(a) Each licensed manufacturer shall record the type, model, caliber or gauge, and serial number of each complete firearm manufactured or otherwise acquired, and the date such manufacture or other acquisition was made. The information required by this paragraph shall be recorded not later than the seventh day following the date such manufacture or other acquisition was made.
(b) A record of firearms disposed of by a manufacturer to another licensee and a separate record of armor piercing ammunition dispositions to governmental entities, for exportation, or for testing or experimentation authorized under the provision of Sec. 478.149 shall be maintained by the licensed manufacturer on the licensed premises. For firearms, the record shall show the quantity, type, model, manufacturer, caliber, size or gauge, serial number of the firearms so transferred, the name and license number of the licensee to whom the firearms were transferred, and the date of the transaction. For armor piercing ammunition, the record shall show the manufacturer, caliber or gauge, quantity, the name and address of the transferee to whom the armor piercing ammunition was transferred, and the date of the transaction. The information required by this paragraph shall be entered in the proper record book not later than the seventh day following the date of the transaction, and such information shall be recorded under the format prescribed by Sec. 478.122, except that the name of the manufacturer of a firearm or armor piercing ammunition need not be recorded if the firearm or armor piercing ammunition is of the manufacturer's own manufacture.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section, the Director of Industry Operations may authorize alternate records to be maintained by a licensed manufacturer to record the disposal of firearms and armor piercing ammunition when it is shown by the licensed manufacturer that such alternate records will accurately and readily disclose the information required by paragraph (b) of this section. A licensed manufacturer who proposes to use alternate records shall submit a letter application, in duplicate, to the Director of Industry Operations and shall describe the proposed alternate record and the need therefor. Such alternate records shall not be employed by the licensed manufacturer until approval in such regard is received from the Director of Industry Operations.
(d) Each licensed manufacturer shall maintain separate records of the sales or other dispositions made of firearms to nonlicensees. Such records shall be maintained in the form and manner as prescribed by Sec. Sec. 478.124 and 478.125 in regard to firearms transaction records and records of acquisition and disposition of firearms. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1140-0067) [T.D. ATF-270, 53 FR 10501, Mar. 31, 1988, as amended by ATF-11F, 73 FR 57241, Oct. 2, 2008]