Academy Sports & Outdoors NICS policy (2024)

First of all let me say this isn’t a rant, it’s just an informative post so you will know what to expect if you try to buy a gun from Academy. If someone is a FFL and I use incorrect terminology or have some facts wrong please chime in.

We know the response to a NICS background check will be one of three things “Proceed”, “Denied” or “Delayed”. If the response is “Delayed” and the ATF doesn’t respond to the FFL with a “Denied” within three business days then the FFL is allowed to transfer the firearm.

Academy policy is a little different than this.

If you receive a “Delayed” at Academy they make you wait 30 days for the ATF to call them back with a “Proceed”. If they do not receive a call back from ATF with a “Proceed” within 30 days they will not transfer the gun to you.

If you still want to buy the gun, Academy will request another NICS check for the purchase (NICS are only good for 30 days). The problem with this, as you can probably already see, is that if you received a “Delayed” once you will likely receive it again and the whole process starts over again. (Kind of gives me a headache thinking about it)

The way I understand it, ATF doesn’t always call back with a “Proceed” after a “Delayed” has been issued, is that correct? That is why they allow the FFL to go ahead and transfer the firearm after 3 days if no response is received from ATF

So the bottom line, it would appear, is if your NICS background check commonly generates a “Delayed” It is unlikely that you will be able to purchase a firearm from Academy.

If anyone works for Academy and has some different information, please let me know.

Although I've never purchased a firearm from Academy and probably never will, I've read and heard of several reports where Academy is a pain in the ass when it comes to firearms.

There is but one simple solution; don't buy firearms from Academy.

Friends don't let friends buy firearms from Academy.

If you don't receive a "Delayed" then I think everything will be OK. It is when someone receives a "Delayed" that is the problem.

Good luck

pyplynr said:

I'm going to buy a stevens 200 in .223 for a donor action this Sunday (if they still have them on sale for $179). I've never bought a firearm from academy, but at that price I'd be an idiot not to get 1 or 2. BTW I've never waited more than 10 min for the background check to go through.

Click to expand...

Even with a Delay the dealer can call back the next day and check on it. Will Academy do that?

I agree that you should support your local stocking gun dealers. The service will be better and the advice/assistance will usually be far more professional.

ExSniper said:

Even with a Delay the dealer can call back the next day and check on it. Will Academy do that

Click to expand...

Don't know if they will or not.

The problem I've had with Academy while buying a firearm is they're not well educated about the products they're selling.
I walked up, told the salesperson what gun I wanted to buy (a pink Cricket .22 for my daughter)I had to point it out because they didn't know what they were looking for even with it being the only pink gun back there.
The lecture I got about firearm safety (after telling the salesperson that I've been shooting for the past 20 years) wasn't really appreciated either.

That's the last gun I got from there and the only reason I bought it was because it was the one my daughter wanted and it was on sale.

actually was in academy earlier wasting time and they were doin a check heard him receive a delayed then apparently placed on hold and aout 5 minutes later got a proceed. I was fondlin some toys I wanted to look at I was surprised

It seems some the people care and try to do the "right thing" and others don't. But if I have to buy at academy I do it at the one off 63rd here in OKC

I bought a gun from Academy because the price was lower than my local gun shop. This was a mistake. The Academy staff cleverly sold me a gun and a scope that were "Display" models without my knowledge. The scope didn't work. The gun had a lot of nicks and scratches.

Another general issue is that when you buy from your gun shop, if they also have a range, they can probably help you get your gun set up. There is no possibility of getting this service from Academy.

I recommend buying from your local gun shop instead of Academy.