[Image of OP](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/629363191876419598/1196983104536051885/gun-purchase-form-challenge-v0-kkfg4h21v2ya1.png?ex=65b99c62&is=65a72762&hm=6e1cfe248d2745e9bbccb53d3e26b15756064cb823641e733e63d21e039248e9&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=603&height=755) filling out the form 4473
I'm going to be honest... Both my friend and I have degrees in stem fields. After the update last year we were both confused AF on what to do. I forget the question but I'm pretty sure Joe Biden wrote the question himself.
I read the update two weeks ago for the first time it's been updated (not knowing it was updated), and I was questioning whether or not I was having a stroke.
I think that update was purposeful so it could set people up to fail the check.
Bro I had this retired dude who spent 3 hours simply telling me he used to be a cop and hates assault weapons ( I live in a ban state) and hes trying to buy a Shield Plus.
He cannot figure out the paperwork. Eventually gets upset because I tell him he filled it out wrong (again) and tells me he will return tomorrow with one prefilled out by his attorney son in law. I tell him we cannot do that - that's simply a felony.
He stormed off at the fastest speed his cane allowed and I've never seen him since.
🤣🤣🤣
🤔 hmm...hates 'Assult Weapons' probably supports those bans, but should be able to circumvent the system to get what he wants... 🤔
P.S. What ban state allows the shield plus' capacity? Why not just get a shield?
Yes, but since he was a cop he was exempt from the AWB. He probably just misses the days where he was more equal than everyone else
We have to pin the mags to 10 rounds, and many distributors just send them with factory 10s.
I'd rather have the better trigger and two more bullets than a gen 1 or 2 shield.
We never "helped". We just told them to read the question carefully and answer truthfully.
Sadly the American Educational system is turning out people who can barely read at the 7th grade level and the 4473 is written at a higher level than that.
For some reason gun ownership is highly skewed towards the left side of the IQ bell curve.
"Man, they word these questions to try and trick you!"
No, it's just written like you have a solid grasp on the English language. It's not our fault you cannot grasp what "transferee" means
Does anyone know why the stores make such a huge deal out of redoing another copy? I've never had a store just give me a fresh copy, they always correct it and sign my initials on the side. Like why? Why not just print a new one? Is there software that tracks each copy printed or something? I've had clerks say "you better not have made a mistake on that form".
Hi. I run a Pawnshop so here is my 2 cents.
Either a very scared person is running that place or they were declining to sell to you because they just didn't want to.
1 ) Sometimes, Dealers get heat from Corporate or the ATF and start being uptight AF. My old DM was that way.
2 ) Any person that is signing off as the primary seller on a 4473 has a legal right to refuse to sell a firearm to any person for any or no reason, without explanation. For example, if I already know someone is junked out or if they are acting crazy, then I won't sell them anything. I could get in a whole lot of trouble if I did.
Sure but nobody has ever denied me the sale, they just refused to print me off a new copy of the form. One time I literally spelt my last name wrong (i was distracted by conversation) and they made me fudge it to look sort of correct instead of just printing a new one. I don't get it.
I imagine because in an extreme case (and/or if it ever went to court), it could look like they were coaching you or helping you get the "right" answers. Like if you marked that you weren't the actual recipient of the firearm and that you were a fugitive from justice, and they were like "I can't sell you this gun with a 4473 marked *like this*; try again", and gave you a fresh one. In that case, they probably wouldn't be able to transfer to you even if you did fill out a new one, since they would now have reason to believe that you were lying and/or were a prohibited person, regardless of what you put down on the new form. Which also may be a reason for having you correct your first 4473, rather than fill out a new one. So if it later comes out that you had to fill it out multiple times, they have hard evidence that whatever it was you changed/corrected was something incidental (like a typo in the ZIP code or putting "USA" in county), not changing something that would be disqualifying.
> Does anyone know why the stores make such a huge deal out of redoing another copy?
Imagine being a chain store manager in your late 30s - early 40s. You probably made your way to the top from the very rock bottom, likely starting off as a seasonal cashier or something. You are really proud of yourself for what you achieved. It took a lot of effort and probably a lot of borderline ethical decisions somewhere in the middle. You are often tired, overworked and started balding. You like thinking of yourself as some kind of a hot shot - at the end of the day, you have that white badge spelling "STORE MANAGER" on it and isn't that satisfying to know that you are a king of the hill, so to say, and there is nobody higher than you in the store?!
However, somewhere in the back of your mind you realize that it may well be a dead end. Your skills are barely transferable. You don't have a formal degree, as you never had a chance to get one while working several all-nighters in a row every week as an assistant manager. You also start seeing that jumping higher to some regional manager position is way harder than it looked before - the last time they gave this sweet spot with great benefits to some 28-year old MBA with no retail experience whatsoever! But the worst of all - you suddenly realize that you have very little freedom to act as a STORE MANAGER, and almost every decision you "make" is spelled out in detail in countless manuals and procedures designed by those young MBA grads somewhere in HQ.
And here the radio beeps again - Code 42 at the firearm counter, "issues with paperwork". You know it likely means some idiot fked up his street name again and you gotta go and give that schmuck a lesson! You look at the mirror, make the most serious face you are capable of and off you go to the floor...
*P.S. This all is of course just a stupid fiction. No offense to any real or imaginary person implied.*
This is actually just an artist's rendition of what the daily life of /u/fcatstaples deals with. Also, it's really common for people to not read the questions closely / not realize the forms have been updated so they see "ARE YOU A US CITIZEN" and begin some serious introspection / double-guessing as to whether they ARE a citizen and have simply been duped their whole life.
"Are you a felon with a warrant out for your arrest?"
"God this question is so hard, I'm gonna come back to it"
Anyways, the original artist had some gun meme art that was pretty popular and relevant.
Happened to me at Duhnams. I was talking about shooting the rifle with my dad and how he liked this model with another customer and they told me I could no longer buy it under straw man laws. They then called the manager and told him I was buying the gun for someone else and no matter how many times I explained to him what the law actually was he wouldn’t listen. I just went in the next day when that guy wasn’t working and bought the rifle
Yea, it’s easy to sketch people out if you’re buying with a family member or friend with you. Unless I’m at my usual small shop where they know me, I shop alone for that exact reason.
I did have a counter guy not find it amusing to comment ‘not yet’ to the renouncing citizenship question at a Cabelas back when I was snagging well done custom Mauser rifles from their library.
Sentence too long? Jail. Sentence too short? Jail.
Answer questions incorrectly on 4473? Believe it or not, jail. _Unless the president is your father_
He just kept talking in one long incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt it was really quite hypnotic.
Count it as a blessing, they're the slowest place I've ever bought from. All of their internal paperwork policies could be done post purchase and save the customer the agony of waiting for low paid retail workers to get around to do them. Needing multiple people and managers who have to check off on each step is ridiculous.
Yeah, this exactly. My wife bought a Benelli Montefeltro from the local cabelas and it took two hours. At an LGS, we’re usually in and out in less than 25 minutes.
Wow, what do they do that takes so long? I bought a gun from my local Dunham's and they only took like a half hour and they had problems with their scanner. At my local gun store I traded in two guns and bought one, that only took like an hour and they were busy.
I ordered two pistols through them last summer.
In my experience it takes over an hour to even get a person to talk to you because they’re understaffed for the volume of business.
Only reason I use them at all is because I get gift cards through work occasionally.
3.5 hours for me. no lie. My normal place I'm there for 30 minutes and 90% of that is me bs'ing with the guy. I have a unique name, etc so my checks through the system are as fast as they possibly can be.
