Change in Personal Info: Possible NICS Issue?

[1911US45]

Hey Everyone,

(FYI: I haven't logged on here in a long time, so when I reset my forgotten password, my status became New User again, but as you probably can tell by my username, I snagged that years ago.)

During a recent health crisis, My height measurement was taken along with when I was weighed. I was completely shocked to find out that I was, in fact, 4 inches shorter than I thought I was during my entire adult life (I'm in my fifties). So, basically, I've had the wrong height listed on all my driver's licenses (3 different states over the years), as well as on countless 4473 forms. No one ever questioned it at all.

I reported my correct height to the DMV and am being sent an update card. Presumably, this will be reflected on my new license when this one expires. Obviously, on my next gun purchase, I am going to put my correct height on the form.

My question is this: Will this change raise a red flag with the NICS check and possibly cause a denial? (All of my other information is still the same as it was on my last purchase.)

Thanks in advance for replying to this. I just dread the thought of picking out something at my local gun shop and having them do the NICS check and the whole nine, only to get denied.

 

[drobs]

I doubt it. I change my weight frequently on the 4473's I fill out and have never had a problem.
Next time your in a gun shop ask them what info they call in for the instant background check. I highly doubt your height or weight is mentioned over the phone.

 

[Navy87Guy]

Have you ever listened to your dealer call in a NICS check? Height and weight are never mentioned, even though they’re on the 4473. Sometimes they ask for ethnicity (but not always). No one is going to care that you “shrank”.

 

[1911US45]

I doubt it. I change my weight frequently on the 4473's I fill out and have never had a problem.
Next time your in a gun shop ask them what info they call in for the instant background check. I highly doubt your height or weight is mentioned over the phone.

Thanks, drobs. That's a good idea, and it reminded me of something. As a result of my health scare, I've since lost a lot of weight, too. Weight fluctuations are totally normal and common, I'm sure. Not so with height, but it's encouraging that you don't think they even mention it on the phone during the check.

 

[1911US45]

Have you ever listened to your dealer call in a NICS check? Height and weight are never mentioned, even though they’re on the 4473. Sometimes they ask for ethnicity (but not always). No one is going to care that you “shrank”.

That's an enormous relief---thanks very much. I was always too busy looking at the other handguns in the case, whenever my NICS check was being phoned in, to pay attention to what was mentioned.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

Nope not an issue. Currently only thing that is actively going on with NICS checks is the delay or extended delay for individuals 21 and under.

 

[SterlingBullet]

In Florida, neither the height nor weight is forwarded to the FDLE during the background check. The sex is; note that the only male that ever checked non-binary in four years was not approved for a firearm. We never found out why he was denied.

If there is an ATF, or a law enforcement subpoena for the 4473, it might add a mild question in the investigator’s mind on the true identity of the gun purchaser, but since it is a self-reported fact I would not put much worry into a height change.

Height changes with older people because of medical issues, primarily from spine curvature, obesity and fallen arches (this makes your feet longer too, personal experience).

Some people have changed their response on race based on renewed or new relationships with biological family, or after DNA ancestry results.

And, if you can say today, “My name is Bruno, I am 6’5”, 325 lbs, and I identify as a woman”, who’s to question you when you say “I identify as a Polynesian so I marked Pacific Islander for my race”.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

SB did it! opened to conversational door on "I identify as furry"! lord help us, lol j/k SB

 

[1911US45]

Nope not an issue. Currently only thing that is actively going on with NICS checks is the delay or extended delay for individuals 21 and under.

Thanks!

 

[1911US45]

In Florida, neither the height nor weight is forwarded to the FDLE during the background check. The sex is; note that the only male that ever checked non-binary in four years was not approved for a firearm. We never found out why he was denied.

If there is an ATF, or a law enforcement subpoena for the 4473, it might add a mild question in the investigator’s mind on the true identity of the gun purchaser, but since it is a self-reported fact I would not put much worry into a height change.

