FFL License Update

A while back I posted about sending in my application for my Federal Firearms License (FFL). I Rounded up all the forms and filled them out, got my fingerprints recorded on the special form, got some passport photos, and sent it all in.

A few weeks later I got a call from the ATF, wanting to set up an appointment and an interview. A couple of days ago the ATF Rep. came to visit, and we spent about five hours thoroughly  going over all the laws and procedures for running my firearms business.

In the course of the conversation we were discussing manufacturing of firearms, and I have always wanted to make my own rimfire race gun frame, incorporating all the things I've learned over the years. Making one for myself is a fairly simple process, but if I decided to sell it and make a better one, it's a bit more complicated. However, it turns out that to apply for a FFL license that allows you all of the regular dealer things, and allows manufacturing too, is the same form. It took a little bit of paperwork, but we were able to withdraw my application for a type 01 FFL license and resubmit it as a type 07 license, and still use the original application.

I got a phone call today that the application is being sent for final approval with a recommendation to approve by the ATF Rep. It seems that the State Department has added in some additional fee or tax on firearms manufacturers of $2500, so I'm not likely to be manufacturing anything for a long time, but at least the paperwork is in place for the future.

The good news is that the ATF was great to deal with, everything was explained carefully and in detail, and although it was a long session, I think I picked up all the relevant info, and I now know how to find any info that I otherwise can't remember.

For next year's SHOT show I think I can sign up in every one of the attendee categories; Media, Dealer, wholesaler, retailer, manufacturer, and probably more. They don't have a category for "Ammo Waster" but I'd be a natural for that one too........

Milling Machine Video

For those of you interested in this sort of thing, here's a short video of my EXCELLO CNC milling machine machining a mount for the OKO Red Dot sight to fit onto a Ruger 10-22 rifle.

This machine was considered state of the art in the early 80's. It's fun to watch as it moves back and forth and up and down making the parts!

Ruger 10-22 OKO Sight Mount

As I've been relating recently, I've been putting in a lot of time with the new CNC milling machine designing and manufacturing a line of Red Dot sight mounts. The first mounts are for the OKO Red Dot sights, but some other mounts are in the works too, just down the road a bit.

Here's the third sight mount in the new OKO mount series. This mount is designed to mount to the receiver of the Ruger 10-22 rimfire semi-auto rifle using the factory drilled holes, provided your receiver has been factory drilled.

Top View - Enlarge the picture and take a close look at the finish!

Bottom view.

If your 10-22 has a hole pattern like this, then this mount will bolt right on.

The new mount bolted to by beat up old Ruger 10-22.

Here's the right side, with the OKO Red Dot sight installed in the mount.

A lot of the sights out there clamp on to a Weaver or Picatinny rail, but the necessity of the rail raises the sight up farther away from the center line of the barrel. The lower you can mount the sight the better. This mount eliminates the Weaver or Picatinny rail completely. It makes for a very solid mounting of the sight.

If you think an OKO sight and one of these mounts is what your 10-22 needs, they are available at Magnum Shooter's Supply on line. The sight sells for 244.95, and the mount is 79.95.

I should add that I am the importer and distributor for the full line of OKO Red Dot sights from the Czech Republic. I also own Magnum Shooters Supply. I also use the OKO sights on just about everything I own, and wouldn't want to switch, either!

OKO Sights - On Sale + Free Shipping

As most of you know, over the last few months I've been working like mad putting together a new on-line storefront,  Magnum Shooters Supply. A bit at a time I've been adding products and product lines, including Pro Ears hearing protectors and Ammunition, but our flagship product line is the line of OKO Red Dot Reflex sights from the Czech Republic.

The store front is now fully functional, the credit card processing gateway works, and it's time to start running some introductory sales to really get the ball rolling.


How about dropping the price twenty-five bucks, and free shipping too? I've got everything shown on the website in stock, and unless an item specifically states that it's back-ordered, it's in stock and ready to ship.