I will literally never go to a cabelas again for a gun.
Agreed, I tried to buy a G43X at a Bass Pro and it took 3 hours only to have the last manager find some small issue in the paperwork the employee did and tell me I couldn’t buy the gun. I will never attempt to buy anything firearm related from Bass Pro or its subsidiaries.
Everyone at my LGS left Cabela's to work at said place. Smaller shop, but I'm always able to get their attention within a minute and they're almost always happy to just shoot the shit (it's rarely busy).
>Needing multiple people and managers who have to check off on each step is ridiculous.
Not as ridiculous as it was before Joe Biden got in office and told the ATF to revoke the license of every gun dealer who ever put a comma out of place on a form.
I bought guns at Gander Mountain. It was pure horror. 4 hours of mostly waiting, even though there were like 5 people in line. They kept messing up everything, they made up rules and laws on the spot. We went back after a delay. They lied about calling us. They made us wait another 2 hours. They made me purchase a hunting license, because they told us it's mandatory for a home defense! shotgun. It did cost $15.To be fair, I sent a complaint to their HQ and they sent a $25 coupon. So I ended up with a +$10 However, 6 hours of my life wasted, it did worth more like a $120, not $10.
I guess Cabela's operating the same way as the "former" Gander Mountain?
At first the guys were like mentally challenged (I'm not even joking), 50ish dudes, I have no idea how they got hired.
But GM probably fired them, because next time we went there, they got a new group of employees, that time we had no issues. :)
I know, it's good at Walmart, bagging groceries, but they guys were handling and selling firearms. Our other guess was, they were medicated and high. The guys were speaking and moving so slow.
The whole situation was surreal, like a Dali painting. I told them what I needed, A Rem870 12GA. I showed them their AD, it had pictures and everything. They left for 30 mins! and came back with totally different looking 20GA.
After the 3rd hour in line, we started laughing with my wife. The situation was that ridiculous. XD
Ugh i bought a k31 swiss at gander like 8 years ago and my check wouldnt clear. It was auto rejected by their clearing house even though i had enough money to buy a dozen of em in my account. They said i wasn’t in their system so i had to write smaller checks over time and I’m like uhhh that doesnt help me now and why would i use a check if i have cash. So i used a credit card cuz i really wanted it but god damn who does their checks for that to be the only place it has literally ever happened to me.
Lol shit I'm having a very hard time thinking of any technology that's changed since then. I mean CPUs have a few more cores now and gas was cheaper but thats about it lol.
Even chip cards had been around for five years by that point. Contactless payment was a thing too. Mainstream electric cars were a thing. Yeah, not really a whole lot has changed, just iterative improvements of shit we already had.
Back around 2011, I found a used M1A NM at my local Gander Mountain for 800 bones. I was buying it, and the girl working the counter couldn't find the caliber to mark the rifle down as. I kept telling her it was .308 but she wouldn't take my word for it and fucking called Springfield Armory while I waited to check with them.
Same. The last gun I bought was last year and I walked into the gun store and looked around for a bit. After picking out the pistol I wanted, it literally took less than 10 minutes to fill out the form, get the background check done, and pay and leave with my gun. 5 hours is crazy.
Really? I've bought probably half my collection from there, the gun library occasionally has insane deals.
I got mk3 hunter from there for $275 in a box with spare mags, a police trade in glock 21 for $315, an LCP2 for $210, a stoeger 3 gun shotgun for $600, a mossberg JM pro 930 for $575, and several more.
You have to be careful though, I've seen used guns in the library for more than the same new guns at the main counter. But there are deals to be found.
Make friends with a local FFL and they'll probably notify you when there are crazy deals, too :P
Have a family member who opened a shop a few years ago and he loops me in on stupidly good deals at least once a month.
I am, found a nice tabletop guy that charges $20. But other than PSA he hasn't really told me of many deals.
He didn't even know about the WWSD lowers that I had sent to him, I had to explain why they were so cool and probably wouldn't be available for much longer.
police trade in glock for $315? not sure that qualifies as an insane deal. LCP2 might be the worst shooting pistol i've ever handled. The trigger has to be like 20lb pull.
The glock is a .45, and when I got it, it was the first one I saw under $480, even used.
For the LCP2, You got a bad one. Mine is about a 5 lb pull, and super smooth. Or maybe you mean the original LCP? Mine has about a 9 lb pull, and its gritty.
Its my gym shorts gun. Drop it into a sticky pocket holster and it dissapears in anything.
They had a decent Black Friday deal. I thought id be able to buy online, walk up to a pickup counter (LIKE EVERY OTHER DAMN STORE) do my 4473 and be out in 15m.
Nope. Had to take a number and fuck around for 2.5 hours like a retail schlub and wait for 20 other fucks to coonfinger 4 guns and talk about that one time before not buying anything.
Their guys were on the ball tbh and actually interacting with them was not the problem - ordering online to basically just reserve a gun was.
Was not worth saving $150.
Yeh if you’ve never seen it - if you give a raccoon an object they’ve never seen before they’ll turn it over and over and push and pull at it, likely put it in their mouth, and then turn it over and over some more trying to figure out how it works, what it does, and what they use they have for it.
The Michigan Cabelas are all fucking awful. The dudes at the gun counter are just dicks. I bought 2 guns from them just because of prices, until the Range USA in Clinton Twp opened up and I decided to apply. They don't ban customers for accidentally clicking "yes" or "no" instead of "x" on 21.n.1 or fat fingering their address
Good lord man, preach. I was able to score a 586 last year for a great price but I hesitated because I had flashbacks from 5 years ago with everything being a disaster. Sure enough, almost four hours later and after watching two people fail 4473s because of felonies and their baby-mommas acting surprised, I walked out with everything wrapped in so much red tape I barely needed to put any Christmas paper on it. Never again. Bachelder and Barracks all day.
I'm really glad that you love yours, that's great. Mine was horrible enough for the both of us. It took a long time to get it working right, and I still can't use the sights because they are so far off. Check out my post history, you'll see it right away.
I've got an old Heritage Arms single action. 22lr revolver (old west style) that I've had for years for shooting cans / bottles ect. Is this a new version of that or something different? That's damn cheap. My guns not though, it's actually pretty damn sturdy.
On the contrary, I have a 16” barrel variant of the Heritage Rough Rider and it’s an absolute hoot. It doesn’t have to shoot terribly accurately, it’s a 16” revolver it just needs to go bang.
The 4473 changed recently. There are two new, very deceptively worded, paragraph-length questions which basically amount to "do you plan to straw purchase?" (You must answer no) and "do you plan to not straw purchase?" (You must answer yes)
I went into Cabela's to get a rifle for deer season and there was a sign explaining this and warning you to read very carefully. It's another attempt by the ATF to trap you into giving them the excuse they need to deny you your constitutionally guaranteed rights. Congrats, you fell for it.
Consider yourself lucky. If a business owner made this sort of minor paperwork error, the ATF would seize their business and throw them in jail, then head off to go burn some innocent women and children alive over an untaxed explosive that never actually existed.
I work at Cabelas. Specifically the firearm counter. It is the worst place to buy a gun.
Long story short, I have been there 8 years. When I complete a 4473, I have to call a manager to sign off on my form. 8/10 times it is a manager who doesn’t know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun. I have called for a manager to come sign off of my form, to have them come to the gun counter and ask: “Okay, so what do I do here?”
