Posted on 02/08/2007 6:58:20 PM PST by Copernicus
ATF Commerce in Firearms PDF Report
The Gun Control Act of 1968 established the first comprehensive Federal licensing system for importers, manufacturers and dealers in firearms to the retail level. That system requires licensees to maintain detailed records on transactions in firearms, and subjects their business premises to inspection by the ATF.
From 1968 to 1993, THE PROCESS TO OBTAIN A FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSE WAS OVERLY SIMPLE. (emphasis added)
The annual fee WAS ONLY $10 for a license that authorized the person to ship, transport and receive firearms in interstate commerce and engage in retail sales. The statue required ATF to issue a license within 45 days to anyone who was 21 years old, had premises from which they intended to conduct business and who otherwise was not prohibited from possessing firearms.
The statute was designed TO LIMIT THE DISCRETION OF ATF IN DENYING LICENSES.
Over time the numbers of licensees began to swell until 1992 when the numbers reached over 284,000...............
In 1993, Congress increased the license application fee to $200 for three years.
Again, in 1994, Congress imposed requirements that applicants submit photographs and fingerprints to better enable ATF to identify applicants and new criteria that ensures that the business to be conducted would comply with all applicable State and local laws.....
From 1975 to 1992 the licensee population grew from 161,927 to 284,117...........
In 1993 and 1994, Congress added several safeguards to ensure only legitimate gun dealers obtain Federal licenses, including increased fees and certification requirements.
Following the ATF's implementation of those provisions the number of Federal firearms licensees DROPPED FROM 284,117 IN 1992 TO 103,942 IN 1999. OF THESE 80,570 ARE RETAIL DEALERS OR PAWNBROKERS.
Exactly.
And it is "tradition" in the USA to not need an FFL at all, period. The notion of an FFL started in '68, and still offends conservative values.
The irony is palpable.
Also, a bunch of FFL's got the FFL to be able to cheaply acquire items thru the mail for themselves and friends
You're being dishonest. Yes. I do the same on my W-4. I am being dishonest.
See? That's not so hard.
Now, repeat after me. Applying for a federal license to buy and sell guns when you have have absolutely no intention whatsoever to buy and sell guns (merely to obtain them for yourself at a discounted price) is dishonest.
If by "tradition" you mean the New Deal (an implicit rejection of the tradition of the old deal, all by itself), then screw your tradition.
At that point, since the Constitution that guarantees our rights is null and void, so too are all laws that flow from the offices and officers previously established by that constitution null, void, and without legitimate authority as well. Neither can the Constitution be restored by simply repairing or restoring previous acts of negation that have eliminated it; we'd be back to the original process of a Constitutional Convention and ratification again.
10 year prison sale for private sales? Fine, we can make machineguns.
They had no intention of buying and selling guns retail. Maintaining an inventory. Providing a service.
By that definition most home businesses and all drop-ship businesses are dishonest. This goes beyond simple centralization of business under government control it reveals your elitist urge to moralize what type of business model is acceptable to your personal sensibilities.
They didn't have formal storefronts, that's all. BATFE, with no change in law, decided that you had to have a storefront and posted hours to be considered a "dealer". I've been to some of those "kitchen table dealers", and they did indeed buy & sell as a business - they just didn't need or want a storefront ... but the BATFE crushed them anyway.
I would actually like to get my Type 01 FFL, and indeed would engage in legitimate business of volume buying and selling therewith. The only catch is that for the [perfectly legitimate] service I have in mind, I have no need for a storefront with posted hours (just frequent trips to FedEx). Since would not need, have no desire for, and currently no money for, a storefront I am denied the 2nd Amendment rights pertaining to what is a perfectly legitimate use of an FFL certification.
That's your conclusion from what I posted? Let me guess -- you had someone read my post to you and you couldn't hear them clearly.
That's the only excuse you have, lightweight.
The wholesalers don't express any concerns about individuals with FFLs getting discounts; actually, many encourage it. In fact, most give such discounts to known Type 03 FFL holders (I am one) - a gen-ew-wine FFL license which expressly prohibits "dealing".
If it's legal, and encouraged, and nobody is complaining, and nobody feels cheated, what's your problem? Name ONE wholesaler who gave "kitchen table" FFLs wholesale prices and was upset about it.
That's what a lot of people (me included) get from the huge volume of posts you've made on all kinds of topics for years.
As the other poster pointed out, you need this license to repair or customize firearms. What other way can one legally do this without being "dishonest"?
A matter of degrees. I prefer to focus on individual rights, keeping the the community in mind. Hillary focuses on the community with individual rights secondary.
"And what exactly is a "racial goal"?"
Ask Germany in the 30's. Or Japan. No room for the individual in those societies at that time.
"I'm a Christian"
I got that already. I was describing an individualist.
Before you said you were a libertarian and took offense. Now what? Are you saying you're now an Individualist, so you're taking offense again?
Wait! I got it! There's no room for religion in Objectivism. Now you can claim to be an Objectivist and take offense at that!
C'mon. Lecture me on how good a Christian you are -- better than me, no doubt. Then tell me you're a libertarian (or an Individualist or an Objectivist) and that you don't see a conflict at all between those philosophies and your faith.
Fine. Whatever.
You "did" read the part about the new BATF**K regulations requiring a physical storefront, didn't you?? THAT is where they went--driven out of business by over-regulation--just like a lot of other legitimate businesses.
Only in this case the legal requirement was one made of NO OTHER TYPE OF BUSINESS. "Physical storefronts" are useful if you are a certain type of business, or your volume is large, but as I said, there are literally tens of thousands of legitimate business that do NOT require "physical storefronts".
So yes, they were legitimate dealers.
As to whether or not you "buy it", I could give a flying ****.
- Go to this BATFE web page and follow the instructions to get a Form 7.
- Fill out the Form 7, checking off request for Type 03 C&R FFL as appropriate, and follow related directions.
- Submit the form with $30 and any supporting paperwork required.
- Receive your Type 03 FFL.
Upon doing this, you may send a signed copy to any interested wholesaler, who will subsequently give you wholesale pricing on whatever they sell. Both the wholesaler and the gov't will not expect you to, nay will expect you to NOT, engage in any business regarding whatever you buy therewith. Nothing is deceitful, as you'd be doing with it exactly what it is meant for and exactly what it plainly indicates to the wholesaler & feds.
Yes, it's a real FFL license, just with no "dealing" and addresses antiques and curios (no "modern" weapons). The only difference in law is that the Type 01 lets you deal, and handle modern weapons; the BATFE unilaterally chose to limit "dealing" to storefronts with posted hours.
I have one, so I do have a clue about this.
You can't use a pre- to justify some action post-. Neither with slavery or with guns. What's past is past. Saying, "We used to be able to ..." is not an argument I'm willing to consider.
"how do you ***know*** that all of those "kitchen table" dealers had no intention of selling guns?"
Well, let's just say that going from 284,000 "dealers" to 54,000 dealers in a very short period of time was my first clue.
"Who are you, or the Feds for that matter, to tell people precisely how to conduct their business?"
The feds bees the ones with da licenses. THAT'S who they are.
"As for the acquisition of an FFL - the item, in and of itself, is violative of the Constitution."
Violating what part? (Please don't say the 2nd amendment. I'll be so disappointed.)
The craft of gunsmithing, regulated by bureaucrats who've probably never turned a tap in their lives.
Actually, it had much more to do with them not wanting to rent retail space. I'd like the option of dealing, but am not going to cough up ~$1000/month to do so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.