Firearms Attorney, Best-Selling Author & Founder of RocketFFL
Ryan Cleckner is a firearms attorney, best-selling author, and founder of RocketFFL, where he has helped more than 20,000 students learn how to get an FFL and operate a firearms business.
Ryan's firearms-industry experience includes serving as a Vice President for Remington Outdoor Company and as Federal Government Relations Manager for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). As an attorney, he has represented hundreds of FFLs in firearms-related legal and ATF compliance matters.
Ryan has taught Constitutional Law at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, testified before Congress on firearms law and ATF-related issues, and regularly appears in national media as a firearms legal expert.
Before becoming an attorney, Ryan served as a special operations sniper in the U.S. Army's 1st Ranger Battalion, including two deployments to Afghanistan. He is the best-selling author of the Long Range Shooting Handbook, which has sold more than 250,000 copies, as well as Advanced Long Range Shooting and other firearms books.
Through RocketFFL, Ryan focuses on making complicated firearms laws, ATF requirements, and compliance topics easier to understand.
When you're thinking about getting a federal firearms license (FFL), one of the things you may wonder about is how long it's going to take the ATF to approve your FFL application, and give you a federal firearms license. The ATF portion of the FFL application process...
UPDATED Aug 28, 0226 On August 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled in Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF, consolidated with Jensen v. ATF, that key portions of the NFA can no longer constitutionally be enforced against...
Getting a Federal Firearms License (FFL) is easier than many people think, but there are specific federal, state, and local requirements you must meet before ATF will give you a license. At the federal level, you generally must be at least 21 years old, be legally...
Thinking about getting an FFL License? Here’s where you need to start. We cover each step of the process and give you the tips and tricks to be successful.
Now that you've got your FFL, you're going to need a way to manage your Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) records. This is an important decision to make now - it can be difficult to switch from one set of FFL records to another (but not impossible). Still Need an...
Welcome to the mother-lode of ATF-related data on FFL Applications and Inspections statistics! Each year the ATF publishes a report that includes data on the number of firearms in commerce (made, exported, and imported) and statistics on NFA firearms (forms, revenue,...
There are many questions about solvent traps and few correct answers. So, I'm writing this article to be a solvent trap Q&A. The first question is perhaps the most important: Why should you listen to me? I am firearms attorney (but I'm not your attorney...
There are a LOT of myths, misinformation, and outright lies about getting an FFL and what the ATF can or can not do (especially for home-based FFLs). The biggest of all of the myths surrounds when and what the ATF can search or inspect related to your FFL. You don't...
There a different types of FFL to choose from. Make sure you understand which FFL type is best for you.
An FFL number is a unique identifying number assigned to every Federal Firearms License issued by the ATF. In addition to identifying FFLs, the FFL number also shares some information about the FFL (like the Type of FFL, the expirations date, and more). In this...
In this article we will cover: Are armor-piercing bullets legal? A: Yes. Under federal law it is perfectly legal to make, sell and purchase "armor-piercing" ammunition as long as you have the proper licensing. However, there are some nuances to the definition of...
Many gun owners look for ways to share their passion with other people around them. This may take the form of taking their friends shooting, teaching people about firearm safety, or simply talking about it in conversations. For many people, turning that passion into a...