I live about 35 miles from the Canada-USA border. Pre -911, I ordered stuff to a USA mailing address, then simply drove there to pick them up. I declared everything at the Canadian side of the border and never had a problem. Not a lot has really changed on the Canadian side, but everything has changed on the American side. Even if I could convince someone to ship me a barrel to my USA address, I run a huge risk transporting the item the 1/4 mile back to the Canadian side of the border. I have witnessed Homeland Security dismantling a car in that 1/4 mile stretch.
I guess it boils down to this. If you are an American, don't sell or ship anything shooting related out of the country. If you do, you put yourself at risk. If you are Canadian, do not transport anything shooting related on American soil without the appropriate American permits. If you do, you put yourself at risk. Pretty simple, really. Sucks real bad, but life is full of disappointments. I found a workaround through my local gunshop. Costs me a little more, but it keeps me out of jail.
A Canadian friend of mine got caught on American soil with something (shooting related) he shouldn't have had. He lost his new Dodge diesel truck and spent a few days in a USA jail. Cost him $25,000 in legal fees to deal with the charges. His indiscretion cost him over $50,000, and now he can't set foot on American soil. I have no intentions of taking any risks that would put me in that kind of situation.
I like shooting and I like my USA neighbours. It's your country and your laws and I'll abide by them.
Last edited by ricksplace; 05-20-2011 at 09:21 AM.
This whole thing reminds me of how the ATF has supplied rather lethal and exotic weapons to the mexican drug cartels...not counting what the mexicans walk across the border to their drug lords besides cash. But somehow Canada is treated like a den harboring terrorists and or an avenue of terrostic travel ?. I just can't believe how farked up the US gov't is when the mexican border is so open for such political reasons and yet they can indulge themselevs with law abiding US & Canadian citizens on the northern border. It's pretty sad.
About 10 years ago or so I sent a colt 1903 magazine & grips and a few small internal parts to a collector friend in the UK. When royal mail opened the package they and a firearms inspector went to my friends house , conducted a search gave him holy hell and asked him if he had the "paperwork" for his colt pistol , he did and then they produced copies of his... they knew all along he was legal yet gave him the up the backside search...and in the end they declared the parts I sent contraband and that they would be destroyed. Gov't is getting too big everywhere.
Whoa!!! That must have been in New York or New Jersey or some other overbearing state that isn't firearm friendly...certainly not Montana or certain states in the south.
It's likely he ran afoul of a state law, rather than a federal law. Many states in the northeastern US are very firearm unfriendly!
I'll have to dig it out, but in the FFL handbook it clearly spells out how and under what circumstances non-citizens may buy, posses and borrow firearms and ammunition in the US. This does not cover state laws, which may be more restrictive in some states.
Depending on how far north you are in Alberta, Kodiak, it might just be worth it to drive south to Montana for parts. It's disappointing to me that we need a passport to cross the street in some northern parts of the U.S., let alone the headache of shipping basic shooting supplies to one another. Oh, Canada. NORAD seems to work just fine; why must shipping be such a hassle? After all, shipping parts to Alaska usually means they have to first go through/over Canada!
Who keeps not his arms in times of peace, Will have no arms in times of war.
-Gaelic Proverb
As the son of a former Marine/Dallas cop; all I'll say is the law is what it is. You take your freedom in your own hands when you cross the line, and it's your responsibility to know where the line is. I suport gun rights to the hilt, but understand the need to hold a line on technology.
Follow the advice above and follow the laws to a "T". I own NFA weapons, and you dont even think about circumventing Uncle Sam. Then again thats what three hots and a cot are for...
Yes that new technology in rifle scopes is sure a mystery. The fact the scopes are sold up here as well seems to have escaped you. A lot of the high tech scopes are made in China now and imported into the US and Canada.
The rules regarding export of gun parts for the most part are a result of UN resolutions involving the sale of small arms across International borders. Canada and the US, as countries sign on to the feel good legislation and then pay lip service to it at the national level when ever it is convenient to do so. In the mean time you have Homeland Security justifying their budget by pretending to protect you from "terrorists". Ever notice they usually increase the threat level right around budget time. Never have so few owed so little to so many.
Take Care
Bob
Its been months since I bought the book, "How to scam people online". It still has not arrived yet!
"If the human population held hands around the equator, a significant portion of them would drown"
What I get a laugh at is how many of our US brethren just happen to "forget" their rifles, and they "shoot up" every lick of ammo they bring over...
the North if full of unregistered guns with boxes of ammo stashed at remote cabins and such...
I have sold moulds and vintage sights to folks in Canada, takes awhile to get there, but it's only a couple of minutes filling out customs papers and now even less when you do prioty online without a hitch or a comment, just the time to get stuff back and forth. Scopes, optics and gun parts are prorhibited from what I understand, but plain old stuff, not a problem. Onl thing is I cannot track international shipments, one thing that is a bummer.
