FFL & ATF Compliance

A copy of our licence is available on request, and receiving dealers can verify us through the ATF FFL eZ Check system.

As a Class 2 — NFA Firearms Manufacturer (reduced rate), we are licensed to manufacture firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act. NFA items are handled under a separate and stricter process than ordinary firearms, and nothing about that process happens online.

• No NFA item is ever sold through online checkout, and none is ever shipped to an unlicensed individual.
• Transfers to another licensee are made on an ATF-approved Form 3. Transfers to an individual or trust are made on an ATF-approved Form 4, with the $200 transfer tax paid and the tax stamp issued before the item changes hands.
• Nothing is released until the ATF approves the application. Approval times are set by the ATF, not by us, and we will not estimate them.
• The transferee completes an ATF Form 4473 and a NICS background check at the time of transfer, exactly as with any other firearm.
• We transfer NFA items only where state and local law permits the transferee to possess them. Several states prohibit some or all NFA categories outright.
• Every NFA item is entered in our National Firearms Act records and our Acquisition & Disposition record, and is registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Every frame and receiver we make or sell is a firearm under federal law, and we treat it exactly like one. This is our compliance position under ATF Final Rule 2021R-05, which defines what counts as a frame or receiver and what a licensed manufacturer and dealer has to do with one.

• As a licensed manufacturer, every frame or receiver we produce is serialized and marked with our name, city, and state as federal marking regulations require, before it leaves our control.
• Every frame and receiver we stock, list, or transfer bears a serial number and the markings federal law requires. We do not accept, list, or transfer an unmarked frame or receiver.
• Any partially complete, disassembled, or non-functional frame or receiver that has reached the stage of being readily convertible is treated as a firearm: it is serialized, logged, and transferred under the same rules as a complete firearm.
• Every frame and receiver is entered in our Acquisition & Disposition record on receipt and on disposition, exactly as a complete firearm is.
• Every frame and receiver transfer requires a completed ATF Form 4473 and a NICS background check, in person at our counter or through the receiving dealer.
• We never ship a frame or receiver to an unlicensed individual. They go to an FFL, or they are picked up here.
• Parts that are not frames or receivers — grips, stocks, optics, slings, magazines, and similar accessories — are not firearms and are sold as ordinary accessories. We do not sell them in any combination that would amount to an unserialized weapon parts kit.

The rule itself is published by the ATF at atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/definition-frame-or-receiver.

• Every firearm transfer starts with a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID showing your name, date of birth, photograph, and current residence address.
• Where your ID does not show your current address, we require supplemental government-issued documentation that does, as the 4473 requires.
• We compare the ID to the person in front of us and to the information written on the 4473. A mismatch stops the transfer.
• Non-U.S. citizens must provide the additional documentation federal law requires before we can proceed.
• We refuse any transfer where we have reason to believe the buyer is acquiring the firearm for someone else. Straw purchases are a federal felony and we report attempts.

• Every firearm transfer to a non-licensee runs through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) before the firearm changes hands.
• We honor every state-required permit check, point-of-contact system, and waiting period that applies to the buyer's jurisdiction.
• A denial means no transfer, full stop. We refund the purchase in full and provide the NICS transaction number so the buyer can appeal directly to the FBI if they believe the denial is wrong.
• On a delayed response, we hold the firearm. We do not use the discretionary default-proceed window.
• NICS transaction numbers and responses are recorded on the 4473 and retained with our records as regulations require.

When a firearm is shipped to another licensee, we confirm that licensee is real and current before anything leaves the building.

• We obtain a copy of the receiving dealer's Federal Firearms License and verify it against the ATF FFL eZ Check system.
• We confirm the licence is unexpired and that the licence type permits receipt of the item being shipped.
• We ship only to the premises address printed on that licence. We do not ship to a dealer's residence, a mailbox service, or any third-party address.
• We contact the receiving dealer directly to confirm they are expecting the transfer before shipping.
• The transaction is logged in our Acquisition & Disposition record with the receiving licensee's name, address, and licence number.

All shipments are packed and dispatched by our own staff from our licensed premises, insured, and sent with signature-required delivery. Tracking and delivery confirmation are retained with the transaction record. Full detail is on the Shipping Policy page, and state-level limits are on the Age & State Restrictions page.

• We maintain a bound or electronic Acquisition & Disposition record covering every firearm that enters or leaves our inventory.
• Completed ATF Forms 4473 are retained for the full period federal regulations require and made available for ATF inspection.
• We file multiple-handgun-sale reports, report thefts and losses to the ATF and local law enforcement within the required window, and respond to ATF trace requests promptly.
• We comply with the National Firearms Act and with ATF regulations at 27 CFR Parts 447, 478, and 479, along with all applicable state and local requirements for storage, sale, transfer, return, and destruction of firearms and ammunition.

Anything about our licence, a transfer, or a compliance question: Travis@BrownCountyArmory.com or (317) 874-8751.