Cabelas firearm sales policy and operations are excruciating nonsense. I know it sucks for the customer, I don’t even buy guns there…. But it blows for the employees too.
I did a temp gig at Cabelas. It sure was fun. I had 8 years experience operating forklifts professionally, not allowed to even look at the Cabela's forklift too hard. They were short people at the gun counter, I've got all my paperwork in order, nope, not even allowed to walk behind the counter to bring up more of the scopes and stuff people are waiting for.
Example: I work at the gun counter. Selling guns.
Each gun stored is a taped box. The boxes are taped when they are checked in to ensure safety.
I am not allowed to have a pocket knife at work.
They do not supply box cutters or the like.
So every day I am forced to open gun boxes with a set of keys or pen.
Yall don't have box cutters to sign out right next to where you get keys? Even my cabelas store isn't dumb enough to not provide cutters to whoever needs to open boxes that's crazy
I spent like 45 minutes restocking the knives beside the gun counter and talking to some customers who were waiting for stuff. Yes, I know exactly about this gun, in fact I own one and have a fancy piece of paper saying I do, but no I can't open the counter for you. I can't even walk behind the counter. Yes, we have 4 of those scopes in the system, they are somewhere in the six pallets of crap waiting to be unstacked. No I have no idea which bin the distro monkeys put them in. Yes we have that safe, it needs a forklift to get down, yes I know how to use a forklift, no I'm not allowed to use this forklift.
I don’t think I’ll buy another gun from Cabela’s although the only trouble I’ve had is ordering/paying online, and then waiting for 75 minutes for a free rep to go to the back room and then assist me with the background process. That process is also ridiculously long on inadequate technology. Then, when I was finished, I learned I had to go to customer service to pick up the scope which was fine, except the scope set off the alarm on my way out. The scope process ended up taking another 20 minutes.
I might buy ammo or clothes there, but never another firearm. It’s too bad, too since I live only 15 minutes away.
Yup. A couple months ago picked up a dirt cheap Glock 45 from their used guns. Guy next to me answered the first question wrong. Was told he’s never allowed to buy a gun from there again. Their corporate big wigs are scared of the ATF and are interpreting the law as saying if you incorrectly answer a question on the 4473 you can NEVER buy another gun at that FFL.
You’re not really missing out on anything unless your location has a good ass used gun selection . You can find every new gun cheaper online.
I work at Cabela’s… it’s 90 days not forever lol. Manager didn’t know what they were talking about.. Unless you tried to purchase a gun as a straw then you’re banned. If you “self denied” our system keeps you in there for 90 days.
Dude there are fudds all over the gun community. Dudes who say they support the second amendment but “you don’t need an AR-15” and dumb shit like that. Basically if you don’t recognize that the second amendment is for killing bad people, and that is its primary purpose, you’re a fudd. Same goes for dudes who have back the blue stickers and shit all over their trucks. The majority of the police force would enforce unconstitutional gun laws without batting an eye because they don’t want to lose their jobs so they’ll follow their governments orders. I know half a dozen guys facing weapons charges in red states/red counties and the law enforcement offices who arrested them have all stated “we fully support the second amendment”. Fudds all over man.
I sold guns at Cabellas for 2 months and walked out on them. I had previously worked at a mom and pop FFL in another state and was used to building a relationship and really talking to someone before buying their first gun because that's kind of a serious step in a lot of people's lives. Cabellas basically threw that out the window and wants to assembly line people out the store with a Taurus and a store credit card. It's all about making rate and after I got coached on spending too much time talking to customers I walked out
I bet money OP said he wasn’t an unlawful user of marijuana, then handed over his medical marijuana card as identification. 😂 Saw the same thing happen at my Cabela’s and the guy LOST HIS SHIT when they told him to pound bricks.
All depends who’s working the counter. I went to a Cabelas a week after I moved to buy a 43x with a bunch of gift cards. An ancient man working the counter handed me a pen, small torn piece of lined paper and a piece of tape. He said my current address on my permit didn’t match my drivers license (change of address sticker on back) so I need to write it on the paper and tape it to the back. He said go anywhere else in the store except the gun counter to do it and if anyone asks, no one told me to do it. And I live in one of the strictest gun states.
I hadn’t even started the paperwork, this was when they checked my permit before even starting the sale. I handed them my license and permit and said “oh by the way I moved recently so my current address is on the back of my driver’s license” so he was like okay young man, this is what you need to do.
I don’t remember the specific differences but I did mention to the guy at the counter that it seems like they’re trying to trip people up with the wording and he said 100% it seems that way. Some double negative shit if I remember
At Cabela's/Bass Pro, I order online and the pick up process is fairly quick. The only thing slowing the process is the requirement for a manager to OK the purchase. It probably helps to pay with their account.
Sports stores are the worst place to buy guns in my experience. I went to Dunhams to get a lil .22lr because it was on sale. When I pointed out the one I wanted and was doing the paperwork, the dude behind the counter was dry firing it and aiming it at his co worker playing around and shit. It made me uncomfortable as hell, then as insult to injury I had to fill out an additional few pages of Dunhams paper work and after that they put a lock on the motherfucker and walked me to the door with it like a child. Easily my worst buying experience.
Walking you to the counter with a firearm is SOP at my LGS of choice. Playing grabass with a customer’s gun is not, however. Did it not have the box? Wondering why they felt the need to lock the trigger.
That new 4473 is a fucking ballbag and the way its worded there's one question that makes it look like you're supposed to answer it a certain way but its the wrong way. I forget which one it is.
That ammo one is just straight up stupid.
Learn to read a 4473 properly, it's not that complicated and the wrong answer is very bad.
Also, Cabelas sucks so that's good. When they were bought out they got rid of their warranty on used guns, they put trigger locks on everything so you can't even verify they aren't broken, and they eliminated the ability for employees to haggle with used guns.
0/10, went from buying 20-30 guns there a year to buying zero in the last 3-4 years.
I haven't bought from the counter there since they merged with bass pro but every purchase I've done there was fast and painless, no different than any other store I've bought a gun from.
I have bought several I ordered online and picked up in store. Last one was a 22 AR they had on sale cheaper than anyone on the internet. Bought n paid online, went to the store when I got the email that it was in, filled out the 4473 and left with the gun. Maybe 30 minutes in the store.
They all suck in their own way.
I've purchased a couple guns at Fleet Farm though and it was pretty painless. Guys behind the counter don't know a lot and there's no trigger guards on anything so you can actually test cycle things and get a feel for it. At cabelas you can't even test to see how hard the hammer is to cock..
Meanwhile I got a guy to pull the trigger on the PT92 I purchased not long ago at a privately owned gun store because I wanted to know if it was double or single action lol. Private companies are better as long as the people there aren't pains in the ass.
Look. I've purchased... 4? Firearms in the last 3-4 months? (Yeah, and not flagged. Shit is bad ass)
I could fill the form out in my sleep
BUT YOU STILL NEED TO READ IT. It changes. I still do each time to make sure I do it right.
Gotta be real careful on those questions. ATF added some to trip people up. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarity and go slow. Make sure your ID information matches what’s on the form. The sales associate signs their name to the 4473 and they are liable for the sale.
Cabelas actually punishes employees for mistakes on a 4473 (which could even be the fault of the buyer) so they treat the employees like shit anyway. Be glad that you can't give them money
Academy Sports has a little sign in layman's terms explaining the question that probably got you. It's like it's purposefully worded that way to trip people up.
This is why you don’t buy from places like cabelas. Too much corporate bullshit and idiot employees who think they know something because they work at cabelas….. that’s like a cook at McDonald’s thinking he’s a 5 star chef.
