Just wondered if anyone here has received any guns from the
UK shipped. One of my mums cousins passed and he had some old rifles and shotguns. They were talking about handing them over to the police to be destroyed, but I'd like to have them. Is it possible to have them shipped to my FFL dealer, or is there too much red tape. I don't think they are worth much, but it would be nice to keep something.

It's a complicated process, best to have someone who does it regularly handle things.

Steve Bertram in Boulder Colorado is the person I'd use.

Jeez, I don't know...do they have any guns over there to ship?

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Lounge Lizard Extraordinaire

Simply no. It is possible but you need an importer license, or find an importer, fill out form 6 and wait. 99.9999999999% it will be denied. It also needs to have an import stamp like "imported by Century Arms St Albans Vt."

Do NOT just have it shipped to a ffl. That's international arms dealing.

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You bet!

Some of the finest shotguns and rifles in the world.

You need an FFL with an import license. Arik is right on the required import stamp, don't know so much on the rejection rating. On milsurp rifles I can believe it, on a sporting arm, I'm not so sure.

Okay that sounds like more trouble than it's worth. Just kills me that they will probably be handed to the police and destroyed.
I'll swing by my FFL dealer tomorrow and bend his ear. Maybe he will know someone that does this.

Please don't make a decision that could cost the family many thousands of dollars.

At least have someone who knows what he's about look at them!

You may be able to sell them in place and not have to deal with importing them.

Check with bertramandco.com.

I have a C&R FFL and have imported Winchesters M92's from Australia directly to myself. An "occasional" import is allowed for C&R collectors, is it possible they would qualify as C&R? One qualifier is just have to be 50 years old or more. It helps greatly to have someone on that end that is very familair with the host countries laws.

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Old paratrooper in NC

I bought a rifle in Canada and had an importer handle all the details. The only thing I had to do was pay the Canadian guy. The importer knew all about which hoops needed to be jumped thru. There are import fees and taxes. As long as the gun is for your personal collection and won't be flipped for profit a person may import up to 6 guns a year IIRC. Find an importer and have a little money and patiance. I think I waited about 4 months. I imported an FN49 milsurp rifle. It did not receive any import stamp, I think that is a law for commmercial dealers. Some mighty fine guns have been made in England.

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Dennis

Some of those "old rifles and shotguns" might be highly collectible or otherwise potentially valuable. A desire to keep such heirlooms in the family would be easily understood.

There are exceptions built into nearly all laws. The facts in this case include a family connection and UK's general public policy of shunning privately owned firearms.

It might be possible to obtain permission to import through the US State Department. Might be worth speaking with your congressman's office to ask for assistance in negotiating the process. Actually, I think members of Congress are expected to assist contituents dealing with difficult or unusual matters.

A place like Duffy's in Maryland frequently brings over rimfires used by British shooting clubs.
With the hoops of gun ownership there,their value there is quite low.

An earlier comment gave you a good go-to source for help. What is "more trouble than its worth" for someone who hasn't "been there, done that" might be a snap for someone like Bertram.

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Bob | KM4DEO
Sport | Glock 22

+1
JIM....................

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SWCA # L-1911

i agree on the C&R PART what about taking them apart and shipping as parts

20-30 at Marion. Illegal weapons smuggling.

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Check with Brian Dick: BDL LTD

He offers import/export services.

simpson ltd does import export and has done thousands. they can tell you what is needed and the wait time. importer also must have complete info on the gun. all the usual info.

Thanks for the input. The guns are currently in a gun store back in Scotland. I'm going to contact the shop and find out exactly what they have, and if it's worth having them shipped.

They were melted down and turned into switchblades.

They call those flick knives and they're illegal, too.

I know a British professor who is of the gentry and who is in fact spending today and tomorrow with a famous countess whose title LVSteve and some others here would know. She is also friends with a descendant of Churchill. Is well enough off that her dad left her a pair of Purdey shotguns, which Americans can surely import, so there must be ways.

But even with her rarefied origins and friends in the nobility, she is reluctant to carry her Swiss Army knife or any "bladed weapon" in public unless actually out hunting or walking the moors. BTW, she does most of her hunting (mainly for pheasant and woodcock) with a Beretta shotgun. Even shotguns have to be licensed, although it's easier than with rifles. Handguns are virtually banned, all but entirely, since 1997.

She does know that woman who is descended from Churchill whose dad is a famous Conservative MP, so I've just asked her if she can get her friend to determine what became of Sir Winston's pistols after the dreadful 1997 gun law.

I am proud of my British ancestry in many ways, but the UK is a prime example of how NOT to pass gun laws. I'm ashamed that the British and other Commonwealth countries can't even use deadly force to defend themselves from violent criminal assaults in their own homes! It's disgusting.

Good luck on bringing the guns here, but unless they're high grade Webleys or fine rifles or shotguns or at least BSA-made rifles, probably not worth the trouble. (Webley made much finer-finished guns than their common service models. They also made good shotguns, if not in a class with those by Purdey, Boss, H&H, etc.))

I had a BSA Monarch .30-06 some years ago and it was a better rifle than Remington, for sure. I'd put it pretty much on par with push-feed Winchester M-70's, except that I prefer even that M-70's extractor to the BSA's. If these include GOOD Lee-Enfield sporters by BSA or a famous maker, like Holland & Holland, etc., I'd DEFINITELY try to bring them here! But you need to learn the condition. They may well have been neglected.

They more or less banned every handgun after the Dunblane school shooting. Even before that shooting it was very hard to own a gun, and virtually impossible to be able to carry. These laws were very easily carried out, and not much resistance was put up. The majority of Brits were for the gun ban, and even today they wouldn't want the general public owning or carrying guns.

This is the official line (it doesn't get any more official...) from our government's website:

https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-force-against-intruders

Not a situation I would like to put to the test by the way...

WRT the OP, there's no harm in doing a bit of googling and asking around especially import businesses etc - it might be easier or harder than you thought.

Worth a try.

Hi:
A Forum Member purchased two pre-1899 rifles from me and all I had to do was filled out a U.S. Post Office (Form #70 ?) and mailed them to England. Due to mail thefts in England I could only insure them for $125.00. The buyer took the responsibility.

I've used BSA to ship a few. They take care of everything. Great folks to work with.

BSA Gun Services

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That's just somebody talkin.

You might ask Joe Salter in New Hampshire. He has dealer's licenses in the U.S. & Canada. He could at least advise on the legality.

Google his name.

I'm still waiting to hear back from the gun shop in the UK. The guy is on holiday at the moment.