Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting FFL -- worth the hassle?

[SRath]

I'm considering getting my FFL to make getting guns for the kids on my shooting team a lot easier and less expensive. You just can't find good deals on trap guns locally, or enough trap guns, like you can online, but paying a gun shop to use their FFL to have auction guns shipped to them can make a good deal not so good.



I could probably even make a few bucks taking used trap guns to our competitions for other teams to buy. And I frequently need to find and buy parts guns.



Since I have a rather large supply of reloading components on hand, I figured I had better apply for the license to "manufacture ammo" (an extra $30) as well as the $200 dealer fee. And that doesn't count the fingerprinting fee (how many times does the dadgum gubbermint need to fingerprint law-abiding people in one lifetime anyway? Military, haz-mat, permit-to-aquire, concealed carry, now an FFL -- seems like quite a profitable racket if you ask me).



Anyway, it says on the application that I can expect to be interviewed and my premises will be inspected by the ATF (not my favorite entity), presumably for security purposes. So I'm looking at an initial fee of at least $250 for 3 years followed by $90 more to renew (and that will no doubt go up).



I'm just trying to decide if the savings are real and if the intrusive hassle is worth it. . ? Or will the ATF order me to sell guns to illegals and dopers so they can be used to kill US Border patrol agents and citizens like they have been doing to other honest US gun dealers?



And what about all the personal guns I already own? What if I want to sell and trade them like I can right now without any government "permission" or snooping? Very few of mine, because they were bought privately and perfectly legally, are even registered and I'd really like to keep them that way.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I think they are almost impossible to get anymore

 

[Flexiheep]

I don't think the BS would be worth it, have you talked to any of the local shops, even chain type ones to see if they would help the school sports team by transferring the trap guns at a reduced price/at cost. You would want to place a safety or two in the system such as the number of guns the families could purchase, or an approved list so it doesn't get abused. It might let a local business look good by supporting the school in a non traditional way... .

If it worked it would keep the FFL and the concerns you have off yourself.

 

[The patriot]

They used to be easy to get. I had one back in the late 80's.

I surrendered it because getting an NJ license was all but impossible for a part timer that didnt have any political pull.

I've heard theyre harder to get than they used to be, but still not too much of a hassle if youre in a free state.

 

[run2trouble]

There is a lot of paperwork to go along with everything. If you are wanting to mfg guns, I believe it is $1000. 00 per year to have the lic. The ATF will come and do a face to face interview after you have sent in your application and all the supporting documents. You don't have a location on your profile, but if you are near by I will be willing to help.

 

[p-Bar]

Not worth it . Get a gun store to help sponsor the team. You have the license and things turn to poop you will be the first one they will be coming too.

 

[SRath]

Sorry for the delay getting back here, guys. That's some good food for thought. i have, meanwhile, cut a deal with the manager of the local Gander Mountain store to buy our clay targets and ammo at reduced prices. he also has offered to let the team do fundraising in the parking lot by having his store supply everything from buns to plates, drinks, hotdogs, brats, etc for the team to sell to store customers as they give out their sponsor information sheets. Meanwhile, I have sent two of the team members' dads to see him about buying new guns and they have both been given big discounts, too.



i really do make it a point to have our team members support the businesses that sponsor our team. Likewise, I just burned a big wholesale distributor that sells to many school teams and even the state DNR. Other coaches had referred me to him and told me what his ammo prices were and that he would deal in case-lots of any size.



Well, our team is totally self-funded with most of the kids also working part time jobs just to pay for ammo and entry fees at competitions. When I spoke with this wholesaler on the phone, he was very disparaging of "annoying high school teams" and said he would no longer deal in transactions of less than 40 or 50 cases of ammo ($2,000 to $2,500) at a shot. Our team has never seen that kind of money. I guess it must be too much "work" for him to count a mere $1000 at a time? We would have picked our own ammo up, of course.



He then tells me that if i want "good ammo prices" I would have no choice but to deal with him on his terms. "Even if you buy from Walmart, you're still buying my ammo since I supply all their stores around this part of the state". Well, it took me about 5 minutes after being hung up on to fire off an email to several dozen volunteer high school team coaches and the head of the state DNR program quoting what he had told me.



It took me until the next day to cut an ammo deal with Gander Mountain, who does NOT buy their ammo from him. So he (and Walmart) are now out thousands of dollars of ammo sales from just our team alone, and he will have a very hard time selling to the DNR high school program next season, or to individual teams.



My assistant coach later told me he knows the guy personally, and that "he isn't such a bad guy". Too bad. I don't pull punches and I treat guys like him the way they deserve to be treated. He's belittling and whining to the wrong volunteer youth coach if he thinks telling me what "a hassle" our "annoying high school teams' are. He ought to be quite happy with far less ammo sales to 'annoy him' now.



Gander Mt. sure seems very happy to have our business.



As for the ATF, I'm just really leery of inviting them into my life in any way shape or form. They have been known to kill law-abiding citizens just for headlines and their current boss is a complete idiot. So I think I will just cut a deal with GM, if possible, to have our guns shipped there if we buy them online.