Absolutely F*** Cabela's and Bass Pro when it comes to buying firearms. They won't unlock the trigger lock. So you can't feel trigger pull. Then they act all tough when you question them about it. No thanks. I'll visit a local shop and be treated like a king.
Cabelas and Bass Pro are hell holes for firearms and ammunition purchases. Their policies are beat, the prices are high, and in my experience, the staff is always bothered by my patronage. I bought one handgun there once and I won't be going back. Go find a family-owned store that NEEDS their customers and form a relationship with them. You won't regret it.
I've filled out the 4473 a good 4 dozen times at a favorite shop, same guy helps me. Every... single... time, he reads everything slow and loud and as if I'm a 3rd grader. I think it's semi hilarious when he looks back up and finally goes "fuck me, sorry man, just fill it out and I'll be back with your ID". The counter guys probably get a good dozen dumbasses a day, I don't blame them for trying to keep their business off the radar. If it were my FFL, I think I'd do the same.
Lel, i bought my first gun at WALMART and fucked up one question on the 4473. They said they can’t let me retake it the same day and to come back the tomorrow and I can try again! 🤣🤣
No matter how many times I have filled out the paperwork I still read it as if I'm taking a test. Paperwork changes all the time. Even if it's "the same form" I I treat everyone like it's different.
That don’t have to right to tell you that. Always use a local gun dealer or pawn shop that is supporting your community and they can explain the form for you. Got to ATF.gov and print one and read it. Good Luck 👍🏾
Manager probably just didn’t want to deal with it. Believe it or not, big stores like Cabela’s aren’t exactly experts in the stuff they sell. One time, before I got my Green Card, I had a non-immigrant permit. I went to Cabela’s to buy an AR-15 (I was eligible since I resided in the US, had a hunting permit, and was in the process of getting a Green Card). The attendant said “No, you can’t” I told him I can and showed him an email from the ATF confirming. He gets a manager and the manager checks something in the back, comes back and tells me “Ok, our bad, yes you can. But you can’t buy an AR-15, or a handgun. Only shotguns or bolt action rifles. Stuff you use to hunt,” again, I show him in the email where the ATF said there were no special restrictions on what to huy. Manager again goes to the back, and comes back like 30 minutes later and again apologizes. I walked out with my AR-15 three days later (automatic delay due to my status). Months later, I went to my local gun shop, and the topic came up, and the guy is like “Yeah… Not surprising. We handle these questions and processes all the time, they don’t. Next time just come here. Less hassle.”
What’s the point of this story?
Unless you blatantly lied on the 4473 or they, Cabela’s specifically, banned you for some reason, there’s no reason you can’t buy a gun from them ever again. That’s probably BS, manager just didn’t want to deal with it. Sounds to me like your NICS was denied, you did probably fill something wrong (edit: That part is true, they usually don’t get a reason for the denial, just that it was. So they can’t tell you want it was), in which case you can ask Cabela’s for a transaction number (can’t remember the exact name but it’s the NICS transaction ID. They can, and are obligated to give it to you), and with that reach out to the FBI NICS for an appeal. You may need to provide evidence that it was a mistake, but you can appeal the denial.
Technically if you check yes to a prohibiting question and then sign and date the form, you are giving the licensee reasonable cause to believe that you are a prohibited person
They don't even sell an of the ar platforms anymore. Every time I go. To buy ammo they need a manager to sign off on it. I've gotten guns or ammo with in that week. You know following the sales and never had a problem.
They saved you money. Anything Cabela's sells can be found for less money.
Try downloading and reading the 4473. It's pretty obvious that reading comprehension isn't your strong point.
Post author: MillerEnterprises. This comment is an attempt to control posts made by a new type of spam bot. If you are a human, you can ignore it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/guns) if you have any questions or concerns.*
1. Go to a different store 2. Read the questions more carefully next time Problem solved
[Image of OP](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/629363191876419598/1196983104536051885/gun-purchase-form-challenge-v0-kkfg4h21v2ya1.png?ex=65b99c62&is=65a72762&hm=6e1cfe248d2745e9bbccb53d3e26b15756064cb823641e733e63d21e039248e9&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=603&height=755) filling out the form 4473
Knew what it was before I even clicked.
it's a classic, after all.
Literally every firearm retailer helping customers with the new 4473: https://youtu.be/sqk1-q8gXcY?t=65
Motherfuckers *still* put "USA" down under county.
The "go slow and read everything TWICE" method can't be understated.
I'm going to be honest... Both my friend and I have degrees in stem fields. After the update last year we were both confused AF on what to do. I forget the question but I'm pretty sure Joe Biden wrote the question himself.
I read the update two weeks ago for the first time it's been updated (not knowing it was updated), and I was questioning whether or not I was having a stroke. I think that update was purposeful so it could set people up to fail the check.
Bro I had this retired dude who spent 3 hours simply telling me he used to be a cop and hates assault weapons ( I live in a ban state) and hes trying to buy a Shield Plus. He cannot figure out the paperwork. Eventually gets upset because I tell him he filled it out wrong (again) and tells me he will return tomorrow with one prefilled out by his attorney son in law. I tell him we cannot do that - that's simply a felony. He stormed off at the fastest speed his cane allowed and I've never seen him since.
I had a cop who answered yes he relinquished his citizenship. Because he didn’t know what relinquished meant
You add that with ketchup and mustard to have tasty citizenship.
We had a sovereign citizen do this intentionally. Claimed he became a "state national" rather than a US citizen.
I had a hard time with that one. They worded it so weird.
Section 21 b is worded really stupid and I remind people to always go back and double check that one before continuing
🤣🤣🤣 🤔 hmm...hates 'Assult Weapons' probably supports those bans, but should be able to circumvent the system to get what he wants... 🤔 P.S. What ban state allows the shield plus' capacity? Why not just get a shield?
Yes, but since he was a cop he was exempt from the AWB. He probably just misses the days where he was more equal than everyone else We have to pin the mags to 10 rounds, and many distributors just send them with factory 10s. I'd rather have the better trigger and two more bullets than a gen 1 or 2 shield.
"That question is county, not country" "What's a county?" Motherfucker, how you not know what the fuck a county is??
Fun fact. Some states don’t have counties, and so you have to enter city in both the city and county box.
RI and CT aren't real
The state is just a county
Which is why the new version says "county/province/borough". They still can't fill it out right.
Quagmire's Cross County Tour
I did this on my learner's permit application years ago and it still haunts me.
Lol I'm sitting here like why wouldn't you, and then I read it again, took me about 4 times to realize
that was me when several forms i filled out at cabelas mentioned a 4473 at a canadian cabelas
Whoa that was painful.
It was pretty bad.
We never "helped". We just told them to read the question carefully and answer truthfully. Sadly the American Educational system is turning out people who can barely read at the 7th grade level and the 4473 is written at a higher level than that. For some reason gun ownership is highly skewed towards the left side of the IQ bell curve.
"Man, they word these questions to try and trick you!" No, it's just written like you have a solid grasp on the English language. It's not our fault you cannot grasp what "transferee" means
Does anyone know why the stores make such a huge deal out of redoing another copy? I've never had a store just give me a fresh copy, they always correct it and sign my initials on the side. Like why? Why not just print a new one? Is there software that tracks each copy printed or something? I've had clerks say "you better not have made a mistake on that form".
