When I was in the Marine Corps I had an FFL and would get guns for guys I worked with. The ones with top secret clearances would get delayed every time, never had one denied. There's something in the system that flags them. As crossfire says, it's a flawed system. It should have never been instituted in the first place but since we're stuck with it at least make it work right.
Exactly right.
I know a old nuclear scientist from Los Alamos, that got delayed everytime he bought a gun. A LGS I help out out has a retired Army guy, that said he had high level security clearances and was constantly getting delayed. Also a supising number of the local police and sheriff's deputies get delays. Most just got a concealed carry permit so they didn't need a NICS.