Gun Sales Up 24% in December: Shortage of Form 4473

The FBI Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported a 24% increase in December over last year.  Over 1.5 Million checks was an increase of 42% over November and the highest number of checks in history.

As a result in the unprecedented demand for the ATF Forms 4473 (5300.9) part I which was revised in August 2008 is running low on inventory.  To address this shortage  ATF has posted a notice on its Web site authorizing a temporary measure of allowing FFL’s to photocopy form 4473 in its entirety.

Of course, an option is to use the electronic form, E-4473, available from the ATF.gov Web site.