Flanker said:
I know any American made rifle is a high probabilty of being approved.
I also know that guys have been turned down to bring VZ-58s down south. And that Norincos are out of the question.
What about:
CZ 858?
SL8?
SL8 masquerading as a G36?
Sig PE-90?
anything I'm not naming? I've you've taken a black rifle south, tell me about it. Its not going to make or break a purchase decision, but I think its a small factor.
There are a whole bunch of different import regulations to take firearms into the US, and it is a complete minefield to understand.
18 USC 925(d)(3) imposes a "sporting purpose" test for taking firearms into the US, however it is important to note that THIS TEST DOES NOT APPLY TO TEMPORARY IMPORTS! Nor by inference does 18 USC 922(r) (ban on guns made from imported parts). Chinese-made guns should also qualify for import, but only temporarily. I'm not sure about the lend-lease guns. Have a read of 27 CFR 478.115(d)(1):
(d) Firearms and ammunition are not imported into the United States, and the provisions of this subpart shall not apply, when such firearms and ammunition are brought into the United States by:
(1) A nonresident of the United States for legitimate hunting or lawful sporting purposes, and such firearms and such ammunition as remains following such shooting activity are to be taken back out of the territorial limits of the United States by such person upon conclusion of the shooting activity
So basically if you apply on Form 6NIA you can take in things you can't take in if you apply on Form 6 Part 1.
Of the guns you list there, only the 858 would be banned from temporary import because it "incorporates the frame or receiver of a machinegun" and is thus banned from import under 18 USC 922(o).
I have been in an on-going fight with the ATF Import Branch about the Swiss Arms rifles for some time now and it is frankly getting right up my nose. The Import Branch say they incorporate the frame or receiver of a machinegun and won't grant a Form 6NIA for them, however, the ATF Technology Branch have told me that they don't, if it's the semi-automatic version. For some reason they can't seem to get their act together on this one. I have actually written to the head of the Import Branch enclosing a letter from the Technology Branch, and the application was still turned down.
Basically they have a book which says what they can and can't approve, and obviously that book doesn't mention that there is a semi-automatic version of the rifles.
If anyone has managed to get a Form 6NIA approved for a Swiss Arms rifle, I would like to know.
So to sum up - you should be able to take in most things, but you have to deal with the ####wit factor at ATF.
