Help in acquiring my ffl

great white

Senior Member
Is there an ffl dealer here that could give me some advise? I’m looking at opening a gun shop and getting my ffl 01 and possibly/probably NFA/SOT as well. All this is just confusing me the more I read. Is there an online class that teaches everything involved? I’d love to just go work for an established shop and just see how it operates, mandatory requirements ect…, but right now that not feasible. Do I have to have a brick and mortar store front before I apply for my license? It looks like I have to but I’m not sure. I have no desire to be a home based dealer, nothing personal but I don’t want people I don’t know at my house, so that’s out. From Im understanding I need a store front first, then apply, then if approved I can set up my wholesale accounts and go from there. I could type for another hour but I’ll leave it right here for now. Am I understanding this correctly or have I just completely misunderstood how this will ultimately work?
Thanks in advance
 
Last edited by a moderator:

JustUs4All

Slow Mod
Staff member
I don't have the licenses and I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn last night but I have a friend who has including the NFA stuff. He works out of his home but has a deal with a local pawn shop through which he picks up and drops off work and sells new stuff that he gets from his distributors. I think you can use your home for the business location but it might have to pass some sort of an ATF inspection for the NFA stuff. Of that I am not sure.
 

nmurph

Senior Member
I have a good friend who got his FFL about 3 years ago. All he has is a 6x10ft closet inside his steel building. He completed his paperwork and the ATF came out, interviewed him, and inspected his "shop."
 

treemanjohn

Banned
I've had several FFLs and they're not that difficult to get you can run a home business if you can in the county or municipality you live in. If you rent your landlord must approve. Your FFL is tied to a location. If you move you must apply for the new location. You are only allowed to transfer a firearm at that location or a gun show

You must have regular business hours. There is no inspection necessary. The ATF requires you to have a place where firearms can be safely stored. That does not mean it has to be in a safe. You can not be a gun show dealer only. You can not be a hobbyist you must actively be an operating firearms business

The hardest part you're going to have is trying to figure out how to make money at it. Its tough unless your get great sales reps, who hook you up with heavily allocated only guns
 
Top