As more and more folks get the NFA bug, the sheer volume of applications at NFA Branch increases exponentially. Although they really have made tremendous strides in efficiencies and the number of forms they process, the mountain keeps growing. It's 9 months, on average for a Form 1 and slightly less for a Form 4. That number will continue to rise and I fully expect times to hit a year in short order. ATF got permission to hire new examiners, but they didn't hire enough to account for attrition and the number is basically static. We *do* have contractors acting as research assistants and that has helped, but there was a steep and painful learning curve.

If a real solution is to be found, it is going to be via hammering Congress, especially the House, to appropriate more funds and authorize the hiring of more DOJ employees for these positions. Listen to me when I tell you that this is just like the foothills of the Himalayas. This mountain may seem big, but it is going to be dwarfed when/if the CLEO signature requirement goes away.