Importing handgun from USA?

[Jackie]

Dont be fooled by the seemingly lower US prices.

Besides, shouldn't we be supporting our local gunfighters, er retailers?

 

[Slavex]

he's talking about the PX4 Storm Special Duty Pistol in .45 ACP. if and when they show up on dealers shelves in the USA we'll see. but it will be Canadian legal for barrel length.

 

[BC Mike]

I got my Kimber Desert Warrior stateside before they were available here.
It was and still is cheaper than what you can get it for here.

Could you take us through step by step how it got from the FFL dealer to you please?
Mike

 

[BC Mike]

Anybody know a good shop close to the border in Washington State who provides a service to Canadian customers?
Mike

 

[rommelrommel]

Anybody know a good shop close to the border in Washington State who provides a service to Canadian customers?
Mike

Dave's Sports Shop (or something like that) used to do it out of the Ace Hardware in Lynden, WA. He's now next door, and should be providing the service again. He charged $35 for a FFL transfer, and $25 per trip (so grab ammo too or whatever you want) to drive it to customs for you. Last time I talked to him in March he hadn't gotten his new export permit for the new address, but once everythign lined up he told me he'd be doing it again.

 

[cybershooters]

ANY time you deal with a shipper like UPS, Fedex, DHL... they have their own Customs "clearing houses" for which they charge OUTRAGEOUS fees.

Avoid them like the plague.

The fees aren't outrageous if you've ever had to stand around waiting for the clearance.

Get the airway bill. Go to Customs, stand in line. Wait for Customs to assess duty, wait in line. Go to the counter to pay with the bill, wait in line. Go back to the warehouse with the clearance, wait in line for the guy with the lifter to find it in the warehouse. Takes all day.

I've done that at MIA and at Heathrow, I dare say a freight forwarder can get it done quicker but it's still labour intensive, because they still have to get the clearance and chase it up. I know a guy who does it at the border in Buffalo and he spends all day chasing US Customs about.

 

[cybershooters]

I think we've been through this whole thing many times but basically you need a dealer who is AECA registered, and there are very, very few of them.

The ones I know of are Leroy's Big Valley Gun Works in Montana, ETSS in Colorado (who charge a lot), and of course Questar.

The application process they go through is this: http://www.pmddtc.state.gov/docs/oas.pdf

And it's that and nothing else. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong (including US dealers, some of whom are still living in the stone age). That's off the State Dept. website.

On the Canadian side the guns need to be registered (phone up the CFC, they will refer you to a verifier for restricted firearms in Ottawa) and you will need an IIC from DFIAT. The exporter needs a copy of the IIC to support the export licence application.

Then they package up the gun and attach the export licence and ship it to you via whatever carrier they use, or they can hand it over at the border if you want to go down there and they want to go up there. And then you have to get CBSA clearance, which means they assess duty and GST and have a look at your registration/PAL and ATT.

How this works depends on how you've done it, you'll get a call from the broker to come down to the CBSA office and present yourself for example. If you've done it via a dealer they have to go and do this, which is what they're charging you for. Once it's cleared you get your package, either shipped to you or you can pick it up from their depot, the dealer or whatever.

 

[acrashb]

The fees aren't outrageous if you've ever had to stand around waiting for the clearance.

Except that DHL didn't clear the lower for the $183. I did. Nor did they deliver it - I had to pick it up. All that DHL did was transport a lower in a small box and phone me to say it was ready for me to do all the work of getting it home.

 

[cybershooters]

Did you try claiming it back from them? The reason I did it down at Heathrow was to avoid the fee, I wish I'd paid it by the time I got to the end of it.

 

[DavesSports.com]

Dave's Sports Shop (or something like that) used to do it out of the Ace Hardware in Lynden, WA. He's now next door, and should be providing the service again. He charged $35 for a FFL transfer, and $25 per trip (so grab ammo too or whatever you want) to drive it to customs for you. Last time I talked to him in March he hadn't gotten his new export permit for the new address, but once everythign lined up he told me he'd be doing it again.

Hi All,

Just a heads up that we'll soon have everything up and going for our new export license. As was mentioned earlier, at our new address, 1738 Front Street in Lynden, WA, we are still working with the ATF to get all set up; and that can be quite a long process. Always feel free to contact us at 360-354-5591, or on our website: www.DavesSports.com.

Thanks!

Joel VanderHoek
Asst. Operations Manager
Dave's Sports Shop