The Importance of the Class 3 FFL License
There are three main classes of federal firearms licenses, with the most prominent being the Class 3 FFL license and three variants of them. It is important that you order the right one for your particular needs. The primary licenses are as follows:
Class 1 – This is for importers of weapons, explosives, and other destructive devices under the National Firearms Law. This would not be what the average person would need for their small business.
Class 2 – This is for manufacturers and distributors from a factory point of view. The companies making guns for the masses would need this, not the person buying to resell them.
Class 3 – This license is for the person who buys and sells weapons, including full automatic weapons, silencers, and other destructive devices. This is the kind carried by the owner of the local gun shop. If you purchase a Class 3 license, you don’t have to have a shop to buy and sell, and you save the $200 tax stamp you have to pay on each gun purchase you make.
Owning an arms dealer license is fairly inexpensive and there are no requirements on how much, if any, product you must purchase to keep the license active. When you apply for the class 3 FFL license, you need to know how you plan to use it.
If you plan to open a gun store, you must have purchased or leased the space prior to the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives visit. If you choose to get your home use license, it’s simpler, but you’ll also need to have your home ready for an ATF visit.
What are the advantages of owning a Class 3 FFL License? The most important are:
- The savings from direct purchase of weapons and paraphernalia: you only pay 70% of the cost that you would pay if you bought from a gun store. If you expect to purchase weapons on an ongoing basis, you should save enough on the purchases to cover the license fee.
- Buying samples from a gun dealer or even making them for a fraction of the cost of the retail product – building your own saves you far more than you would pay for manufactured weapons like automatics and machine guns. If you choose to resell what you make, you have the opportunity to make a lot of money doing it.
- You can buy gun accessories – some people make a nice extra income selling silencers and gun mounts, among other products.
Should I apply?
Not everyone who applies necessarily gets a class 3 FFL license, and a big part of the reason they don’t is because they make critical mistakes on the application. If you try to get yours without any guidance, it can be a confusing and daunting task. We recommend you seek the advice of a Class 3 FFL License Guide and obtain your FFL License easily and effectively.
