Hello my name is Pablo and I live in texas and I just got my FFL and was wondering what is the next step how do I get a hold of firearms at great prices and make a little money??? Please help anyone any info is good and I will really appreciate your all input in this matter.. thank you
I just got my FFL license now what??
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ammo.crafter
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FFL
Is it just me or does the forum get "odd" questions from new posters?
Perhaps I'm over-thinking things.
Is it just me or does the forum get "odd" questions from new posters?
Perhaps I'm over-thinking things.
I have to agree with the above^^^^^^^^^^^^
Have a friend that is an FFL dealer and the big warehouses aren't interested in the little guy buying 4-5 guns a year as a dealer and trying to get reloading supplies are almost impossible. The warehouses want the folks who are buying 100's of thousands of primers and ordering guns buy the hundreds on a regular basis.
g.willikers
New member
Deal in used guns, forget the new ones.
Like the multitude of used car dealers.
All the new ones of the same model and make are identical, more or less.
Used ones are all different.
Makes for a more interesting market with better opportunities for the little guy dealer.
Like the multitude of used car dealers.
All the new ones of the same model and make are identical, more or less.
Used ones are all different.
Makes for a more interesting market with better opportunities for the little guy dealer.
I've been collecting firearms since the 1980's and I'm still trying to figure this out! In fact, I don't think I've EVER been able to buy a gun at a great price. However, I have been good at identifying guns that become collectible, acquire them at "fair" prices, hold onto them for a few years and it looks like I got good deals retrospectively.
A new Great-Adventure !!!
Not up on what to do now but down the road, don't start giving relatives and buddies, some good deals as you won't make a cent and get more business than it's worth. As for transfer fees, I'd set it at $15.00 + sales tax. You will need a tax stamp. .....
By now, you should have a few FFL dealer contacts and you may want to get some input from them. ....
Be Safe !!
Not up on what to do now but down the road, don't start giving relatives and buddies, some good deals as you won't make a cent and get more business than it's worth. As for transfer fees, I'd set it at $15.00 + sales tax. You will need a tax stamp. .....
By now, you should have a few FFL dealer contacts and you may want to get some input from them. ....
You can do this as long as your customers do all the work and you just do the transfer. ....
Mostly good advise and for good reasons but you once a distributor gets notification of your FFL, he will offer you some good deals on new guns. ..
Be Safe !!
carguychris
New member
Ditto the above comments about new vs. used. I know a couple of "little guy" dealers and they report that the distributors, for the most part, charge higher prices for small orders of new guns than the going rate at Bud's or GB. 
IOW if you can't make a large enough order to qualify for a bulk discount, you would have to sell at a loss, and even the bulk-discount price generally isn't low enough to be very lucrative.
In addition to incoming transfers, another potential moneymaker is to offer flat-rate shipping of handguns. It is against federal law for non-licensed persons to ship these via U.S. mail, and common carriers like UPS force the shipper to use their higher-security but $$expensive$$ Next Day Air services. You, on the other hand, can lawfully use the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box and ship a handgun to any FFL in the U.S. for <$30± insured.
IOW if you can't make a large enough order to qualify for a bulk discount, you would have to sell at a loss, and even the bulk-discount price generally isn't low enough to be very lucrative.In addition to incoming transfers, another potential moneymaker is to offer flat-rate shipping of handguns. It is against federal law for non-licensed persons to ship these via U.S. mail, and common carriers like UPS force the shipper to use their higher-security but $$expensive$$ Next Day Air services. You, on the other hand, can lawfully use the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box and ship a handgun to any FFL in the U.S. for <$30± insured.
Old Bill Dibble
New member
I'd start by undercutting all the shops in the area on transfer fees. Tons of online business these days and the shops are making a killing ($25 for a phone call and handing someone a package).
If you really want to go over the top deliver it the buyer for an extra small fee.
Nobody does that.
If you really want to go over the top deliver it the buyer for an extra small fee.
Nobody does that.
carguychris
New member
That may be because 27 CFR § 478.100 only allows a licensee to conduct business (i.e. transfer firearms to non-licensees) at a location other than his licensed premises when the venue is "...gun show or an event is a function sponsored by any national, State, or local organization, devoted to the collection, competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms, or an organization or association that sponsors functions devoted to the collection, competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms in the community."Old Bill Dibble said:
Subsection (1) also expressly prohibits conducting business from "any motorized or towed vehicle," which would make it rather difficult to make deliveries beyond walking distance unless you used a horse, mule, or donkey, a bicycle, or perhaps a hot air balloon.
It's only paper-work !!!
Be Safe !!!
Not a bad idea and a good way to get to know and interact with prospective customers. One of my FFL's charges $10.00 plus sales tax. top quote him, "it's only paper-work". Do t know if he charges more if he has to make a phone call. A local chain store, charges $80.00 and price varies between handguns and long guns ....
Be Safe !!!
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Pahoo said:
Are you certain he'll need a tax stamp? He's in Texas, you're in Iowa. If he's just doing transfers, that's a service rather than a product. Maybe Texas doesn't change sales tax on services.
