Thinking about getting an FFL license. worth it?

[luckystrike]

thinking about starting a online type business and getting the proper FFL. I need to do something as I am not working as of now. I dont have near enough cash to open a store so online is my only option. there is alot that I dont know so how do I get started? im not looking to make a ton of money, just need a little bit to live and buy guns

thanks in advance

[mtsul]

tag im interested in this as-well

[PolishMike]

Going to be difficult as store fronts are pretty much a requirement these days.

Look into local regs first. City, County, State, Federal. In that order.

It is pretty easy and simple to get an FFL. The local stuff is what is going to get you. You have to worry about zoning and all that stuff as well.

[Santa Cruz Armory]

Lots of hoops to jump through.

Local zoning, planning, business license, etc. needs to be addressed first. You either need a business license that says "for the retail sale of firearms", or a letter stating that a business license isn't required and that you can sell firearms retail from your residence... Tons of little things I've done so far. I forget everything I've done. I'm going through the process now.

Lots to learn. The web is your friend.

[tenpercentfirearms]

You won't make much online. There are some pretty big vendors out there that move a lot of guns for cheap. The best money to be made is on your local customer who wants good customer service or doesn't know any better and spends money like it is going out of style.

Your number one first step is to check and see what the local zoning laws are. If you can't get a business license, then you aren't going to be selling guns.

[luckystrike]

thanks guys, still looking into it. more to come

[kemasa]

If you can get a business license, which is possible in some places and impossible in other places, the only way you are going to make much money as a FFL is in doing transfers, not by selling firearms. That also assumes that you are not limited in the number of people who can come by your place per hour/day, which many home based business can have due to city restrictions.

There are places that sell firearms for less money than you can buy it for, so you can't compete with that. It can also take a long time to look up places that have a firearm that a person wants, but you don't get paid for that.

When you look at all the fees for licenses and permits, that makes it hard to make money, especially if you get insurance, which is required by many home owner's insurance policies since normal polices don't cover businesses.

So, if you can have numerous people per day come to your house, don't have retail stores which charge a low fee for transfers and have a large market in your area in which people want to do transfers, then you could make some money doing transfers, but it also means that you have to charge a low fee and get the word out that you exist.

[Santa Cruz Armory]

If you can get a business license, which is possible in some places and impossible in other places, the only way you are going to make much money as a FFL is in doing transfers, not by selling firearms. That also assumes that you are not limited in the number of people who can come by your place per hour/day, which many home based business can have due to city restrictions.

There are places that sell firearms for less money than you can buy it for, so you can't compete with that. It can also take a long time to look up places that have a firearm that a person wants, but you don't get paid for that.

When you look at all the fees for licenses and permits, that makes it hard to make money, especially if you get insurance, which is required by many home owner's insurance policies since normal polices don't cover businesses.

So, if you can have numerous people per day come to your house, don't have retail stores which charge a low fee for transfers and have a large market in your area in which people want to do transfers, then you could make some money doing transfers, but it also means that you have to charge a low fee and get the word out that you exist.

Hey! you just quoted my business plan!

[kemasa]

Sounds like you might be able to make some money then, although at times you will most likely wonder what you are doing and why :-).

[Rudolf the Red]

Going to be difficult as store fronts are pretty much a requirement these days.

Look into local regs first. City, County, State, Federal. In that order.

It is pretty easy and simple to get an FFL. The local stuff is what is going to get you. You have to worry about zoning and all that stuff as well.

A store front is NOT a requirement. The Feds couldn't care less. The DOJ couldn't care less. Your local folks care A LOT.

When I got my first FFL in 1992, I was never able to use it because of the a-hole, anti-gun police chief of Turlock, CA.

Now, I live in uber gun friendly Tehama County. I walked into the police station, handed over 60 bucks and became a legal dealer in 5 minutes. The FFL, COE, and tax paperwork are a cinch. It IS the local license that will F you.

Edit: I make money, but not a lot. I have a real job. Gun shows are your friend. Bring 500 business cards, be prepared to talk, and KNOW YOUR STUFF. Plus, I have everything on site to work. A printer, an internet connection, and my laptop for DROS. I even bring a mobile power source and an inverter. At the Red Bluff gun show, I gave out 250 business cards, sold 5 handguns, and had a super fun weekend informing the crowd on handgun exemption loopholes in the roster, the truth about Hi-Cap mags, and the truth about assault weapon laws. People assume a lot about CA gun laws and are often very surprised with the truth. I had a white board with the best deals I could find on random guns posted on it. Sold two because of that. The gun stores in my area straight up lie to people in order to sell. Since I have a real income, I just tell the truth, people see it, and they call me when they need something. Since March, I have done two local gun shows and had over 40 DROS. Before I did gun shows, I had 36 DROS in over two years. I almost gave it up. Not now. I'm rollin'.

[We The People Firearms]

I was going to throw in my .02, but kemasa pretty much covered it. The lack of overhead is your best angle, the worst part would be getting master dealers and distributors to take you on. Without exception, all the major ones like RSR, Sports south, Bill Hicks, Acusport, and Ellett Bros. all wanted photos of my store front. Some even wanted a lease agreement! Another thing I didn't see mentioned was an insurance policy. My agent had to go out of state to even find someone willing to deal with an 07. Check on that first. It might cut heavilly into your profit if you can't get master dealers and sell other stuff. They've been burned a lot I guess by people just wanting deals for themselves. Anyway, if the locals would go with it, the ppt/internet/a gun once in awhile thing might work out for you. Good luck. The road is a long one.

[Rudolf the Red]

Without exception, all the major ones like RSR, Sports south, Bill Hicks, Acusport, and Ellett Bros. all wanted photos of my store front. Some even wanted a lease agreement!

I use RSR, Sports South, Davidsons, Lipseys, MGE, and Zanders with no problem and my business is a desk and a gun safe in my garage.

[kemasa]

There are issues with some places, often there are minimum orders, which can be difficult if you are not a stocking dealer or if you don't have a lot of money. At one point I think I was talking to Davidsons and they wanted me to order at least 5 firearms, but they did not have any of the firearms that my customers wanted in stock.

[Rudolf the Red]

There are issues with some places, often there are minimum orders, which can be difficult if you are not a stocking dealer or if you don't have a lot of money. At one point I think I was talking to Davidsons and they wanted me to order at least 5 firearms, but they did not have any of the firearms that my customers wanted in stock.

Davidson's has changed their song. In 2008, they would not deal with me. Store front only. In 2009, they started calling me and I ignored them. In 2010, they had something I needed so I called them. They are on the expensive side but their sales people are excellent.