By John Brown
Over a year ago, several of us were sitting around at the Knob Creek event and we started talking about all of the individual dealers that have been around a long time and all of the “Newbies” that are now starting into the business and how hard it was to break into the NFA world. There was so much opportunity and so little information available from the people who were truly experienced. We began discussions on how we were so disjointed and that there was no real synergy within the NFA community where we all could benefit from an association of experienced people who collectively worked for the good of the entire NFA community. We needed someone, or something, to represent and spearhead efforts for all the dealers, manufacturers and collectors from all across the country.
From this initial conversation, the National Firearms Act, Trade and Collectors Association (NFATCA) was born. We started formalizing discussions in January of 2005 and it took us a couple of months to find the best lobbyist and counsel available to launch our efforts. This year at the spring Knob Creek we celebrated our one-year anniversary of the actual formation of the organization where we began to actively recruit its membership. We are proud to say that the entire Board of Directors are lifetime members and take the mission that we set forth very seriously. We stand at over fifty members in our first year with a host of major accomplishments under our belt.
The NFATCA has been instrumental in developing a relationship with ATF that has not existed in the last 20 years. We continue to work a multi-tiered approach to solving problems and developing strategies jointly with ATF on a list of topics that seems to be never ending. We are working issues from every perspective from the new 4473s to offering a helping hand in the electronic forms process. We approach not only ATF, but major Congressional representatives seeking support on issues ranging from the barrel and receiver rulings to compliance issues and a working relationship with field offices within ATF.
If you have been following our monthly reports in Small Arms Review, you know the Board of Directors meet weekly on a conference bridge with our counsel and any other representatives on strategic issues facing our community. Our efforts are time consuming and detailed, yet the board voluntarily marches forward recognizing the importance of our mission and the ultimate achievements we all will benefit from. I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for their tireless efforts during the past year.
Many members have and continue to get involved in some very heavy-duty issues we work on every week. As these monthly reports continue, so will the revelation of the accomplishments of the NFATCA be presented. Log on to our web site and join the NFATCA team. It’s the only place you will find the information or answers you need. Join today and find out what “Power Through Experience” really means.
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V9N10 (July 2006) |
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