diyj98 said:
The thing that pisses me off is a guy who can't trust me with a copy of his FFL, but insists on a copy of my driver's license. I can't be trusted, but I expected to trust them. I've started telling those people "no sale" just to make a point.
You shouldn't take it personally that this is the arrangement some FFL holders require. It may seem like an unfair "one way street," but the penalties for an FFL not following the law are much greater that say, laws penalizing your occasional transaction law abiding gun hobbyist.
The standards for the FFL holders are higher than that of your "Joe the Gun Owner" types. These FFL business owners have to undergo an ATFE inspections at the drop of hat and there had not be a discrepancy in their record keeping. Fines up to thousands of dollars and Federal prosecution hang over their heads, not to mention the watchful of of their respective state agencies and LEOs. Furthermore, most of these folks are small business owners. A photoshopped or hacked license used by a criminal will invariably penalize the innocent FFL holder who had the misfortunate of letting a wayward license copy fall into the wrong hands. Imagine such an FFL owner trying to untangle a web of legal issues and proceedings to get out from under a misdirected charge against them. By that time, they might as well be bankrupt, spending thousands of dollars on attorney's fees as well as trying to recover unjust fines and penalties.
They eke out a living from the majority of us gunowners, some of them trying to soothe the irritation of those who angrily balk at the some of the prices they charge, especially the regulars who come in on a day to day basis to pester them for a deal. They have to play nice not only with the ATFE but also, any state regulatory agencies, and most importantly, us, since we are the ones that are giving them the business. It must take passion to run a gunshop, having to play diplomat as well as recordkeeper and business owner all at once.
TPA.
