Publications Library

ATF occasionally issues publications to inform the industries it regulates and the general public about the laws and regulations administered and enforced by ATF. These include guidebooks, newsletters, brochures, studies, and reports.

Title Description Category Document Type
Explosives Industry Newsletter-November 2002 (1735 KB)
What’s In This Issue: A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF, ARSON & EXPLOSIVES PROGRAMS DIVISION; ATF HOSTS EXPLOSIVES INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE MEETING; VARIANCES; EPA AND THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT; NEW INDUSTRY CIRCULARS; INTERNATIONAL EXPLOSIVES ASSISTANCE & COORDINATION; FUGITIVE CORNER; A $20,000 Reward is being offered by ATF for information leading to the arrest of STEPHEN HOWARD ANDERSON; EXPLOSIVE QUESTIONS; NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION; THIRD QUARTER 2002 EXPLOSIVE THEFTS
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter- May 2003 (197 KB)
What’s In This Issue: SPECIAL EDITION; SAFE EXPLOSIVES ACT OF 2002; SAFE EXPLOSIVES ACT OF 2002; CHANGES WITHIN ATF RESULTING FROM THE SIGNING OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY BILL; FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS; THE NEW FEDERAL EXPLOSIVES LICENSE AND PERMIT APPLICATION; OTHER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS; APPLICATION FOR RESTORATION OF EXPLOSIVES PRIVILEGES; CHANGES WITHIN ATF RESULTING FROM THE SIGNING OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY BILL; THE NEW FEDERAL EXPLOSIVES LICENSE AND PERMIT APPLICATION
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-December 2003 (617 KB)
What’s in this issue: Changes in the Public Safety Branch; New Chief of the National Licensing Center; Storage Requirements; Requirements for Distraction Devices; ATF Meets with Mining Industry and ISEE; Limited Permit Procedures Detailed; Sales of Explosives Away From the Licensed Premises; Changes at the National Licensing Center; Theft of Explosives as Reported to ATF; Reporting Changes in Responsible Persons and Employee Possessors
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2004 (639 KB)
What’s in this issue: A Message from the Chief, Arson & Explosives Programs Division; New Director, Deputy Director of ATF Announced Lewis P. Raden Named Assistant Director(Enforcement Programs and Services); Changes in the Arson and Explosives Programs Division; Volatile Organic Compounds; Manufacture of Binary Explosives; Manufacture of Binary Explosives; ATF Attends Conferences; Indoor Storage Magazine Locking Requirements; New Annual List of Explosives Published; Thefts and Loss Reporting Requirements; Theft of Explosives as Reported to ATF
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2005 (675 KB)
What’s in this issue: Changes in the Arson and Explosives Programs Division; Director’s Speech at the ISEE National Conference; New Federal Explosives Licensing Center; Reporting Changes in Responsible Persons and Employees Authorized to Possess Explosive Materials; Reporting Procedures For Explosives Transactions; Storage of More Than 300,000 Pounds of Explosives; ATF Inspections
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-December 2005 (183 KB)
What’s in this issue: Changes Within the Office of Enforcement Programs Services; Changes in the Arson and Explosives Programs Division; ATF’s Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; ATF’s Response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; Changes in ATF Regulation 27 CFR 555.55; You’ve Got EIPB-Mail!; Submission of Employee Possessor Questionnaires; New Requirements for Identification Markings on Explosives Materials; Definition of “Highways” as Defined in 27 CFR 555.11 and Guidance on Different “Private Roads”; Construction and Recordkeeping: Storage Bins for Blasting Agents; Variances for Continuing Authority Concerning Preloading of Trucks for Temporary Storage of Fireworks for Shows ATF; REMINDER: Licensees and Permittees are Required to Maintain Records
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-September 2006 (102 KB)
What’s In This Issue: What’s in this issue: Mr. Mark D. Jones Appointed as the Deputy Chief, Arson and Explosives Programs Division; Compliance Issues Involving the Fireworks Industry; License or Permit; Table of Distances; Incomplete Applications; Securing Storage Magazines; Q and A; Daily Summary of Magazine Transactions (Revisited)
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2009 (1721 KB)
What’s in this Issue: New Chief of Explosives Industry Programs; New Web Pages; Fireworks Safety and Storage Illegal Explosives Fireworks Recordkeeping; Variance Updated Fireworks Q and A; As Simplified License and Permit Structure Change of Control Scanned or E-Mailed Licenses Igniter Storage with Rocket Motors in Attached Garages Locking Issues Bullet; Resistance for Type-2 Indoor Storage Detonator Boxes Explosives Thefts
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter - December 2009 (1060 KB)
What’s in this Issue: Carson W. Carroll, Assistant Director, Enforcement; Programs and Services, Retires; 2009 Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) Spring Meeting; 2010 International Society of Explosives; Engineers (ISEE) Conference; Type-1 Igloo or “Army-type Structure” Explosives Magazines Day Boxes; Table of Distances and Barricades; Recording Explosive Materials ”Used” Inspection Violations; Black Powder Blanks; Deteriorated Explosives; U.S. Department of Defense Exemption Application to Contractors Storage of Exempt Explosive Materials in Magazines; Notice of Errata; Orange Book Errata; Licensee/Permittee Population
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2010.pdf (1732 KB)
What’s In This Issue: Changes in Headquarters Personnel;Change of Ownership versus Change of Control; Storage of Shock Tube with Detonators; ATF Ruling—Placement and Visibility of Containers in Magazines; Inspecting Magazines; Type-5 Locking Requirements; Rubberized Lining in Type-3 and Type-4 Magazines; Reviewing Variances; Fireworks and Fires in the United States; Theft Discovery and Reporting; Orange Book Errata
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter June 2011 (2200 KB)
What’s in this issue: New Web Pages and Publication; Display Fireworks Materials Exemption for Federally Recognized Indian Tribes; Fireworks and Black Powder; ATF Ruling 2011-2 Storage in Type 5 Bins and Silos; Mortise Locks and Cylindrical Dead Bolt Locks; Recordkeeping Exception at 27 CFR 555.123(d); Pressure Gas Systems; Indoor Magazines Stored Inside Containers and Trailers; Educational Institution Exemptions and Students; Prohibited Person Reminder; A Reminder about Special Explosive Device Exemptions; Acting Director Expresses ATF Gratitude; Explosives Thefts from 2006 through 2010
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter- December 2011.pdf (2137 KB)
What’s In This Issue: New Acting Director of ATF; New Publications; Open Letter—Definition of Display Fireworks; ATF Ruling 2011-3, Alternate Locks Authorized for Explosives Magazines; Non-sparking Metals; Attended “Day Box” Reminders; Smokeless Powder Exemption; Binary Exploding Targets; Binary Explosives Security; Certain Pest Control Devices Exempted as “Articles Pyrotechnic”; Hobby Pyrotechnics in a Regulated Environment; Explosives Licensing and Transfers; Reporting RPs and Eps; U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Yearbook
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter-June 2012 .pdf (1440 KB)
What’s In This Issue: ATF Celebrates 40 Years of Public Service; New Publications; ATF Ruling 2012-2, Uncovered Firework Bins; Storage of EPCDs Aboard Fishing Vessels; ATF Regulation of 1.4 Materials; Recording in the Daily Summary of Magazine Transactions; Aluminum Type 2 and Type 3 Magazines; Advertised as “ATF Approved”; ATF to Host Explosives Regulatory Conference; Questions and Answers; Explosives Thefts Reported During 2011
Explosives Newsletter
Explosives Industry Newsletter December 2012 (2782 KB)
What’s In This Issue: New Explosives Industry Programs Branch Chief; ATF Explosives Industry Meeting in Washington; ATF Ruling 2012-5 Type 4 Wood Floors; Signage and Placarding at Regulated Mining Sites; Explosives Violations; Applying Tables of Distances at 555.218 and 555.220; Type 19 Licensed Activities; Recording Packaged Displays in the DSMT; Questions and Answers; EIPB at the AFSL Display Fireworks Seminar in China
Explosives Newsletter
Gun Shows: Brady Checks and Crime Gun Traces (1/99) (220 KB)
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Act) provides crucial information about firearms buyers to Federal firearms licensees (FFLs), but does not help nonlicensees to identify prohibited purchasers. Under the Brady Act, FFLs contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to ensure that a purchaser is not a felon or otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms. Until the Brady Act was passed, the only way an FFL could determine whether a purchaser was a felon or other person prohibited from possessing firearms was on the basis of the customer's self-certification.
Resource Center Guide
ATF P 5300.21: Best Practices: Transfers of Firearms by Private Sellers (165 KB)
This publication provides best practices in regards to transfers of firearms by private sellers.
Firearms Guide
Gun Free School Zone Notice (ATF P 5310.1) (934 KB)
This notice provides information about the laws and public responsibility regarding firearms near to or in school zones. 
Firearms Guide
Publication on Safety and Security Information for Federal Explosives Licensees and Permittees (ATF P 5400.15) (1779 KB)
This document provides all members of the explosives industry with the importance of employing security safeguards over explosives materials.
 
