speaking from the other side of the fence, trust me, the NICS gauntlet is a piece of cake verses going to the local country sheriff, after spending the money for the day long class, complete a stack of paperwork, get finger printed, 'donate' almost another C note to the sheriff so they can, in 5 weeks, issue the NC Conceal Handgun Permit or complete a single sheet of paper for the sheriff , pay $5 per Purchase Pistol Permit so the good citizens of NC do not have to subject ourselves to the FBI NICS background check.
as was pointed out the 4473 is a federally mandated document but all we must do is present our CHP to or give the FFL a copy of the PPP (one per handgun), which they annotate on your 4473.
the FFL still have the discretion besides documenting these NC official documents still do run the buyer through the FBI's NICS because there is always the possibility the buyer did not follow state law and surrender their documents as prescribed by NC statutes when they got convicted of DV, or a felony etc.
now i have not mentioned the 'good olde boy' sheriff who personally knows billy bob's mischief history (nickle dime things that might not have ended up in the judicial system but the sheriff knows about them) and just doesn't want to issue a CHP or PPP to him. so the sheriff uses their discretion and denys the CHP/PPP request hoping billy bob doesn't have the cash or mentality to pursue the denial through the courts. Billy bob is screwed and can not buy a hand gun from any state FFL w/o those documents.
finally, these activities were enacted in a period of NC which did not see all it's citizens as equal yet remain on the books and are the rule of the Tarheel state. i have personal knowledge of one older individual of color who was within the last 1.5 years unduly hassled just trying to turn in their paperwork to the sheriff so they could apply to get their CHP.
careful what you wish for...
ipse