By John Brown
Many times during the last three and a half years I have been approached by people who ask, “What is the NFATCA doing for me and why should I pony up the $250 to join? If you don’t know the answer to that question by now you have not paid attention to the dozens of presentations at Knob Creek, the SAR Show, SHOT, or read the monthly articles that we publish in the only magazine today that stands fast in our community, Small Arms Review, let alone taken a closer look at the new NFA Handbook.
This single organization, the NFATCA, and its membership, have worked diligently to secure a relationship with the BATFE that is unprecedented in history. We regularly meet with the highest officials in the agency to find a better way to work together. We have worked on virtually every aspect of NFA regulations and, on a weekly basis, address some concern that could have major impact on many NFA owners. No one in history has had such an invitation to work so closely with such a powerful government organization on so many issues.
We have worked jointly for two years to develop and publish for our community the first NFA Handbook designed to answer practically every question an NFA dealer, manufacturer, or collector could have. The NFATCA wrote this manual. The blood, sweat and tears that it took to finally complete this undertaking and the pure teamwork it took to complete this task, again, is unprecedented.
Under the leadership of Ken Houchens, and now Gary Kirchoff, we worked together to increase the speed and efficiency on processing all forms. My hat is off to the NFA Branch and the many efforts that we have expended together to achieve such a monumental effort. Lew Raden once said, “Never has a civilian organization given a government worker an award for doing such a wonderful job.” That is exactly what the NFATCA did to recognize the NFA examiners.
We started this collaborative process and we will continue to move forward in creating success. Current efforts are underway to publish the Firearms Technology Branch Procedures Manual.
When you look at what we have accomplished, the effort is unquestionably better than any efforts by anyone in our community. We started this organization by enlisting some of the top dealers, manufacturers, and collectors in the country who believed there was a better way to protect all of our interests. The Board of Directors has worked tirelessly for nearly four years to create a path of success for everyone. We have done that with a small group of NFA owners, manufacturers, and collectors who have contributed to and believe in our work.
The work is just getting started. I don’t think I have to tell anyone that the political climate in this country is extremely frightening and there are so many unknowns no one knows where to turn.
Our efforts and successes at BATFE will surely be questioned by astute politicians who don’t exactly have our interests at heart. The only way to protect what we have, what we have accomplished and our plans for the future is to recruit every single NFA owner nationwide and to establish an organization that is so large in stature that it represents a lobbying group that is a force that stands united with the NFA community’s entire interests at our forefront.
When you look at a $250 membership and think that’s a lot of money, step back, take a look at your NFA investments, and ask yourself one question: Are you willing to take on the entire country on NFA ownership by yourself?” The answer is obviously no.
We have become a very successful organization, formulated with the interests of the entire community at our hearts. Our motto “Power Through Experience,” means that the larger we grow the more knowledgeable we become, hence the more influence we can have on the entire firearms forefront.
Join us today and help unite the entire NFA community. There is no one else looking to protect your interest.
UNITED WE STAND,
DIVIDED WE FALL
Visit us today at www.NFATCA.org.
| This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V11N8 (May 2008) |
