FFL123 Review: Becoming Your Own FFL [Hands-On Tested]

As much fun as it is going to the local gun store to check out all the new toys they have in stock, sometimes it’s nice to be able to do your shopping online. 

Unfortunately, government regulations limit buying firearms online directly to only those with Federal Firearms Licenses (FFL). Otherwise, you have to have your firearm shipped to an FFL to do the transfer.

That’s where FFL123 comes in! FFL123 provides thorough guides on the entire application process for an FFL. 

They can even help you get a Class 3 firearms license, which can also allow you to buy and sell firearms like your local gun store. 

So is their offering any good? Well, we took the course to find out. So keep reading as we walk you through what FFL123 offers and ultimately tell you if it’s worth your time and hard-earned cash.

But First, Why Would You Want an FFL?

Before going any further, a helpful reminder for those of us who take these gun industry terms for granted…

An FFL is a license that allows someone, depending on the type of FFL license they have (there are 9!), to buy and sell firearms of varying types. 

Your local gun store can sell you all those shiny new range toys because the dealer has an FFL. Of course, being able to sell firearms requires being able to buy them in the first place! 

FFL dealers can buy firearms from manufacturers directly in order to then sell those firearms to customers (or just keep them for themselves!).

A Class 3 license, on the other hand, refers to a Class 3 SOT (Special Occupational Taxpayer) license. The license allows you to sell NFA (National Firearms Act) items, as long as you also have an FFL. 

What Does FFL123 Offer?

With all of that out of the way, FFL123 offers guides on how to apply for and put your FFL and Class 3 licenses to use. 

The guides are offered separately and as a combo. If you only care about the FFL or want to start off with just the one application process, you can purchase each guide by itself.

If you want to do both, you can get the combo of both the FFL and Class 3 guides together. 

Luckily for you, we’ve gone through both guides to give you an idea of what you can expect if you choose to go with FFL123.

FFL123 FFL Guide Review

As mentioned before, the FFL guide walks you through the application process for obtaining an FFL. Not surprisingly, there is a lot of information you’ll need to know, and lots of forms to fill out. It is the federal government, after all. 

Luckily, FFL123 lays out all the information you’ll need. It even provides links to the required forms and samples of the forms, depending on the type of FFL you are applying for. 

Each page of the guide also offers an accompanying short video with a brief overview of what is covered, as well as some additional comments. 

It’s important to note that the videos aren’t intended as a substitute for the information on the page. They just include additional comments to supplement what is being presented in the text. You need to both read the text and watch the videos.

While helpful, the main issues I had with the videos were that the video player blacked out the rest of the screen.

The only way to really be able to view the text while also having the video playing was to run another tab with the video while reading the text. 

Another issue was that each video could only be played from the accompanying page of text. There didn’t seem to be an option to move forward or backward from video to video. 

Finally, the videos seemed to be a little slow in presenting the information. Fortunately, there are options to play the videos at faster speeds — which solved the issue for the most part. 

Overall, the videos are relatively basic but provide additional helpful information. 

Aside from the small issues with the videos, the information presented was organized just fine. 

The chapter index at the top was a great tool. It helped me navigate to the section where I last left off and provided an outline of the information being covered. 

There was a section specific to California FFL applicants like myself. There were also sections for residents of NJ and NY, so I knew which sections I had to read and which sections I could skip. 

FFL123 also provids a section on what to do with your FFL once it’s been approved. It includes helpful suggestions on manufacturers and vendors who deal with smaller FFLs and even how to sell firearms at gun shows. 

The guide really helps those looking to start a side (or maybe full-time) gig as an FFL dealer.

As an added bonus, there are forums for members to discuss their FFL and Class 3 application processes, as well as other related topics. 

It’s definitely a nice touch to be able to talk to others in a similar situation, to see what worked and didn’t work for them in the application process. Not to mention, it’s pretty cool to network with other dealers once you’re all set.

FFL123 Class 3 SOT Review

Not surprisingly, the Class 3 SOT guide is organized similarly to the FFL guide. The same format of text with accompanying video is provided. 

As with the FFL guide, the Class 3 guide also goes through the forms you’ll need, where to get them, and what to do to maintain your license once it’s been approved. 

Just as with the FFL guide, the Class 3 guide also gives suggestions on how to run your firearms business.

You get information on which wholesalers might be helpful to a budding suppressor dealer, as well as how to go through the process of actually selling to customers. 

There’s not much else to say about the Class 3 guide, not because it’s light on information, but because it’s mostly the same deal that you get with the FFL guide. It’s just focused on the Class 3 license instead.

Is FFL123 Worth It?

So is investing in FFL123 worth it? 

If you’re interested in getting an FFL or Class 3 license and looking for a helpful guide, FFL123 is definitely an easy option to walk you through the process. 

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses, and there are some areas of the site that could do with a little bit of extra TLC. The overall guides and videos have a slightly less polished feel to them.

They come across like a buddy who’s been through the process giving you tips on all the things he’s learned during the experience. Depending on your personal tastes, this can be a good or bad thing. 

At the end of the day, however, the guides put out by FFL123 present all the information you need to get your FFL or Class 3 license, and walk you through each and every step. 

With something as complicated and involved as an FFL application, I’m more than happy to take the advice of someone who’s successfully gone through the process multiple times. With FFL123, that’s exactly what you get. 

Final Thoughts

Whether FFL123 is best for you is more or less a personal preference. That said, if you prefer having the helping hand of someone with experience walking you through the process, then it’s a good deal.

What do you think of FFL123? Let us know in the comments below. Looking to get your FFL? We cover that in our How To Get Your FFL guide.