Silencers Transfers
Many of our customers, both on FFL123 and from Dakota Silencer, are always curious about how long the current wait time for silencers is. It’s a very important question in many people’s minds as the sooner is always the better. Here’s our advice: ask questions! Start asking other customers about how long they’ve been waiting or how long they waited (if they already have their silencer). Jump on forums to find out what people across the country are seeing- if times are slowing down or speeding up and where these trends are happening. Be sure to ask your Class 3 dealer what they’ve been seeing for wait times, and if you are the dealer, be sure to pay attention to how long it’s taking from the date the form was mailed in to the date when the approval was stamped. That way you’ll have an accurate answer for your customers.
Wait times also vary depending on the type of transfer. There are two main forms that are used for transferring silencers. One, a ATF Form 3, is used to transfer a silencer from a Class 3 dealer (or manufacturer or wholesaler) to another Class 3 dealer. The second is a Form 4, which is the transfer from a Class 3 dealer to a non-licensee (or vice versa). As could be expected, the Form 3 transfer takes a much shorter time period than the Form 4. (A Form 3 is also a tax free transfer as the fee for the license covers that requirement.) At the time of the creation of this post, Dakota silencer is seeing Form 3 transfers take about 45 days and Form 4 transfers take 6 months. It is important to consider whether obtaining your Class 3 license would be advantageous for your situation.
Finally, we’re hoping to see this situation change. In the time that Dakota Silencer has been in business, we’ve seen wait times go through a range of time spans. Both types of transfers used to only take a matter of weeks! Increased interest in silencers has certainly affected the wait time as the volume of transfer forms at the ATF’s NFA Branch has skyrocketed. If you find yourself in a spare moment, contact your elected state officials and ask them to propose changes to increase the staff at the NFA Branch. After all, you elected them to serve your best interests! And of course, if you’re interested in becoming a Class 3 dealer, Join FFL123.com today!
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