I went to the US Customs Office at DFW Airport today to get 4457 forums for 2 rifles.

I went into the office and advised the Customs Officer I had 2 rifles that I needed 4457 forms for. He asked me if they were loaded, and did I have any ammo, I said no. He then asked if the bolt were out of them. I replied one was a fdouble rifle the other a lever, and both were taken down and the barrels were not on them.

He then said great, take them to that table over there, fill out the paper work and let me know when you are ready.

So I went outside and got the recievers out of the trunk, just as an other Customs officer drove up and parked next to me.
He saw me with the rifle tke down case and I said hellow and we talked as we walked to the door. He opened the door for me, and was very friendly, did not ask anything about guns.

Once inside, I filled out the paper work and tole the original officer I talked to I was ready. I do not think he recognized me but he as checked my guns at least one maybe two other times.

He came to the table and checked the serial numbers against what I had written in the 4457, looked at my DL, and took the 4457's, I put each rifle on a seperate 4457, back behind the counter, signed and stamped them and redlined the blank spaces left on the forums.

He then told me "These forms are good FOREVER, I suggest you have them laminated, and make a few copies, and keep a copy in the gun case, and the originals with your passport.

He was very professional and very friendly.

Most of my trips to Customs to get 4457 for my rifles were pretty much like your experience except no guns in the office. They would come out to my truck and check them there.

However, once I got this lady and she acted very rudely. She did not check my guns but just signed the forms.

This is all at the Atlanta office.

I was at my local (Reno) Customs office last Thursday to get 4457's for my upcoming hunt. Everything was smooth and pleasant but did come away with a question unanswered.
The Customs officer took the completed 4457's to his computer, for what reason I do not know. I asked him if he was checking to see if the rifles were listed as stolen or registering them. After a short pause, he said that he wasn't really at liberty to say.
Do any of you know what this may be about?

I took a Model 70 in last year and the agent went the back to run the numbers...came back smiling.

He said the serial number came back as stolen, but a stolen M1 Garand. He was laughing and said he thought he was going to get a new toy!

I didn't really share in his amusement, but he did handle it well.

quote:

Originally posted by Nevada Wapati:
I was at my local (Reno) Customs office last Thursday to get 4457's for my upcoming hunt. Everything was smooth and pleasant but did come away with a question unanswered.
The Customs officer took the completed 4457's to his computer, for what reason I do not know. I asked him if he was checking to see if the rifles were listed as stolen or registering them. After a short pause, he said that he wasn't really at liberty to say.
Do any of you know what this may be about?

Had the exact same thing happen yesterday! I think Big Brother is definitely involved.

Best regarsd, D. Nelson

They are checking the serial numbers against a database of stolen firearms.

It would be easy to take stolen firearms out of the country if they didn't do this.


.

Four times in the Atlanta office no problems in and gone. Last year I was asked if they were in a case and i said no. She then told me to go home and bring them back in a case. I told her no there was no law that stated that. Forty five minutes later and she made a copy I was gone. Oh yeah when I asked for a supervisor, 4 agents came out and formed a semi circle. I will always carry the same rifles now so i never have to go back.

I have to go to Albuquerque for the Customs trip and they have always been extremely polite and helpful and have told me the same thing. The 4457's are good for life.

They are good for life as long as you bring the same rifles.

NE 450 No2,

It does my heart good to hear about such a positive experience with US Customs and some agents that were friendly and knowledgable. There are far to many ignorant jerks wearng Customs uniforms.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
They are checking the serial numbers against a database of stolen firearms.

It would be easy to take stolen firearms out of the country if they didn't do this. .

I don't see this preventing anyone from taking a stolen firearm out of the country. The reason being is that the 4457 is not required to take a firearm out of country. It just shows that you had it prior to returning to the US from your international travels.

quote:

Originally posted by JTEX:
They are checking the serial numbers against a database of stolen firearms.

It would be easy to take stolen firearms out of the country if they didn't do this.


.

They are also checking to see if you have any warrants or are a convicted felon...I asked the officer at DFW one time if they ever found anyone with warrants and he said "you'd be surprised how many stupid people bring firearms in here" and that they arrest people frequently. I have found the CBP officers at DFW to be very friendly and helpful, when I have been clearing trophy shipments they have always moved me to the front of the line of people waiting to clear shipments.

