selling gun parts on Ebay 'worldwide'

[jaredc]

I have always shipped the parts I have sold on Ebay in the US but lately I have been getting inquires to sell in Europe. I see that most auctions don't offer "worldwide" shipping but Ebay has information about specific restricted items for each country and most just say no "firearms or ammunition". I wouldn't classify a gunstock as a firearm. My question is why don't more people sell overseas if it is legal?

 

[Cheechako]

jaredc

Don't take e-bays word for what is legal and what is not. It depends on the country and the part. I think that gunstocks may be prohibited in some instances. I've heard that to some locations every little part is restricted. Right now there is a big question about shipping even a single empty cartridge case to Canada, of all places. No one in authority wants to say yes or no. Protect yourself. Leavenworth Kansas is really cold this time of the year. JMHO

Ray

 

[jaredc]

Can you really get into trouble? Seem like customs might confiscate the item but I can't imagine they would come after you for a gun stock when you have declared what the item is?

 

[tightneck]

It is illegal, as in they can put you in jail for exporting certain parts into different countries without an export permit. The same is true on the recieving end, sometimes an import permit is required. One of the frequent posters on benchrest.com is a Canadian gunsmith who can attest to the difficulty in aquiring parts from the US. He can't get Brownell's to send him 8-48 scope base screws....I don't know about you but I'm not taking any chances.

 

[tenring]

A few years ago, I broke the butt plate of an old Savage-SKB shotgun. Found a Canadian dealer who had several, but he needed my broken part to match it up. Before sending it to him I would need to obtain a $50 Canada import permit. Instead, I sent him a tracing of the old butt plate, and transaction completed with no problem.

 

[jaredc]

Thanks for the information. I didn't realize it was so difficult. Do reloading dies and presses fall under the "gun parts" category?

 

[Asa_Yam]

Everything firearms related falls under international treaties in trafficking in small arms.

 

[Kiwishooter]

This discussion comes up every so often, and all I can say is it depends on the country you are shipping too.

I live in New Zealand and have no problem importing shooting related items into New Zealand. The only things I need an import permit for is a firearm, parts for MSSA's and pistols, everything else I can import legally into NZ without a permit.
This excludes loaded ammo, primers and powder as you can't just send this stuff through the mail.

Sinclair International are fantastic to deal with but it does require that I get a letter to say that I don't need an import permit to get the export permit for barrels and a few other things. It is actually harder to get things out of the US than it is to get them into NZ.....at this point in time.

People that put a "blanket" explaination that you can't export anything firearms related to any country should go back and check the current laws, I don't think a business like Sincalir International would be shipping items without export permits if an export permit was required.

Ian

 

[tightneck]

Kiwishooter, I'm not putting any blanket statements on anything, but I,m also not going on someone's word from overseas that claims to not have any restrictions. Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't. But I'm not Sinclair or another retailer with an export license either and I simply don't have the time to check out all the laws that exist in order to ship a single stock or scope or whatever. You are correct in fact that the the strictest laws may just be that of the US, mainly due to 9/11. I know that some of the shooters overseas really struggle to aquire parts and components and I do feel for them. Matter of fact I would love to be able to help them out, but it's just not feasible in the current world climate. Sebastian Lambang recently posted on benchrest.com that in Indonesia it is illegal to RELOAD AMMUNITION, period. Can you imagine how much that must suck.

 

[Kiwishooter]

Tightneck, forgive me but I wasn't referring to you. In fact you were quite correct when you said in one of your posts

,Quote)
It is illegal, as in they can put you in jail for exporting certain parts into different countries without an export permit. The same is true on the recieving end, sometimes an import permit is required.

One thing that you have to have to get an export permit from BATF is a "import permit" without this the BATF will not issue a export permit. The only way round this is to get a letter stating that you don't need an import permit.

As for this statement

,Quote)
Thanks for the information. I didn't realize it was so difficult. Do reloading dies and presses fall under the "gun parts" category?

,Quote)
Everything firearms related falls under international treaties in trafficking in small arms.

This is the blanket statement that I was referring to.

So far as I know and according to Sinclair International it is not illegal and you do not require export permits to export reloading equipment out of the US. If ASA YAM can point me to where it is written in US law where it IS ilegal to export these items without an export permit I will take back what I have written.

An export licence allows you to apply for export permits and export items requiring export permits.
Sinclair International would not put there business in jepordy by exporting parts outside the law.
Brownells will also export firearms parts totalling under US$100 without a permit, if it costs $101 then you need a permit, this I know from experience.

I do know Sebastian and he is a great bloke. I was talking to him a few months ago in Australia, and I thought Aussies gun laws were tough, Indonesia is worse.
I have to say there are a lot of idiotic laws governing firearms in the world, but I dear say a lot of them are required. And then sometimes when they make new laws, usually to control the criminals, they make law abiding citizens into criminals.

Sorry if I offend anyone.

Ian

Terrorism works by by creating restrictions for the law abiding until they have enough restrictions that they no longer live in a free world......think about it

 

[Cheechako]

I think the most important advice for everyone to heed is to not take anyone's word about what is legal or illegal. This thread started with the comment that e-bay said that only the shipment of firearms and ammunition was restricted or prohibited. That is a very broad statement and if taken literally it will get you into trouble eventually. The fact is that some very minor parts are considered to be "firearms' and some empty cartridge cases are considered to be "ammunition". I'm certain that most officials don't even know what is legal and what is not. You may be absolutely 100% within the law but it is little comfort when your property is seized and you have to post bail to keep yourself out of jail. As I said in my first post, protect yourself.

Ray