eForms going away?

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MCMXI

MCMXI

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I heard from a major suppressor manufacturer yesterday that eForms are going away due to numerous website related issues. Has anyone else heard this?
 
From one of your links.

"That’s the scuttlebutt from our reliable sources, anyway. Whether or not any of this comes true is a completely different story. This is the ATF we’re talking about, which isn’t exactly the most transparent agency of the U.S. Government."
 
No, it is not going away. There are just some updates being made to tighten up security in the system.

Also, it's a relatively young/immature IT system and thus was deployed - like most other new government IT systems - with a metric ton of bugs in it. Those are being worked out.
 
They should make suppressors a cash and carry item (or at the very least an ordinary firearm).

Mike
 
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They should make suppressors a cash and carry item
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Preaching to the choir, but it would be a great stimulus opening up all kinds of creative "integrated" designs.
 
Yes...but that would make sense.

On the other hand, I wonder if we could talk ATF into accepting NICS for suppressor transfers? The $200 transfer tax is laid down in law (26 USC Chapter 53, Section 5811), but the requirement for photos, fingerprints, etc., is not. It's in the Code of Federal Regulations...meaning it can be changed administratively.

And if you do that, the whole NFA transfer backlog clears itself up in a few weeks. People forget that there was nothing like NICS even on the horizon when NFA'34 was written.
 
The "no batch upload" order went out about an hour ago. They are also rebooting the system 5 times a day.

Rebooting is a crude way to deal with orphaned processes and memory leaks but it kind of makes sense now. Looks like a very badly designed web page.

April 1, 2014

URGENT NOTICE TO: All Registered ATF eForms users

As you are aware for several weeks the eForms application has been experiencing some technical

problems that have rendered the application difficult or impossible to use. We apologize for the

issues that our customers have been experiencing. We have been diligently working to resolve

these issues and have sought the assistance of IT systems experts.

Those experts have advised us of one major problem; that the eForms system is NOT designed

to accept batch uploads. We have noted that several of our registered eForms users have

designed and use a “batch/multiple submission process” that we have determined has been

contributing to the problems that eForms is experiencing. ATF did NOT grant these users any

authorization to use this process. eForms was designed to work as a serial application, with each

user making one submission at a time. The “batch/multiple submission processes” are creating

a situation where processes are initiated and not completed within the eForms application. This

is causing “memory allocation errors” within the eForms application. The result is that many

users are prevented from being able to log-in. Another symptom is that once users log-in, the

system moves so slowly that it is taking 20 minutes or more to move from one screen to the next.

Users are also reporting that they are unable to successfully submit an application even if they

are fortunate enough to make it to the submission page.

Because the “batch/multiple submission processes” have been identified as a major contributing

factor to these problems, we are requesting that any registered eForms user who is currently

using any “batch/multiple submission process” discontinue the use of any such process

IMMEDIATELY. Any user who continues to use a “batch/multiple submission process” for

eForms, after the dissemination of this message will have his/her access to the eForms system

suspended or revoked. Please understand that we are not asserting that the users of the “batch/

multiple submission process” did anything wrong. Unfortunately, our system was not designed

to handle batch processes which are causing unexpected problems for our system.

ATF is currently assessing whether there are other improvements that can address the problems

identified. One of the issues that we will address in the future will be the creation of a batch

process that will be available to all eForms users without a detrimental effect on the performance

of the eForms system. Until that time we request your compliance with the above, and

appreciate your cooperation and patience.
Click to expand...

Mike
 
Wow! Probably did not improve after batch loading was stopped and that was too embarrassing.

Mike
 
So there goes the only way to take possession in a "somewhat reasonable" amount of time.
 
dogtown tom said:
Who was it?
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It's not important. The important thing is that the federal goverment had an incentive to fix computer related issues with Obamacare, but my concern is whether or not they have an incentive (motivation, interest, responsibility) to fix issues with eForms.
 
1858 said:
It's not important. The important thing is that the federal goverment had an incentive to fix computer related issues with Obamacare, but my concern is whether or not they have an incentive (motivation, interest, responsibility) to fix issues with eForms.
Click to expand...
I can't imagine hastening the process for anything firearms related is near the top of this administration's priority list.
 
If I'm not mistaken, eForms came about as a result of The Government Paperwork Reduction Act (or whatever the bill / law was called), so they may have an incentive to continue trying to get eForms to work, or may be compelled by law?
 
Yeah, they've really cared what the law is regarding the ACA, haven't they? And that's their one big priority. In case you haven't noticed, the AG only enforces the laws he likes or agrees with.
 
1858 Quote:
Originally Posted by dogtown tom
Who was it?
Click to expand...

It's not important.
Click to expand...
It sure as heck is!
Unfounded rumors are a disservice to the firearms community.
If "a major suppressor manufacturer" is spreading false information they need to be called out for it.




The important thing is that the federal goverment had an incentive to fix computer related issues with Obamacare, but my concern is whether or not they have an incentive (motivation, interest, responsibility) to fix issues with eForms.
Click to expand...
Only as much incentive as any other federal agency that begins to computerize a process. The problem lies with rolling out eForms without any beta testing. It's a great idea (speeding up the processing of forms) but implementation is a complete and total fail.
 
but implementation is a complete and total fail.
Click to expand...

Offhand I can't think of a government program that isn't other than NASA and the Military, although both sure do waste an enormous amount of money along the way.
 
What's an eForm in "draft status"? The ATF has instructions in the link above to file for a tax refund for eForms in draft status.
 
What's an eForm in "draft status"?
Click to expand...
Our local shop was trying to submit 3 eForms last week, and had been fighting with them for a few days.

Two of them finally went thru, but the last did not (for what reason, who knows?) - then the site was taken down.
He has to file for the tax stamp refund on the one that did not go thru.

Can't recall ever hearing anyone mentioning "draft status"?

I thought they went from submitted to pending (unless submitted and pending are the "draft status")?
 
If the form didn't go through why would he need to file for a refund?
 
If the form didn't go through why would he need to file for a refund?
Click to expand...
He paid the $200 fee during the process, but never got to the end of "the process".

So...$200 paid, form did not go thru - has to file for refund per site instructions.
 
Sounds to me like 1858's source was right but we took "going away" out of context.

They have gone (and because of the reasons 1858's source said), the question is for how long?

Mike
 
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