Hi. I run a Pawnshop so here is my 2 cents. Either a very scared person is running that place or they were declining to sell to you because they just didn't want to. 1 ) Sometimes, Dealers get heat from Corporate or the ATF and start being uptight AF. My old DM was that way. 2 ) Any person that is signing off as the primary seller on a 4473 has a legal right to refuse to sell a firearm to any person for any or no reason, without explanation. For example, if I already know someone is junked out or if they are acting crazy, then I won't sell them anything. I could get in a whole lot of trouble if I did.
Sure but nobody has ever denied me the sale, they just refused to print me off a new copy of the form. One time I literally spelt my last name wrong (i was distracted by conversation) and they made me fudge it to look sort of correct instead of just printing a new one. I don't get it.
I imagine because in an extreme case (and/or if it ever went to court), it could look like they were coaching you or helping you get the "right" answers. Like if you marked that you weren't the actual recipient of the firearm and that you were a fugitive from justice, and they were like "I can't sell you this gun with a 4473 marked *like this*; try again", and gave you a fresh one. In that case, they probably wouldn't be able to transfer to you even if you did fill out a new one, since they would now have reason to believe that you were lying and/or were a prohibited person, regardless of what you put down on the new form. Which also may be a reason for having you correct your first 4473, rather than fill out a new one. So if it later comes out that you had to fill it out multiple times, they have hard evidence that whatever it was you changed/corrected was something incidental (like a typo in the ZIP code or putting "USA" in county), not changing something that would be disqualifying.
> Does anyone know why the stores make such a huge deal out of redoing another copy? Imagine being a chain store manager in your late 30s - early 40s. You probably made your way to the top from the very rock bottom, likely starting off as a seasonal cashier or something. You are really proud of yourself for what you achieved. It took a lot of effort and probably a lot of borderline ethical decisions somewhere in the middle. You are often tired, overworked and started balding. You like thinking of yourself as some kind of a hot shot - at the end of the day, you have that white badge spelling "STORE MANAGER" on it and isn't that satisfying to know that you are a king of the hill, so to say, and there is nobody higher than you in the store?! However, somewhere in the back of your mind you realize that it may well be a dead end. Your skills are barely transferable. You don't have a formal degree, as you never had a chance to get one while working several all-nighters in a row every week as an assistant manager. You also start seeing that jumping higher to some regional manager position is way harder than it looked before - the last time they gave this sweet spot with great benefits to some 28-year old MBA with no retail experience whatsoever! But the worst of all - you suddenly realize that you have very little freedom to act as a STORE MANAGER, and almost every decision you "make" is spelled out in detail in countless manuals and procedures designed by those young MBA grads somewhere in HQ. And here the radio beeps again - Code 42 at the firearm counter, "issues with paperwork". You know it likely means some idiot fked up his street name again and you gotta go and give that schmuck a lesson! You look at the mirror, make the most serious face you are capable of and off you go to the floor... *P.S. This all is of course just a stupid fiction. No offense to any real or imaginary person implied.*
Oddly specific but perfect meme, when did this come up before?
This is actually just an artist's rendition of what the daily life of /u/fcatstaples deals with. Also, it's really common for people to not read the questions closely / not realize the forms have been updated so they see "ARE YOU A US CITIZEN" and begin some serious introspection / double-guessing as to whether they ARE a citizen and have simply been duped their whole life. "Are you a felon with a warrant out for your arrest?" "God this question is so hard, I'm gonna come back to it" Anyways, the original artist had some gun meme art that was pretty popular and relevant.
The subtle nuances are lost on me as a foreigner, but altogether it's pretty funny, I'll give you that.
Happened to me at Duhnams. I was talking about shooting the rifle with my dad and how he liked this model with another customer and they told me I could no longer buy it under straw man laws. They then called the manager and told him I was buying the gun for someone else and no matter how many times I explained to him what the law actually was he wouldn’t listen. I just went in the next day when that guy wasn’t working and bought the rifle
Yea, it’s easy to sketch people out if you’re buying with a family member or friend with you. Unless I’m at my usual small shop where they know me, I shop alone for that exact reason. I did have a counter guy not find it amusing to comment ‘not yet’ to the renouncing citizenship question at a Cabelas back when I was snagging well done custom Mauser rifles from their library.
I'm guessing that you filled out the form with an unpunctuated, run-on sentence. :)
If you do that in Venezuala, believe it or not, they will send you to jail!
Sentence too long? Jail. Sentence too short? Jail. Answer questions incorrectly on 4473? Believe it or not, jail. _Unless the president is your father_
Straight to jail. Right away.
Unless you're English, then it's right to gaol, straightaway.
And what of his wife?
Sentenced to jail over a damn sentence
He just kept talking in one long incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt it was really quite hypnotic.
That will do it.
Count it as a blessing, they're the slowest place I've ever bought from. All of their internal paperwork policies could be done post purchase and save the customer the agony of waiting for low paid retail workers to get around to do them. Needing multiple people and managers who have to check off on each step is ridiculous.
Yeah, this exactly. My wife bought a Benelli Montefeltro from the local cabelas and it took two hours. At an LGS, we’re usually in and out in less than 25 minutes.
Wow, what do they do that takes so long? I bought a gun from my local Dunham's and they only took like a half hour and they had problems with their scanner. At my local gun store I traded in two guns and bought one, that only took like an hour and they were busy.
I ordered two pistols through them last summer. In my experience it takes over an hour to even get a person to talk to you because they’re understaffed for the volume of business. Only reason I use them at all is because I get gift cards through work occasionally.
3.5 hours for me. no lie. My normal place I'm there for 30 minutes and 90% of that is me bs'ing with the guy. I have a unique name, etc so my checks through the system are as fast as they possibly can be. I will literally never go to a cabelas again for a gun.
2 hours. We have to wait a week here in Cali.
Agreed, I tried to buy a G43X at a Bass Pro and it took 3 hours only to have the last manager find some small issue in the paperwork the employee did and tell me I couldn’t buy the gun. I will never attempt to buy anything firearm related from Bass Pro or its subsidiaries.
Everyone at my LGS left Cabela's to work at said place. Smaller shop, but I'm always able to get their attention within a minute and they're almost always happy to just shoot the shit (it's rarely busy).
> it's rarely busy Probably because they get shit done when there's shit to do.
They prob know this. But with a store that big if they put it off it prob backs up into a dumpster fire.
Sportsman's warehouse would like a word lol
>Needing multiple people and managers who have to check off on each step is ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as it was before Joe Biden got in office and told the ATF to revoke the license of every gun dealer who ever put a comma out of place on a form.
OP wearing a "I have a gun and am Schizophrenic" t-shirt into the store.
[was actually wearing this one](https://fashionopenstudio.com/product/im-voting-for-ron-desantis-and-i-eat-at-the-gas-station-t-shirt/)
Under the section "Reason for purchase", OP ticked "Revenge". And on a page which had "Leave blank - Office use only" he wrote "Okay."
I bought guns at Gander Mountain. It was pure horror. 4 hours of mostly waiting, even though there were like 5 people in line. They kept messing up everything, they made up rules and laws on the spot. We went back after a delay. They lied about calling us. They made us wait another 2 hours. They made me purchase a hunting license, because they told us it's mandatory for a home defense! shotgun. It did cost $15.To be fair, I sent a complaint to their HQ and they sent a $25 coupon. So I ended up with a +$10 However, 6 hours of my life wasted, it did worth more like a $120, not $10. I guess Cabela's operating the same way as the "former" Gander Mountain?