Explosives Guide
Publication on Explosives Magazine Construction Requirements (ATF P 5400.17) (476 KB)
This publication provides information on magazine explosives classes and storage requirements.
Explosives Guide
Recordkeeping Requirements for Explosive Material Manufacturers (ATF P 5400.19) (4772 KB)
This publication identifies what licensed manufacturers must do for compliance, as per the Federal explosives regulations at 27 CFR, Part 555.
 
 
Explosives Guide
Recordkeeping Requirements for Explosive Material Importers (ATF P 5400.21) (3763 KB)
This publication defines what each federally licensed importer must do for compliance, as per the Federal explosives regulations at 27 CFR, Part 555.
Explosives Guide
Recordkeeping Requirements for Dealers of Explosive Materials (ATF P 5400.22) (4851 KB)
This publication defines what federally licensed explosives dealers must do for compliance, as per the Federal explosives regulations at 27 CFR, Part 555.
Explosives Guide
Protection Orders and Federal Firearms Prohibitions (ATF I 3310.2) (143 KB)
A qualifying court order may be issued by a criminal court or civil court, such as divorce court, family court, magistrate or general jurisdiction court.  The following list enumerates the elements that define a qualifying protection order under the Federal firearms prohibition.
Resource Center Guide
ATF I 3310.4 — Federal Firearms Prohibitions Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4) – Persons Adjudicated as a Mental Defective or Committed to a Mental Institution (100 KB)
Any person who has been "adjudicated as a mental defective" or "committed to a mental institution" is prohibited under Federal law from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing any firearm or ammunition. Violation of this Federal offense is punishable by a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to ten years.
Resource Center Guide
ATF I 5300.2 — Youth Handgun Safety Act Notice (97 KB)
Federal law prohibits, except in certain limited circumstances, anyone under 18 years of age from knowingly possessing a handgun, or any person from selling, delivering, or otherwise transferring a handgun to a person under 18. A knowing violation of the prohibition against selling, delivering, or otherwise transferring a handgun to a person under the age of 18 is, under certain circumstances, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Firearms Guide
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