Sure, there are lots of red dot sights out there, and a ton of them a whole lot cheaper, but you DO get what you pay for, and the OKO, in my opinion, is right up there with the C-More, and in some ways even better. I've got both C-Mores and OKO's for my race guns, and I prefer the OKO, but they are both very good. Grab one while they are on sale!

Check it out!

Ammo at Magnum Shooter's Supply

On the 2nd. of January I fired up our online shooting supplies store, Magnum Shooters Supply. We started out with the full line of OKO Red Dot sights and mounts, Pro Ears Hearing Protectors, James Austin Moon Clip Servers, and some custom sight mounts that I machine myself.

We have now added another new category, Ammunition. The cost of having ammunition shipped to you is usually way more than you'd think it should be, and if you have to ship it half way across the country, the cost can be staggering. That's just for ammunition. If you want to buy primers or powder, you get to pay a whopping hazmat fee on top of the shipping. To start out we won't be carrying primers, but that could change a ways down the road. What we ARE going to do, though, is carry ammunition. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, and we ship from Western Washington, that can save you some money.

To save you even more, if you buy ammo, sights,  or any other products from us, and you are going to be at one of the matches where I'm going to be, I will be glad to bring it with me, and save you ALL shipping and handling fees completely. That can definitely save you some money. Here's a list of the matches I am planning on shooting. Obviously, if it's a match that I will be flying to, I won't be delivering ammo, but for Washington, Oregon, and Northern Idaho, it's a good possibility. Here's the procedure: 

1. Email me first to be sure I will be attending the match in question. 
2. Make your purchase at Magnum Shooters Supply. Specify "Will Call".
3. Put "Will pick up at XYZ match on xx/xx/xxxx date." in the Instructions.

That's it!

I will be picking up the first shipment of ammo tomorrow (Monday), and there will be three kinds of 22LR ammo, plus some 9mm. and some .45ACP. I will be adding .38SPL, .380, and some other pistol calibers on the next order. From there I will be adding some rifle stuff. I can only afford to add so much at a time, but it will be growing, for sure.

If there is a particular type of ammo, or a specific shooting item you are looking for, drop me an email and I'll see what I can find out as to price and availability. We will not be handling firearms or serial number gun parts. We will leave that to the FFL dealers.

It's going to take a while, but watch us grow!

OKO Sights are finally here and Misc.

I realize I've been blogging a lot about the OKO sights and the new store on line, Magnum Shooters Supply, but that's a whole lot of what I've been up to lately! The OKO sight shipment form the Czech Republic has arrived in perfect condition, and everything has been accounted for, and put on the shelves, ready to fly out the door!

For those of you that I see and shoot with regularly that are interested in seeing the sights in person, just let me know and I'll bring a few along so you can have a closer look.

I am in the process of lining up a wholesale distributor for a very popular (and reliable) line of rimfire ammunition for the store. I don't know if it will work out or not, but if I can maintain decent prices and supply, I'm going to give it a try.

Someone once said that the secret to business success is simple: "Try what might work, Keep doing what is working, and stop doing what isn't working!"

That's the plan!

OKO Red Dot Sights Should Be Here Soon!

As you already know, I've opened a small Shooting Sports supply Internet store, Magnum Shooters Supply. In conjunction with the store, I have also negotiated a contract with S.G.B. Praha in the Czech Republic to become the exclusive importer and distributor of the line of OKO Red Dot Sights for the United States. At times it has been a slow process, but the good news is that I now have a 34 lb. box full of OKO Red Dot Sights, mounts, and accessories at the factory waiting for the UPS Air Freight truck to pick it up and ship it here to us.

If Customs doesn't slow us up, and there is no reason why they should since we've got all of the papers in order, we should be able to start selling the OKO Sights by the end of next week.

 I just received an email from the OKO factory in Czech Republic, and the shipment of sights and accessories for my startup Internet Business Magnum Shooters Supply has been delayed a bit, but not a lot. 

Our initial order is fairly large, and since I'm ordering everything they make, getting it all together at one time to save shipping costs is a project for them. It also turns out that the weather over there right now is terrible and European shipments are getting delayed for weather reasons. To add to all of that, apparently a mini-flu epidemic is temporarily reducing their workforce by quite a bit! 

