The continuing M&P15-22 Saga...

Back in late September, I sent in my order form for a Smith & Wesson M&P15-22 on their military discount program. Just as a general disclaimer, I'm not blaming them, or the shop I'm going through. I'm simply venting some gunny frustrations.

So anyway, just before October I send out the form, and it even says up to 6 months for long guns, so I'm being patient. Well, December rolls around, I get an email from S&W, "your dealer's FFL we have on file is expired, can you have them fax us a new one?" No big deal, call up the shop... "Huh. We just got a pistol from them this morning through the same program. Weird. We'll fax them it again just to make sure."

Cool. I sit back and wait for the charge to come through on my card, and dream of cheap AR fun.

Little did I know, the gremlins have intercepted the fax somewhere between the shop and S&W's Mil/LEO dept. I get a phone call from S&W mid-January, "Hey, we still don't have an up to date FFL for your order. The newest one for them expired in '08. We've got the guns in stock and I want to get it shipped out to you!"

Sweet. Grumbles...

Well, I'm not sleepy, even though I worked 11p-7a for the last week and a half straight, so I get in the car and drive the 45 minutes to the shop. Watch as they fax it in, again, and then talk with the guys there, fondle a SCAR (hadn't seen one in person yet, neat, but not for me) and finally get back in the car 2 hours later. Call up S&W to make sure it's on the right guy's desk.

"Yup got it right in front of me."

"Good, I'm sitting in the lot at the shop, so I wanted to make sure before I drove home."

"Ready to bust some heads huh? Ha."

"Guess I don't have to. Thanks again for helping me get this straightened out."

Go home, card's charged the next day, wait a few days, call up the shop to see if it came in.

"Oh yeah, I remember seeing it come in... not sure where it is though, we're in the middle of moving right now."

"So when are you guys gonna be settled in at the new place?" (I knew about the move, so I can't be mad about that. The ATF was dragging their feet on the change of address, go figure, so it was "any day now" planning. Just shitty timing for me.)

"About a week and a half."

"...Alright, guess I'll see you then...."

So now my new little .22 is sitting in rifle limbo. I'm glad it's a long gun. I don't think I could take a 3 day waiting period on top of all this.