Please Educate Me On FFLs

[jyl]

I'm sorry to ask this question instead of doing the research myself, but 1/2 hour of reading on FFLs just made my head hurt.

The question is: Is it useful and practical for a gun hobbyist and beginnng collector to get a FFL license? What are the benefits and what are the costs, and how high and narrow are the hoops you have to jump through? Does it vary by state or city?

I've known people with FFL licenses, they were fairly active gun collectors (one guy focused on Mauser Broomhandles, he used to bring them into work and show me) but not "dealers". They seemed to be able to buy and sell guns, and to own guns that I thought were restricted (like a full-auto Broomhandle).

[Shuie]

Originally posted by jyl

The question is: Is it useful and practical for a gun hobbyist and beginnng collector to get a FFL license?

It sure would be useful. Too bad its quite illegal. You need to run some kind of a business with a log book to show sales or gunsmith work. And you better sell more than you keep for yourself. Depending on where you live you may be required to have a storefront as well. You cant just have a regular FFL for your own collection. I think you can have a C&R license as a collector but thats about it.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by Shuie
It sure would be useful. Too bad its quite illegal. You need to run some kind of a business with a log book to show sales or gunsmith work. And you better sell more than you keep for yourself. Depending on where you live you may be required to have a storefront as well. You cant just have a regular FFL for your own collection. I think can have a C&R license as a collector but thats about it.

Used to be able to.
That's why I didn't renew mine.
They changed the rules to require a storefont-type place of business. Residential didn't work anymore.
THe good thing back then, I was a competitive shooter and could get wholesale prices on frames, parts, darn near anything firearms related. Cut down considerably on my expenses....
P.S. the logbook and forms requirrements were always there...

[jyl]

Okay, the storefront requirement would seem to rule it out for me. Thanks for the quick replies.

[id10t]

Nope. You have to have a store front, you basically sign a "search any time without warrant" for whever your "business" is, and the record keeping on top of it all.

If you aren't into "modern" guns, a C&R license may make sense, but not an FFL.

Check forums.gunbroker.com for lots of info.

[dhoward]

The record keeping part of it was always there, as was anytime records inpection. That's the easy part.
The storefront requirement is what drove most FFL holders out of the game.

[competentone]

Originally posted by jyl

I've known people with FFL licenses, they were fairly active gun collectors (one guy focused on Mauser Broomhandles, he used to bring them into work and show me) but not "dealers". They seemed to be able to buy and sell guns, and to own guns that I thought were restricted (like a full-auto Broomhandle).

You might want to consider a C&R (Curio and Relic) license; it is designed with the collector in mind and applies to buying and selling certain listed firearms and most firearms over 50 years old.

A C&R license does NOT give you any special ability to buy/sell NFA firearms (like full-auto Broomhandles) without following the special rules/laws that apply to them.