Cast Round, Shoot Straight
Take someone shooting
you can track items if shipped Priority Mail International.
is request that service quite often for more expensive items
Thanks Nanuk, I'm doing something wrong when I use the Click n Shipment. Twice now I haven't been able to track a priority shipment. I just thought maybe once it left the US the PO didn't have access to location or delivery status.
Appreciate the tip, will check it out.
Cast Round, Shoot Straight
Take someone shooting
Once the item crosses into Canada do your tracking through Canada Post using your tracking number. That is what i do when I ship to the US, I just switch over to USPS.
The Post Office in both of our countries is not what it used to be. Very much improved IMHO. Canada Post has been a Crown Corporation and run as a private enterprise for some time now. Seems to improved the whole operation.
Take Care
Bob
Its been months since I bought the book, "How to scam people online". It still has not arrived yet!
"If the human population held hands around the equator, a significant portion of them would drown"
The sarcasm might be correct, but more to the point: the law is the law; cross it at your peril. I didn't say I agreed with every regulation just that I obey them. For a fact much of what we use is made in China; but then again Uncle has deep pockets and its easier to obey and work to change that we dont agree with. Fact is I'm an NFA weapons owner, so between that and the NRA there might not be that big a difference between us; except of course I'm not the moderator:<))
It's threads like this that make me want to dismantle every part of our government except for the USMC and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Paul
one of the very frustrating issues is the US Gov't being such a bully, and being so hypocritical at times when it come to trade issues, and the rules surrounding it.
take the lumber issue or wheat. But when it goes the other way around they just sit back and refuse to acknowledge they were wrong... and never pay up in full.
for the Bureaucracy in the US, FreeTrade means a One Way Street unless they happen to disagree with one section of NAFTA, then it is NO WAY
I mean come on, some of the Senators and Governors are still lying about the 9/11 terrorists crossing the border. Even when they are shown the facts.
Unfortunately the Canadian gov't has no balls to stand up and say "Enough"
And here I thought our respective Governments were "The People". but obviously they are NOT, they are an Elite group of Learned Folks who know more than the Commoners who ELECTED them
I don't see this issue changing any time soon
Casting tools, moulds, reloading gear are all 100% legal to ship to Canada and for us to import. If you want to do the paperwork it isn't a problem to even import guns from the USA. At present, firearms receivers, gun barrels require said paperwork. The US State Dept. ITAR restrictions preclude certain "militarily" significant items, mostly stuff with a NSN number. Some stuff can still be imported, even then, depending on how the State Dept. bureaucrat that signs off on your application that particular day.
However, with respect to casting gear, I just placed another order with Graf's for about $900.00 worth of gear, including moulds, another RCBS Pro-Melt and other goodies. Stuff made in the USA is duty-exempt as per the North American Free Trade Agreement. I just have to pay the GST tax on the declared value.
Incidentally, whenever possible, only ship via USPS and avoid the couriers. Unless you opt for their fastest service that includes the brokerage fee, they will crucify Canadian recipients. Once I had to fork over $45 bucks in brokerage fees for a $70 item. Same item shipped via USPS, cost me a $5 handling fee, plus the 5% tax.
"Only accurate rifles are interesting."
- Colonel Townsend Whelen
Ignorance of the law is not a defense when you have to go to court because you violated the Import/Export Regulations. I also think that, depending on what it was you shipped, it is a Felony. You know what that means? John Law makes you sell all your firearms and you cannot own or posses a firearm. You wife (or significant other) living in the same house as you cannot keep their legal firearms there as long as you live there.
Get a copy of the Import/Export regs and read and understand them of what you can and can’t ship. Some restricted items can be shipped with the proper paper work.
Anyone know what one of the scopes our Snipers used in Vietnam? Redfield 3X9 Wide view! They were matched with Remington 700’s and Winchester Mod 70’s
There are scopes that have ballistic charts built into them – do you want someone to buy them and ship them to Afghanistan to use against our US Troops over there?
If you violate the law and get caught, you will do your time and at the same time give the Anti’s more ammunition against the rest of us law abiding gun owners.
Big Bore = 45+
Give me a break. Anyone who wants one for that purpose can buy one in any number of countries outside of the US or for that matter buy military sniper rifles from the same sources they buy their weapons from now. You would think from your post ballistic tables are some sort of State secret. Given 87% of the Afghani men over in Afghanistan are illiterate reading the instruction manuals in English would be problematic at best.
It is a stupid restriction fostered by the Bush/Clinton Administration signing UN Resolutions to restrict small weapon exports from one country to another. Like the US, Canada, UK and Russia to name a few, honour that Resolution. FYI the former Liberal Gov't up here signed the same resolution. Just another move by the anti-gun crowd to put barriers in the way for civilians to acquire firearms.
Take Care
Bob
Its been months since I bought the book, "How to scam people online". It still has not arrived yet!
"If the human population held hands around the equator, a significant portion of them would drown"
"The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave."
James Burgh, Political Disquisitions, 1774
Post deleted PM sent
Last edited by robertbank; 02-24-2012 at 10:50 AM. Reason: Deleted PM sent
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |