Hi, I hope you don't mind me putting this question in here, but it seemed the most appropriate place to get some answers from Americans!

My Girlfriend has just started a 6 month contract with the Department of Commerce on exchange from the UK, so she's going to be working in Washington DC.

Naturally, I want to take advantage of the fact that things like scopes, rangefinders etc. are only 40%-50% as expensive in the US to stock up on gear.

Most of the stuff I want I was going to mail order from the likes of Cabela's and Bear Basin to her apartment and pick it up when I visit, however, I am aware that DC has many restrictions on Firearms, ammunition and related items,but I haven't been able to find a clear simple guide on the web.

Will I be breaking any city laws if I have stuff like this mailed to her apartment? What about reloading equipment (dies etc) and components (especially bullets)? Also, what are the laws on pepper sprays in DC? She's likely to be living just outside the beltway, so does that come under DC or Virginia/Maryland etc law?

Naturally, I will have my UK licence with me, (I'll need it at the airport this side to import bullets) but I don't suppose that will count for anything!

Also, are there any gunshops just outside the beltway that are worth visiting? Those that offer Forces discounts will be very welcome.

Many thanks.

63

I don't believe there would be any restrictions on things like scopes, range finders, bore sights etc...

None of those things are even borderline on legality. But then, I don't live in DC and have never had any desire to.

Mac

I've only lived in the DC area for a year, and i live in virginia just across the river. so i am not sure about dc laws. if she lives in virginia, then it would be under virginia law. if you have problems getting things to her place i will be glad to store some stuff for you if you like, and you can get when you visit.

i also wouldn't think scopes, rangefinders, things like that would come under any restriction. a lot of times items that are restricted, will have an * by them with an explanation, telling you where they may be restricted to. so i would look online at the stuff you want, it may not be an issue.

Thanks Cooper.

She's looking at flats in Rockville at the moment, which is just outside city limits, so I guess that will be ok.

Any suggestions on hunting/gun stores in the area?

You can get into a legal grey area exporting any harder gun parts ammunition or ammunition components.
then again as a foreign national and the fact that none of that stuff requires a signature (or ID) to buy... I doubt that anyone is going to ask you for an export permit.

And when I say "I doubt" I mean it's about as likely to happen as your girlfriend is to flap her arms and fly home to the UK while carrying a thee bedroom house in her talons

there would be legal issues involved in any of us packing stuff up and mailing it to you from the US, but I don't believe those issues apply to you or your girlfriend if you choose to buy the same things over the counter
and hand-carry them home.

In general the retailer who would be shipping the specific item to DC would be able to answer those questions for you on an item by item basis.

what happens at your end when she is trying to clear customs is another matter.

Just remember that ammunition is allowed on aircraft only in specific circumstances. Primers and propellant not at all.
inert components are... well... inert.

Loading dies? No problem they are simply tools.
ditto for other tooling (RCBS precision Mic, Presses, etc...)

Probably the best place to go outside of DC or Maryland
is the Cabela's in Hamburg PA but that is a bit of a drive from DC (around around 100 miles) there are places in virginia I'm sure but I'll leave discussing them to someone else.

I suggest Cabela's because if you are looking for loading dies, brass and bullets they are the most likely place to have what you want siting on the shelf waiting to be picked up and placed in your shopping cart.

Picking up brass and bullets at Cabela's is literally no different from buying a bag of rice and a box of chocolates from your local grocers.

The dies and other tooling are out there on shelves as well.
but then again so is their ammunition...

You can always recognize foreigners by the glassey eyed look at all the stuff just there on shelves...

Like the character played by Robin Williams in that movie "Moscow on the Hudson" in the scene where
he goes into a grocery store o buy coffee...

AD

I live in Maryland and mail order reloading supplies and hunting gear from Cabela's regularly. There is no problem at all with possessing or shipping any of these materials to Maryland.

Washington DC city is a jurisdiction unto itself and has very different laws especially relating to possession and storage of firearms, ammo, and explosives (very shooting sports unfriendly.)

There are some Federal regulations against shipping high-tech materials out of the country such as third generation night-vision devices. You may be able to identify these through a web search. Reloading equipment such as presses and dies, handheld GPS, rangefinders, and scopes should not pose a problem.

You might want to ensure that scopes are packed in checked baggage and not carry on bags. Some security people cannot understand that a scope is not part of a firearm.

I have hunted with people who have brought ammunition into the country and returned to their home country with remaining cartridges with no problem. I don't know if there are limits on amounts. Again a web search might help identify the limitations.

BTW - Harrisburg is closer to 150 miles from Washington DC - a 3 hour drive.

There is a large Bass Pro Shop East of Rockville in Columbia (45 minutes or so) that carries a lot of hunting, shooting, and fishing gear but no reloading equipment or components except powder and primers.

There is also a Gander Mountain store in York Pennyslvania (90 minutes or so)that has most hunting and reloading equipment and supplies.

Dear 63:

Cabelas in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, USA is a bit steep in price. I know, I live 15 minutes away.

Here's where I shop:

Shyda's Shoe & Clothing Barn Directions:

1635 S. Lincoln Avenue
Lebanon, PA 17042

STORE HOURS(NEW):
Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

phone (717)274-2551
• fax (717)274-6702

email: info@shydas.com

http://www.shydasgunshop.com/

They have a big gun store and sell tons of reloading components. If you call ahead by one week, they can just about get anything for you.

Its an easy trip from the beltway in D. C. up Interstate 83 into Pennsylvania. They are in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, so just do a mapquest search or use the info link to Shyda's posted above.

If you make a trip of it, I'd suggest my stepson's restaurant in Reading, Pennsylvania, only 45 minutes away from Lebanon. Just private message me.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

Thanks everyone.

Having looked at the map and the cost of car rental I suspect I will head up to PA one day while she's at work rather than buying mail order.

Do Cabela's stores sell stuff at the same price as the website?? Is Cabela's regarded as an expensive place to shop?

If I head up that way I'll stop by Shyda's too, it would be daft not to!

I don't think I'm going to want anything too exotic, Burris and Zeiss scopes and binoculars, larder kit like gambrels, hoists and saws, and a few boxes of bullets. I'm hmmm-ing about a laser range finder too, but thats about it.

Just something to note. I was going to buy a couple of scopes for a friend of mine in Africa and take them to him last year. When I was ordering them I mentioned that to the sales lady on the phone and she told me she could not sell them to me for that purpose. Seems it was illegal for me to take out of the country for someone else.

I do not know if she was right or wrong but it seemed pretty petty to me.

quote:

Originally posted by 63:
Thanks everyone.

Having looked at the map and the cost of car rental I suspect I will head up to PA one day while she's at work rather than buying mail order.

The trip to Cabela's should be worthwhile on its own merits. But if you are looking for the best prices and general availability of reloading gear (presses, dies, components etc) as well as for optics (scopes, range finders), the Internet is hard to beat.

- mike

"Having looked at the map and the cost of car rental I suspect I will head up to PA one day while she's at work rather than buying mail order."

Dopn't forget, we drive on the right hand side of the road!

I'll try not to crash on the wrong side.

Any recommendations for mail order stores? I'm searching through Google, and I know about Cabelas and Bear Basin, but aside from that I'm clueless.

If its anything like the UK there are probably one or two top notch companies out there that those in the know use.

Here some more retail outfits that do mail order.

http://www.midwayusa.com/

http://www.natchezss.com/index.cfm?CFID=1303881&CFTOKEN=92937067

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/

http://www.wideners.com/index.cfm

Rad