Thread: I imported a sigsauer Sierra6bdx scope . I have a story about importing

Firstly , these scopes are available in nz at around 2.5-2.6 k but they also often out of stock .
Heres the story .
MY wife went to america to visit our daughter and new grand child . I stayed home because the cost was quite high for two to go ...
Anyway , while she was there , i saw the scope on special on EBAY , at 1k usd ( 1600 nzd ) so i bought it to save a thousand bucks. Problem was the seller would not export it ( the law , border control , etc ) so i said put it in your bag Honey and bring it home for me .
Well , that was almost the worst mistake i ever made , because i found out to take the scope out of the country without the right export permit paperwork is a federal offense . If caught , my wife would have been arrested !
Now , for all the doubters , this law is Brand new and at this time now 3 months old . I found out by ringing Reloaders International in Oregon , who i do know having used them to export projectiles and things to me previuosly .
YES , they replied its all new , scopes are now included as restricted / controlled items , but we will do the export application for you .
Cutting to end of the story the saving became about 600 bucks, ( the export permit process , the freight , the insurance ) and took 8 weeks . why 8 weeks ?
Because the exporter ( reloaders international ) will not export to anyone who cant legally import the scope /part / rifle anything etc . Meaning you have to prove that the NZ police import a thing process allows you to do that . You need to apply at home ( took 2 weeks ) to get a "declined " which means you dont need an import permit ( Declined ?you ask . yep because you dont need a permit to import a scope , but you need to apply any way to be told why did you bother )
You send your evidence to Oregon , along with a testament that you will only use it on your rifle , and not import it so as to make money out of . Plus evidence you are a real person ( i offered a pic of Firearms licence , my address etc .
Anyway , there are forms , and then more forms , and then 2 followup enquieries from the USA dept Commerce and Security . But eventually it all come together .
One last thing. I have no doubt that , the question i asked "can i import a scope " triggered an event, and my application details ( firearms license address , name etc ) was also background checked by the US officials as well .
So , the scope is on my 7mm prc . IT does exactly what was promised , and i swear the glass in it, is better than that in my swaro z5 on the 300 win . I am rapt .....
cheers
les

In most cases the individual seller have no idea what can be exported and what cannot.

I once asked a friend to export an Arken EP5 from the state to NZ and no courier would accept the item because they are regulated good despite they are considered as hunting scopes not any military stuff. It doesn't really worth the effort and time to obtain an export license for that.

On the other hand, few years ago Eurooptics shipped a Schmidt Bender PM2 directly to me and no question asked.

To be honest the issue is with the courier. If you are purchasing from a dealer and they have channel to ship the product using fedex or similar, the scope then can be exported. If you're an individual, then the chance is small.


Besides, the same story applied to NZ as well. In the past when I tried to send one of my scope back to Austria for repair, the NZ export control stopped the parcel and asking for a export permit. Glad the process for the export permit is straightforward and it is free. It took me 2 weeks to get the permit without too many questions asked.

What mag range is the 6x ?

And now thoughts and prayers if there is ever a warranty issue with your scope.

So aside from all the questions and paperwork, has this now become a triggering event for the register even though buying a scope in NZ is not?

That's a good Q Rumpy...wondered the same myself.

Originally Posted by RUMPY

So aside from all the questions and paperwork, has this now become a triggering event for the register even though buying a scope in NZ is not?

Any official interaction with the fsa could be considered a triggering event as I understand it. It's the interaction with paperwork (the application for import permit) that is the triggering event.

I was thinking that would probably be the case, could catch a few people out who aren't on the register.

Where about did you find the info regarding the required export permit for a scope ex usa?

Originally Posted by chainsaw

What mag range is the 6x ?

the mag range is 3-18 X 33 sane as z5 swaro

Originally Posted by Pommy

And now thoughts and prayers if there is ever a warranty issue with your scope.

Yep . But the makers claim life time guarantee , no questions asked , no receipt . But it will be sending it back to the usa for a repair or swap . Which will be a pain in the arse . But i have thought that thru . I,ll send it first to my daughter in Oregon , she,ll send it to sig and get the replacement back , then it will be reexported back to me on the same original permit .

Originally Posted by Friwi

Where about did you find the info regarding the required export permit for a scope ex usa?

that info came from "Reloaders International in Oregon ", who specialize in "exporting " fireearm related stuff . I have bought gear from them before and they handled the export paper work then as well . This scope export was the first time that they had to make application to export a scope as one was not needed previously unless obviously military grade or potential use . MY scope is a hunting scope , and it was the first time a hunting scope was now needing a permit to export .

Originally Posted by RUMPY

I was thinking that would probably be the case, could catch a few people out who aren't on the register.

Yep , i think it could . Even though anyone can buy and own a scope without any permit required . If you are asked to prove that you can import a scope without restriction , how do you do that ? I spoke with the local guys at the police station asking them if they might just simply send me an email on nz police letter head saying "les collins can import as many scopes as he likes " . The answer was a firm NO . You have to use the import a thing process, where you will get "declined" meaning you dont need an import permit . However to get to that point you have already trigger the an event , by starting the process of asking for a permit .

Originally Posted by No.3

Any official interaction with the fsa could be considered a triggering event as I understand it. It's the interaction with paperwork (the application for import permit) that is the triggering event.

Yep , i think it could . Even though anyone can buy and own a scope without any permit required . If you are asked to prove that you can import a scope without restriction , how do you do that ? I spoke with the local guys at the police station asking them if they might just simply send me an email on nz police letter head saying "les collins can import as many scopes as he likes " . The answer was a firm NO . You have to use the import a thing process, where you will get "declined" meaning you dont need an import permit . However to get to that point you have already trigger the an event , by starting the process of asking for a permit .