My First Can

Detroitgator

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Yes, in FL. There is no rhyme or reason on how long BATFE will take to respond, right now average is 7 months.
They are truly swamped... combine that with their absolutely archaic manual, paper only system of doing things, and this is what we get. Hell, even Dept of State just rolled out a new website/portal (and I was convinced it would be a total cockup!) for doing all my defense related import/export licensing and it is truly fukkin amazing, easy, fast, responsive, direct payment online... it stunned me. But in my heart, I know that whoever is responsible for that success will be punished for his or her efficiency!
 

Bullag8r

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They are truly swamped... combine that with their absolutely archaic manual, paper only system of doing things, and this is what we get. Hell, even Dept of State just rolled out a new website/portal (and I was convinced it would be a total cockup!) for doing all my defense related import/export licensing and it is truly fukkin amazing, easy, fast, responsive, direct payment online... it stunned me. But in my heart, I know that whoever is responsible for that success will be punished for his or her efficiency!

My wife and I applied for passports (State Dept) 2 months ago and was told it may take 4 to 6 months due to the COVID backlog. It's all hard copy documents. However, they do have a website where we can check on the status.
 

Detroitgator

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My wife and I applied for passports (State Dept) 2 months ago and was told it may take 4 to 6 months due to the COVID backlog. It's all hard copy documents. However, they do have a website where we can check on the status.
Pro-tip on passports: ALWAYS pay for the expedited... ALWAYS.
Super Pro-tip: have "a guy" in DC that can walk it (or visas) through same day... mine is actually an Afghan who's family came to the US when he was a kid to escape during Soviet times. He's married to a smokin hot South African girl who came as an immigrant kid as well.
 

Gatordiddy

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Pro-tip on passports: ALWAYS pay for the expedited... ALWAYS.

:exactly:

It's worth paying the extra $$ ...otherwise, you are at the mercy of the DOS.
If I'm not mistaken, there are third party companies that will do the legwork for you to ensure the rapid delivery and processing. We did this for my wife's passport last year... we got it in record time.

...nothing like my 16-month wait for my DoD TS... didn't think that would ever come through.
 

Detroitgator

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:exactly:

It's worth paying the extra $$ ...otherwise, you are at the mercy of the DOS.
If I'm not mistaken, there are third party companies that will do the legwork for you to ensure the rapid delivery and processing. We did this for my wife's passport last year... we got it in record time.

...nothing like my 16-month wait for my DoD TS... didn't think that would ever come through.
Yup... even if you just do the expedited yourself, it's good. I'm always wary of the third party companies, but "my guy" is a "third party company," :lol: I just know him personally. FedEx once lost my expedited new passport two days before I had to fly back out. So I flew to DC and Dastagir got my passport AND my Afghan visa same day, I flew outta Dulles for Dubai that night. I think they are all safe for the passports, visa connections are a whole 'nuther ball game.
 

Detroitgator

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And be willing to part with a few “Bejamins.”
Not necessary if you put in the tea time, it just isn't, and I do, most don't, especially Americans. We tend to "visit" for 15 minutes, put in minimal effort and candor and true investment in the relationship, then expect miracle results... Applies at the national level too. Funny how that works.

But in that vein, facilitating payments, when applied correctly, are not illegal under FCPA.
 

Swamp Donkey

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Not necessary if you put in the tea time, it just isn't, and I do, most don't, especially Americans. We tend to "visit" for 15 minutes, put in minimal effort and candor and true investment in the relationship, then expect miracle results... Applies at the national level too. Funny how that works.
True. most Asians/ME would be offended by a bribe anyway.
 

Gator By Marriage

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Not necessary if you put in the tea time, it just isn't, and I do, most don't, especially Americans. We tend to "visit" for 15 minutes, put in minimal effort and candor and true investment in the relationship, then expect miracle results... Applies at the national level too. Funny how that works.

But in that vein, facilitating payments, when applied correctly, are not illegal under FCPA.
I think you deal with a higher class of folks than I did.
 

Detroitgator

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Please elaborate
You have to be careful with them (and I am, some companies, regardless of what FCPA allows, ban the use of them, so do some countries, but in most 2d/3rd world countries, the USG has acknowledged the reality of the system, just not for outright bribes... unless of course it is the USG doing it iteslf!), but facilitating payments can be made to officials for things that are considered within their normal/routine business in order to "smooth" a service they provide. It's not the same as a bribe, but you need to be smart and I always document them. This obviously doesn't involve somehow providing funds to someone to gain a contract or something special, it has to be within their routine duties.

For instance... you need to get import/customs documents approved. You have to submit your supporting documentation to the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Finance to get signatures and stamps, then submit everything to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for approval. In most schitty places, simply submitting your paperwork to MOI and MOF will result in it sitting in a stack of a million similar requests. If you're good, you have a "fixer" that runs all your paperwork around and he will pay a facilitating payment to the guys at MOF and MOI to get your paperwork moved to the top of the stack. I then get a receipt from my fixer and document that cost/payment. I do NOT do this for the final approval at MOFA because this is for approval, not merely checking the documentation for completeness/correctness and signing/stamping like at MOF and MOI. To pay a facilitating payment to the MOFA guy I would see as straying into "bribe" land for approval, even if all my paperwork is legit and I'm not really bribing him for approval, just also want it done quickly.

Now, here's another "for instance" that is VERY similar to what I just described (I would say NO different in fact), and there are recent posts about this subject, and it's with the USG:
  • You need a new US passport.
  • You can submit it "normally" direct to the USG (no third party help/fixer agency) and wait forever.
  • You can submit it "expedited" direct to the USG (no third party help/fixer agency) and get it almost immediately.
See what I mean? On the one hand, the USG can call my example "bribery" or a "facilitating payment" (and subject to HIGH scrutiny), and on the other hand, the USG calls an "expedition" charge 100000% legal, perfectly legit.
 

TheDouglas78

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I still remember my first can...
s-l1000.jpg
The other 857,246 not so much....

I'm pretty sure that 857,246 is a low estimate.
 

ThreatMatrix

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I'm looking for a can that I can shoot on my 9mm Beretta, 9mm CZ Scorpion AND my 5.56 AR 15.
All guns have 1/2x28 threads.
Also the can should be small enough that I don't need raised sights. And modular so you can remove baffles and make it lighter/smaller.
Dead Air Odessa-9
Liberty Cosmic 45 ACP Centurion? Mystic X? Ininity X?
Silencerco Hybrid 46
 
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Fodderwing

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I'm looking for a can that I can shoot on my 9mm Beretta, 9mm CZ Scorpion AND my 5.56 AR 15.
All guns have 1/2x28 threads.
Also the can should be small enough that I don't need raised sights. And modular so you can remove baffles and make it lighter/smaller.
Dead Air Odessa-9
Liberty Cosmic 45 ACP Centurion? Mystic X? Ininity X?
Silencerco Hybrid 46
You will have difficulty finding a suppressor for centerfire handguns that does not require taller sights.
 

ThreatMatrix

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You will have difficulty finding a suppressor for centerfire handguns that does not require taller sights.
The Odessa is the only one I know of but it's not rated for rifles. So I'm gonna have to decide which requirements are more important to me.
 

Swamp Donkey

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The Odessa is the only one I know of but it's not rated for rifles. So I'm gonna have to decide which requirements are more important to me.
most of those convertibles are more expensive anyway. is there a reason you only want one?
 

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