TexasCHLforum.com

Rex B wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 8:16 pm tk1700, thanks for sharing that.

Questions:

What software system are you using for 4473s?
Is that (or is there) an industry standard, or are there other software packages for this purpose?
How does the system store the 4473s - a database, PDf, CSV etc. ?
Does it store information other than the 4473 - Photo ID scans for example?

Any other FFLs want to share your experience?

There are several companies that license software for gun stores. Ours is Merchant Magic. It writes a track in the bound book for every transaction of a serial numbered item, ie received in the store, sold, sent out for repair, returned to manufacturer, etc.

As I understand it, ATF has to approve the software before it can be used for firearms transactions. I don't know what all that entails nor do I want to know, lol!

They are stored as a PDF attached to the receipt for the transaction (sale or transfer). If we want to look at a 4473 from history we can find it with a serial number search or using the customers name and going to the receipt.

I work at a gun store in NM. We use digital 4473s, but the form stays in the store on our server. The customer fills out the 4473 info on a computer using a form fill built into the point of sale software. That form stays in the store. The employee making the sale reviews the customer info to verify it matches the ID, is signed and the questions are answered correctly, just like we would on the paper form.

The employee then logs into NICS and manually enters the required info, biographical info, ID number, type of fire arm being purchased. It's the same info that's provided when a paper form is used and the shop calls it in. During a call in the person on the other end of the phone is entering the info into the computer. NICS generates a transaction number and a response of proceed, delayed or denied. The only difference in how the customers info is handled between a paper 4473 and electronic 4473 is who enters the info into NICS.

This system is simple to use, we don't have to cipher peoples writing and we don't have to call the info in. There are a few instances when we have to call it in and I absolutely hate it, but we still have the customer complete the form electronically. There is no connection between our point of sale system that stores the customer inputs and NICS.

I guess you can make the argument that electronic 4473s stored on a shops server can be hacked.