FFL Requirements - Buildings / Security

[Butch Lambert]

For the most part these agents want an uneventful visit. Hence, the announced visit. I’ve had the same experience here. The first visit was by an agent Martinez. I had built a powder cabinet for gun powder out of used lumber. it was a classy looking cabinet but the boards that were used to build the doors were taboo. They had to be plywood. He didn’t gig (Army term) me for the lumber doors but he told me he’d check back again in two weeks. I expected a visit but instead he gave me a ring on the phone. He asked if had changed the doors and if i was finished. I told him I was and he was welcome to drop in. He told me that wasn’t necessary.

Francis, I had a lot of powder, but was not asked about a powder cabinet.

 

[FBecigneul]

I guess it depends on the agent and circumstances. Agent Rodriquez was interested in paperwork first and then the powder and primers.

 

[alinwa]

They didn't ask me.... but I store my powder in old fridges, in an outbuilding, with a light (Clue anyone?) and I volunteered this information as we play with a lotta' booms and I'm intimately familiar with the in-and-outs of storing/tending dynamite etc.

I point the doors away from everything and each other.

They really like the refrigerator idea

 

[TX COWDOC]

I’ve had a FFL in Texas since sometime in the 80’s. I was just inspected for the first time this year. Fortunately it was an announced visit by the ATF agent and I had time to make sure everything was in order. All personal firearms were tagged with tags from Brownells stating not for sale personal firearms. I made sure that every other firearm that was there was accounted for and was logged in to either a Purchased for sale log book or a gunsmithing log book. He went though all of the 4437’s and made sure they were properly filled out. Checked that everything that was logged in that hadn’t been logged back out was still in the vault and accounted for and checked serial numbers against serial numbers in the log book. The personal firearms with the tags were of no interest to him. Only what was logged in. Pretty simple inspection for a manufacturers license with not a lot of inventory in stock. It took about an hour. I’m pretty sure he isoected every FFL in the county the same day. Very few FFL’s in Wheeler County unlike some of the more populous counties. He did ask about a security system which I have. He said secure storage was as good as any he’d seen.

Mike,
Is the tagging requirement for personal firearms limited to those that are stored in the same location as customer firearms? In other words, I intend to maintain my personal firearms in my residence thus keeping non-personal firearms in a secured area in my shop. Next time I'm up in the Panhandle, I'd like to come by and meet you.

 

[Mike Bryant]

Mike,
Is the tagging requirement for personal firearms limited to those that are stored in the same location as customer firearms? In other words, I intend to maintain my personal firearms in my residence thus keeping non-personal firearms in a secured area in my shop. Next time I'm up in the Panhandle, I'd like to come by and meet you.

I'm sure the tagging personal firearms is for personal firearms in a secured area of the shop. They don't care about your personal firearms in your house or whether they are tagged or not, just what you have where you conduct your FFL business. When we built my shop we poured a 12'x12' walk in vault with 8" concrete walls and ceiling. It has a used vault door that came out of a National Guard armory in Norman. They must not have had it long as it was almost new when I bought it from a lock and key place in OKC.