Firearms from UK to USA
Jun 27th 2015, 10:24 am
#1
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Location: NC, USA (ex Yorkshire)
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Firearms from UK to USA
Hi all
This may be an unusual question, but has anyone had experience of permanently moving firearms from the UK to the U.S.?
I am looking at moving on a K1.
Cheers
Tom
This may be an unusual question, but has anyone had experience of permanently moving firearms from the UK to the U.S.?
I am looking at moving on a K1.
Cheers
Tom
Jun 27th 2015, 10:44 am
#2
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Joined: Jun 2010
Location: 1.2 East
Posts: 762
Re: Firearms from UK to USA
You also need a firearms dealer's license # and his agreement to hold the weapon on arrival, he will only charge $25 or so for this service.Some states will not allow this BTW. Permission from the UK carrier and a firearm export license (I think) from the UK
Last edited by audio; Jun 27th 2015 at 10:47 am.
Jun 28th 2015, 12:41 am
#6
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Location: Calgary, Alberta
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Re: Firearms from UK to USA
How you do it is this -
You apply in triplicate (or at least you used to, not sure if they still require that) on Form 6 Part 1. On Q10 you put down: "moving to the US/sporting purposes" If ATF approves it (the US has very strict import laws on what they will allow in, for example, most Chinese and Russian-made guns are banned from import) they will send it back to you with an approval stamp and a Form 6A.
You give the completed Form 6A to CBP on arrival in the US and they stamp it and return it to ATF.
The tricky bit is that under US law, interstate transfers of firearms are prohibited except between licensees (aka dealers), so that basically means you have to take the firearms in yourself, you cannot establish residency and then receive them - that's an interstate transfer. That is much more complex and requires the use of a licensed importer who has to stamp the firearms with their name and address before they can transfer them to you. (Having just looked at the instructions for the form, it does explain this actually).
Generally speaking it's just not worth bothering unless you've got something unusual or rare and the more unusual or rare it is, the more likely it is that ATF won't approve the import anyway. If you've got something worth keeping like a Purdey it might be worth doing. Definitely isn't for a 10/22.
An unlicenced airgun in GB is not subject to control in the US. Antiques have to be pre-1898 to be exempt.
One final note - if you possess firearms in the US and have a nonimmigrant visa (which K-1 technically is), you must have a hunting licence issued by any State. Also, bear in mind some jurisdictions like NYC, NJ, Mass. and DC have very strict licensing laws. Some like Illinois have licensing laws but they're relatively simple to comply with.
Last edited by Steve_; Jun 28th 2015 at 12:47 am.
Jun 28th 2015, 7:16 am
#7
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Re: Firearms from UK to USA
You don't need a dealer to be involved at all and in fact in the instructions it says only licensed importers can do imports, iirc. Regular dealers can do "occasional" imports but they won't because they don't like doing them.
How you do it is this -
You apply in triplicate (or at least you used to, not sure if they still require that) on Form 6 Part 1. On Q10 you put down: "moving to the US/sporting purposes" If ATF approves it (the US has very strict import laws on what they will allow in, for example, most Chinese and Russian-made guns are banned from import) they will send it back to you with an approval stamp and a Form 6A.
You give the completed Form 6A to CBP on arrival in the US and they stamp it and return it to ATF.
The tricky bit is that under US law, interstate transfers of firearms are prohibited except between licensees (aka dealers), so that basically means you have to take the firearms in yourself, you cannot establish residency and then receive them - that's an interstate transfer. That is much more complex and requires the use of a licensed importer who has to stamp the firearms with their name and address before they can transfer them to you. (Having just looked at the instructions for the form, it does explain this actually).
Generally speaking it's just not worth bothering unless you've got something unusual or rare and the more unusual or rare it is, the more likely it is that ATF won't approve the import anyway. If you've got something worth keeping like a Purdey it might be worth doing. Definitely isn't for a 10/22.
An unlicenced airgun in GB is not subject to control in the US. Antiques have to be pre-1898 to be exempt.
One final note - if you possess firearms in the US and have a nonimmigrant visa (which K-1 technically is), you must have a hunting licence issued by any State. Also, bear in mind some jurisdictions like NYC, NJ, Mass. and DC have very strict licensing laws. Some like Illinois have licensing laws but they're relatively simple to comply with.
How you do it is this -
You apply in triplicate (or at least you used to, not sure if they still require that) on Form 6 Part 1. On Q10 you put down: "moving to the US/sporting purposes" If ATF approves it (the US has very strict import laws on what they will allow in, for example, most Chinese and Russian-made guns are banned from import) they will send it back to you with an approval stamp and a Form 6A.
You give the completed Form 6A to CBP on arrival in the US and they stamp it and return it to ATF.
The tricky bit is that under US law, interstate transfers of firearms are prohibited except between licensees (aka dealers), so that basically means you have to take the firearms in yourself, you cannot establish residency and then receive them - that's an interstate transfer. That is much more complex and requires the use of a licensed importer who has to stamp the firearms with their name and address before they can transfer them to you. (Having just looked at the instructions for the form, it does explain this actually).
Generally speaking it's just not worth bothering unless you've got something unusual or rare and the more unusual or rare it is, the more likely it is that ATF won't approve the import anyway. If you've got something worth keeping like a Purdey it might be worth doing. Definitely isn't for a 10/22.
An unlicenced airgun in GB is not subject to control in the US. Antiques have to be pre-1898 to be exempt.
One final note - if you possess firearms in the US and have a nonimmigrant visa (which K-1 technically is), you must have a hunting licence issued by any State. Also, bear in mind some jurisdictions like NYC, NJ, Mass. and DC have very strict licensing laws. Some like Illinois have licensing laws but they're relatively simple to comply with.
Going back to your statement about a hunting licence, I assume that when you AOS you will be able to buy firearms like a citizen could? Without a hunting licence. (I won't be hunting... I have no friends to hunt with. Haha!)
I know in NC (my destination) a pistol requires a permit, but I don't think other firearms do. However for a non-citizen I may be mistaken.
I know some firearms are NFA restricted, but I'm talking about walking into a store and buying standard stuff for target shooting purposes.
Jun 29th 2015, 12:44 pm
#8
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Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Oakland County, Michigan
Posts: 846
Re: Firearms from UK to USA
You may find that regardless of what the state rules are, stores impose their own rules. My husband had issues with Dunhams and Target sports as he didn't meet their 'residency requirements'. Unfortunately the store managers didn't even seem to know what those were. He brought some air rifles over with him and to be honest it was a big hassle at both ends explaining and filling out forms. Probably easier to sell and buy new unless you're attached to them.
Jun 29th 2015, 11:36 pm
#9
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Firearms from UK to USA
In 2012, the DoJ OLC basically said that a lot of the stuff ATF had imposed for people in a non-immigrant category had no foundation in law and thus ATF had to scrap it all, although they still haven't updated the forms.
You still however have to have a hunting licence to possess a firearm if you are in the US with a non-immigrant visa, i.e. a counterfoil in your passport. If you're in US in a non-immigrant category without a visa, there is no such restriction (anymore).
As soon as you gain residency in the US (which basically means getting a driver's licence/State ID) you can basically buy guns at that point whether your AOS has gone through or not.
The problem is that dealers have been left in a state of confusion by ATF as they made no real effort to inform them of the changes in the regulations and the forms are out-of-date.
Some States do have laws adding on additional restrictions for non-immigrant aliens but I don't think NC is one of them. The main ones are New York, Arizona and Washington.