Height changes with older people because of medical issues, primarily from spine curvature, obesity and fallen arches (this makes your feet longer too, personal experience).

Some people have changed their response on race based on renewed or new relationships with biological family, or after DNA ancestry results.

And, if you can say today, “My name is Bruno, I am 6’5”, 325 lbs, and I identify as a woman”, who’s to question you when you say “I identify as a Polynesian so I marked Pacific Islander for my race”.

If the gov't ever gets infected totally by Woke, I can imagine a time when they pause all sales while they compose a new 4473 form with all the known gender identities on it. Perfect BS delay tactic.

 

[TomVA]

Four inches is a lot of height loss for someone in their 50s. While certainly possible, two inches or less is more common. The measurement in the doctor's office could very well be off by an inch or so just from careless procedure. I suggest you measure yourself and report what you get if it is higher than what the doctor's office indicated. Just stand against a wall as straight as you can with your heels, butt, and head against the wall, and have someone place a ruler or other straight object level on your head and mark the wall with a pencil. Do this three times and use the highest mark if they differ.

 

[1911US45]

Four inches is a lot of height loss for someone in their 50s. While certainly possible, two inches or less is more common. The measurement in the doctor's office could very well be off by an inch or so just from careless procedure. I suggest you measure yourself and report what you get if it is higher than what the doctor's office indicated. Just stand against a wall as straight as you can with your heels, butt, and head against the wall, and have someone place a ruler or other straight object level on your head and mark the wall with a pencil. Do this three times and use the highest mark if they differ.

I did that, really carefully, multiple times, and I got 5'6". I agree that aging, etc., might account for an inch or so, but this was a case of me living most of my life under the mistaken notion that I was 5'10". I could have sworn that's what I was measured at during a doctor's visit when I was about 18.

 

[dogtown tom]

My question is this: Will this change raise a red flag with the NICS check and possibly cause a denial?

No.
It may or may not cause a delay, but not an immediate denial.
When the dealer runs the NICS check, he'll give NICS your name and descriptive information. If that results in multiple records being returned and one of those records is that of a prohibited person, then there may be a delay while NICS conducts additional research....meaning an FBI Legal Document Examiner will compare your information vs that of the prohibited person.

Even with identical or near identical first, middles and last names, there should be enough differences between state of residence, birth place, birth date, race, ethnicity.......that height/weight don't matter.

 

[dogtown tom]

I doubt it. I change my weight frequently on the 4473's I fill out and have never had a problem.
Next time your in a gun shop ask them what info they call in for the instant background check. I highly doubt your height or weight is mentioned over the phone.

Every FBI NICS check requires the following information. If your state is a POC, they will ask the same and maybe more questions.
First name
Middle name
Last name
Cadence (Jr, Sr, II, III)
State of residence
Place of Birth
Height
Weight
Sex
Birth Date
Ethnicity
Race
Country of Citizenship
If an alien your admission #

 

[dogtown tom]

Have you ever listened to your dealer call in a NICS check? Height and weight are never mentioned, even though they’re on the 4473. Sometimes they ask for ethnicity (but not always). No one is going to care that you “shrank”.

Huh?
For the last fifteen years I've been calling NICS or using NICS eCheck, height, weight, ethnicity have been required. It's not optional information.
You can't even click "submit" on eCheck without giving that information.

 

[dogtown tom]

In Florida, neither the height nor weight is forwarded to the FDLE during the background check.

Florida as a state POC is required to report height and weight to FBI NICS.

If there is an ATF, or a law enforcement subpoena for the 4473, it might add a mild question in the investigator’s mind on the true identity of the gun purchaser, but since it is a self-reported fact I would not put much worry into a height change.

Being that the buyer certifies under penalty of law that his answers on the Form 4473 "are true, correct and complete" he damn well better answer correctly.

