The ATF wants to keep 4473s for 20 years, not forever
The ATF wants to change how long you keep your 4473s. Here is what is on the table. For years the rule was simple. If a Form 4473 started in your shop, you kept it for the life of your business. That standard has been in place since ATF Ruling 2021R-05F took effect in…
The Hidden Revenue in Your Gunsmithing Shop (And How to Track It)
Ask most gun shop owners what their gunsmithing operation makes them, and you will get a confident answer. Ask them how they arrived at that number, and the confidence drops. The honest answer, in a lot of shops, is some version of “we do okay back there.”…
Switching POS Systems? What Every FFL Should Know Before Migration
Most gun shop owners who want to switch gun store POS systems do not pull the trigger. Not because they love their current software. But because the switch feels like too much risk. That fear is not irrational. According to Gartner, 83% of data migration projects…
Why FFL Retailers Are Ditching Patchwork Systems for One Platform
Walk into most gun shops and ask the owner how many software systems they use. The answer is usually somewhere between three and six. One for point of sale. One for accounting. A separate tool for gunsmithing jobs and yet another for range management. Each one was a…
Top 5 ATF Audit Mistakes FFLs Make (And How to Avoid Them)
Most FFLs who get cited during an ATF inspection are not cutting corners. They are running busy stores, moving fast, and doing their best to keep up. But when an Industry Operations Investigator pulls your records, best effort is not the standard. Accuracy is. The…
9,696 ATF Inspections in 2024. What Separates the Stores That Pass from the Ones That Don’t?
In fiscal year 2024, the ATF conducted 9,696 firearm compliance inspections nationwide. Following those inspections, 1,488 federal firearms licensees either surrendered their licenses or ceased operations. Not every closure was the result of enforcement action. Some…