Starting my own thread due to so many questions

For starters my trust name is long and does not fit in section 4 manufacturer. I’m guessing I can use initials?


And can we give a month or year window in section 3?

You don't need a form 20 for suppressors.

And yes, you can put a bigger window on the form, up to a year. So if you know that summer is your training season, then you can just fill out the form in January for a year window and be set for the season.

Also noteworthy....if you're moving IN STATE, you are not required to notify the ATF.

I fill out a form 20 for my cousins farm in TX, I put a years date range, and for purpose I put "Multiple hunting trips throughout the year"

Did you actually make the items yourself from non-firearm parts or 80% receivers, etc?

Because if not, the manufacturer you put in section 4 is the original firearm manufacturer.  It's what would be in section 4a. of the original Form 1 or Form 4.


And for the range, you can do for up to 365 days, but no more.

UPDATE

Ok I got my individual SBR  letter sent back with a suppressors on it too,
but I did not get any suppressor ones sent back (on a trust)

Is that normal?

See first reply

I have submitted a lot of 5320.20 forms over the years including about a dozen two-ish months ago.  I almost exclusively put one gun per application/form, print/sign/scan, and then email them into the NFAFAX email box.

My experience is that they usually all get approved and sent back at one time.  Sometimes the USPS mail ends up splitting them up and they trickle into my mailbox in a couple of different batches over a week-ish time period.

That said, its not uncommon in my experience for submissions to just get lost or get denied for some esoteric reason, like they didn't like the model number (even though that is what the paperwork I have says)

As an example with this recent batch I sent in ~2 months ago, one just never came back for a Remington SBS.  It is in my outbox, I have even learned to BCC another of my email addresses so I can 100% make sure it was sent properly.    It wasn't denied or approved and every other single application sent in came back over a month ago approved so I have no idea what happened to that one.  I never followed up as my trip with those guns is already over but its not the first time a 5320.20 just went poof and never came back.

I had another form come back approved but corrected (incorrectly).   I have a SAW box AR15 lower I made for my Shrike probably 10 years ago out of a Tactical Machining single shot lower.    I registered it as "AR15" and engraved it "AR15" as the single shots didn't have a model on them and even if they did I cut away the entire "magwell" area anyway only leaving the original serial number.  So I gave it the model "AR15" because why not.   The NFA branch decided that since it was "Tactical Machining" it must be model TM-15 even though that is not correct.  I "made" the SBR, registered the SBR, engraved the SBR, and they assume they know better.  Thankfully they didn't deny it but it would not have surprised in in the least if they did as I have had them deny other 5320.20s in the past for even more petty reasons.

So to answer your question, "No" its no uncommon for 5320.20 to not come back.   Its the whole reason I have learned over the years not to put more than one gun per form.  For this trip I actually submitted 5320.20s for two SBSs and if I have put them on the same form I may not have been able to take either gun.  The more guns you put on one form and if for any reason an gun gets denied or that form doesn't comes back in time, every gun on that form isn't going with you.  

If you really want to try and figure it out you can call the NFA branch phone number with the serial and ask about the status of your 5320.20 and see if they got it, if it was approved/denied (fi so when), maybe USPS lost the return envelope, etc.  Yes the NFA branch in my experience will approved 5320.20s for suppressors even though you technically don't have to submit one.

Good Luck.

You don't need a form 20 for moving a suppressor interstate.   So the AFT probably looked at the form and tossed it in the trash.