SITREP: FEBRUARY 2006

By Dan Shea

WHAT IS The National Firearms Act, Trade and Collectors Association (NFATCA) Doing For Me??

We made a command decision to use the Sitrep space this month to allow John Brown, president of the NFATCA, to address the small arms community. – Dan

The NFATCA is active on almost every front of the NFA community, working hard to protect the rights of NFA owners nationwide. You may ask what it is we are doing and where does the money go to fund such a powerful effort.

It is important that everyone knows that every board member of the NFATCA is donating their own personal time, effort, and in many cases funds, to make certain that this organization is not just another “blow by” effort where the benefits are for a few and don’t serve the needs of many. Quite the contrary with this organization. The NFATCA is working at virtually every level within the NFA Branch and ATF to develop a collaborative effort in working with every issue our organization has – all brought to us by members of NFATCA. Each and every week, the NFATCA board meets and discusses critical issues that need our attention in the community. In many cases, board members are making repetitive trips to Washington D.C. just to make certain we build a rock solid relationship with the NFA Branch. So what are we working on?

We have worked diligently on the barrels and receivers issue with a great deal of success. We have worked closely with ATF to bring together the first ever NFA handbook, designed to answer many of the questions and address issues that many of us have had for many years. We have been closely involved in watching the NFA Branch achieve success in migrating to newer technology which could eliminate much of the paper processes that many of us face today. We are, and will be, involved in many other issues which are not ready for publication at this time. My point is simple. Through a series of meetings at ATF we have been welcomed and are working at a level never before seen with ATF. It is a collaborative effort that the NFATCA works on every week in order to strengthen the organization and to have an agenda that will benefit our community.

Why should you join such an effort like this? The answer is short but to the point: united we stand, divided we fall. If all NFA dealers, collectors, and manufacturers join together, we stand to gain the knowledge and experience of many rather than just a few. Today, we stand with a great deal of experience but the journey is far from over. Too much knowledge is still missing from our ranks and the experience levels of many people are still missing in our efforts to strengthen the NFATCA. Everyone hates the recruiting process but this one is more powerful than many of the issues we have faced in this community. Together we can make a difference, but that will require the time, effort and attention of hundreds of us, and hopefully, thousands.

We encourage you to think deeply – not only about the investment you personally have made in the NFA community – but also what you can do for the entire community to strengthen what we have worked so diligently to achieve. Time is of the essence in achieving and preserving our rights in the NFA community. Take the time today to ask any member of this organization why they feel the effort is worthwhile. When you have finished, make the effort to join our cause and make a difference in the preservation and the enjoyment of our NFA privileges. – John Brown, President, NFATCA www.nfatca.org