Karl

Last month I wanted a 4457 for a new rifle I had just got...the U.S. Cost. office had moved and I called to find out the new location...talked to nice guy and he wanted me bring my binocs,cameras,rifle any major item I was carrying with me in June that was not on a 4457....he happened to be the one that issued the 4457 to me ...he put the rifle and scope # on one form and the rest of the items on another form...he said that this was in case some of their people got a wild hair when I came back, it would stop a lot of hassle ,I appreciated both his help and advice......

Went to the Customs Office at Hobby a few years ago and the Officer was eating a sandwich. I asked if she could check a rifle and issue a customs form. She stamped and signed a blank form and handed it to me and said have a nice day. That was the most pleasant encounter.

The last time I went for a form was at the new office on the Gulf Fwy. The pricks in that office gave me the most grief they legally could. Including asking me what I was going to hunt with that "cannon". When I said I was hunting elephant they demanded an explination as to why anybody would want to hunt an endangered elephant. Ass holes.

The folks at the office on Beltway 8 up by Intercontinental have always been very pleasant and very efficient.

Never have had a problem in multiple trips to Washington-Dulles as well. Very simple process.

Agree with Mike on the Customs folks on Beltway 8 in Houston. Never had a problem. And, you have to bring the rifles into the office. I have always done so cased in a hard aluminum, flight type of case, bolts removed, no ammo obviously. And, I've had the forms filled out before I got there. But you walk right in rifles and all, you show them the completed forms, show them the rifles, they verify s/n's and stamp your form and you are out of there. No snide comments or issues.

Don't ask me about Customs in the airport!

I took my

rifle/scope......bolt not removed
spare scope
range finder
2 pair binoculars
2 cameras

Just last week to Spirit of St Louis Airport and put them all on one form.

Great officer.....very polite to my wife and I

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:
Went to the Customs Office at Hobby a few years ago and the Officer was eating a sandwich. I asked if she could check a rifle and issue a customs form. She stamped and signed a blank form and handed it to me and said have a nice day. That was the most pleasant encounter.

The last time I went for a form was at the new office on the Gulf Fwy. The pricks in that office gave me the most grief they legally could. Including asking me what I was going to hunt with that "cannon". When I said I was hunting elephant they demanded an explination as to why anybody would want to hunt an endangered elephant. Ass holes.

NOT that such idiots actually DESERVE a response, but if you want to just have some fun...tell'em: "It was an Elephant that killed my Momma".

Corpus Christi is where I go to get my 4457s and I have never had an issue or been asked to bring my rifles in while doing so.

I showed up at Seattle's airport location with two rifles and all of my paraphernalia without any prior warning to them and it was as smooth as could be. He checked the numbers and that was that.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Edwards:

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:
Went to the Customs Office at Hobby a few years ago and the Officer was eating a sandwich. I asked if she could check a rifle and issue a customs form. She stamped and signed a blank form and handed it to me and said have a nice day. That was the most pleasant encounter.



The last time I went for a form was at the new office on the Gulf Fwy. The pricks in that office gave me the most grief they legally could. Including asking me what I was going to hunt with that "cannon". When I said I was hunting elephant they demanded an explination as to why anybody would want to hunt an endangered elephant. Ass holes.

NOT that such idiots actually DESERVE a response, but if you want to just have some fun...tell'em: "It was an Elephant that killed my Momma".

These miserable cunts were looking for any excuse to throw me in jail. Ran the rifle through state and federal database for stolen. Ran my DL for warrants. The shit bird in charge was watching when I took my DL out and handed it to him and he saw my CCL as I put it back in my pocket. He asked why I had two driver's licenses and said that was illegal. Had to show it to him and prove that it was a CCL and not a "fake DL". The other fuck stick kept making anti hunting comments.

I live near Chicago and get my 4457s at the CBP office near O'Hare.

