doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Recent English gun import..fees very high!

The antique definition is "pre-1899". It includes those manufactured in 1898.

while it is legal to have a pre-1899 gun shipped directly to your home, finding a service that will do so in today's world is impossible as far as I know. If someone knows of one, please let me know.

not sure why you are complaining, looks ok to me.

John Boyd
Quality Arms

Last time I imported was a fiasco thanks to Customs in the USA. Customs held my gun ransom until I hired a Customs Broker. From talking to the NRA afterwards Customs actions were illegal and they broke the law. At the time I had to go ahead and pay the ransom and hire the Customs Broker as I had to go out of town the next day on travel for a week. So it was either pay the ransom or leave an expensive sidelock in an airline warehouse for a week until I returned and then take on Customs.

When I was importing from Europe the people at ATF were solid professionals, who never gave me a moments trouble. US Customs, port of Minneapolis, were NOT. I was actually contacted by ATF (oddly, nobody at ATF can import a gun, they regulate those that do) to come to the aid of an immigrant from South Africa, who received some stunningly bad advice from US Customs about getting his Morgan automobile (couldn't help him, there) and his Grandfathers double shotgun into the US. Both were packed with his household items, and both were seized when they got here. At the point I got involved, the shotgun was less than 1 month from mandatory destruction at the hands of US Customs. I got it out for him.
My feelings about US Customs, port of Minneapolis, is that it is a fiefdom of local political appointees, that is really accountable to no-one, and that they interpret the rules as it suits their collective fancy at any given moment-just a hint, if you are the guy legally trying to get a gun past them, good luck with that. I did it for a decade, and they never made it pleasant, and seemed to go out of their way to make it as difficult as possible.
I never tried it, but, I got the vibe that getting a pre 1899 gun past them on the argument that it was old enough to not qualify as a gun would be the supreme test of their indulgence, and was unwilling to even attempt it.
Perhaps US Customs people employed in a less liberal part of the country would be better, or easier to deal with. I wouldn't bet on it.
While you might be tempted to believe a Custom house broker is a lacky of US Customs, my guy was an ace, and on occasion, I witnessed him putting US Customs in it's place. Keep in mind, your package from Europe, containing a post 1899 gun, that mistakenly gets off-loaded at an airport that is not it's final destination, will be seized, period. The customs house broker will get it out, I can promise that you can't.
Been there, done that.

Best,
Ted

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't really mean to complain. This was my first experience at importing and I was expecting somewhere around $350. I can see now that what I was charged is in line. Besides, if I want the gun I'm going to have to pay the fee, so why moan and groan about it. I really do have trouble seeing how cheaper imports can be sold reasonably in the US when it costs so much to import them.....for example a Betetta auto which sells for $1200 in the US after Beretta pays all the import and customs fees. ??

Ted, my importer lives in Mpls. and he clears his shipments through Customs in Chicago to avoid the issues you pointed out.

Guess that proves it wasn't just me. If seal team 6 ever was to be used on US soil, port of Minneapolis would get my vote for first clean up.

Best,
Ted

Anyone with an FFL (not an importer's license) can import guns on an "occasional" basis. That cuts your fees down to shipping, customs, and duty, plus whatever your FFL guy charges you to do a transfer. I did one that way several years back, with the help of a friend with an FFL and using myself as the person to whom the import permit should be sent. Gun came directly to me, at my post office. Paid customs and duty fees there, out the door with the gun, did the transfer paperwork with my FFL guy. There is more risk involved doing it that way in case something goes wrong, and I don't know that I'd take that route on a $10K gun. The gun I imported would be more in the $2K range today.

If you do it that way, the most significant increase in charges is shipping. My gun came via Datapost, which was OK with British regulations back then. Apparently that's now changed, and it costs a lot more for the Brit dealer to ship the gun.

I think its fair to say just about everything has changed since you did that, Larry. I would be in no hurry to attempt that with an FFL who hasn't had plenty of imports under his belt, and a working relationship with a good customs house broker.

But, thats just me.

Best,
Ted