doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Import Cost--- Not a political post!

Politics aside, I would like to have a realistic idea of the total cost of importing if I buy from Holt's this month.

I bought my oldest an EM Reilly for 70 pounds several years ago and paid about 400 for the import as I remember it. I am now looking for a couple more guns for two of my other kids to learn some restoration skills and to add themselves to a gun's long history. We are looking for guns under 200 pounds or so that need some work to bring them back to life.

So the question is: With the current tariffs on top of the pre-existing import costs, what could I realistically expect to pay to get an 1890s gun to the States, assuming a sales price of about 200 pounds?

Follow-up question: if I buy pre-1898 guns and bring them home myself on a flight from England this summer, how would that affect my bottom line price? Still pay import fees and tariffs?

The govt website says the following:
If the firearm you intend to import is an antique firearm and was manufactured in or before 1898, you or an FFL do not have to submit an ATF Form 6 to ATF... if the antique firearm is at least 100 years old or more and you can provide proof of age, the firearm will be eligible for duty-free treatment under the antique provision in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

Makes it sound like I could stop by Holts, pickup and pack the guns in my luggage with no extra costs. True?

Jim, take a look at this line from last fall......complete costs laid out. And don't try packing a pre 1898 gun yourself. No problem in America but the UK government wants its pound of flesh:

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=667540&page=1

I had seen that one but didn't know if things had changed. seems like the news says something different every day

By pound of flesh... meaning just paying the export fee? or massive riggamarole?

Holts would need to see a Shotgun Certificate or Registered Firearms Dealer licence before they could release the gun, you would need a Shotgun Certificate or Visitors Firearms Permit to possess the gun lawfully on your way to the Airport, and you would need to be sure the the airline will let you fly with the gun in your baggage.

SECTION 58 is your friend......

Section 58 exempts obsolete calibre breech loaders and antique muzzleloaders.

They can be possessed without a licence (but you might still run into a problem with the airline - “ But it’s still a gun isn’t it?”).

Woodreaux refers to 1890’s guns, and is probably not looking for an obsolete calibre 14, 24 or 32 bore, but a gun in a non-obsolete calibre at a price artificially depressed by the license requirement.

Snag is, if s.58 applies, anyone who is not a prohibited person can buy it and the price multiplies accordingly.

You might find this helpful.





Antonio

This is all very helpful information. Thank you all.

By the way, I made a spreadsheet to calculate the total cost of a gun imported from Holts based on Argo's categories and numbers, It's not complicated, but it lets me plug in a bid price and see what my 'out the door' purchase price is as well as the 'in the door' price of import.

Quite obvious but interesting to see the numbers: for a £150 gun the cost of import is 2.5x the purchase price. The purchase (including premium) is 41% of the cost. For a £2000 gun, the purchase accounts for 86%. Interestingly, the rate plateaus around 2000, as a £25000 and a £250,000 gun purchase price remains around 94% of the total cost since the tariff 10% remains

My first foray was importing. When I got the license (Class 8- import license*) and the ATF agent came to the apartment to do the interview. I started to ask him questions and he said there is only one other import license in Houston, he did not have any answers. SAid you need to call Washington to get the answers. That was 1973 or 1974.

So, when I did importing for some one else my fee even up to my retirement was $350 plus expensive. I did not make a habit of advertising this service but people found me. I think i was the only one willing to do it. Briley use to do it but quit and referred them to me.

My fees were never based on the value of the gun. When all the paperwork was done I made copies and always gave copies to the client, no padding of the bills, no hidden costs, all laid out. He saw all the itemized costs

John
Quality Arms

If you have questions, you can call me via phone.