A buddy of mine got his FFL interview yesterday. He's starting a small sporting goods store in my hometown.

The interviewer was from New York. A few things my friend mentioned kinda seemed

The ATF guy said he needed to upgrade their security systems (put in cameras, which he will be doing anyway). The ATF guy said he also need cages for the firearms along with 2 safes (his safes are on order), and that every firearm needs to have a cable run through them with a security alarm while they are on display, and the cable needs to be lag bolted into a cinderblock wall.

WTF? I have never seen anything like this at any gun store. The only time I see FFLs with cables running through the guns are at gun shows.

I don't know of any gun store that does that around here.  Dick's is the only place that has a locking bar for their guns, but that's just how they chose to do it, instead of a locking case.  The LGS I go to just has the long guns on racks either behind the counter, or out on the floor for anyone to pick up.  

There is no Federal law or ATF regulation that requires a safe, an alarm or even a lock on the door.

Either
1. Your friend mistook "advice" for "it's required".
2. There is a state or local requirement and the IOI was being helpful.

A call to that IOI's supervisor is in order.

They cant make you do anything of the sort.  They can make it sound like you have to.  I think your friend misunderstood.

derp... a lock available
for  use.

It's not a local or state thing. The 3 other stores (1 boot shop, 1 pawn shop, and 1 pharmacy) that sell guns don't have anything such as cables or cages. They're all out in the open.

Think of it this way.  What about gun shows?  Do you think all of those guns are locked up every night????  Mine aren't.

The only "requirement" is that the firearms must be "secured".
There is no real definition of "secured" in any of BATFE regulations that I am aware of. When I had my field interview I asked the investigator if he would like to see the safe and he said no, he just needed to know they were "secure". I specifically asked him what they consider "secure" and he stated "kept in a manner to keep unauthorized persons from accessing a firearm".
Technically a locked door meets that requirement.
I think my first call would be to your locations zoning and business licensing authority and ask them if they have a specific firearm storage requirement.
If you elect to contact the investigators supervisor I would choose your words VERY carefully. Having a pissed off field investigator remember you is a bad way to start in the firearms business.

Absolutely, positively no such requirement in Federal law or ATF regulations.



That's because there is no such requirement.


Horseshit.

Stop repeating myths and misinformation.