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.
Across the nation, there is concern about accessibility to firearms, which has many people looking into becoming Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders in their community. As an FFL dealer in Montana, cleared by the NICS, you are allowed by federal law to sell and...
Even though we focus on helping people become FFLs and stay out of trouble with the ATF, we are still well within the "firearms law" realm and are often asked about "concealed carry insurance." We frequently get questions such as: Should I get concealed carry...
An FFL is a Federal Firearms License that is issued by the ATF to individuals or companies that allows them to engage in the business of firearms whether that be buy/selling (dealing), gun-smithing, manufacturing, or importing/exporting. Although it's not a...
Many people in South Carolina research the best way to become Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders. FFL holders are allowed by federal law to sell, distribute, and even manufacture firearms and ammo. There are just a few requirements to follow to get your FFL and...
What is a Straw Purchase? A: A straw purchase occurs when one person buys a gun for someone else who is either prohibited by law from possessing a gun or who does not want his or her name associated with the transaction. A straw purchase is a felony with a punishment...
A Type 7 FFL is one of 9 types of Federal Firearm Licenses which allows the FFL holder to manufacture firearms and ammunition as a business. The Type 7 FFL is commonly called the “manufacturer's FFL," however, there are technically three different types of...
A growing number of people across the nation want to serve their communities as Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders. These FFL holders are allowed by federal law to handle the selling and distribution of firearms and ammo, NFA items, and FFL transfers through their...
UPDATED 5/5/26 - The ATF just announced a landmark rule making change of 34 proposed rules. We got our hands on 20 of the draft versions of the rules scheduled to be published tomorrow and have already included their summaries under the relevant rules below. The rules...
The ATF Form 4473 is the “Firearms Transaction Record” used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) whenever they sell or transfer a gun to a customer. I'm a firearms attorney that specializes in ATF/FFL compliance under federal law and I've helped thousands of people...
If you have an unwanted firearm in your possession and aren't sure what to do with it, we'll walk you through the legal options available for disposing of it safely and responsibly. There are four main ways to legally get rid of your unwanted gun: Give / Sell it to...
The Biden administration introduced a horrible policy called "Zero Tolerance" that had a negative impact on the firearms industry, particularly on FFL holders. Instead of being an agency that is intended to regulate and work with the firearm industry, the Bureau of...
If you're thinking about getting a Federal Firearms License (FFL) in Texas so that you can be a gun manufacturer or firearms dealer (even from your home) in the lone-star state, then you're in the right place. Most of the requirements for obtaining an FFL are...