An FFL is a special FEDERAL license to engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. Period. It does not guarantee that you can get wholesale prices, that you can set up a store, or that anyone will buy what you are selling. FWIW, most wholesalers deal with established dealers; it is not in their interest to work with "one gun, once a year" dealers.
Further, the state or local authorities may also have rules, regulations or licenses that will be needed before you can engage in the gun business, or any business. That might include, but not be limited to, having a store premises, properly zoned, in which the business will be located, proper security measures (e.g., bars on the windows, alarm system), etc. You also need to have business insurance to protect you and your customer if your store is robbed or there is a fire.
In other words, an FFL is not just a paper to let you buy guns cheap; it is a license to do business. If you want to get into the gun business and make some money (and meet some nice folks, I hope), good luck. But if you only want to buy a few guns cheap, believe me, it will be a lot easier to buy from an established dealer and pay for his (hopefully) better service.
An other angle, seldom addressed in discussing doing business, is that all your good ol' buddies will want you to order guns for them at below dealer prices. A few moments thought will reveal that you can't buy a gun for $400 and sell it for $300 and make money, yet that is just what your "buds" will want you to do. Along with spending all your time in BS sessions with "buds" while cash paying customers get tired and walk out.
Jim
Further, the state or local authorities may also have rules, regulations or licenses that will be needed before you can engage in the gun business, or any business. That might include, but not be limited to, having a store premises, properly zoned, in which the business will be located, proper security measures (e.g., bars on the windows, alarm system), etc. You also need to have business insurance to protect you and your customer if your store is robbed or there is a fire.
In other words, an FFL is not just a paper to let you buy guns cheap; it is a license to do business. If you want to get into the gun business and make some money (and meet some nice folks, I hope), good luck. But if you only want to buy a few guns cheap, believe me, it will be a lot easier to buy from an established dealer and pay for his (hopefully) better service.
An other angle, seldom addressed in discussing doing business, is that all your good ol' buddies will want you to order guns for them at below dealer prices. A few moments thought will reveal that you can't buy a gun for $400 and sell it for $300 and make money, yet that is just what your "buds" will want you to do. Along with spending all your time in BS sessions with "buds" while cash paying customers get tired and walk out.
Jim
Straight Transfer
If I buy a firearm from him, I pay the sales tax and the FFL, is included or part of the sale. ....
Be Safe !!!
Cannot speak for Texas but particular dealer charges a county tax which comes to 7%. The free is a straight transfer from outside the state. He runs a service business out of his shop and selling and transferring guns is not his primary service. the tax is strictly for the transfer. Does Texas have a tax on services? .....
No sales involved, only the transfer fee ......
If I buy a firearm from him, I pay the sales tax and the FFL, is included or part of the sale. ....
Be Safe !!!
Many states, including my state of Washington, require state sales tax to be paid by the recipient of an interstate gun sale, and collected by the FFL doing the transfer. It might be called something else, but somehow, something else turns out to be exactly the same tax rate as the state sales tax.
Washington also requires this tax to include the sales tax rate on the cost of shipping.
An FFL needs to know these things in his/her home state in order to do business.
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Mike Irwin
Staff
OK, a big question that no one has asked (that I've seen...)
What KIND of FFL did you get?
Did you get an actual business license? If so, how did you get a business license given that ATF increasingly wants a to see actual business locations and not a home-based business. Also, why would you go to the time and expense of getting a license without apparently knowing the first thing about the firearms business?
On the other hand, did you get a Curio and Relics license?
If that's what you got, you need to understand that the C&R does NOT allow you to engage in the business of selling firearms. C&Rs are generally held by collectors who are looking to add to their personal collection. You can, with a C&R, get rid of items in your collection. There's no set definition of what constitutes business activity, but if you're selling more than a couple of guns a year out of your collection, you run the risk of increased scrutiny.
What KIND of FFL did you get?
Did you get an actual business license? If so, how did you get a business license given that ATF increasingly wants a to see actual business locations and not a home-based business. Also, why would you go to the time and expense of getting a license without apparently knowing the first thing about the firearms business?
On the other hand, did you get a Curio and Relics license?
If that's what you got, you need to understand that the C&R does NOT allow you to engage in the business of selling firearms. C&Rs are generally held by collectors who are looking to add to their personal collection. You can, with a C&R, get rid of items in your collection. There's no set definition of what constitutes business activity, but if you're selling more than a couple of guns a year out of your collection, you run the risk of increased scrutiny.
Theohazard
New member
As far as the state of Washington goes, this is half correct. WA requires an FFL to collect a use tax on interstate transfers (either based on the amount the buyer paid plus shipping or based on the estimated value of the firearm plus shipping if no money was paid for the gun), but this tax is collected ONLY if the gun was shipped to a WA FFL from another FFL. If an individual ships a gun to an FFL in WA, then no tax is collected on the transfer. I believe the state still wants the transferee to pay that tax to the state, but it's not collected by the FFL during the transfer.cjwils said:
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