doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Importing a gun from the UK

I can vouch for Mr. Schneible. Used him in March to import a used McKay Brown. He was professional and fast. US customs was slow billing him for the excise tax so he offered to take my credit card number and sent the gun on immediately to my FFL so there was no delay. I think his charge was about $500 inclusive. The excise tax hurt, though.

owenjj3

The actual duty on a imported gun is not expensive, It's the brokers and forwarders that wade through Government paperwork that cost. If you can find someone who brings in guns in bulk, lot at one time, the administrative cost will be split over the total shipment & freight is much cheaper in bulk.

It cost Wal Mart or Target about a 100 dollars in broker and forwarder fees to bring in one shipment, not counting freight or duty. Single toaster 100 dollars. 10 containers with 20,000 toasters in each. Small fraction of 1 cent per toaster.

Not to be difficult but it is government policy that has raised shipping cost. I have held a Coast Guard License since 1968, Used to require a Physical, free at the Public Health service. Local marine safety office looked over references and sea service letters then administered a written and oral test that took about half a day. No cost to the mariner & you were dealing with people who knew their jobs.

Today all the work has been outsourced to vendors. Pay for everything, 7 different checks to write including mandatory courses that I could easily teach myself. Get it all together, you go to a License consultant, who charges a fee to put the papers in order and argue with the Coast Guard licensing office in West Virginia for you. It�s a foolish mariner that does not hire the consultant, you can�t work without the license and could see months delay without one. Total cost not counting travel over 3000 dollars. Import regulations just as complicated, some goods like guns even worse.

Boats

Where firearms are concerned, the US "import agent" does not have to be licensed. All he needs is an FFL. If he's importing guns on a regular basis, then he does need to be a licensed importer. So you can pay your money and take your chances with anyone that has an FFL, if you find one who's willing to do it for you. But many people would feel more comfortable working with someone who does it on a regular basis.

The Customs Broker that makes the formal entry into the US has to be licensed. He makes formal entry and forwards the gun to the FFL holder. FFL does not give customs paperwork privileges, Customs will only release newly imported gun to a FFL Holder after formal entry has been made, make sure it's not banned and duty is paid. Some guns have to be stamped with the Importers name others like antiques don't the Broker will argue that point for you, customs generaly defaults to stamping unless persuaded otherwise. Two different step both bases have to be touched

On the tax or duty whatever class it falls in. Customs assesses the rate then requires you to post a bond. Lets the item go, they can go back much later change their mind about the duty rate then collect additonal against the bond. Use a importer he has a blanket bond filed no need to purchase individual bond.


It used to be you could go the airport or ocean terminal and take care of the Customs then re-ship from the terminal to a FFL holder, they would not let you pick up the gun, would let you make formal customs entry only . No longer possible, in theory you can, in practice you can't get on most terminals to access the customs office with out a TWIC identification card.


Gave you way more detail than needed, take any advice you want. Mine is get a good importer and pay his fee. He knows the steps you will never figure it out. I do this stuff everyday and use brokers never trying to do it myself. Used to years ago for personal shipments, too difficult now.

Boats

Unless the ATF form has changed, the gun can come directly to the person who bought it. FFL holder required to sign, but it's up to the individual receiving it to take it to the FFL holder and complete the paperwork. Mine came from the UK, direct to my post office. Postmistress acted for Customs--which she advised me she'd done previously, although never on a firearm. Collected duty and customs fee. I walked out with the gun, took care of the 4473 with the FFL afterwards. (Nobody but govt can act for the govt, so neither FFL nor licensed importer could collect duty, fees, etc..) It's my understanding that importers have to stamp; FFL's making occasional imports do not.

I can't comment about accessing customs offices when receiving a gun, but I've accessed them to fill out the required form when I've taken a gun overseas with me. Both at the Des Moines airport and at Ohare.

But, as I said, lots of reasons to use a licensed importer in case something goes astray. I've heard from people who had problems I did not have.

some wrong info here!


John Boyd

Quality Arms

If you're speaking of my post, John--yes, there is. Mea culpa. I just took a look at the current ATF import form. Very different from the one I used 20 years ago. In short, the way I did it 20 years ago, completely legally, won't work any more. Unfortunately.

When you get a package from overseas it may not appear to have been through US Customs. However the post office at port of entry has a customs officer that reviews the declaration,pasted outside the package. He assesses duty flags it for intensive exam or let's it pass duty free at his option. In fact a small percentage of packages are inspected. They rely on patterns, type of package, place of orgin etc to flag for inspection. They may have missed firearms but if so it was a error.

On a normal shipment the officer presented with a difficult to classify item will refer to Customs Commodity specialist . They know the product, like a firearm, and make the call, let it in or not, how much to charge.

Licensed Customs brokers tend to specialize in commoditys or have internal teams that work certain commodities. Broker and Customs go,back and forth to come up with agreement before the item is allowed to pass. Customs is going to make the strict call unless convinced otherwise. Roll marking the action is one they are likely to demand, unless it can proven not to be required.

Am not a customs broker, work on the carrier side. No pushing them for any reason other than its the best option. We hire dozens of brokers everyday depnding on which port and what kind of entry is required.

Boats

Boats

When was the last time you imported a non-antique gun?

John Boyd
Quality Arms

The only way to do it in an affordable manner is to bundle shipments. I'm bringing in batches about 3 times a year and can do it for a reasonable amount of money from the UK, other places are much more costly. Boats has outlined the costs and reasons for a broker very well. You don't have to like it but these are the rules we have to work within.