ATF / BATFE

August 16, 2013

Gun Trust and Submitting ATF Forms online

Yesterday, I decided to try out the ATFonline.gov Eforms submission. I found the process very easy to do and while a little confusing the first time, it seems rather intuitive. Below are the steps I followed:

Register for an account at ATFonline.gov. The system is very picky and must be used with IE 8 or a recent version of Safari on OS X. Sorry no Firefox, Chrome, or even IE 7.
Log in.
Select the Form 1. Better to use the bar and move it with the mouse, it is very difficult to scroll through the forms. ATF needs to switch this to a drop down menu.
Application – this is where you state whether you are tax exempt or will be paying a tax.
Applicant – Select that you are not a FFL and then complete your information. You should list the Trust name as the Licensee / Permitee Name.
Add line items. You can use one application for multiple items. I choose to only do one SBR. It walked me through the process of selecting the manufacture from a list.
Upload electronic documents. This is where I uploaded my scanned Gun Trust Documents.
Certify that Under Penalties of Perjury, I Declare that I have examined this application, including accompanying documents, and to the best of my knowledge and belief it is true, accurate and complete and the making and possession of the firearm described above would not constitute a violation of Chapter 44, Title 18, U.S.C., Chapter 53, Title 26, U.S.C., or any provisions of State or local law.
Enter credit card payment information
Sign and Submit. By clicking a check box, your application will be submitted.

Within a few minutes I received a confirmation email showing that I had submitted my application and it was Pending Research because the manufacture I had selected was not listed in their database. This morning I received a new update saying that my status was changed to Submitted/In Process. I will keep updating this blog as I receive more information but it already feels faster than the paper system.

August 6, 2013

ATF Applications for Form 1 and Form 4 now taking 9-12 months

by David M. Goldman

Last week I called the ATF to check on one of my personal applications and a new one that I recently filed. The person I spoke to told me that while older applications were taking 6-9 months, new applications were expected to take 9-12 months for approval.

The Firearmsblog has reported a similar conversation with ATF.

While we had previously reported that the ATF was increasing their staff by 30% it appears that this has not helped clear the backlog and they are more than 46,000 applications in the backlog.

August 3, 2013

ATF Electronic Forms Available for Form 1, Form 4, and Form 5

by David M. Goldman

FFL holders: get on it so you’re squared away for your customers!

Gun Trusts can use this to submit an ATF Form 1 – 5320.1

“NFA eForms are finally here! ATF is pleased to announce the implementation of the NFA forms into ATF’s eForms system. ATF Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10 are currently available for eForms submission.

December 9, 2012

Form 1 and Form 4 Wait Times expected to decrease

by David M. Goldman

ATF hires 9 new examiners. Last week, the NFATCA posted an article that the DOJ lifted the hiring ban for the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) and the ATF hired 9 new examiners.

This should significantly speed up the approval process for the purchase or manufacture of firearms restricted by the National Firearms Act. The new staff at the ATF who examine the requests for transfer ( ATF Form 4) and the requests to manufacture (ATF Form 1) should be around 30 which is almost triple the number just a few months ago when expected approval times were in excess of 6 months. We do not know if this will bring times down to 2-3 months but it seems reasonable.

June 5, 2012

ATF Indicted 15 Individuals for Possession and Transfer of Unregistered Firearms

by David M. Goldman

Think the ATF or BATFE ignores possession and transfer of firearms, think again. Today the ATF announced that it arrested and charged 15 individuals who face between 10 and 70 years for many firearms related crimes including the unlawful manufacture of firearms and possession of an unregistered firearm.

11 of the 15 were arrested on Wednesday during a round-up. Remember that an improper transfer or possession of a NFA firearm or Title II firearm could result in severe penalties and criminal charges. These include up to 10 years in jail, a 250,000 penalty, and loss of your firearms.

Using a Professionally designed Gun Trust instead of a revocable trust or free trust that a dealer gives you can help protect you and your family from unfortunately events like this. Our Gun Trusts have been designed by Gun Trust Lawyers® to help with the ownership, possession, transfer, and use of Title II firearms.