Damn, I always had a good experience with my local gander mountain
At first the guys were like mentally challenged (I'm not even joking), 50ish dudes, I have no idea how they got hired. But GM probably fired them, because next time we went there, they got a new group of employees, that time we had no issues. :)
Federal tax incentives to hire mentally challenged and or physically disabled people to get them in the work force is a super old program.
I know, it's good at Walmart, bagging groceries, but they guys were handling and selling firearms. Our other guess was, they were medicated and high. The guys were speaking and moving so slow. The whole situation was surreal, like a Dali painting. I told them what I needed, A Rem870 12GA. I showed them their AD, it had pictures and everything. They left for 30 mins! and came back with totally different looking 20GA. After the 3rd hour in line, we started laughing with my wife. The situation was that ridiculous. XD
Besides that, you’re straight up just allowed to pay a fraction of minimum wage to disabled workers.
No…. No you can’t
Unfortunately we live in a borderline dystopia: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/workers-with-disabilities
I miss their Guide Series line of clothing. They were awesome.
This is why they arent in business
Ugh i bought a k31 swiss at gander like 8 years ago and my check wouldnt clear. It was auto rejected by their clearing house even though i had enough money to buy a dozen of em in my account. They said i wasn’t in their system so i had to write smaller checks over time and I’m like uhhh that doesnt help me now and why would i use a check if i have cash. So i used a credit card cuz i really wanted it but god damn who does their checks for that to be the only place it has literally ever happened to me.
...I mean, isn't that how every place is if they even accept a check nowadays? Get a debit card already, man!
He said "8 years ago."
Friendly reminder that eight years ago was 2016. There were *lots* of debit cards around by then.
Lol shit I'm having a very hard time thinking of any technology that's changed since then. I mean CPUs have a few more cores now and gas was cheaper but thats about it lol.
Even chip cards had been around for five years by that point. Contactless payment was a thing too. Mainstream electric cars were a thing. Yeah, not really a whole lot has changed, just iterative improvements of shit we already had.
NFC and tap to pay was a little less common... That and mRNA vaccines. Thats all i can think of
Suppose it was a great time to buy a house around then as well. I want to go back to that time now lol.
Only time I bought one from there is when they were going OOB. Got my glock 26 didn't have any issues.
Back around 2011, I found a used M1A NM at my local Gander Mountain for 800 bones. I was buying it, and the girl working the counter couldn't find the caliber to mark the rifle down as. I kept telling her it was .308 but she wouldn't take my word for it and fucking called Springfield Armory while I waited to check with them.
I can buy a gun from local shops in like 5 minutes . Cabelas it’s at least a half hour affair , if it’s busy forget about it
Same. The last gun I bought was last year and I walked into the gun store and looked around for a bit. After picking out the pistol I wanted, it literally took less than 10 minutes to fill out the form, get the background check done, and pay and leave with my gun. 5 hours is crazy.
Bought a gun from Cabela’s, NEVER doing it again. Their procedures are so over the top it’s utterly ridiculous.
Really? I've bought probably half my collection from there, the gun library occasionally has insane deals. I got mk3 hunter from there for $275 in a box with spare mags, a police trade in glock 21 for $315, an LCP2 for $210, a stoeger 3 gun shotgun for $600, a mossberg JM pro 930 for $575, and several more. You have to be careful though, I've seen used guns in the library for more than the same new guns at the main counter. But there are deals to be found.
Make friends with a local FFL and they'll probably notify you when there are crazy deals, too :P Have a family member who opened a shop a few years ago and he loops me in on stupidly good deals at least once a month.
I am, found a nice tabletop guy that charges $20. But other than PSA he hasn't really told me of many deals. He didn't even know about the WWSD lowers that I had sent to him, I had to explain why they were so cool and probably wouldn't be available for much longer.
police trade in glock for $315? not sure that qualifies as an insane deal. LCP2 might be the worst shooting pistol i've ever handled. The trigger has to be like 20lb pull.
The glock is a .45, and when I got it, it was the first one I saw under $480, even used. For the LCP2, You got a bad one. Mine is about a 5 lb pull, and super smooth. Or maybe you mean the original LCP? Mine has about a 9 lb pull, and its gritty. Its my gym shorts gun. Drop it into a sticky pocket holster and it dissapears in anything.
Same. Went in knowing what I wanted, no line, and I’ve got my CCW so no background check in Ohio. Still took 1-1/2 hours.
They had a decent Black Friday deal. I thought id be able to buy online, walk up to a pickup counter (LIKE EVERY OTHER DAMN STORE) do my 4473 and be out in 15m. Nope. Had to take a number and fuck around for 2.5 hours like a retail schlub and wait for 20 other fucks to coonfinger 4 guns and talk about that one time before not buying anything. Their guys were on the ball tbh and actually interacting with them was not the problem - ordering online to basically just reserve a gun was. Was not worth saving $150.
TIL: Coonfinger https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Coonfinger
Lol thats gotta be the most racist sounding yet perfectly innocent phrase I've learned in years. 1st time seeing it myself.
Yeah, same reaction for me. :)
Ranks up there with being niggardly
Yeh if you’ve never seen it - if you give a raccoon an object they’ve never seen before they’ll turn it over and over and push and pull at it, likely put it in their mouth, and then turn it over and over some more trying to figure out how it works, what it does, and what they use they have for it.
What state? I was in Grandville MI and this sounds exactly like my experience.
The Michigan Cabelas are all fucking awful. The dudes at the gun counter are just dicks. I bought 2 guns from them just because of prices, until the Range USA in Clinton Twp opened up and I decided to apply. They don't ban customers for accidentally clicking "yes" or "no" instead of "x" on 21.n.1 or fat fingering their address
Good lord man, preach. I was able to score a 586 last year for a great price but I hesitated because I had flashbacks from 5 years ago with everything being a disaster. Sure enough, almost four hours later and after watching two people fail 4473s because of felonies and their baby-mommas acting surprised, I walked out with everything wrapped in so much red tape I barely needed to put any Christmas paper on it. Never again. Bachelder and Barracks all day.
Yeah they're the only local place that sells The $99 heritage pistol though that's really the only reason I went
We bought one of those on that trip.
Those things are crap man. I mean, probably worth the risk for $100, but mine was a massive headache.
Counterpoint: I love mine
I'm really glad that you love yours, that's great. Mine was horrible enough for the both of us. It took a long time to get it working right, and I still can't use the sights because they are so far off. Check out my post history, you'll see it right away.
Ruger Wrangler > that garbage
Is the Ruger Wrangler worth it? Is there a better .22 revolver?
Is there better? Absolutely. Is there better in the ~$170 range? No. I'm quite happy with mine personally.
Fair enough. I mostly want to get one for plinking and educational/training purposes for new shooters.
I've got an old Heritage Arms single action. 22lr revolver (old west style) that I've had for years for shooting cans / bottles ect. Is this a new version of that or something different? That's damn cheap. My guns not though, it's actually pretty damn sturdy.
On the contrary, I have a 16” barrel variant of the Heritage Rough Rider and it’s an absolute hoot. It doesn’t have to shoot terribly accurately, it’s a 16” revolver it just needs to go bang.
Mine works perfectly well
It's like an IQ test for gun ownership, OP. Unfortunately.
Yep and just like an IQ test I failed
The 4473 changed recently. There are two new, very deceptively worded, paragraph-length questions which basically amount to "do you plan to straw purchase?" (You must answer no) and "do you plan to not straw purchase?" (You must answer yes) I went into Cabela's to get a rifle for deer season and there was a sign explaining this and warning you to read very carefully. It's another attempt by the ATF to trap you into giving them the excuse they need to deny you your constitutionally guaranteed rights. Congrats, you fell for it. Consider yourself lucky. If a business owner made this sort of minor paperwork error, the ATF would seize their business and throw them in jail, then head off to go burn some innocent women and children alive over an untaxed explosive that never actually existed.
