Has anyone here EVER had their C&R FFL audited by ATF?

VaFisher said:
That is incorrect. If you maintain your license active for over 20 years, you can dispose of the records 20+ years old. If you let you license expire, you can do whatever you want with your records, keep them or trash them.
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X2
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Yes, you may destroy your records when you are no longer licensed. BATF has stated that only licensees need to maintain their "bound books". Other licensees have to forward their business records to BATF when they are no longer licensed. Type 03 FFLs are not required to do so since they do not have "business records".

I have a letter from BATF that states that once collectors are no longer licensed, they are not required to maintain any of their records and can destroy them if they wish.
 
PT111 said:
I know one person that had some guns stolen and he caught all kinds of grief from the BATF about having to prove that the guns were stolen and not sold. The audited him wiht a fine tooth comb and he finally gave up his license. Other than that haven't heard of any.
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Did he telephone BATF within 48 hours of discovering the theft and then submit a written report to BATF on BATF Form 3310.11? Did he report the theft to local law enforcement authorities and obtain a case number? Did he make the appropriate entries to his "bound book"? He was required by 27CFR 478.39a to take these actions. If he complied, he should have had no problems with BATF. If he didn't or was late in reporting, that may have been the source of his troubles.
 
Did he telephone BATF within 48 hours of discovering the theft and then submit a written report to BATF on BATF Form 3310.11? Did he report the theft to local law enforcement authorities and obtain a case number? Did he make the appropriate entries to his "bound book"? He was required by 27CFR 478.39a to take these actions. If he complied, he should have had no problems with BATF. If he didn't or was late in reporting, that may have been the source of his troubles.
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Yes jumped through all the hoops and they did not fine him or anything like that. His insurance finally paid off on the stolen guns but it was quite a hassle and he said it wasn't worth it happening again.
 
Did you notice the questions the agents asked at the end? "Do you have any animals in the house or any hidden rooms?" If I had enough tin foil I'd make myself a hat;)
 
Well if I get The Call, I intend to ask the Examiner the puropose of those questions.

Makes you wonder if the ATF Folks just added those for fun. I can picture them in the office, gathered around a computer reading the NES thread and laughing their collective butts off.
 
have had an 01 in the past and have an active 03 now and never had a problem with the BATF. Sounds like the folks getting questioned are doing some dealings above and beyond what would be considered collecting.

I buy a lot of C&R guns and sell a few like the others have said, but it is never for a business or profit purpose. when an agent looks in someones books and sees a lot of sales then they will only look further and nail the person in question.

as long as you don't go nuts with selling then no worries. and yes keep your records straight and keep them for 20 years per transaction. I keep both a hard and soft copy of mine (you have to have a hard copy per BATF regs and the soft copy is just for me in case my hard copy gets destroyed).

JOE
 
Sounds like the folks getting questioned are doing some dealings above and beyond what would be considered collecting.
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One of them hasn't even bought anything since acquiring the license.


Those people don't do anything for fun
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My post was, of course, made in jest. It just made a funny image in my mind.
 
No, these people are not being singled out because they are doing anything wrong. There is absolutely no evidence of that and to imply that is irresponsible.
 
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I just got the call from local ATF> They are going to audit me at my place of liscence ( NOT at their office), needing to see my books, license, and firearms.

I have only 6 guns, and havnt used my license in years. Never sold, lost or anything to any that I bought since I got the license.

Pile of crap if you ask me, i have to take a day off of work without pay for this.

Any insite as to what to expect?
 
ibontop said:
I just got the call from local ATF> They are going to audit me at my place of liscence ( NOT at their office), needing to see my books, license, and firearms.

I have only 6 guns, and havnt used my license in years. Never sold, lost or anything to any that I bought since I got the license.

Pile of crap if you ask me, i have to take a day off of work without pay for this.

Any insite as to what to expect?
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You have the legal right to have the inspection conducted at the BATF office nearest your residence. They have no option and are legally required to allow that.
 
I have had my C&R FFL for close to 15 years and I never heard anything form the BATF about it. Even when I got a Form 6 approved (import permit), the local BATF office still did not bother me at all. The only time I talked to an inspector was when a guy I knew was selling guns without a license at gunshows. The BATF inspector called and asked me many probing questions about him and how I knew him - he was a complete ass, that was over 10 years ago but I will never forget it. I was expecting a raid after I hung up the phone. The raid never happened and I have not talked to them since.
 
A friend of mine had it happen to him. He got a call and made an appointment with them when it was convenient for both of them. He said the lady who showed up was very polite and professional about it. She looked through his bound book and asked to see a few firearms at random, which he held for her with his white cotton gloves on while she verified the serial numbers (very collectible Lugers mostly).

He said the ATF lady was only there maybe 30 minutes and never said what triggered the visit.
 
The very first call I recieved after the damaged phone lines were repaired (post Katrina) was from the ATF...They wated to know if my guns we intact and under my control...I recieved another identical call from a different agent about two weeks later..
 
very collectible Lugers mostly
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My impression is the ATF is much more uptight about handguns going through C&R then anything else. If you order a bunch of Nagant revolvers or something the dealer who sells them is requested to inform the ATFE, or so I have heard. Buy a few crates of K31s and no one cares.

ATFE agents probably don't know enough about the value of different handguns to tell which might be used in a crime and which might not.
 
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