How many C&R holders?

Ernest T said:
Interesting that Massachusetts has the 2nd largest number of C&R license holders.
Click to expand...
Actually, they're 3rd. FL is 2nd with 3,623 versus 3,441 for MA.
johnwilliamson062 said:
Those are really low numbers... I suddenly feel very vulnerable.
Click to expand...
Same here. For comparison, the number of FAA-certificated private pilots outnumbers 03 FFLs by about 3:1 (174,883 in 2014 vs. 59,713 in 2015)

I took this opportunity to compare the C&R license stats with U.S. Census 2015 population estimates, and I attached a PDF showing not only the numbers, but the rates per population. Green cells denote the Top 10. Red cells denote the Bottom 10. I've excluded Guam from the adult calculations because adult census figures for Guam don't seem to be readily available, and I've excluded the U.S. Virgin Islands (VI) and the Northern Mariana Islands (MP) entirely because there are apparently no C&R FFLs there.

Some interesting takeaways:
  • Although they rank 3rd for the most C&R licensees overall, MA has a commanding lead in rankings per population; roughly one of every 2,000 people and 1,600 adults in MA is a C&R FFL.
  • 5 states with a reputation for being generally pro-gun-control are in the Top 10 of the C&R rates per population: CT, IL, MA, MD, and RI. However, 6 of the other "usual suspects" crowd the bottom of the rankings: CA, DC, HI, NJ, NY, and PR.
  • The per-population rankings for "gun-friendly" states are also not what I would have predicted; pro-gun AK, MO, NH, VA, VT, and WY are in the top 10, and MT misses by only 1 position at #11, but AZ(!?), GA, MS, TX, and UT are all near the bottom.
  • The average person in MA is 73(!) times more likely to be a C&R FFL than the average person in PR. If we limit the comparison to adults in actual U.S. states, the average adult in MA is 31 times more likely to be a C&R FFL than the average adult in NJ—which is only ~75mi away! (Even though there are only 4 C&R FFLs in Guam, they outrank NJ in rate per population!)
  • I surmise that high shipping rates have had a strong influence on the low rankings of U.S. island states and territories (GU, HI, MP, PR, VI).
This has been a fun way to spend my lunch break. ;)
 

Attachments

The numbers of C&R holders is dropping. The total number in the US was over 64000 in 2013. I'm not sure what is the reason. Maybe less availability of these types of firearms for collectors, the anti-gun campaign, guys completing their collections (I doubt this ever happens :)), or no money to buy the ever increasing prices of firearms???
 
What exactly does a C&R license allow you to do that the average citizen cannot? I hope that isn't a dumb question but I'm just wondering. I have several milsurps and hope to get more in the future.
 
joe sixgun said:
What exactly does a C&R license allow you to do that the average citizen cannot?
Click to expand...
Have a C&R firearm shipped directly to your door, even across state lines, no transfer fees! And since the license costs only $30 it pays for itself the first time you use it.

In Illinois C&R firearms are exempt from the waiting periods if you have a C&R license.
 
Ernest T said:
Maybe less availability of these types of firearms for collectors...
Click to expand...
I'm going to go out on a limb and be more specific. I think it's strongly related to the fact that there are no more $225 Yugo or Romanian SKS's, $59 Mosin-Nagant 91/30s, or $99 Yugo Mausers on the market (and roughly in that order).

I think that many shooters got a C&R FFL to take advantage of hot deals on these guns, then let their licenses expire once the supply dried up.
 
I just let mine expire, for exactly that reason. I may reapply in a year or two.

Washington state's background check law also has no exemption for C&R FFL holders, haven't tried to get one shipped to the door since the law passed, but absent that exemption I'm wondering if the license is even useful unless the firearm is made before 1898.
 
Illinois does not exempt you from a waiting period because you have a C&R. You are exempted on a C&R purchase because it is a dealer-to-dealer exchange. Not all retail dealers will do this. If you purchase the gun through regular NICS, the waiting period applies.
 
JohnMoses said:
Illinois does not exempt you from a waiting period because you have a C&R.
Click to expand...
The interpretation offered by the Illinois State Police is: "Do FFLs have to wait when transferring firearms between FFLs? There is no waiting period between retail FFLs. And Curio and Relic (C&R) FFLs are exempt from the waiting period for those firearms that appear on the ATF&E C&R list and fall under the C&R license."

It used to be on a FAQ on the ISP web site but that page has since disappeared. But the page was copied and pasted on the Illinois Carry page by Illinois NRA lobbyist Todd Vandermyde here: http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=32968

eta: here's an archived version of the ISP FAQ from February 14, 2015: http://web.archive.org/web/20150214070729/http://www.isp.state.il.us/foid/ffldinfo.cfm
 
Last edited:
I think it is equally likely people let it expire because many sellers do not choose to accept a 03 FFL. Atleast half the C&R purchases I made had to go through a normal FFL b/c the seller didn't want to deal with a 03 FFL.
The discount is often enough to make up for the $10 a year though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top