile back we had a customer who was "delayed" and we called the number we used to use when a real live person handled every request. They told us that THEIR computers were down and that they couldn't process anything until they came back up. And, yes if they don't either approve or deny the application in three business days the application is automatically approved but the paperwork is shown accordingly. This VERY RARELY happens by the way. When we are processing paperwork it is all done where the customer can see what is going on, and if it is delayed they can wait and see that we check the computer every few minutes to see if it has been approved. We do NOTHING in the back room out of sight with regards to gun purchases. That customer and his purchase is the ONLY reason we have for being there,

[USMCGunner]

Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, I guess there's an a-hole with my name as well. Minimum hour every time I buy. Sometimes about two.

[GS78]

I'm delayed for 45 to 60 mins everytime. I found out there is a a-hole in Ohio with same name and a warrant. Lucky me! But if they just look at race they will see it is differant.

you should know, they are not allowed to look at race........ ....unless you disagree with Obama....

[ThatSickRip]

I spoke to a local shop owner about this and he said the only thing a CHP does is allow you to be exempt from the 30 day handgun rule. It in no way speeds up your wait/approval time

[viiiball]

A buddy and me drove to Richmond yesterday to a police supply store that sells the discounted glocks (he's retired military). He had ordered a Glock 36 that we went to pick up. We completed the paperwork at 11:30 and by the time the store closed at 3:00 the paperwork had still not been approved. It was HIGHLY irritating to drive all that way and not be able to return home with the firearm after driving 2.5 hours. They clerk in the store blamed it on the Richmond gun show.

[Reverenddel]

Three top reasons for delays:

1.) Gun Show in town.

2.) Common Name.

3.) Computer System issues.

It's a PITA for the Va State Police when the systems gets backed up, but if you look at the schedules? There are weekends with NO gunshows ANYWHERE in the state... those are the "quick" weekends if number 2 and 3 do not apply.