The shipment should now leave Czech Republic on the 31st., and UPS says it should take 3 to 5 days to get here, if all goes smoothly, so we should be able to start sending out sights the first week of February.

Once I get the pipeline filled, so to speak, we should have a constant supply of sights en-route, so availability should be good after the initial shipment.

Magnum Shooters Supply Stuff

(Yeah, I know this is sort of an ad for my new business, but it's what I've been doing lately instead of blogging.)

Magnum Shooters Supply news: I have now received shipping confirmation of the first stocking order of Pro Ears hearing protectors and accessories. They are scheduled to arrive on January 21st. With that in mind, I will be extending the Pro Ears sale pricing until Feb. 21st.

Here's the deal: Pro Ears has a Minimum Advertised Price requirement for their dealers, and dealers cannot advertise Pro Ears products below that price. If you do, you run a good chance of becoming an "EX" dealer. This way, dealers large and small will all have a chance to advertise sale prices, but the big boys aren't allowed to run huge loss leader pricing and make it impossible for the little guys to stay in business.

I have set the sale price for all of the Pro Ears Electronic Hearing Protectors at four cents over the Minimum! On top of that, I am also paying the freight to get them to your door!

Yes, this is a limited time offer and all that, but if you want to get what I consider to be the best hearing protectors out there for the shooting sports, now's your chance. I've been using the Pro Ears  Dimension Plus hearing protectors for several years, and they have been excellent. I am going to replace them with the new Pro Ears Pro Slim model, which is the same basic "Ears" but with the improved dynamic sound compression.

If you shoot a lot of large caliber stuff, or shoot indoors a lot, the Pro Ears Pro Mag Gold, with the NRR of 33 is the way to go. If you shoot outdoors, IPSC, IDPA, Steel, and like that, the Pro Ears Pro Slim with a NRR of 28, more compact, and lighter, is the one for you.

Go to Magnum Shooters Supply and check them out.

This offer ends on February 21st., so you may want to put your order in right away. I've talked to Pro Ears, and they will ship direct if I run out, so you won't get held up with a long delay before you get your new Pro Ears hearing protectors.

Magnum Shooters Supply - Update

PRO EARS Pro Slim Gold Hearing Protectors

As I've mentioned previously, I'm busy as a beaver getting Magnum Shooters Supply up and running. Yesterday afternoon I signed a dealer contract to handle the Pro Ears line of hearing protectors. I've used a number of different hearing protectors over the years, and most of them failed. A few years ago I bought a pair of Pro Ears Dimension Plus ears, and they've been excellent. I am really hard on equipment, so anything that stands up in my hands has to be exceptional. The only thing that ever failed was the headband broke, and that was after many years of hard use, and a lot of airline travel and abuse thrown in.

When I decided to open up Magnum Shooters Supply, I decided to only handle products that I personally knew to be of good quality, regardless of price. After all, there are tons of places willing to sell you the latest and cheapest. It's funny how you usually regret buying the cheap stuff, though. Someone once said that you only regret buying a quality product on the day you buy it, but when you buy a cheap product, you regret the purchase for as long as you own it. In fact, it often works out that if you add up the cost of all the cheap ones you bought, you probably could have bought the good one in the first place, and saved some money by doing so.

The Pro Ears Gold series of hearing protectors use some pretty fancy electronics, a combination of analog and digital circuits, to do what seems almost impossible, block the loud noises, while letting conversation level sound be heard.

Here's how it works:



 By the way, for you Gun Bloggers, if you would like to get a pair to try out, and then post a blog review of them, drop me an email and I'll put you in touch with the right folks at Pro Ears. After you've tried them out and posted your review, you can purchase them from Pro Ears at a very friendly discount and keep your test and evaluation set for your very own.

You can find all the spec's for the most popular models of Pro Ears Hearing Protectors at my new store, Magnum Shooters Supply. the store will be open for business on January 2nd., or maybe a little before, but feel free to go have a look around.