Is buying a machine gun easy?

The process of buying a machine gun is straight-forward.  For an individual you pay the seller a huge sum, fill out the Form 4, get the local head constable to sign the back, get finger printed, swear you're a good citizen on another ATF form, write a check for $200, mail it to the ATF, start waiting.

A wait that can take from four months to a year.

There's nothing about that process that's particularly difficult.

Why does it rankle so?

Because it's a needless burden!

ATF maintains that the long wait is because of the extensive background check.  OK, why does the second NFA item take just as long?  Seems to me that all the checking they need to do is to see if you've become ineligible since the last approval; many fewer datum to check.

Even so, why does it take so damn long?  If I can own a gun at all, and the state I live in allows NFA items, then I can buy a machine gun.  The NICS check is nearly instant and is good enough to let me own a "normal" gun; why is this check no good for NFA?

It seems to me that the process could be simplified a great deal.  Get the head cop's signature saying it's OK with them you wanna buy something NFA, show that to the seller, hand them your money, run the NICS, pay the $200 right then and there, head home with your spiffy new firearm!

Notice we skipped the fingerprints?

The current process is done via mail.  Here's a clue, if you've never been arrested or otherwise had your fingerprints taken you could submit ANYONE'S fingerprints as yours when you send in your forms.  There's no record contradicting them!  Clue number two; people who would be disqualified by their fingerprints are not going to be buying a machine gun through legal channels anyway.

While doing the NFA thing is not hard, it's an unnecessary obstruction; and that prevents it from being easy.