jntree Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 hi all just after some info.... again!!! right im off to the states in a few months time for a road trip with the lads 2 weeks of hunting,shooting,fishing and im looking to bring a gun back from the states eg. manlicher 243. plus the useual scope mod bipod etc. whats the best way of going about this and is it going to be more hassle than its worth any help please?? (sorry if this is in the wrong section) :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 More hassle than it is worth. First, you won't be able to take possession of the gun right there. It must be exported and shipped to an RFD here in the UK. You will get charged VAT/Import on it, plus RFD fees on both ends and shipping charges. And, that assumes the shop you bought it from is willing to get an export license (and you're willing to wait for it to be processed). If not, then you have to ship it to another dealer who has an export license and will do it for you. And the exchange rate isn't your friend right now as it is down around 1.5. At 2.0:1 or higher then it can start to make sense, but is still a lot of hassle. About the only time this all makes sense is when you're talking about a really high dollar gun where these fixed costs are an insignificant percentage of the overall cost. Do a search on posts with my name as I've typed out more details on this in the past. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 I should have also mentioned that you can still get all of the accessories and that will be worth it. If you're talking about a scope other than an EU brand, then you'll be much better off getting it there. Same with bipods, slings, etc. Just no guns or ammo. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jntree Posted February 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 cheers rick dont think i can be bothered with all the hassle now but will brob get all the accessiores whilst im out there plus hoping to get some 10 shot mags for the 17hmr aswell. many thanks jamie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC45 Posted February 28, 2010 Report Share Posted February 28, 2010 it's supposed to be easier to buy in europe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 cheers rick dont think i can be bothered with all the hassle now but will brob get all the accessiores whilst im out there plus hoping to get some 10 shot mags for the 17hmr aswell.many thanks jamie. 10-shot mags for a CZ? I've not seen those in the US and they certainly won't be a stock item. CZ aren't nearly as popular there as they are here. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 cheers rick dont think i can be bothered with all the hassle now but will brob get all the accessiores whilst im out there plus hoping to get some 10 shot mags for the 17hmr aswell.many thanks jamie. 10-shot mags for a CZ? I've not seen those in the US and they certainly won't be a stock item. CZ aren't nearly as popular there as they are here. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miniwizard Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 you have to be a state resident for 6 months to obtain a hunting license,you need a hunting license to buy a gun of any kind,so you need to buy a house first,however you can buy a gun without a hunting license out of the local paper,ie from a privat seller,there is no obligation on the seller to look at your id. but he can refuse to sell to you.you can fly it back with you provided you have it in a locked case,and the customs/border patrol will inspect it and stick it on the plane for you,no probs at the uk airports as long as you have a slot for it,and then you will only be able to sell it to an rfd unless you get it proofed first...no point in importing a European rifle from the US,too much hassle when you can buy it here.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rem223 Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 you have to be a state resident for 6 months to obtain a hunting license,you need a hunting license to buy a gun of any kind,so you need to buy a house first,however you can buy a gun without a hunting license out of the local paper,ie from a privat seller,there is no obligation on the seller to look at your id. but he can refuse to sell to you.you can fly it back with you provided you have it in a locked case,and the customs/border patrol will inspect it and stick it on the plane for you,no probs at the uk airports as long as you have a slot for it,and then you will only be able to sell it to an rfd unless you get it proofed first...no point in importing a European rifle from the US,too much hassle when you can buy it here.. I take it you are talking about importing a US made rifle from the US? Rick has already clarified this, but just so there's no misunderstanding. Lets assume you make a straw man rifle purchase in the US. It would most likely be the Department of Homeland Security flunkies that do the inspection. They probably don't know the law. However if US Customs inspect it and you are not a US citizen or a green card holder you will be in for a world of pain. If you are not a US citizen or legally resident there you cannot legally take possession of a firearm. End of story. You and the person who sells you the gun are breaking Federal law. If caught you could end up with a minimum of being deported from the US with a ten year ban. You could potentially get prison time in a Federal prison. Is it worth that for saving a few hundred quid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 We do some work with Par Freight. They are a BASC accredited forwarder who specialise in guns and explosives. Speak to Lawrence there and ask him his professional opinion - TEL : 01628 824503. He will be able to tell you exactly what the costs will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 I "own" a rifle in the States that was left to me by my friend Jim who died of Leukaemia last year. Its all but impossible to get it back here, I have checked believe me. Its virtually impossible to overcome the anti terrorist hype. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 you have to be a state resident for 6 months to obtain a hunting license,you need a hunting license to buy a gun of any kind,so you need to buy a house first,however you can buy a gun without a hunting license out of the local paper,ie from a privat seller,there is no obligation on the seller to look at your id. but he can refuse to sell to you.you can fly it back with you provided you have it in a locked case,and the customs/border patrol will inspect it and stick it on the plane for you,no probs at the uk airports as long as you have a slot for it,and then you will only be able to sell it to an rfd unless you get it proofed first...no point in importing a European rifle from the US,too much hassle when you can buy it here.. There are so many inacuracies here so I'll start from the top. First, You can buy a hunting license from any state the day you get there as a non resident. Depending on the state you only need to be there for 30 days to 6 months to get a resident, providing you have actually moved there and can show residency (lease, driving license, phone bill, utility bill, etc). Having a hunting license though, does not qualify you to buy a gun. You must have a physical photo ID to buy a hunting license, and you must have a social security number or green card number to do it. The rules for buying from a private seller are the same as for buying from a dealer, except that the private seller must have no reason to believe you are prohibited from owning a gun. You must still know the rules as the buyer and it is your responsibility to know if you are a prohibited person (you are) or not. As noted, buying from a private seller is effectively making a straw purchase. You can possess firearms for a legal purpose (hunting or target shooting) providing you have a hunting license, but you can't purchase one and take possession of it. So it would be illegal of you to take possession of the gun you just illegally bought. Then exporting it would be illegal (DoJ for rifles, DoComerce for shotguns) without a permit. About the only partially correct bit would be that if you had the slot for it here you'd probably be fine. But I think there is a clause in the Home office guidance that stipulates you can bring back legally purchased firearms from abroad and have customs add them to your ticket. The caveat being legally purchased. I'm not 100% sure that it is in there, but I think so. Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 Another factor is the GBP £ vrs the USD$ In case anyone hasn't noticed the USD $ is as strong as it's been for a while against the GBP £ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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