My experience there is just like my experience with people everywhere - it depends on who you get. Typically I go on Saturday morning, when they are open but short staffed. Typically - but not always - I get a lecture about how they would "prefer" that I come during the week (which would require missing at least half a day of work for me) when they have more people available. Even though they are short staffed on Saturdays they never seem to be doing anything when I show up.

Different officers handle my request that they sign a 4457 for my latest rifle with different degrees of formality, from having me come into an interview room with two officers (one presumably to provide backup for other in case I go nuts) to having them simply look at the rifle in the case without even really checking the serial number.

I have always just brought the rifle in (in its case) with me and no one has ever told me I shouldn't do it that way.

I've never gotten an "anti-gun" attitude. The worst attitude has been typical "government bureacrat who would rather you weren't interrupting their day" attitude.

I've never gotten an "anti-hunting" attitude. I have often gotten curiosity - where are you going, what are you hunting kinds of questions, but with no apparent judgment behind them. The lady who filled out my latest 4457 said "cool" when I told her were I was going and what I was hunting.

Interestingly, the only mildly "anti-hunting" attitude I ever got from CPB was when I did my Global Entry interview. The officer asked me where I travel internationally and why, and I told her most of my international traveling was for hunting. She asked where I do that, and I told her. Then she informed me that of course I couldn't bring any part of any animal home with me. And I said I never bring anything home on my person, but rather ship everything through a customs broker. She told me even that isn't permitted. No bringing home any part of any animal you kill in another country. I politely thanked her for that information and we moved on with the interview.

I went to the CBP office at DFW this past Monday for a 4457 on a rifle going with me this summer and apparently the "B" team was on duty on Monday. They were polite and friendly but the officer that came out to check my rifle had no idea what he was looking at...he thought CZ 550 was the serial number, I politely showed the the 7 digit number right below what he was looking at and he just said "oh", then proceeded to tell me that if I couldn't prove my scope was made in the USA then I would probably have to pay duty on it upon reentry into the US. As did Buffnut, I thanked him for the info and got my stamped form. Sure hope he isn't working when I clear some trophies tomorrow or Monday. Still not an unpleasant experience and the guys at DFW are always friendly.

Karl

My wife and I got our forms stamped in Indianapolis a month or so ago.

Went in and asked them what the procedure was, they asked if the rifles were unloaded and if the bolts were out. I replied that they were. They said to bring them in along with anything else that we had on the forms.

We did all of our camera gear, and binocs on a second form.

Took about 10 minutes to get the forms finished, and they did check the serial numbers against the stolen database. Although, they told me what they were doing, and that it could take a few minutes.

Then we spent the next 45 minutes talking with the officer about our upcoming hunt, what we were after, etc. Nice fellow, and a fellow hunter.

Overall, simple, and painless.

Too bad that this isn't a universal experience.

Jeremy

I got my 4457 in Minneapolis several years ago. They were professional and nice to deal with.

When I came back from Namibia last year, I presented my 4457 for my Winchester Model 70 to the Customs guy in Detroit. He checked the serial number against the 4457, and asked me where the 4457 was for my Leupold Vari-X III scope, a 20 year old scratched up scope. I told him I didn't have one. He said since they're "made in Germany" I might have to pay a duty. I then showed him the "Made in USA" stamp on the scope, and showed him the Leupold website where its says "Made in Beaverton Oregon". He finally relented after I called him on his bullshit harassment. The USF&W guy, on the other hand, was a joy to deal with. I cleared my own trophies from the prior year as excess baggage, and he complimented me on the thoroughness of my paperwork. It took less than 10 minutes to clear USF&W.

I even put a spare scope on my form just in case I swapped scopes before I leave or decide to take a spare for the entire group for a just in case scenario

Was at Bridgeport CT last week for 2 double rifles and a shotgun, no issues, very polite. I arrive with pre filled out forms, done in 5 mins
I now take all my new hunting guns there, as soon as bought, just in case
Never do it at JFK, when the plane leaves in 45mins

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Orvar:
Was at Bridgeport CT last week for 2 double rifles and a shotgun, no issues, very polite. I arrive with pre filled out forms, done in 5 mins
I now take all my new hunting guns there, as soon as bought, just in case
Never do it at JFK, when the plane leaves in 45mins