Firearms Publications

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regarding the making or transferring of a firearm under the National Firearms Act (NFA). This final rule defines the term "responsible person," as used in reference to a trust, partnership, association, company, or corporation; requires responsible persons of such trusts or legal entities to complete a specified form and to submit photographs and fingerprints when the trust or legal entity files an application to make an NFA firearm or is listed as the transferee on an application to transfer an NFA firearm; requires that a copy of all applications to make or transfer a firearm, and the specified form for responsible persons, as applicable, be forwarded to the chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) of the locality in which the applicant/transferee or responsible person is located; and eliminates the requirement for a certification signed by the CLEO. These provisions provide a public safety benefit as they ensure that responsible persons undergo background checks.

Published/Revised: May 15, 2020

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2014, on firearms recovered and traced, firearm types, calibers, source states, time-to-crime rates, possessor age, top recovery locations and more. 

Published/Revised: May 1, 2020

Importers of Firearms and Destructive Devices: Recently, ATF has noted cases where some importers have adopted the same serial number for more than one firearm. These instances of duplication have generally occurred when firearms are received from more than one source.

Published/Revised: April 13, 2020

Letter to all federal firearms licensees (FFLs) in response to questions from industry members regarding the legality of firearm sales and deliveries exterior to the brick-and-mortar structure at which the firearms business is licensed, in light of the March 13, 2020, declaration of a national emergency concerning the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the Department of Homeland Security's subsequent classification of firearms businesses as essential.

Published/Revised: April 10, 2020

The purpose of this public safety advisory is to advise all Michigan federal firearms licensees (FFLs) of an important change to the procedure they must follow to comply with the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady law), 18 U.S.C. § 922(t), when transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person.

Published/Revised: March 3, 2020

Form used by ATF to factor the importability of a pistol or revolver.

Published/Revised: February 1, 2020

Queries of the Firearms Tracing System (FTS) were used to determine which firearms were reported in Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) Thefts/Losses. This information was extracted from the FTS on January 2, 2020.

Published/Revised: January 14, 2020

The Department of Justice is amending the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) concerning the statutory reporting requirement for firearms that have been stolen or lost. The final rule specifies that when a federal firearms licensee (FFL) discovers a firearm it shipped was stolen or lost in transit, the transferor/sender FFL must report the theft or loss to ATP and to the appropriate local authorities within 48 hours of discovery.

Published/Revised: December 31, 2020

In this Issue:  ATF Personnel Changes; Electronic Storage of ATF Form 4473s; ATF Procedure 2017-1; ATF Forms 5; ATF Form 4473: Clarification on Disqualifiers related to Military Service; Electronic Signatures on ATF Forms; NFA Forms: Common Errors; ATF FFL Alert System; Replacement Copies of NFA Tax Paid Transfer Forms; FFL Renewals (Timely Renewing/Common Mistakes); Updated Form 7; Clarification on Federal Firearms Licensing Center (FFLC) Addresses; Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER); NFA/Additional Paper Processing Times

Published/Revised: December 27, 2019

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATP) has received questions from industry members and the general public regarding a new type of firearm produced by the Franklin Armory®. This 'firearm, known as the "Reformation", utilizes a barrel that is produced with straight lands and grooves. This design contrasts with conventional rifling, in which the barrel's lands and grooves are spiral or twisted, and are designed to impart a spin onto the projectile.

Published/Revised: December 19, 2019

The purpose of this circular is to urge licensed firearms dealers to identify their personal collection of firearms kept at the business premises.

Published/Revised: December 11, 2019

The purpose of this circular is to remind firearms dealers, manufacturers, and importers of the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44, and Subpart F of the Regulations thereunder (26 CFR 178) pertaining to sales or deliveries of firearms or ammunition between licensees.

Published/Revised: December 11, 2019