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FFL or not?

dcloco
I am debating on applying for an FFL.

#1 - I am tired of waiting and getting the run around from the local storefronts.
#2 - can I save that much money?

#3 - is an FFL a pain in the arse to have?

#4 - any other advantages?

#5 - any disadvantages?

I do not particulary want to have a storefront. I will primarily purchase weapons for myself and close friends (yeah..that is probably how everybody STARTS out). I eventually want to open a part time gunsmith shop - nothing extragant - but enough to make some money to offset the hobby (yes, another, that is how I got started type of thing).

Honestly - need to know pros & cons.
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • gauche_but_honest
    Same questions, but I was thinking mostly of gunsmithing work. It is the same license right? Do you have to have a store front or can you do gunsmithing from your home?
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  • Mooseyard
    You can operate out of your home, as long as you have a seperate room that is dedicated to the gun shop. You must have regular store hours, and you must have an entrance to the shop that the public can use. An FFL is ONLY for running a business! If you are getting an FFL just to get cheap guns for yourself, it is not allowed. Your home must also be zoned for a business. If it isn't you will have to get a variance which will allow you to operate a business out of your home. That is usually the hard part. I would not recommend trying to get an FFL if you are just going to use it for your own collection.

    "My faith, my country and my family will guide me; nothing more, nothing less" -Gen. Tommy Franks

    Jess Hoffman
    Mooseyard Precision
    LE Supply & Firearms
    NRA Certified Instructor
    Shawano, WI 54166
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  • prairiedoghunter
    hello dcloco,

    There is a little more paper work and everything you touch has to be recorded in the books. You can make some money in the process. As long as you play by the ATF rules there is nothing to worry about.

    Hoped it helped
    Jeremey

    "The Second Amendment defends the rest"
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  • duckhunter
    check with you city council and see if you need a business license and you will need a federal and state tax number.

    I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.
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  • dcloco
    Thanks to everybody that responded.
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  • He Dog
    IF you just want to buy cheaper and directly, and IF you collect or buy older firearms, you might want to look into a Curio and Relic FFL.
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  • CELTIC317
    I HAD ONE FOR SEVERAL YEARS..ONCE THEY CHANGED THE RULES IT BECAME A REAL HEADACHE.. REMEMBER. IF YOU RUN IT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE YOU ARE SUBJECT TO "INSPECTION" ANY TIME DAY OR NIGHT BY THE BATF. AS FAR AS SAVING MONEY THERE ARE PLENTY OF DEALERS THAT WILL ORDER WHAT YOU WANT AND CHARGE 20 BUCKS TO HANDLE THE PAPERWORK.
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  • river
    you dont want to go there for that reason - just find a good local dealer and let him help you
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  • sakofan
    After operating a small gunshop for some 25 years, and then selling the commercial building that it was located in, I found that my FFL could not be renewed because city zoning would not give their approval. Without a FFL, but still retaining a state sales tax number, I recently contacted several of my wholesale distributors in order to purchase some items, and discovered they would not sell to me without me having a storefront operation - they now requiring pictures of the outside and the inside of the business. Understand, these are outfits I have dealt with for the last 25 years!! To resume operation, I would either have to buy or rent commercial property, or move to an out of town location. Out of town, I would have to dedicate a separate building or part of the home as the business premises, as an earlier post describes. Would it be worth this amout of time and trouble??? In my case - NO!!!
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  • JustC
    nice to see you over here on this forum sakofan[8D]

    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
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  • David Nunn
    If you have a licensed premises in your home, not only must it be in a dedicated room, it must have a dedicated entrance directly from the outside. If the BATF comes to inspect, they do not want to walk through your kitchen or living room to get to your shop.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com the best gun auction site on the Net! Email gpd035@sbcglobal.net
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