Ordered a Dead Air Mask yesterday. When I went to the LGS to use the kiosk was having trouble getting good fingerprints. Tried putting on lotion, no luck. Doing the four fingers it would show 2 or 3 as good and 1 or 2 as fair and/or poor.

So one of the counter guys walked by and asked if I needed help. I explained what was happening and he says that they don't have to all show good, that they will be digitally enhanced and that it will kick it back at the end if they are not acceptable.

I start over and he is quickly hitting accept on the screen each time. Once I finished the prints I am pretty sure it showed a screen saying fingerprints failed. But the guy hits accept again before I could even finish reading it. I assumed the guy knows what he is talking about and if there is an issue it would let me know at the end.

I finished putting in all my info and did not get anything back about the prints. It is showing fingerprints on file now.

But I am concerned that there might be a problem with the prints. I hate to wait months and then have it kicked back due to prints.

Are they digitally enhanced?  Is there a way to know if the prints are good?  Was the counter guy BSing me? Are they good if it shows fingerprints on file?

Thanks for your help!

<---Silencer Shop Powered By dealer
The grading system isn't the least bit accurate. As long as you can see the loops, whorls and arches of the fingerprint clearly....you are good.


Ive never heard of them being digitially enhanced and seriously doubt that would occur. I will say that since the day my kiosk arrived six years ago, Ive yet to have ATF reject a fingerprint scan. I think because they just check off that prints were received and don't actually run a fingerprint search.



As long as the print is fairly clear, thats fine. Ive seen abysmal prints grade Very Good and perfectly fine prints grade as Poor.




I see that about 50% of the time. It flashes by pretty fast. It means nothing.




Thats all thats needed.



You are good.


i can't see how anything other than lightening or darkening the print quality would be allowed.



As long as you have ten slaps and ten rolls you are fine.


Ive run hundreds of customers prints through the kiosk and your experience is normal.

Awesome. Thank you for your detailed reply!

Got an email yesterday from Silencer Shop saying everything looked good as well.

I too have a question.  I'm going to start the process for my first SBR.  I plan on using a kiosk for my prints.  How does it actually work?  Does is scan my prints then print them out?  Do I get a code sent to my email to retrieve them?

The kiosk only scans, it does not print.
Your prints are stored by Silencer Shop and sent as an EFT file to ATF with your eForm 4.

Silencer Shop does not process eForm 1's.....which is the form you use when making an SBR.
With an eForm 1 you'll have to submit fingerprint cards.

Yeah, that's what Kara told me.  She said you can still use the Kiosk to take the prints, then order the cards from them.

SS will charge you for those cards.
Roll your own for free.
FBI FD258LE, NFA cards

Any idea on how much they charge?

Looks like $15 for two filled in cards.

So I did my prints yesterday at the kiosk. It was a total pain.  It kept rejecting most of them, then said the screen was dirty, but I got it done anyway. When I asked the worker at the gun shop, he said that realistically it will accept most all of them anyway..  he said there’s been more than a few times were a “old timer” comes in who practically has no fingerprints anyway, and they are accepted.

Did no one at the shop assist?
If it says the screen is dirty there is the one weird trick.....

I’ve got gnarly prints a lot of the time including some missing occasionally because of my skin. They’ve always been accepted.

my prints were the same way. I went to the sheriff dept and had them done the old fashion way and mailed them to SS who then uploaded them. I have trust so I have to have everyone get fingerprint cards for the SBRs I want to build.