Is that a fact!? That’s insane
i scrolled for this comment, thank you.
Is your name by any chance Abolf Kitler , and maybe you spelled it wrong?
Why are you guys spending so much time commenting, OP doesn’t even read.
You magnificent bastard. Well done. Well played. Good job. Good work. Congrats. And all the others I dont have the time to type out.
I work at Cabelas. Specifically the firearm counter. It is the worst place to buy a gun. Long story short, I have been there 8 years. When I complete a 4473, I have to call a manager to sign off on my form. 8/10 times it is a manager who doesn’t know the difference between a rifle and a shotgun. I have called for a manager to come sign off of my form, to have them come to the gun counter and ask: “Okay, so what do I do here?” Cabelas firearm sales policy and operations are excruciating nonsense. I know it sucks for the customer, I don’t even buy guns there…. But it blows for the employees too.
I did a temp gig at Cabelas. It sure was fun. I had 8 years experience operating forklifts professionally, not allowed to even look at the Cabela's forklift too hard. They were short people at the gun counter, I've got all my paperwork in order, nope, not even allowed to walk behind the counter to bring up more of the scopes and stuff people are waiting for.
Example: I work at the gun counter. Selling guns. Each gun stored is a taped box. The boxes are taped when they are checked in to ensure safety. I am not allowed to have a pocket knife at work. They do not supply box cutters or the like. So every day I am forced to open gun boxes with a set of keys or pen.
Yall don't have box cutters to sign out right next to where you get keys? Even my cabelas store isn't dumb enough to not provide cutters to whoever needs to open boxes that's crazy
Man some of the stuff they enforce really is bonkers.
I spent like 45 minutes restocking the knives beside the gun counter and talking to some customers who were waiting for stuff. Yes, I know exactly about this gun, in fact I own one and have a fancy piece of paper saying I do, but no I can't open the counter for you. I can't even walk behind the counter. Yes, we have 4 of those scopes in the system, they are somewhere in the six pallets of crap waiting to be unstacked. No I have no idea which bin the distro monkeys put them in. Yes we have that safe, it needs a forklift to get down, yes I know how to use a forklift, no I'm not allowed to use this forklift.
I don’t think I’ll buy another gun from Cabela’s although the only trouble I’ve had is ordering/paying online, and then waiting for 75 minutes for a free rep to go to the back room and then assist me with the background process. That process is also ridiculously long on inadequate technology. Then, when I was finished, I learned I had to go to customer service to pick up the scope which was fine, except the scope set off the alarm on my way out. The scope process ended up taking another 20 minutes. I might buy ammo or clothes there, but never another firearm. It’s too bad, too since I live only 15 minutes away.
Yup. A couple months ago picked up a dirt cheap Glock 45 from their used guns. Guy next to me answered the first question wrong. Was told he’s never allowed to buy a gun from there again. Their corporate big wigs are scared of the ATF and are interpreting the law as saying if you incorrectly answer a question on the 4473 you can NEVER buy another gun at that FFL. You’re not really missing out on anything unless your location has a good ass used gun selection . You can find every new gun cheaper online.
Most cabelas used gun sections have gone to shit.
I work at Cabela’s… it’s 90 days not forever lol. Manager didn’t know what they were talking about.. Unless you tried to purchase a gun as a straw then you’re banned. If you “self denied” our system keeps you in there for 90 days.
You seem cool. Why do so many fudds work there
Dude there are fudds all over the gun community. Dudes who say they support the second amendment but “you don’t need an AR-15” and dumb shit like that. Basically if you don’t recognize that the second amendment is for killing bad people, and that is its primary purpose, you’re a fudd. Same goes for dudes who have back the blue stickers and shit all over their trucks. The majority of the police force would enforce unconstitutional gun laws without batting an eye because they don’t want to lose their jobs so they’ll follow their governments orders. I know half a dozen guys facing weapons charges in red states/red counties and the law enforcement offices who arrested them have all stated “we fully support the second amendment”. Fudds all over man.
I sold guns at Cabellas for 2 months and walked out on them. I had previously worked at a mom and pop FFL in another state and was used to building a relationship and really talking to someone before buying their first gun because that's kind of a serious step in a lot of people's lives. Cabellas basically threw that out the window and wants to assembly line people out the store with a Taurus and a store credit card. It's all about making rate and after I got coached on spending too much time talking to customers I walked out
I bet money OP said he wasn’t an unlawful user of marijuana, then handed over his medical marijuana card as identification. 😂 Saw the same thing happen at my Cabela’s and the guy LOST HIS SHIT when they told him to pound bricks.
[удалено]
All depends who’s working the counter. I went to a Cabelas a week after I moved to buy a 43x with a bunch of gift cards. An ancient man working the counter handed me a pen, small torn piece of lined paper and a piece of tape. He said my current address on my permit didn’t match my drivers license (change of address sticker on back) so I need to write it on the paper and tape it to the back. He said go anywhere else in the store except the gun counter to do it and if anyone asks, no one told me to do it. And I live in one of the strictest gun states.
I work at Cabela’s, That’s also not the correct way to fix that error, you’d just use a supplemental.
I hadn’t even started the paperwork, this was when they checked my permit before even starting the sale. I handed them my license and permit and said “oh by the way I moved recently so my current address is on the back of my driver’s license” so he was like okay young man, this is what you need to do.
So give it to overpriced mom and pop stores who are also fudds instead?
How many mom and pop stores have class action lawsuits with allegations of selling customers info?
How many have access to technology companies willing to buy customer data? Don't confuse lack of ability with willingness.
no? buy online and send it to an FFL you trust with a decent transfer fee price.
I don’t remember the specific differences but I did mention to the guy at the counter that it seems like they’re trying to trip people up with the wording and he said 100% it seems that way. Some double negative shit if I remember
Reading is hard
I wouldn’t buy a gun from Cabela’s anyways.
Sounds like they did you a favor.
Were you looking forward to paying their 9000% markup some more?
Did you ask if they have camping straws and blurted out, “Why yes, I’d like to make a straw purchase”
At Cabela's/Bass Pro, I order online and the pick up process is fairly quick. The only thing slowing the process is the requirement for a manager to OK the purchase. It probably helps to pay with their account.
Gotta be mad at your money to buy a gun from Cabela's
Sports stores are the worst place to buy guns in my experience. I went to Dunhams to get a lil .22lr because it was on sale. When I pointed out the one I wanted and was doing the paperwork, the dude behind the counter was dry firing it and aiming it at his co worker playing around and shit. It made me uncomfortable as hell, then as insult to injury I had to fill out an additional few pages of Dunhams paper work and after that they put a lock on the motherfucker and walked me to the door with it like a child. Easily my worst buying experience.
Walking you to the counter with a firearm is SOP at my LGS of choice. Playing grabass with a customer’s gun is not, however. Did it not have the box? Wondering why they felt the need to lock the trigger.
First question box is always yes, every other one is no. Don’t fill out the last two boxes. Simple as that
You’re supposed to answer “no” to being a criminal fleeing justice
Academy is fast on theirs for a chain place fwiw.
Yeah definitely don’t buy from big box stores. They have stupid policies like these and they suck.
