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Moving problems

Fazer1
After a long time out of the US, I am in the throws of moving back. I took my collection when I left and added the old mans after he passed, plus added some.

Now I find that I am not allowed to bring them all back. Many of the Axis pistols, Femeru, HSC, PPK and such, I was told are prohibited. Also any US military rifle after 1898. So there goes my 03's and Krags. If that's not bad enough they will want to stamp all my post 98 arms. That does a lot for an 1885 Win in 95% condition or a Persian Artillery Luger, or any of the others. I have tried to buy only quality pieces, but stamping will not help.

My question is, does anyone know of a list of prohibited pistols and such. I am talking 1945 and earlier. I have a factoring criteria list, but just to be sure I am doing it right, thought I would ask.

I have to start somewhere on seeing what I can bring back. Needless to say I am not pleased. Thanks for any guidance.
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7 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    The Simpsons have been in this business for years. Rather winging this on your own. I would let them handle it.



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    Thank you for choosing Simpson Ltd as your firearms importer. To help this process go as smooth as possible, here are some general guidelines. To apply for your license, you can fill out our on-line PDF application form by clicking here. Or submit the following information, which is required:

    a) Name, address, phone and FAX of foreign seller.

    b) Name, address, phone and FAX of foreign shipper, if needed.

    c) Name, address, phone and FAX of U.S.A. end-user.

    d) Name, address, phone and FAX of U.S.A. FFL Dealer, if different than end-user.

    e) Manufacturer & country of manufacture, type (ie. rifle, pistol, etc.), caliber, model, barrel length in inches, overall length in inches, whether it is new or used and dollar value for each firearm.

    f) End use of firearms (ie. collection, resale, sport shooting, consignment sale, etc.)

    For any firearms that are categorized as surplus curio & relic, military, police or government models, additional documentation is required. One of the requirements the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) has for this type of firearm is that it must have been in the country of exportation for the past five (5) years. You will need to provide a receipt, document or statement showing they have been in the foreign country for at least 5 years. The "5 Year Letter" must be an original document. A copy sent via FAX is no longer accepted. We can provide a sample "5 Year Letter" upon request, or click here. We can also generate a 5 Year Letter to send to your contact for their signature and have them mail it back to us.

    After we receive these documents, we will apply for your license. An approval can take 8-16 weeks to get back from the BATF, sometimes longer. The clearer the supporting documentation is, the quicker they seem to process the application.

    We cannot guarantee approval for every firearm you want to import. There are some guns that cannot be imported. This includes assault weapons, many U.S. Military weapons, machine guns and most .25, .32 and .380 caliber pistols. Most pistols with a barrel length less than 3.5" are denied. The U.S. Department of State is constantly changing the list of "friendly" countries that we can receive guns from, which can affect approval.

    We will FAX or email the foreign shipper a copy of the approved import permit and give them instructions on packaging, addressing and documents to put on the parcel.

    Many countries require Air Freight shipments for firearms, especially for larger quantities. Some countries allow Air Parcel Post for firearm shipments. If so, the shipping costs will probably be lower. Check with your local service first, and notify us if your firearms are to be shipped via Air Parcel Post. Some of the shipping details will be different. Note that the maximum amount of insurance available for Air Parcel Post is usually less than for air freight.

    When your guns are shipped to us, please have them shipped in sturdy containers that can be opened by U.S. Customs, if needed, and resealed. Most parcels are not opened by Customs, unless our instructions have not been followed.

    What is it going to cost? Our fee for processing your import license is $200 for the first two guns, with additional guns being $75.00 each. This includes the cost of Laser Engraving the import marks upon arrival. This fee needs to be received before we can submit your application. It is not refundable in case of rejection from the BATF or for any other reason you may not receive your firearms. If we need to re-crate your shipment for shipping to the U.S. end-user, there may be an additional handling fee of $10.00 per gun. Also, U.S. law dictates that we engrave all modern firearms (those mfg after 1898) with our name, city and state. This will be done as discreetly as possible. We accept cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

    There are additional fees that we have little control over. They include all shipping costs from the foreign shipper to us, brokers fees, storage fees, insurance, duty, etc. Some of these costs need to be paid by the shipper at the time of shipment. Please do not send them freight collect. When your shipment arrives in U.S. Customs, we must pay duty, customs broker fees and shipping to us. We will bill those actual costs to you (or charge a credit card, if you desire) along with the additional freight to get them from us to the U.S. FFL holder. The brokers fees are usually between $250 - $350. The duty is approximately 3% of the value of the shipment. The firearms will be shipped after these fees have been paid. You will be liable for these fees, even if there is an error made by our agents or customs personnel.

