NFA Branch Staffing

SHOT Show has wrapped up and there appears to be a lingering issue. Travel by ATF for the show was severely curtailed and we have been advised that local ATF personnel were the prime resource for staffing during the show at ATF's booth. Many seminars and public sessions that were scheduled by ATF had to be canceled.

One of the pieces of information that was repeatedly relayed to us at our booth was that folks were being told by ATF that there were now 25 NFA Examiners. This number did not mesh with what we have been told and we tried to understand if the 25 number was an aggregate of all roles at NFA Branch (Examiners, Specialists, Research Assistant contractors, etc.). We were told that the ATF folks were quite clear in saying 25 full time ATF employee NFA Examiners.

This information is not accurate. We have confirmed as of this morning exactly what the landscape looks like in Martinsburg for the NFA Branch:

1. Examiners - 15 (6 are currently in training)
2. Research Assistants – 12 **contact is running until April 2014, at this time we cannot say if this will be renewed**
3. Specialists - 8- All current Specialists have been tasked to assist in approving limited forms (2,9,10 & 5320.20 *** paper only***) , there are Specialists still in training
4. Supervisors - 2

In addition, there are 12 Examiners with specific state assignments: http://www.nfatca.org/pubs/1113_NFABranch.pdf

With millions of registered civilian NFA weapons in circulation and many more in the hands of dealers and LE, the sheer amount of paperwork and bookkeeping must be unbelievable and those numbers of employees seem so low in comparison.

Indeed. And even though they have increased their through put by Herculean levels, they are still swamped.

Good thing ATF is seeking to add even more burden to the process with 41P or the NFA branch folks might have made some headway on the timelines.

(Sorry, I just couldn't help myself...)

No need to apologize. NFA Branch set a record in the month of December: $2.5 MILLION dollars in transfer tax fees for just that month. Unintended consequences and all...

$2,500,000 / $200 = 12,500 Applications. I think that is historically about 1/3 the annual amount in one month! Wow

Now add in all the other non-revenue forms and you begin to see the magnitude of what has been wrought...