Bringing a rifle from Canada into the US by my parents...what's process?

BostonFJ40

BostonFJ40

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My parents live in Ma but they own a home in Nova Scotia that they inherited from my grandfather. They will be selling it and are in Canada now to pack some things up. One thing they want to bring back is a Winchester 30/30 rifle. They are both in their mid 70s and neither has an LTC or FID. What is the process for getting the rifle into the US? Could they ship it to me? My close friend is the CLEO in their town so getting a permit is just a formality. Any advice would be great. All the info online is geared toward a non-resident bring in a firearm.


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shipping would be importing and that would be an expensive ordeal. You should call the customs service and ask them what the procedure would be for them to transport it back with them.
 
Call the local Office of Field Operations where they would be crossing. Find out what they say. I'd suggest calling the ATF and make sure what OFO tells you jibes between the agencies.

I know it's not a huge deal to bring a RIFLE through the northern border. The wonky situation of inheriting the gun is the only red flag I see.

I wish I knew the law and could cite it for you, but guns I normally encounter don't have US serial numbers (or are stolen, etc) and have large amounts of other contraband involved, the gun was just a spicy accent.

edit:

Went back and reread the OP, is the gun 'theirs' or did they get it with the property? If it's theirs, it should be a relatively simple process, unless the time it spent in Canada messes with everything.
 
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I'm not 100% sure of this, but in case it helps:

They can only import it themselves if it's C&R (and they get a C&R FFL). (There's an exception that also lets military personnel import guns.)

Otherwise an FFL has to do it. Any FFL can import occasionally for themselves or a customer. (Source) I believe the process is to send ATF a Form 6, then wait for a few months to get an import permit (Form 6-1) back. Form 6-1 the accompanies the firearm when shipped to the FFL. I don't know that there's a fee for the Form 6. There may be customs duty to pay based on the value of the gun.

I don't know what's needed on the Canada side.

This is all assuming that the gun qualifies as a "sporting firearms."
 
The gun belonged to my grandfather. It was something that was in the house. They don't have any "official" paperwork showing they own it and I don't think it was specifically called out in the will.


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I can't help with the legal method. But we hosted some Canadian police at a training a bunch of years ago and the process to legally bring their duty arms to the training was such a PIA, they ended up smuggling them into the US. Canadian laws can be quite harsh.

I don't know how much sentimental attachment you have, but legally it might be a lot easier to sell it in Canada.
 
Taking a gun out of the US is not very tricky. Bringing it in is the hard part [wink]

I would call the local ATF field office (Boston?) and make sure to let the border crossing point know about their arrival beforehand. In the US and probably Canada, a gun would be chattel, so I would bring the probate docs from Canada. I would also check with both a Mass probate or gun lawyer and a Canadian lawyer. If the gun is worth a decent amount, I'd rather pay a lawyer to do the research since it won't be fun if something is not quite right.
 
First and ****ing foremost - do they have a license to possess in Canada? They could bring themselves to jail just by making a few phone calls over there if they don't have one. Even with one, permanent importation is a serious process and it's not really worth it.
 
MaynardDad said:
Otherwise an FFL has to do it. Any FFL can import occasionally for themselves or a customer. (Source) I believe the process is to send ATF a Form 6, then wait for a few months to get an import permit (Form 6-1) back. Form 6-1 the accompanies the firearm when shipped to the FFL. I don't know that there's a fee for the Form 6. There may be customs duty to pay based on the value of the gun.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that. (Additional source: having done this a few times.) As long as you have a US FFL who isn't scared off by the paperwork (which isn't even that bad), the Form 6 stuff is pretty easy. On the Canadian end I'd have a quiet conversation with the dealer you want shipping it to you, since getting into international legal trouble isn't a good way to get started.

At first glance the only issue I'd have with an operation like the irunguns.us people is that they're a "real" (08 FFL) importer, so (as they say on their web site) they need to comply with the import-marking regulations--not the end of the world, but more time and more expense. If you use a garden-variety 01 FFL those regs don't apply.
 
Thanks for all the tips. No, they do not have a license to possess a rifle in Canada. I highly doubt that my grandfather did either.


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TheTrueQuaid said:
https://irunguns.us/page.php?name=import-process

Talk to these guys they import guns to canada from the usa and they do the same for usa from canada.
Click to expand...

If the gun has sentimental value you may want to see how much it would cost to let them do it. I've never heard of them nor am endorsing them in any way. But if they have already invented the wheel, it may be easier to just roll with them. Can't hurt to call, and I can assure you that weapons charges are 'sexy', and AUSA's like sexy.
 
Is this rifle worth the effort involved? If its something you can commonly buy here why not just sell it up there and eliminate the headaches?
 
Have them stick it in a suitcase and just drive it in. If they're 70 the odds of them being searched are very slim to non-existent.
 
Horrible said:
In order to take possession in MA from an FFL, your parents will need to get their LTCs.
Click to expand...

I figured that part out and talked the CLEO last night. He can fast track an application but the state may be the hold up in the process.

The part I am concerned about is them walking into an FFL in Nova Scotia with a rifle and no permit.

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BostonFJ40 said:
I figured that part out and talked the CLEO last night. He can fast track an application but the state may be the hold up in the process.

The pet I am concerned about is them walking into an FFL in Nova Scotia with a rifle and no permit.

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Click to expand...

would an FFL pick it up at the house? anyone they know there licensed? ie; mule?
 

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