May 3, 2012

How Do I Ship NFA FIrearms to An Out of State Trustee

by David M. Goldman

Recently one of our Gun Trust Lawyer® Clients asked us:

What are the shipping requirements for items in my NFA trust for Trustees in different states? The items are legal in both states and the personnel involved can legally possess the items. I also understand the commercial carrier and USPS shipping restrictions (at least think I do). As there is no transfer of ownership, must the items be transported with a FFL?

Our Trust allows one Trustee to ship to another Co-Trustee who is located in a different state a NFA Firearm that is an asset of the Gun Trust with the advanced approval from the ATF by using an ATF Form 5320.20. There is no requirement to use a FFL as the owner is not changing. The Gun Trust will be the owner of the firearm prior to and after the shipment.

November 29, 2011

Pistol to Rifle or Short Barreled Rifle: What is permitted and what is restricted under the NFA

by David M. Goldman

There have been many question on converting a pistol to a rifle and back to a pistol. The ATF recently issued a ruling regarding this to help clarify what is permitted and what is not. If you would like to read the full ruling it can be found here. ATF Ruling 2011-4.pdf

In summary the ATF made the following findings.

Held, a firearm, as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(3), is made when un-assembled parts are placed in close proximity in such a way that they:

(a) Serve no useful purpose other than to make a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length (e.g., a receiver, an attachable shoulder stock, and barrel of less than 16 inches in length); or (b) Convert a complete weapon into such an NFA firearm, including – (1) A pistol and attachable shoulder stock; and (2) A rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more in length, and an attachable barrel of less than 16 inches in length.

November 15, 2011

Can I make an AR-15 type pistol for my personal use?

by David M. Goldman

We received a copy of the following response dated August 30, 2010 from a reader of the blog that felt that this may be useful to others. If you want to download a copy of the letter it has been provided in a PDF format for your reference ATF Response – AFG on AR Pistol.pdf

The letter states:

This refers to your recent correspondence to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regarding the manufacture of a firearm. Specifically, you asked about the lawfulness of manufacturing an AR-15 type pistol for your personal use. Your letter was forwarded to ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch (FTB), Martinsburg, West Virginia, for reply.

August 23, 2011

Silencers Sold Per State on Form 4s

by David M. Goldman

THe BATFE defines a fiscal year as October 1 – September 30 of the following year. The NSSF has compiled a chart showing the number of silencers sold in the past few years. Over the past few years there has been an increase in the number of silencers transferred in most states. In 2008 there were slightly more than 15,000 silencers and by the end of fiscal year 2010 there were more than 22,000 silencers transferred.

August 8, 2011

ATF Ruling:Rifles Configured From Pistols, and Offers Q&A’s Related to Multiple Long Gun Reporting

by David M. Goldman

Pistols Configured from Rifles; Rifles Configured from Pistols ATF has issued a new Ruling regarding Pistols Configured from Rifles; Rifles Configured from Pistols
ATF Rule 2011-4

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has received requests from individuals to classify pistols that are reconfigured into rifles, for personal use, through the addition of barrels, stocks, and other parts and then returned to a pistol configuration by removal of those components. Specifically, ATF has been asked to determine whether such a pistol, once returned to a pistol configuration from a rifle, becomes a “weapon made from a rifle” as defined under the National Firearms Act (NFA).

After a bunch of analysis, the ATF found the following
Held, a firearm, as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA), 26 U.S.C. 5845(a)(3), is made when un-assembled parts are placed in close proximity in such a way that they:

(a) Serve no useful purpose other than to make a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length (e.g., a receiver, an attachable shoulder stock, and barrel of less than 16 inches in length); or (b) Convert a complete weapon into such an NFA firearm, including –

A pistol and attachable shoulder stock; and

A rifle with a barrel of 16 inches or more in length, and an attachable barrel of less than 16 inches in length.