Hi all,
I've searched this board and the Internet in general for several days trying to find any information relating to the process of purchasing collectible guns from overseas dealers and having them imported in the U.S.
So far, I've gathered that:
- One must arrange with a federally licensed import dealer here in the US to handle the transaction.
- It can cost quite a bit of money.
- It can take quite a while.
Specifics have, somewhat surprisingly to me, been hard to come by. I have learned that Simpson Ltd. handles importing and I've seen them mentioned here a few times. In the only archived thread I found that dealt exclusively with the question of importing, Pete Ebbink said that Simpson's import marking is "very, very, very small". Pete, could you offer a dimension so I can tell exactly how noticeable it would be?
As you may tell, I'm pretty lost and I'd really appreciate it if someone who has actually gone through the process could give a detailed account of how things work and any tips on keeping it as smooth a process as possible.
If you spot a gun that you wish to purchase from an overseas dealer, whom do you approach first - that dealer or your importer?
Aside from fully automatic guns, which I realize are not importable, are there any restrictions on modern firearms being imported to the U.S.? Are they all importable provided the proper paperwork is done on both ends? Are there any guns that are not required to be defaced with the abominable "import mark"?
Ladies and gentlemen, I would really be grateful for any detailed info/advice you can offer. Thank you.
I've searched this board and the Internet in general for several days trying to find any information relating to the process of purchasing collectible guns from overseas dealers and having them imported in the U.S.
So far, I've gathered that:
- One must arrange with a federally licensed import dealer here in the US to handle the transaction.
- It can cost quite a bit of money.
- It can take quite a while.
Specifics have, somewhat surprisingly to me, been hard to come by. I have learned that Simpson Ltd. handles importing and I've seen them mentioned here a few times. In the only archived thread I found that dealt exclusively with the question of importing, Pete Ebbink said that Simpson's import marking is "very, very, very small". Pete, could you offer a dimension so I can tell exactly how noticeable it would be?
As you may tell, I'm pretty lost and I'd really appreciate it if someone who has actually gone through the process could give a detailed account of how things work and any tips on keeping it as smooth a process as possible.
If you spot a gun that you wish to purchase from an overseas dealer, whom do you approach first - that dealer or your importer?
Aside from fully automatic guns, which I realize are not importable, are there any restrictions on modern firearms being imported to the U.S.? Are they all importable provided the proper paperwork is done on both ends? Are there any guns that are not required to be defaced with the abominable "import mark"?
Ladies and gentlemen, I would really be grateful for any detailed info/advice you can offer. Thank you.