PA Gun Collector's Assn. 1/19 & 1/20 (Pittsburgh Mills Mall Event Center) (125 Pittsb

[JoshIronshaft]

2 weeks ago I had a nice conversation with a female PICS operator. She told me the first shift of the day has 30-40 people working the phones and the evening shaft has the same number. She says it has been constant calls all day every day no stopping since things hit the fan recently.

[PaleDriver]

What were you going after?

Savage Mk2. Good times

[battle]

I stand corrected Noah. You are correct it is PICS that is and continues to be the problem. And it has been a constant problem getting through. After driving out to the vendor this week we still had to wait 40 minutes at 17:30 for an operator. Once they had compared additional height, weight, eye and hair color data with my DL record the NICS approval came through in less than a minute.

The aggravating part is why PICS hasn't staffed up or increased the number of inbound lines to handle the volume.

I don't see this high volume of calls decreasing anytime soon.

The National Instant Check System (NICS) is run by the FBI. The Brady Instant Check law offered states the option of using the NICS system, or creating their own systems and tying them into NICS.

PA chose to do its own instant check system, the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) operated by the Pennsylvania State Police. FFLs in PA call a 800 number that rings into the PICS system in Harrisburg. The PICS is "open" from 0800 to 2200 every day, INCLUDING holidays.

Since the Newtown, CT shootings and talk of additional gun control measures, the sheer volume of firearm sales in PA has been overloading the PICS system, and particularly on weekends when gun shows take place. And the more shows in PA, and the larger the shows are, the worse it is for call time. It is nothing to wait 15 to 45 minutes to ring into the PICS system, and at heavy call times the automated system is shut off and all calls get routed to "operators." If that's the case, it takes another 15 to 30 mins to reach a PICS "operator" to take the buyer's DL number and other info from the 4473. Then it can be another 5 to 10 mins until the operator comes back with the approval number.

In PA, your beef is with the PICS unit of the State Police, not the FBI's national system (NICS).

Noah