And, if you can say today, “My name is Bruno, I am 6’5”, 325 lbs, and I identify as a woman”, who’s to question you when you say “I identify as a Polynesian so I marked Pacific Islander for my race”.

Doing so knowing that the response is not true is a federal felony.
And if you read the instructions on the 4473 you'll see that that you are to choose the closest representation and can choose more than one.

Simply checking "Pacific Islander" to be funny is a felony.

 

[1911US45]

No.
It may or may not cause a delay, but not an immediate denial.
When the dealer runs the NICS check, he'll give NICS your name and descriptive information. If that results in multiple records being returned and one of those records is that of a prohibited person, then there may be a delay while NICS conducts additional research....meaning an FBI Legal Document Examiner will compare your information vs that of the prohibited person.

Even with identical or near identical first, middles and last names, there should be enough differences between state of residence, birth place, birth date, race, ethnicity.......that height/weight don't matter.

This is what I was afraid of. There's going to be a glaring difference in my height compared to all my previous NICS checks.

 

[1911US45]

Every FBI NICS check requires the following information. If your state is a POC, they will ask the same and maybe more questions.
First name
Middle name
Last name
Cadence (Jr, Sr, II, III)
State of residence
Place of Birth
Height
Weight
Sex
Birth Date
Ethnicity
Race
Country of Citizenship
If an alien your admission #

I think I was lulled into a false sense of security. I wish there was a way to correct the info with the FBI/NICS beforehand.

 

[1911US45]

Huh?
For the last fifteen years I've been calling NICS or using NICS eCheck, height, weight, ethnicity have been required. It's not optional information.
You can't even click "submit" on eCheck without giving that information.

Not good. To me, a scenario in which I get a denial or any problem is a nightmare.

 

[dogtown tom]

This is what I was afraid of. There's going to be a glaring difference in my height compared to all my previous NICS checks.

Federal law prohibits FBI NICS from retaining the information or result of a successful NICS check past midnight CST.
If your transaction was delayed, that information is deleted the same day the status was changed to a "proceed".
Only information from "denied" transactions are kept.

 

[Outlaw75]

I did that, really carefully, multiple times, and I got 5'6". I agree that aging, etc., might account for an inch or so, but this was a case of me living most of my life under the mistaken notion that I was 5'10". I could have sworn that's what I was measured at during a doctor's visit when I was about 18.

You've never had any back issues have you? I'm 60 and am down about 3 inches, but it's mostly due to having a couple of ruptured and herniated discs.

 

[dogtown tom]

I think I was lulled into a false sense of security. I wish there was a way to correct the info with the FBI/NICS beforehand.

The FBI doesn't keep your info to begin with.

 

[CapnMac]

Point of Contact (POC) states comply with their State Bureaus of Investigation/State Police rules for information.
Federal NICS info is much more limited than the 4473 info collected.
The NICS info only has to be the same as is on the Prohibited Person list that NICS actually is. And it's only retained--as our esteemed @dogtown tom points out above--for the length of the check.
If curious, the number of checks can be found tabulated here: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_day_month_year.pdf/view
So, for 01 September of this year there were 88,568 checks performed. While storing data is cheap, it's not unlimited.

New User again, but as you probably can tell by my username, I snagged that years ago.)

Well, Welcome to THR, again

 

[Navy87Guy]

Huh?
For the last fifteen years I've been calling NICS or using NICS eCheck, height, weight, ethnicity have been required. It's not optional information.
You can't even click "submit" on eCheck without giving that information.

Never in over one hundred guns transfers have my dealers ever been asked for biometric info. I listen to every one (usually just to make sure they get my SSN and DL numbers correct).

 

[1911US45]

You've never had any back issues have you? I'm 60 and am down about 3 inches, but it's mostly due to having a couple of ruptured and herniated discs.

I would say that it is definitely possible that some of this could be due to a back thing. I've also been very overweight for a long time, so, to an extent, that could be true; it's just that a four inch difference is, no pun intended, a stretch.