Upon arrival at JFK from Kyrgyzstan on 11/20, I was told by the police that I had to have an ATF form 6. They said that without it I would have to surrender my rifle and it would be shipped to bonded warehouse near my home. I told them I never heard of such a thing, and that I was sure they were wrong. Their reply was that even US military personnel had to meet this requirement.

Long story short, they retired to their office, returned and said they would let me go this time. So here is the truth:

The form is required for importation of firearms, but does not apply as follows:
(4) A permit is not required for a firearm or ammuniton brought into the US .........by any person who can establish ..........that such firearm....was previously taken out of the US .......by such person.

Yes, I did have a 4457.

You might want to print and save:
www.atf.gov/forms/pdfs/f53303

Brice,

Which specific law enforcement organization or

organizationS did you have this issue with? I

know for a fact that there are FBI, DEA, US Customs

and Border Patrol, ATF and many other federal

groups are represented at JFK Int'l. Then there is the

local police department which is the PORT AUTHORITY

of New York and New Jersey Police. Please provide

as much detail as you can for the sake of all of us!

He may be just railing against the useless TSA.

NYPD and PAPD both patrol JFK. I have had run-ins with both regarding firearms. Fortunately, I know the law regarding ownership, possession, and travel with firearms, so they could not jam me up.

Both organizations give awards/rewards for gun arrests, so their hassling of travelers should come as no surprise.

If you're following all the regs, insist on a supervisory sergeant or above.

George

No, I am not just railing. I do apologize for not noting exactly which agency these officerw represented. I think they were local, ie port or NYPD.

I like to think that I am in the company of gentlemen (and Ladies) on this site, and that we take each other at their word. Anonymity is no excuse for inaccuracy.

Just got to this one. ATF Form 6 appears to apply only to non-immigrant aliens. If you aren't one and they "let you go this time" they probably realized their error and only said that to save face.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/archi...2/22002/02212002.xml

Not really; ATF form 6 applies to all US citizens; nothing to do with aliens. I recently got to know all about form 6, when I imported a custom rifle, made for me in SA. Took a year! Form 6 is filled in by the importing FFL holder, and then approved by the ATF. After approval, it functions as an import license.
The good folks at the ATF aren’t too swift either. They rejected my first form 6 on the basis that my rifle, a Mauser action 616 Rigby, was a “weapon of war, or destructive device’. Reason? The word Mauser in the description!
I changed the name to Vektor 416 and voila! All was well in the ATF minds.
But ATF 6 is NOT needed for bringing in your own rifle already owned by you in the US; 4473 is all you need.

Did you read the ATF news release the link goes to? ATF form 4473 is for the purchase of a firearm, not reentry with one already in possession. Only a US Customs Form 4457 is advisable for personal effects taken abroad.

Anywhere you travel I recommend you not only "know" the laws and the rules, but also have copies of them. When you get a "person of authority" that is wrong, be polite and ask for a supervisor. If the supervisor is wrong, ask for the "head man".

Be polite, then be firm. If you are right/correct, eventually it will get straightened out.

I will stress that being polite is a very good idea.
It does no good to piss or "the official" even if he is a "minor official".

Just move up the "command structure".

Unless you are at a remote out post, and he is the only "official".

Then sometimes, you just have to whip his ass, or choke him out,or shoot him 2 or 3 times, and drive on.

Cause when your right, your right.

Maybe they will replace him with somebody that knows the rules.

quote:

Then sometimes, you just have to whip his ass, or choke him out,or shoot him 2 or 3 times, and drive on.

Ha!

quote:

Unless you are at a remote out post, and he is the only "official".

Then sometimes, you just have to whip his ass, or choke him out,or shoot him 2 or 3 times, and drive on.

Cause when your right, your right.

I just love it