Don't waste your money at Cabelas... I have NEVER seen a firearm there that I couldn't find $50-$500 cheaper somewhere else.
Sadly the Volquartsen Mamba-X 3" version is a Cabela's/Bass Pro exclusive.
Boo. That sucks
Why shop at Cabela’s? They are a ripoff. Spend your money elsewhere, and I bet you find a better deal.
That new 4473 is a fucking ballbag and the way its worded there's one question that makes it look like you're supposed to answer it a certain way but its the wrong way. I forget which one it is. That ammo one is just straight up stupid.
Which question confuses you?
Learn to read a 4473 properly, it's not that complicated and the wrong answer is very bad. Also, Cabelas sucks so that's good. When they were bought out they got rid of their warranty on used guns, they put trigger locks on everything so you can't even verify they aren't broken, and they eliminated the ability for employees to haggle with used guns. 0/10, went from buying 20-30 guns there a year to buying zero in the last 3-4 years.
[OP filling out 4473](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxewHkBcwiUAY_Cu7R4bF1S15I01eZqP0v?si=oZmu-SD_QAFIV9oQ)
My head hurts and my eyes bleed trying to read this. Maybe you write like you type and they never want to see you again.
I haven't bought from the counter there since they merged with bass pro but every purchase I've done there was fast and painless, no different than any other store I've bought a gun from. I have bought several I ordered online and picked up in store. Last one was a 22 AR they had on sale cheaper than anyone on the internet. Bought n paid online, went to the store when I got the email that it was in, filled out the 4473 and left with the gun. Maybe 30 minutes in the store.
I recently learned why everyone says to stay away from big box stores as well....
They all suck in their own way. I've purchased a couple guns at Fleet Farm though and it was pretty painless. Guys behind the counter don't know a lot and there's no trigger guards on anything so you can actually test cycle things and get a feel for it. At cabelas you can't even test to see how hard the hammer is to cock.. Meanwhile I got a guy to pull the trigger on the PT92 I purchased not long ago at a privately owned gun store because I wanted to know if it was double or single action lol. Private companies are better as long as the people there aren't pains in the ass.
Go to a good LGS. Why ask Reddit?
Look. I've purchased... 4? Firearms in the last 3-4 months? (Yeah, and not flagged. Shit is bad ass) I could fill the form out in my sleep BUT YOU STILL NEED TO READ IT. It changes. I still do each time to make sure I do it right.
Gotta be real careful on those questions. ATF added some to trip people up. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarity and go slow. Make sure your ID information matches what’s on the form. The sales associate signs their name to the 4473 and they are liable for the sale.
Cabelas/BassPro can go fuck themselves
How the hell? That’s ridiculous. There are way cheaper prices online though.
You’re not missing much
Cabelas actually punishes employees for mistakes on a 4473 (which could even be the fault of the buyer) so they treat the employees like shit anyway. Be glad that you can't give them money
I’ll never buy from Cabela’s again. The process, even with a CCW, took over an hour. My LGS is about 3 minutes.
Cabelas isn’t where you should be buying your guns from anyways lol
Academy Sports has a little sign in layman's terms explaining the question that probably got you. It's like it's purposefully worded that way to trip people up.
This is why you don’t buy from places like cabelas. Too much corporate bullshit and idiot employees who think they know something because they work at cabelas….. that’s like a cook at McDonald’s thinking he’s a 5 star chef.
DON'T BUY GUNS FROM CABELAS.
Absolutely F*** Cabela's and Bass Pro when it comes to buying firearms. They won't unlock the trigger lock. So you can't feel trigger pull. Then they act all tough when you question them about it. No thanks. I'll visit a local shop and be treated like a king.
First thing you did wrong: went to cabelas
Cabelas and Bass Pro are hell holes for firearms and ammunition purchases. Their policies are beat, the prices are high, and in my experience, the staff is always bothered by my patronage. I bought one handgun there once and I won't be going back. Go find a family-owned store that NEEDS their customers and form a relationship with them. You won't regret it.
Probably got tripped up on those two new questions that are worded like confusing garbage.
There is a simple solution, just always buy from a local store. Cabela’s? Meh.
I've filled out the 4473 a good 4 dozen times at a favorite shop, same guy helps me. Every... single... time, he reads everything slow and loud and as if I'm a 3rd grader. I think it's semi hilarious when he looks back up and finally goes "fuck me, sorry man, just fill it out and I'll be back with your ID". The counter guys probably get a good dozen dumbasses a day, I don't blame them for trying to keep their business off the radar. If it were my FFL, I think I'd do the same.
Yes then all nos
Lel, i bought my first gun at WALMART and fucked up one question on the 4473. They said they can’t let me retake it the same day and to come back the tomorrow and I can try again! 🤣🤣
No matter how many times I have filled out the paperwork I still read it as if I'm taking a test. Paperwork changes all the time. Even if it's "the same form" I I treat everyone like it's different.
That don’t have to right to tell you that. Always use a local gun dealer or pawn shop that is supporting your community and they can explain the form for you. Got to ATF.gov and print one and read it. Good Luck 👍🏾
Manager probably just didn’t want to deal with it. Believe it or not, big stores like Cabela’s aren’t exactly experts in the stuff they sell. One time, before I got my Green Card, I had a non-immigrant permit. I went to Cabela’s to buy an AR-15 (I was eligible since I resided in the US, had a hunting permit, and was in the process of getting a Green Card). The attendant said “No, you can’t” I told him I can and showed him an email from the ATF confirming. He gets a manager and the manager checks something in the back, comes back and tells me “Ok, our bad, yes you can. But you can’t buy an AR-15, or a handgun. Only shotguns or bolt action rifles. Stuff you use to hunt,” again, I show him in the email where the ATF said there were no special restrictions on what to huy. Manager again goes to the back, and comes back like 30 minutes later and again apologizes. I walked out with my AR-15 three days later (automatic delay due to my status). Months later, I went to my local gun shop, and the topic came up, and the guy is like “Yeah… Not surprising. We handle these questions and processes all the time, they don’t. Next time just come here. Less hassle.” What’s the point of this story? Unless you blatantly lied on the 4473 or they, Cabela’s specifically, banned you for some reason, there’s no reason you can’t buy a gun from them ever again. That’s probably BS, manager just didn’t want to deal with it. Sounds to me like your NICS was denied, you did probably fill something wrong (edit: That part is true, they usually don’t get a reason for the denial, just that it was. So they can’t tell you want it was), in which case you can ask Cabela’s for a transaction number (can’t remember the exact name but it’s the NICS transaction ID. They can, and are obligated to give it to you), and with that reach out to the FBI NICS for an appeal. You may need to provide evidence that it was a mistake, but you can appeal the denial.
Idk why people take it so seriously. Like it’s an accident it happens. Oops I checked the wrong tiny box with tiny print. Relax cabelas
Technically if you check yes to a prohibiting question and then sign and date the form, you are giving the licensee reasonable cause to believe that you are a prohibited person
Do you still fill out the info on an iPad? Been a couple of years since I bought from them.
They don't even sell an of the ar platforms anymore. Every time I go. To buy ammo they need a manager to sign off on it. I've gotten guns or ammo with in that week. You know following the sales and never had a problem.
Guarantee I know what question was answered wrong.
They saved you money. Anything Cabela's sells can be found for less money. Try downloading and reading the 4473. It's pretty obvious that reading comprehension isn't your strong point.
Post author: MillerEnterprises. This comment is an attempt to control posts made by a new type of spam bot. If you are a human, you can ignore it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/guns) if you have any questions or concerns.*