Longest PIC's check yet

[CartBone69]

So i start a new job on Monday after being unemployed for the last 4-5 months i decided to treat myself to a new gun. So i decided on the Sig P320 Compact that my shop had in the case after looking at the FN 5.7 just didnt want to spend the 1191.00 out the door. Anyway in the past when they run the PICs it went threw with no problems they usually get the number from the automated system. Well last year i bought a couple of guns (months apart) and i noticed that they had to talk to an operator to get my approval.

Well yesterday it was the same thing, but he had to wait about 15-20 minutes to actually speak to the operator. In the time they were waiting for my check about 2 other people got their approval threw the automated system. So the guy was apologizing to me for how long it was taking etc, say there is no rhyme or reason for who takes this long and who goes threw right away. I really wasn't worried because ive never been arrested and ive bought several guns in the past and just did my LTCF renewal in October along with getting a 7 year background check for the job i just got. But i did joke with him and said maybe the State Police are on their way to talk to me, lol. So anyway after about 15-20 minutes the operation rings threw, all she asked him was to verify my City of birth, and birthday. It was less then a minute from the time he finally talked to her and i had my approval number.

What would cause this? After years of instant automated approvals, now the last few times they had to talk to the operator? Maybe someone has my same name that is a shit head?

[gghbi]

What would cause this? After years of instant automated approvals, now the last few times they had to talk to the operator? Maybe someone has my same name that is a shit head?

You got it!!

[Xringshooter]

It is possible, that something, (your birthday and city of birth) just didn't come through the automated system for some reason so it flags it and then an operator has to take over to finish things up. It has happened to some of my customers in the last 10 days or so. Sometimes the call gets picked up with a minute or so, but yesterday around 4:30pm, it took 30 minutes for an operator to take the call. This morning, 11:30, it took 10-12 minutes for an operator to come on line and ask for the customers race and place of birth, then another 8-10 minutes for her to come back on and give me the approval number. All the others I did yesterday (4 of them) went right through, 3 minutes tops to do the check and get approval.

Don't know if it is because of the NICS-PICS interconnection (other FFL's in states that only use NICS have been having problems with NICS lately) so that could be causing some of the problems.

[Noah_Zark]

Standard procedure for unemployed deadbeats. Your employment status just hadn't been updated in the system yet.

Seriously:

1) Xringshooter explained it; likely issue with NICS interface. If NICS ain't up, PICS ain't up, and if NICS ain't running right, PICS slows down.
2) Congrats on the new job!

Noah

[CartBone69]

It is possible, that something, (your birthday and city of birth) just didn't come through the automated system for some reason so it flags it and then an operator has to take over to finish things up. It has happened to some of my customers in the last 10 days or so. Sometimes the call gets picked up with a minute or so, but yesterday around 4:30pm, it took 30 minutes for an operator to take the call. This morning, 11:30, it took 10-12 minutes for an operator to come on line and ask for the customers race and place of birth, then another 8-10 minutes for her to come back on and give me the approval number. All the others I did yesterday (4 of them) went right through, 3 minutes tops to do the check and get approval.

Don't know if it is because of the NICS-PICS interconnection (other FFL's in states that only use NICS have been having problems with NICS lately) so that could be causing some of the problems.

My check was around 4pm ish, but like i said once he was asked those questions i was on my way within minutes.

[VooDoo1VooDoo1]

This past weekend I was helping out at a gun bash, and it was the same thing. I would estimate that 60-70% of all my PICS checks went to the operator, and I sat on hold for up to 20-25 minutes just to get an operator. Then they would come on and usually just ask place of birth and if the transferee was a US Citizen, and within a minute or two they would be back on with an approval. The crappy part was that meant I was on the phone just about continuously from 1pm til about 5:30, barely had time to take a leak. As soon as one was approved, they had drawn another gun and it was another PICS check needing to be run. In the past I have had an occasional operator tell me that either the PADL database was slow, but no idea what was the cause this weekend. It was just a PITA.....

[RockIsland]

108 minutes is my record from a few years ago.

That was at Donley's before they went to the online system.

One time at Sarco, it was about 45-50 minutes.

[awfroadan]

I always go to the operator. I might of had maybe 2 go without but I always tell the shop that they will get the operator. I know there was a dead beat with the same name as me because a few years ago I started getting debt collection calls for them, debt collectors didn't even care to notice the middle name was different.

[Qtrborecrazy]

I always go to the operator. I might of had maybe 2 go without but I always tell the shop that they will get the operator. I know there was a dead beat with the same name as me because a few years ago I started getting debt collection calls for them, debt collectors didn't even care to notice the middle name was different.

Add me to this club^^^^^. The only place where I had no problem was Euro Optic with their computerized system.

[sota]

does PICS work with NICS unique identifier system? if so why not try and get a unique ID and see if that clears up the problem.