    Please note: Once we have an approved import permit, Simpson Ltd or our bonded Customs Broker must be present at the Customs port to clear the shipment, with the original permit. The owner or shipper can not clear or hand carry the items through U.S. Customs. This is a Federal liability for us, and we will be forced to report infractions.

    We realize this can be a long drawn out frustrating process at times. Processing and approvals can take several months. One time an application can come back in as little as 3 weeks, while another one, submitted the same day, may take 10 weeks. Getting an export permit from some countries can be harder than others. Because of these variables, which are beyond our control, we cannot give you a schedule as to when your items can be shipped or when they will arrive.

    Thank you for letting us serve as your U.S. firearms importer. We will try our best to make this sometimes treacherous process as smooth as possible.

    For more information, you can send an e-mail to Michael at imports@simpsonltd.com.

    Click Here for Online PDF Import Application

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  • mark christian
    You can try to use Form CBP 3311:
    DECLARATION FOR FREE ENTRY OF RETURNED AMERICAN PRODUCTS

    to bring back those firearms which you exported when you left the USA. This will need to be documented, but I have to guess that Australian Customs gave you some sort of paperwork on those firearms when you arrived in Oz. A copy of that should do the job.

    Anything that was added or inherited is going to have to be imported through normal commercial channels (see R-F's post). While it might be possible to import actual sporting arms using an approved Form 6, all surplus military firearms which are classified as Curio and Relics (non C&R surplus is not importable) must be brought into the US by a licensed importer (Type 08 FFL).
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  • waltermoe
    I have known Bob and Dave At Simpson LTD. for over 40 years, They are very savvy when it comes to import export. I would get ahold of them, they would have answers.
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  • Fazer1
    Thanks for that I'll contact Simpsons. They actually exported some of the guns. It never occurred to me that if I took it out I couldn't bring it back.
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  • jonk
    For any pre-Jan. 1899 firearms, of course it's no issue. As the BATF doesn't see them as guns, you just bring or ship them in.

    I'd take a close look though at what you're planning on doing. Simpsons certainly can handle a lot of the guns. Fortunately for those that you can't bring in, 1903s and such, you can buy a replacement without issue after getting back. But you mention the artillery luger and such. The question you should ask yourself is this: Is the personal value of it to you for that particular gun sufficient so that just selling it in Australia and re-buying the same type here is worth the cost, the defacing with the import stamp, and so on? To put it another way, say you had a gun worth $7000. You put an import stamp on it, suddenly it's worth a lot less. What's the market like for these guns in Australia, and the legality of selling them? Point being: if you can sell a given piece there for 8k US and they cost 7k here, as is often the case given the scarcity of some pieces outside of the US... well that's worth considering.

    Even once they are here, unless you live in the same state as Simpsons, you still have to pay then to get them transferred out to you in your own state, I would think. Add s/h and another transfer fee.

    Also you should look into state laws wherever you are moving to. Depending on the state and how long you've been gone, if you don't know the current laws, some have changed a lot in recent years... NY, CA, IL, especially.
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  • Fazer1
    What as a ballpark figure ( I know it's hard to say), does an import stamp make on the value. Does it change with type of gun, that does a Winchester 1885 versus a Mauser Broomhandle have a different reaction to an import stamp.

    Thanks
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  • rufe-snow
    quote:Originally posted by Fazer1
    What as a ballpark figure ( I know it's hard to say), does an import stamp make on the value. Does it change with type of gun, that does a Winchester 1885 versus a Mauser Broomhandle have a different reaction to an import stamp.

    Thanks



    Size and location of markings, have a great deal to do with loss of value. I believe that the BATF changed their regs over the years, regarding this.

    The old markings were very small, and inconspicuous. Recent Century arms imports, are big and really ugly. I'm sure the Simpsons, will be familiar with the current BATF requirements.
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