Need some quick help!

sportee

sportee

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Hey guys anyone ever dealt with collectorfirearms.com in the U.S. ?

know if they ship to Canada?

Know of any other company's that will bring an antique into Canada for me without hassle?

Oh, and i read somewhere that there was a specific note to attach to the package to let customs know it is a prescribed antique so it moves through faster...what was it?
 
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I haven't dealt with them, but it says on their site they welcome international sales.
Call CFC and get an FRT# to attatch to the gun. Label it like... "antique sporting goods, .48 cal Remchester, pre 1897, FRT# ###" Has worked for me in the past.
 
Depends on the gun. If they were made both before and after 1898, there may be a problem establishing antique status. Sometimes serial numbers help, if the range is known.
But no, you don't need a serial to get an FRT number; just might not help with antique status.
 
If the gun is a cartridge gun, then have the declaration read Canadian antique as per cc 84 1(b) and SOR 98 464 and cc 84 3. If it is a muzzle loader then declare as a Canadian antique as per cc 84 1(a).
I can't remember if those are printed out in the sticky's up above.

cheers mooncoon
 
I have Bought guns from them there Shipping is $50 but they Ship with tracking and Insurance.
Customs dont use the FRT i had Two Guns seized years ago for non Declaration Because i had the shipper put the FRT # as the Discription.
(i did fight and win my Apeal tho! got both guns but it was a 4 month Nightmare)

Get a CFC Letter is the best route.
Customs likes the RCMP CFC Antique Letter.

Tho with some guns like Webley MKIs and MKIIs they seem to know there Antique and no letter is really needed.
If its some weird gun id get the letter fax it to Collectors and they will put it in with the gun.
There Good to deal with.
 
I just talked to the firearms tech at the CFC.
You can reach them at 1800-731-4000-ext 1090 or
cfrftd@cfc-cafc.gc.ca
They will send you a letterfor importing an antique, send them the make, model, ser #, calibre, and action.
Send the letter to the seller to include with the firearm during shipping.
Cheers nessy.
 
Letters from the CFC or the RCMP only work if the gun is on the FRT disc. For things like 1800 vintage flintlock pistols with no makers name, they will not give a letter of antiquity. The gun must have a makers name on it, in my experience. In my limited experience, Canada Customs knows extremely little about firearms and enforce personal opinion more often than not.
I can't resist mentioning that one officer I spoke with claimed to be able to distinguish rifling intended for military use from rifling intended for sporting use and claimed to be very knowledgeable of firearms. :>) :>) A truly gifted individual.

cheers mooncoon
 
Mooncoon your probabley right that the average agent is not a firearms expert. The guys and gals at the CBSA weapons branch however are top notch and at least a few of them know as much as many of us. If you are not doing anything wrong, make your declarations and ship via the most secure method you can expect a fair shake. Just make sure it is shipped the most secure way through USPS.
 
Ya one thing i liked About buying a gun from Collectors firearms of Texas is you can phone em Toll free.
And they Charge $50 to ship BUT they Ship Global Expressmail EMS if ya ask with tracking and insurance or priority with tracking and Insurance.

How many times ive sent $35 to a US seller on GB or AA to ship Expressmail EMS and they ship it the cheepist way and pocket the $12 diffrence! :rolleyes:
Its about $32 to ship a big WG Global Expressmail EMS Service thru USPS

Thats my Pet Piss off about SOME US sellers on Auction sites.
 
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pet peeeve is putting it lightly. I have had a very expensive collectable show up loose in a kellogs corn flakes box, one piece of tape! took six weeks to get here and I don't know how but they sent it with 9 dollars postage!
No tracking and no insurance!
 
I just talked to the Firearms Tech in Ottawa (again) .
Here's the skinny on requesting a letter of proof that the fiearm meets the "antique" criteria. They require pics of the proof marks, and /or the gunbuilders name, so that they can check with their reference material to show that it was built before 1898.
It's not in their mandate to do this for us, they are just trying to help.
Ultimeately of course it comes down to the CBSA ruling if it's dubious about the antiquity, and then the onus is up to the person importing the firearm.

Cheers nessy.
 
I just called the CFC today, before lunch and spoke with a nice woman there. I gave the info: s/n, make, model, caliber, barrel length ect and I had the antique letter in my hand (by fax) an hour and a half later.
 
The problem with proof marks is that the US did not use them as a country, Britain added a few in 1896 but did not really change their marks until 1904. Germany commonly did not use proof marks before the 1890's and Belgian marks did not particularly become distinctively post 1898 until the 1920's. Then additionally some countries required proofing or reproofing of antiques in recent times; I had a percussion derringer which I am positive was made in the mide 1800's, probably in Belgium and yet it carried East German proofs @ the 1950's. I am positive the gun was not made in East Germany in the the 1950's.

What this all boils down to is you need to have good reference books plus a makers name on the gun that will define it to pre 1898. With that in hand, you can get an agreement with an identification tech that your gun is an antique. Without such information, you may or may not get acknowledgement that your antique is indeed an antique.

cheers mooncoon
 
I had TVM send me a new flintlock by US Postal service , by their international rate, insured to $1,000.00. The package was marked as an antique, came right to my post office, with a bill for the GST and PST, and no problems. Do not us UPS, they have a large bokerage fee. If your firearms is good under the Canadian and US defination of an antique, the above will work.
 
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