So in a fit of weakness I have a sealed bid in with for a treble grip double rifle made by William more and grey. Caliber is .450-400 3 1/4" BLNE.

What are the hard and fast fees for this?

If it is an antique weapon, pre-1899, I believe you will have an 11% FET on top of some small fees. If it is a firearm, post 1898, you will have to get the proper import form submitted and pre-approved before you ship but you will not incur an 11% FET as long as you import fewer than 50 firearms in the year. Go figure.

Contact Steve Bertram with your questions. Good luck.

Congratulations let us know when you get her home. You have a standing invention to come down and shoot.

I contacted Steve and got the lowdown.

It is a sealed bid auction so I won't know if I won until the 30th.

I've imported both.
Pre-1899 is not considered a firearm in the eyes of the federal gov't. I have had these mailed directly to me but the firearm must be packed with 100% proof of its date of manufacture. If that proof can be questioned the firearm may be returned.

1899 and later must go through an importing agency, Fed form filled out and applied for, and when imported then sent to an FFL in your area. If the firearm would quality in the USA to be sent to a C&R FFL the requlations to import were so confusing that no one in the BATF office would commit to an answer (as I have a C&R).

Cal

I had a pre-1898 double hammer gun shipped from Holts. $50 for the customs house but no custom fee as it was antique. Easy process.

"The bore pitted throughout and the rifling is worn, very worn on the left tube."

Oh hell I looked at this one too but I never bid against a potential client. If I was bidding, a re-bore at minimum or a possible re-barrel would be figured into my bid. At least you are starting with a real Nitro prooved double rifle action and any project forward has some real potential.

Pre-1898 guns require no import permit. I'm pretty sure I am currently the most reasonably priced importer from the UK at 550$ for everything except duty on your gun and shipping/insurance from my shop to your FFL.
Steve

CM: Did you win the day?

I did not. I bid 500 bp and it sold for 950.

Just more money for next time. I am sorry.

You saved a lot of trouble...

If I would have won that auction I would have had that rifle at $1200. It seems pretty basic that even if I put $10,000 into it I'd still be okay.

That's about the right price with stock and barrels, Colin. But I went that route on my pre-hammer double and Aaron will do his magic.