A Day in the Life of an FFL Holder

I am not a huge gun retailer. My business wasn't set up to be a front as some sort of gun-running, anti-government militia. I'm a normal guy in my mid-30s whose father and grandfathers owned guns. <br><br>I'm not a "gun nut," even though I own 34 guns. I don't attend every gun show, shoot at a range every weekend, or attend militia meetings. I am just a guy who likes to use guns for sport. My dad, grandpas, and uncles taught me young and, God willing, I will teach my son when he is old enough. I have an FFL only for personal reasons. It's easier to buy and sell guns with an FFL than it is to do the paperwork through a third party. I mostly do transfers and the occasional buy/sell. Nothing full-time, just enough to maybe pay for a new gun every six months. That's my "payment" for holding the license.<br><br>I've already shaken down all of my friends with guns as to whether they want to sell them before I went in on the FFL. It's a good thing I did, too, or else I probably would have lost a few friends. My wife even asked me "Why do we need 34 guns?" I struggled for an answer. The truth is, I don't really. It's just that each gun has a reason for being. For example, my grandfather died not too long ago and his family came together to determine what to do with his things. I asked for a couple of guns he had. The first was the shotgun he won in a betting match in 1946. It's an old gun with only a stock and receiver, but for my sake, it's irreplaceable. I "bought" it from his estate, but really all I did was cover the taxes they owed.<br><br>The second gun I asked for was a pistol that my dad and cousins used when I was too young to get involved. It's a cheap pistol that, again, only has sentimental value. It's nothing amazing, but my dad still wants to buy it back from me when I'm ready to sell. My cousins already offered to buy the pistol back, too. It's not a great pistol, not accurate or even reliable, but it's part of our story. I told my wife that. "These guns are all connected to our story. They're all we have left of some of our family members." My wife was understanding of that, but that didn't change the fact that maybe 10 of my guns were ever purchased by me. They're all mostly family heirlooms, gifts, or trades.<br><br>That's when I listed them in my book. I bought an entry-level Bound Book that was 1500 entries. I assumed it would last me a long time. After my collection was listed, I only had about 1300 spaces left. It didn't take long for those to fill up as I entered all of the gun shows, private sales, and trades I've made over the years. Hell, I've even sold a few of my own guns to other people, but not many. I know if I sold them all, I could buy better guns with the money, but those aren't the guns that matter.<br><br>I've been an FFL holder for about six years. I started with a Type 1 dealer's license that allows me to sell both long and hand guns, but I didn't really use it much. I had no storefront, not a lot of customers, and it wasn't worth my time. They mostly consisted of transfers anyway. I'd get emails or calls from people saying they saw an ad for a gun I didn't have that they wanted anyway. I would look for the gun online, buy it, and have it shipped to me. Then I would sell it to them at a markup. I wasn't being greedy. I just had a lot of overhead. Between the license, insurance, training, and miscellaneous supplies (paper, pens, the bound book itself), I was already in the hole thousands of dollars. To make matters worse, the markup had to be high because I had a lot of competition that were willing to operate in a legal "gray area." They didn't do the proper background checks or paperwork and charged less as a result.<br><br>I stuck to my guns, however, and did everything right. That, combined with the cost of an FFL, meant I was charging more than the "gray area" guys. I lost a lot of business. I decided it wasn't worth it. When my FFL was up for renewal, I changed it to a Type 7, which is a manufacturer's license. I wasn't really manufacturing guns. I had no lathes, welders, or any real ability to craft metals or woods. I just used already-manufactured items to "manufacture" guns. With this license, I could also get an SOT, or Special Occupational Tax. SOT holders were able to manufacture and distribute suppressors, SBS/SBR, and full-auto "machine guns." I got the stamp and started manufacturing my own suppressors. Turns out, I was pretty good at it.<br><br>Now, I know what you're thinking. This guy is some multi-million-dollar gun runner with an amphibious assault vehicle and a gang of mercenaries. I'm not. I still don't have a storefront. I still use the garage in my two-story home in the Midwest. I don't have any full-auto guns, and the only reason I have a Class 3 tax stamp is that it's needed for suppressors. The only reason I have a manufacturer's license is that it's required for the Class 3 stamp. I know it might seem like I'm "compensating" for something, but I assure you I'm not.<br><br>I just like building my own "toys," and the fact I get paid to do it is the best perk. I don't make a lot, either. After taxes, I take home about $40,000, which is less than I take home at my full-time job. I just like doing it. The best news is that I don't have to deal with a lot of the BS transfers and gun sales have. Before, I would mostly sell my time, doing paperwork and background checks. With suppressors, I get to work with my hands. I get to create something from raw parts. I get to see the joy in my customers' faces when they get to fire a gun quietly for the first time. That's where the real happiness is for me.<br><br>I'm not a soulless gun runner. I have a regular Monday-through-Friday 40 hour/week job, normal friends, a normal house, a normal family, and normal responsibilities. I don't sit in the basement manufacturing ARs with no serial numbers while dreaming of another Waco. I am a person who is also a gun manufacturer. I'm just a guy who likes to make a few extra bucks doing something I love. I'm just a guy who likes guns.<br><br>Edit: Holy cow this blew up. Thank you all for your kind words. For those of you hurling negativity my way, I just want to clarify that I am not trying to be ambiguous about what I do. My original intention was to help bridge a gap I saw. There seems to be a divide between two groups of people. My original goal was to describe myself, a normal, everyday gun owner, in a way that both groups could understand. For those unacquainted with the gun community, I wanted to paint a picture of a real, everyday person. For those skeptical of the motives of gun manufacturers and the like, I wanted to paint a picture of one of "us." Unfortunately, that means I had to be intentionally vague. I don't want my manufacturing business to be viewed as nefarious or anything like that.<br><br>I'm not sure if I'll be able to respond to many comments, but I will certainly try. I will probably be able to answer questions of a more technical nature, as they are answers to which I can give a general response. I will likely be tight-lipped on specifics, though.<br><br>Also, please, if you have questions about guns, I'm more than happy to answer. I am formally trained in firearms. Just remember that I am not a lawyer, and anything I say in regard to the law in any way should be construed as "friendly advice." It is always best to read the rules, regulations, laws, yourselves and find a primary source if you have any questions.