Fairfax, VA – -(Ammoland.com)- The number of Form 4 applications received by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) in 2016 and 2017 seems to indicate a clear peak followed by a marked drop-off. Nearly three times as many applications were received in 2016 as in 2017.
Another indication of the Trump Slump or pre-Hillary Clinton panic buying?
Hardly.
About two years ago, BATFE issued Rule 41F Machine guns, Destructive Devices, and Certain Other Firearms; Background Checks for Responsible Persons of a Trust or Legal Entity with Respect to Making or Transferring a Firearm.
The ATF reports that the goal of this rule is “to ensure that the identification and background check requirements apply equally to individuals, trusts, and legal entities who apply to make or receive NFA firearms.” The rule became effective on July 13, 2016. Approximately two years’ worth of consumer purchases were compressed into the first six months of 2016 – pushing the total number of Form 4 NFA applications to 312,850 for the year. All but about 12% of these applications were submitted before Rule 41F came into effect. Since suppressors account for around 90% of the tax-paid transfer applications, one can reasonably assume that the majority of these applications were for suppressors.
Rule 41F put individual applications and trusts on equal footing. Previously, individual applications required approval from the local chief law enforcement officer – and, predictably, not all applications were given the same consideration. Rule 41F changed the landscape; legal entities and trusts went from 89% of transfer applications to 48%. Individual applications move much faster through the vetting process, if only because there are fewer background checks to conduct in relation to each application.
After the pre-rule rush, 2017 looked like a down year with “only” 110,377 Form 4 Applications received. This is actually in line with previous years before Rule 41F.
By the end of 2017, there were nearly 1.4 million suppressors registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record – the database of all suppressors not owned by the federal government. The number of suppressors manufactured between the announcement of Rule 41F and April 2017 outpaced the number of Form 4 Applications; supply simply outpaced demand. The rest of 2017 saw four times as many Form 4 applications as suppressors manufactured as the market forces rebalance and BATFE catches up on processing the backlog of applications.
One big number in a chart doesn’t always tell the story.
About:
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
#1) Eliminate gun free kill zones every where, and at school locations include armed security at all entry points, roving security personnel. 7th grade on up, visual identification ID badges displayed, at all times, on students, faculty and security personnel. #2) Keep your hands off our God given rights to self protection, including our high capacity magazines, semi-auto handguns, semi-auto rifles, and semi-auto shotguns. #3) Pass concealed carry reciprocity, a licence issued in one state should be good in another. #4) Pass the hearing protection act, to get suppressors off the NFA books, these are safety equipment that saves your… Read more »
Steven: I’ve been a contributor here for quite a while. I’m pretty old and my resume, if that’s what you want to call it, includes former LEO, RKBA organizational director, firearms instructor, hunter of ever type game I could eat or, was a predator and threat, plus a lot of other “stuff”. I haven’t seen you comment before but you’ve summed it up succinctly and directly. Thanks.
My list, sort of to antagonize Liberals and shorten things up, simply states: repeal the NFA & GCA ‘68, period. In short, repeal all gun laws, they serve no purpose.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s revisit the Presidential campaign for a moment and remember the words of both then Candidate Trump and the NRA. Candidate Trump promised us there was no stronger supporter of the Second Amendment than he. He promised that he not only supported National Reciprocity but the Suppressor Bill and said “as soon as you send it to me I’ll sign it”. The NRA agreed. They both LIED to us. Now President Trump not only says Reciprocity is dead but he supports a National FOID (firearm owners identification card) Card and imprisonment for those who sell a gun… Read more »
Without the hearing protection act who cares. No one wants to wait a year. Even if the keep the tax and just go with the instant check it would be a vast improvement.
And the applications just sit there, for as long as a year (some longer) while NFA Branch and the FBI dither.
The HPA & HUSH, and National Carry Reciprocity bills linger while McConnell, Ryan, and Trump dither and the Democrats obstruct, while considering further restrictions on guns, ammunition, accessories, etc.
In a few weeks, they’ll start telling us that they’re going to get moving (or not) if we re-elect them to another term.
They’ll get no more moneyor votes from me unless they end their vacillating.