Hey Guys,

About to jump on the NFA bandwagon. I plan to do a gun trust through Silencer Shop. Once I have that what is the process and what is needed for my first submission?

I assume you are talking about one of their single shot trusts?  If i might suggest, get a real trust from either a lawyer or one of the online trust generators if you plan to make multiple purchases over time.  You can provide a copy to Silencer Shop for all your future needs then.  If you are just doing this for yourself and a one time purchase, then just do it as an individual and skip the trust part.

But back to your question, you will need to create an account with Silencer Shop, purchase your desired item, pay for the stamp, etc.  You will then get to take a trip to a SS Kiosk and do your finger prints.  (this is all assuming online purchase.  If you purchase in a SS supported store, then you get to do all of that at the same time you make the item purchase.)  At some point you get to certify the form 4, and it gets sent to the ATF and you get to wait.

in a nut shell

https://www.ar15.com/forums/Armory/General-NFA-Questions/17/

Honestly the purchase wont be through Silencer Shop I am just using their NFA Trust since it seemed easy. Also recent readings of the ATF's "fast lane process" seems like approved, stadnard language is likely to get it done faster. How would I do the remainder outside of them? Basically provide finger prints to said shop for everyone on the trust and they do the rest?

in b4 the move! I am reading the stickies now.

Everyone on the Trust?  Sounds like you have more than one responsible person?  If so, I would for sure go with another avenue for a trust.  Especially if you plan to add more items.  

I assume the place you are buying from has a Kiosk or uses SS for xfers?  If so, its still pretty easy.  If you have an outside trust, tell SS and they will have you email the trust to them.  They will associate it with your account.  Finger prints, yes, everyone that is a responsible party in the trust has to have a set.  Electronic is the way to go, so do it at a kiosk.

What about the SS Trust is not acceptable to you?

I disagree.
A Single Shot Trust is a real trust, written by an attorney.


A "Single Shot Trust" is for one specific single NFA firearm, for one Responsible Person. That means one set of prints, one photo, one background check  and adding additional members after approval is as easy as getting the addendum notarized. Those members added after approval don't have to submit anything to ATF.
vs
A traditional "NFA trust" that has multiple members, multiple people submitting fingerprints, photos, RP questionnaires and every one of those members has to pass the FBI NICS check. If even one doesn't pass....start over.

Want you eForm to take longer? Have a lot of members on your trust. My customers that experience the longest wait times all used a traditional NFA trust. In my experience, the wait times for Single Shot Trusts and Individual submissions are identical.




Again, I disagree.
A trust offers flexibility that an individual registration does not. The $24.95 for a Single Shot Trust is well worth it. If you know you are going to buy more than four NFA firearms....buy the Unlimited Single Shot.

Its only me and my wife but eventually will have our kids. Ultimately I was choosing the SS "NFA Gun Trust" which is described as the ability to add and remove multiple items and responsible parties.

I dont think the shop I am going through has an SS kiosk. They are actually an FFL but not a shop per se. I was going with the SS trust since they probably know what they are doing and trying to figure out what else needs to be done and simplest way to do so.

You can do the same whether its  a Single Shot, Unlimited Single Shot or Traditional NFA Trust.
See: A Buyer’s Guide: Individual vs. Trust

Thanks for that. NFA is definitely the one for me

I didn't need fingerprints from my wife when I submitted through silencer central with a trust. All 3 got approved.

Never said it wasn't.  I should have worded it better and said Traditional Trust.




That is my issue with SS Trusts.  One item, One person.  Sure, you can amend afterwards, but you can do the same with a traditional trust.  A traditional trust give you the ability to pay one time for a trust and have ALL of your NFA items in one spot with clear instructions.  In a case like mine, had I gone with a SS Trust over a traditional NFA trust, I would have paid for my trust more than once by now with 20+ SS Trusts.  

Since when have individual and SS Trust wait times been the same?  I know recently the ATF has been fast tracking individuals, but I have not seen any trusts of any kind fast tracked.  They SAY they are going to get there with trusts that are single responsibility, but that could be any trust that only has one responsible party.




As i noted to him, if he is one and done and it was just him (no mention of other parties initially), then there is no real advantage to a trust for a single individual with a single NFA item.  Now sure, if he has a family or wants to share the item or wants to buy more than one, then a trust is an advantage.

I was not aware of the Unlimited SS.  It was not an option when I first got into this game.  What is the cost of the unlimited?  Maybe that is the viable option then.

To be clear I am read up and understand the trust I am going to do. My question more pertains to "OK I Have a trust....now what" when not buying through someone such as silencer shop who has the dedicated process.

What ive pulled together from this chain is:

1) Finger prints for all responsible parties
2) Notification of CLEO?
3) Fill out form online?

Fingerprints aren't required for beneficiaries.
Since July 2016, anyone on a trust considered a "responsible person" are required to submit a RP questionnaire, fingerprints and photo.

Again, each Single Shot Trust is $24.95. If you think you'll buy five or more, the Unlimited Single Shot Trust is $129.95.........the same price as their Traditional NFA Trust.
So.......you wouldn't have paid any more than $129.95 period.
As far as amending, each Single Shot Trust can be amended differently than the others. Lets say you want a machine gun, but don't want the same members on it as you have on your rimfire silencers. Can't do that with a traditional gun trust.
You believe "one item, one person" is a negative, the majority of my customers see that as a positive. Especially with only having one person undergo a background check. For my customers, I figure 80% submit as a trust vs individual. Of those choosing a trust, more than 80% are using the Single Shot. And of those at least half have been repeat buyers so its not just a one off situation.


I do a couple hundred eForms a year and have never seen a difference in approval times between Individual and Single Shots. Likely because there is only one background check on each. Received an approval this morning on a SST eForm 4........four days from certification.




ATF never fast tracks anything. They should be ashamed they have a backlog from 2023. Those folks should have been processed before anyone in March.




Want to know how many buyers that filed as an individual email me years later about switching to a trust? Three this week. Number wanting to switch from a trust to individual? Zero in the last decade.



Same price as the Traditional. They've had it since February 2017.